“Why should it be any different than the first time they fought?” said Johnny Bos, the New York-based advisor, when asked to make a pick on Saturday’s Wladimir Klitschko/Chris Byrd heavyweight bout on HBO.

“Emanuel Steward can’t help Jermain Taylor,” said Winky Wright’s promoter Gary Shaw, when told that Steward would be joining Taylor’s camp for the Taylor/Wright June 17 Memphis showdown. “Pat Burns has done a good job with Jermain.”

Trainer Emanuel Steward, the architect of the famed Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit, will function as co-trainer to middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (25-0, 17 KOs) for his June 17 fight againt Winky Wright in Memphis.

Lou DiBella’s Thursday show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City will be, the promoter thinks, his best Broadway Boxing card yet.

Joe Tessitore isn’t a “do it on the fly” kind of guy. The ESPN fight announcer always exerts due diligence in his pre-fight preparation.

Almost as if to counterbalance the big holiday weekend for our Christian, Jewish and Moslem brothers and sisters, those of us who pray at boxing’s tabernacle hoping for some sort of miracle were disappointed at how slow things have been, how disappointing and slow Audley Harrison has been, a trend that looks to continue.

The old saying goes, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Wladimir Klitschko, aka Dr. Steel Hammer, will have his hands full of “Rapid Fire” Chris Byrd Saturday night in Mannheim, Germany.

Moments ago in Reims (France), Frederic Klose won the vacant European welterweight title by defeating Antonio Lauri on points.

Heavyweights at a crossroads are on the ESPN Friday Night Fights bill tonight.

After shining against Jose Cotto on the undercard of the Mayeather / Judah fight last week, it seems logical that Houston lightweight champion Juan Diaz is ready for an even higher-profile, big bucks test.