By James Slater: According to a number of boxing web sites, Paul McCloskey and Breidis Prescott will meet at The Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on September 10th. A press conference is expected to officially announce the fight later today.
Set to be a WBA 140-pound title fight eliminator, McCloskey-Prescott is by itself an interesting fight. Both guys are, of course, best known for fights with current WBA champ Amir Khan. Prescott rose to prominence with a crushing 1st-round KO over Khan in 2008, while southpaw McCloskey lost a controversial 6th-round TD back in April of this year. Now the two men meet in the hopes of gaining a second date with “King Khan.”
Since his points loss to Kevin Mitchell in December of 2009 (just the second loss in the career of the 28-year-old Colombian), Prescott has won three straight over decent if not great opposition. Last time out, in April, Prescott looked good in pounding out a wide ten-round UD over a once-beaten, never stopped Bayan Jargal.
A few days earlier, Khan was defending against McCloskey, and though he was up on all cards at the time of the stoppage, Khan was not looking all that great in trying to deal with the slippery skills of his southpaw challenger. Unable to nail down and hit McCloskey flush, Khan looked to some to be growing tired and frustrated. Then, with one of the smallest-looking cuts to have ever ended a world title fight coming into play, the bout was terminated. With Team-McCloskey left fuming, Khan said he was not at all interested in rematch.
Khan hasn’t seemed too interested in a return meeting with Prescott either. Many fans, quite rightly, argue how Khan has bigger fish to fry (Zab Judah this Saturday being the first important fight on his new agenda) – but it is possible the winner of the September 10th bout will one day get another shot at Khan.
Then again, Khan has spoken of facing Erik Morales after Judah, and of then moving up to welterweight. Maybe the Sept. 10th winner will be left with the opportunity to fight for Amir’s vacated WBA light-welterweight belt? Either way, McCloskey-Prescott is a big fight; one that is sure to prove attractive to McCloskey’s many fans.
Will the slippery skills of the 31-year-old prove too much for powerhouse Prescott. Will McCloskey attempt to use a similar approach to the one Kevin Mitchell used against Prescott a couple of years ago? Or will the long arms of the “Khanqueror” get to “Dudey’s” chin and force him to into a fierce battle?
Both men really need the win in this one, and both can be expected to come in in great shape and fully focused. Prescott deserves credit for agreeing to travel once again. McCloskey deserves credit for agreeing to take on such a dangerous slugger. I’m on the fence with this one: I can see McCloskey boxing his way to a points win, but I can also envisage Prescott landing a bomb at some point and getting the stoppage.