I watched with interest, this advertised crossroads pairing of heavyweight prospects Dominick Guinn and Audley Harrison - and once the curtain dropped with Guinn scoring a unanimous decision, I left with the feeling both are still caught in traffic at the intersection.

Opens with both in a careful, feeling out mode - Guinn circling from the outside and Harrison traipsing about some littered minefield - the pace would only quicken slightly after some three stanzas had come and gone.

Guinn belatedly brought the battle to the inside during stanza four as he scored with a few body punches against a still dormant Harrison - so much for the pre-fite crossroads, must win presser quotes.

Plenty down time for the viewer to analyze what looked on paper to bring out the best in Harrison, a now age 34, and Guinn closing in on 31 - and then a thought - perhaps replacing a corner stool with a couch between rounds would help.

Entering candle six it was clear Harrison corner man Kenny Croom was not getting through with the tactical end, and while Joe Goossen was content, he wasn’t exactly motivating his new charge to the fullest - thinking here was maybe a head-shrink approach could inject life and confidence in this critical showdown affair.

Regardless, it was Guinn the busier of the two during the run to the wire and only during the closing seconds of the final stanza ten, that the only hot exchange took place as both scored with telling punches - but much too late for those in attendance.

Guinn gets the unanimous nod from the ringside judges 98-92, 97-93, 97-93 … this unofficial had it Guinn 97-94 in points and 6-3-1 under the round by round method.

Closing Comments: Guinn (26-3-1, 18 KOs) ~ best news appears to be the corner switch from Ronnie Shields to Joe Goossen - still, showed none of the promise he once displayed when stopping Michael Grant and besting Duncan Dokiwari. In future outings he must go the sink or swim route while taking the fight to the inside - with gusto, not the arm punches that chalked up points but little damage last noche. Still alive, but faint pulse and no jury picked as yet.
                                  Harrison (19-2, 14 KOs) ~ Appears the big Brit southpaw is shaky bet when the opposition is step up from club fighter to contender. In this outing he clearly did more posing than punching.  
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Scheduled welter prelim saw ESPN touted Andre Berto going to undefeated 11-0, 9 KO’s after dispatching short-notice gimme in Horatio Garcia when corner halted mismatch between three and four.  

Berto solid in physique, showed good hand speed while mixing the offense with body and head punches alike. Definitely catches the eye in all areas - only question mark is in the opposition. Garcia at age 32 and taking the offer on short notice posed no threat. The ESPN head scout Joe Tessie likes Berto … how to tell? We get a mini-bio on the kid. Taped interview tells of his bad-ass daddy driving behind him (age 10-11?) as the kid did roadwork and bumped him with the auto when the kid slowed down. Really, Tessie? Get with reality.

Heavyweight six rounder went the distance with Scranton heavyweight Jason Gavern bested Rafael Butler 5-4 in rounds. Gavern showed more technique than the younger age 22 Butler but should not have given the Scranton town police job up for a future in pro boxing. As for young Butler at a now 17-3, 13 KO’s the question is who were them 13 scalps anyway?

Post Scripts: Best of the night was old Smokin’ Joe Frazier as Brian "No Clue" Kenny’s studio guest - one thing is a given, Frazier is no politician … answered any and all questions from the proverbial hip. Loved him as a fighter and nothing has changed.

GEL