After an exciting week of fights this past week, filled with knockouts and big upsets, the sweet science returns with another solid week of televised fights. Of course this is the week of the huge Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight, but there are some good fights on TV prior to Saturday that should whet your appetite just in time for Saturday's big card.

Here's a look at what you can check out on the tube this week:             

Thursday, March 13- VERSUS 
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

Heavyweights - 10 rds
Tye Fields 40-1, (30 KOs) vs Josue Blocus 15-2, (13 KOs)

Lightweights - 10 rds
Urbano Antillon 21-0, (14 KOs) vs Bobby Pacquiao 28-13-3, (13 KOs)

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Friday, March 14- TELEFUTURA
Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois                        

NABF Lightweight Title - 12 rds
Miguel Angel Huerta 26-8-1, (18 KOs) vs Javier Jauregui 52-14-2, (36 KOs)                    

Lightweight - 8 rds
Brandon Rios 15-0 (10 KOs) vs  Alvin Brown 26-10    

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Saturday March 15- HBO PPV            
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

WBC Super Featherweight Title - 12 rds
Manny Pacquiao  vs Juan Manuel Marquez

WBO Featherweight Title  - 12 rds
Steven Luevano 34-1 (15 KOs) vs Terdsak Jandaeng 29-2, (19 KOs)             

Non-Title - 10 rds
Lightweights David Diaz 33-1-1 (17 KOs) vs Ramon Montano 14-3-2           
Bantamweights Abner Mares 15-0 (9 KOs) vs  Diosdado Gabi 30-3-1 (21 KOs)     

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     The week starts early with an interesting Thursday night card on Versus from the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. Giant heavyweight Tye Fields returns to action and looks to further pad his 40-1 record when he takes on Frenchmen Josue Blocus. The fight is not the step up that people have been looking for with Fields. Blocus (15-2 13 KOs) has losses to journeymen Ron Guerrero and Friday Ahunanya on his résumé.

     In the other fight on this Versus card, undefeated Lightweight prospect Urbano Antillon takes his first major step up when he fights Bobby Pacquiao. Antillon (21-0 14 KOs) is ranked #8 by the WBO and WBA. Manny's brother, Bobby Pacquiao (28-13-3) is a tough veteran. Just two years ago he was fighting a three-fight winning streak over the likes of Carlos Navarro, Carlos Hernandez and Kevin Kelley. Since then he has lost to Humberto Soto and Hector Velasquez. He's not only a veteran looking to bounce back, but the type of experienced fighter Antillon has not faced. They actually have one common opponent-Fernando Trejo. Pacquiao TKO'd Trejo in 4 rounds, while Antillon won a split decision.

     Friday is quiet with no fights on ESPN or Showtime, but Telefutura has a better than normal card. From Cicero, Illinois, hard-nosed veterans Miguel Angel Huerta and Javier Jauregui clash in a twelve rounds crossroads battle for the NABF Lightweight title.

     Huerta, ranked #4 by the WBC, is an exciting active fighter who's matched up well with a similar fighter in Jauregui. Jauregui is a former world champ, who holds two wins over Jose Luis Castillo, and is coming off upsetting formerly undefeated prospect Adrian Mora in his last fight. In the co-feature, undefeated lightweight prospect Brandon Rios (15-0 10 KOs) takes on veteran Alvin Brown. Then it's on to Saturday's big card.

     Everyone knows what's at stake in Saturday's main event between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. The two will try to avenge a four year old draw. Both men have been on a roll recently. Marquez is looking for his biggest career victory, while Pacquiao looks to add another big name to his list of victims. The rest of the HBO pay-per-view card could be pretty good also.

     The night gets started with an exciting bantamweight tilt between Golden Boy Promotions prospect Abner Mares (15-0 9 KOs) and former contender Diosdado Gabi. Mares is ranked #11 by the WBA, #9 by the IBF, and #3 by the WBO. Mares takes a major step up against the tough Filipino Gabi, who is ranked #15 by the WBC and is looking to climb back up the ladder after being knocked out in a title fight a few years ago by Vic Darchinyan.

    David Diaz will then look to avoid the same fate that another lightweight champion named Diaz suffered last week when he defends his WBC crown against Ramon Montano. Diaz, who is always fun to watch, would like to take control of a tough division that got knocked out of whack last week with Juan Diaz's loss. Montano is tougher than his 14-3-2 record would indicate. He has a win over Americo Santos and a draw against prospect Dimitry Salita, so he should not be taken lightly.

    The final undercard bout will be for the WBO featherweight title when Steven Luevano defends against his #1 contender Terdsak Jandaeng. Luevano will look to keep up with fellow featherweight kingpin Robert Guerrero when he faces the tough Jandaeng. Keep in mind that Jandaeng's only two losses were to Juan Manuel Marquez (TKO7) and Joan Guzman, (UD12). It should be a fun week of Boxing that continues throughout the month of March.

3-10-2008