Predictions for tonight's fights

I've going to save my detailed analysis for after the fights, but I'll throw in my two cents worth of predictions now.

First off, the ESPN PPV event is now only three fights, not four. The Juan Diaz – Ebo Elder lightweight championship bout was cancelled due to injury. But I was really tuning in for the other three anyway.

First, the HBO fight:

Wlad: If you don't get punched in the jaw or rubbed down with petroleum jelly prior to the fight, you should be just fine. Take him out by the third round though, or you may run out of gas. I'm a Klitschko fan, so I'm picking Wlad, KO in the third. But I'm not putting any money on it.

ESPN fights:

Margarito/Cintron: This is going to be a great matchup. These two are both offensively minded, and will likely have some memorable exchanges. After all is said and done, I like Cintron in this fight. Yeah, I know Ring has Margarito ranked a lot higher (the number one contenter, as a matter of fact) but I like Cintron's heart. I think this fight will probably go the distance, with Cintron squeaking out a victory on the scorecards.

McCline/Brock: Both of these guys have a hell of a lot to gain with a victory, but Big Time McCline has a hell of a lot more to lose. Since neither of these guys has tremendous knockout power (yeah, Brock KO'd Clifford Etienne, but so did my grandmother), I think McCline will shock everyone by going the distance and coming out on top on the scorecards.

Mosely/Estrada: Sugar Shane is far from over. This is a must win for him, and he's going to pull it off with a middle round TKO.

My next post, tentatively titled "How Freakin Wrong Can One Person Be?" will be posted either tonight after the fights, or tomorrow after the hangover wears off.