By James Slater: As it turns out, there will be two very, very big boxing cards going down on Saturday, May 5th. Fans know all about the massive show that will bring a ton of excitement inside The MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior topping the announced four-bout bill against Puerto Rican great Miguel Cotto – but there is another big night planned that night, in Germany.
That same night in Erfurt, Robert Stieglitz-George Groves, for the WBO 168-pound title, will top a bill that includes Marco Huck-Ola Afolabi II (also a WBO title clash, up at cruiserweight), and two interesting heavyweights bouts that will see unbeaten prospects in action: Kubrat Pulev stepping up against Alexander Dimitrenko for the European belt and Edmund Gerber going in with tricky trial horse Maurice Harris. That’s one good, value for money fight card.
To me, the Huck-Afolabi return is the pick of the night, but the Stieglitz-Groves clash is also a hugely intriguing fight; especially now that it has been announced that “King” Arthur Abraham, the former middleweight ruler, will likely face the winner. Stieglitz, 41-2(23) against Groves, 14-0(11) is a big fight for Germany, but it is also a big night for the U.K.
Groves may have lost a few fans for taking this fight and not honouring his rematch with Kenny Anderson (there were, of course, reasons for the move on the part of Groves), but if he can make his gamble of a title challenge pay off, he will be well and truly in the big time. Imagine a Groves-Abraham fight!
Both Huck-Afolabi II and Stieglitz-Groves have the look of tough, hard-fought distance fights; even if Huck is promising he will “swing for the fences and really go for it” this time. It might be tough for the two visiting fighters to pick up close decisions, therefore both Afolabi and Groves will be looking to take the heat right to the respective champion they will be rumbling with. That equates to great action.
For what it’s worth, I see Stieglitz retaining his belt via a quite gruelling decision win, and I see “Kryptonite” Afolabi shocking the German audience with a late-rounds stoppage victory.
Maybe the action in Germany will prove to be more exciting, more satisfying than the big fights that will take place in Las Vegas a few hours later that same night!