Guinn and Thompson collide on ESPN2 tonight

It’s put up or shut up time for Dominick Guinn and Tony Thompson.

Thirty-something fighters not ranked in the top-ten by any of the Alphabet Soup Gang.

Both have to know that time isn’t infinite in this trade.

Tonight, the two will collide in San Jose atop a six-fight card nationally televised on ESPN2.

The World Boxing Council Continental Americas will be up for grabs, but bigger belts and marquee matchups are in focus for each.

Guinn (26-3-1) is ranked 11 by the WBC and 14 by the World Boxing Organization; the southpaw Thompson (27-1) is ranked 13 by the WBO.

â€?If I lose, I go back to being another heavyweight,â€? said Thompson, age 34, to the San Jose Mercury News. “If I win, I can step out of the shadow I’ve been under my whole career.â€?

â€?I wasn’t in the Olympics,â€?’ he said. “I’m not going to get too many chances.â€?

Guinn, 31, is a relative pup in the sport today; a loss doesn’t mean the end of the road, but he’s already been written off and dismissed after lackluster performances (against James Toney, Friday Ahunanya, Sergei Liakhovich) so his pool of chances is drying up.

“I’m back to where I was when I was 24-0, I’m back to where I was when I was an amateur,â€? Guinn said.

(Email news tips to Michael Woods at Fightwrite@gmail.com)