Hasim Rahman vs. Monte Barrett — August 13

If you had the Palomar Telescope, you still couldn’t find my interest in this fight. It’s hardly a matchup that’s had me breathless – let alone willing shell-out for PPV. Back-in-the-day, this would’ve been a routine Friday night main-go at the Old Garden, with nothing more at stake than bragging rights – certainly not for a title – interim or otherwise. Just two “good boys mixin’ it up.” Think Corrales-Castillo and Arce-Hussein, as a double bill, on Oct 8; that’s a PPV event. Pushed to the wall for a prediction: Barrett’s hand-speed is the difference over 12 rounds, in a fight that doesn’t electrify the boxing world, signify a new marquee name, or inject desperately-needed life in a division fast going MIA.

Joe Rein

(Joe Rein was the May 2005 winner of the CJ Award for superlative boxing journalism. You can check out his work right here at The Sweet Science. And to find Rahman–Barrett predictions from other writers, go to this link)