News & Notes: Roy Jones Reps Captain Hook, Nonito Donaire Reps Pinoy Power, and Chris Arreola Reps Free Willy

by The Boxing Bulletin on Aug 14, 2009 6:58 PM EDT Comment 0 comments

Michael Nelson takes a look at this Saturday night's PPV action featuring Nonito Donaire (pictured) and Roy Jones Jr. fighting on separate shows, while also offering a couple thoughts on big Chris Arreola.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

I'm not sure what to make of Roy dressing up as Peter Pan characters to promote fights. He can't use the usual 'my kids thought it would be fun' excuse, seeing how his kids are teenagers who probably wouldn't be seen in that outfit at a Halloween party.

Maybe he lost a bet of some sort. Or maybe Oscar De La Hoya was right in urging Roy to hang up the gloves. If not the gloves, at least the wig.

Regardless, Jones is the heavy favorite Saturday. He wants to show Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy who has the better hook (hence the silly pirate outfit), and judging from Lacy's last three fights, I don't think he'll have an issue proving his point. Neither fighter possesses the same hook they used to devastate opponents with in their prime. Difference is, Roy's hook has downgraded from all-time great to good, while Jeff's hook has gone from good to mediocre.

Lacy can hang his hat on the fact that Roy will undoubtedly spend a lot of time on the ropes. He may be able to loop his shots around Roy's guard and mix in some crushing uppercuts through the middle. If he lands something big that puts Roy out, I wouldn't be shocked at all. But the more likely scenario in my mind is Jones' quicker, straighter shots consistently finding their mark in between Lacy's wide punches. I'm not confident he has the killer instinct to knock Lacy out, but I'm sure Roy will daze his slower opponent more than once.

It's an OK scrap and I don't mind Roy continuing to fight if it's against this caliber of foe. But I'm about as interested in it as I was in the 2003 Peter Pan remake.

On the undercard, I think Verquan Kimbrough's a live dog against Jason Litzau, who's essentially moving up from featherweight to lightweight.

Pinoy Power

While I'll be skipping on the Captain Hook Pay-Per-View, I do have some interest in the competing Pinoy Power card. Nonito Donaire, going up against the tough, but limited Rafael Concepcion, is one of my favorite fighters. I suspect the fight will be one-sided, but entertaining as long as it lasts. As I write this, rumor is that Rafael is is trying to shed four pounds within a few hours, so it may not last very long. Should he win, hopefully Nonito makes up the momentum he's lost and fights a top tier opponent next.

The co-headlining bout between Steven Luevano and Bernabe Concepcion is an interesting one. The 21 year old Concepcion is a strong fighter and pretty vicious body puncher. His feet and hands may look like they're moving in bullet time compared to the speedy southpaw from Los Angeles though. Concepcion certainly has a puncher's chance, but Luevano showed how tough he is to finish in his war against Mario Santiago. I favor Steven to win a decision.

Free Willy

Fans on the web have had a good laugh at Chris Arreola's expense this week when a blurry cell phone picture of him at the Bradley-Campbell card on August 1st made its way around the message boards and blogs. Whether the picture was misleading or not, Arreola looked like Bam Bam Bigelow.

No problem. Reportedly, Chris found the pic hilarious himself.

Call me crazy, but I think Arreola is a live dog against Vitali Klitschko. A 6'4 heavyweight with power that consistently throws in combination is extremely rare. He'll be pounding a 38 year old, injury prone man to the rib cage, elbows, shoulders, etc. as long as he's standing upright. Mix in an underrated left hook and an uppercut on the inside, and we might have an upset in the making.

Yes, I know, the weight. I'm not foolish enough to think Arreola's eating and drinking habits will make for a long stay at the mountain top. But I like his chances of getting there if he enters the ring at or a few pounds near his target of 245.

e-mail Michael Nelson

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