Fernando Guerrero / © Cheryl Nemazie - cherylnemazie.com

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For the second week in a row, Shobox and Friday Night Fights have an interesting night of contests lined up for us.

The real quality appears to be on the Shobox schedule, with a triple-header featuring the very promising Fernando Guerrero facing tough veteran Ishe Smith in the headline bout. The two supporting fights look good too, with explosive youngster Shawn Porter dropping down to welterweight for a clash with once beaten southpaw Ray Robinson, along with undefeated prospects Mike Dallas Jr. and Lanard Lane battling it out in the show's opener.

The FNF main-event features an allegedly focused Zab Judah going up against former lightweight contender Jose Armando Santa Cruz. A win could mean a shot at one of the top dogs at 140lbs - which makes it a big fight for both men. Neither has impressed lately, but with plenty of the line, who knows... we might get a surprisingly good battle.

Let's take a look at some of the pre-fight buzz from around the net...

The Commercial Appeal - Reluctant boxer finds motivation for DeSoto Civic Center bout

In fact, as a youngster, he tried his best to stay away from Hal Chernoff's gym in Salisbury, Md. There was plenty of other things Guerrero preferred over boxing. "Who would ever say I love getting punched in the face?" he said. "I had good grades, and I thought about becoming something else, maybe a doctor, or something. I always played soccer, basketball, football, baseball. I did it all. I never thought that being in boxing was even an option for me."

Las Vegas Sun - Las Vegas native Ishe Smith looks for big win on Shobox

To prepare for Guerrero, Smith has worked with world-class sparring partners. In addition to Mayweather, he's also been in the ring with former welterweight world champion Zab Judah and current interim WBC light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson. "Before the fight with Jacobs I had four weeks to prepare. This time I've had a full two months to get the necessary things done and I know we're going to be successful."

The Queensbury Rules - The Week's Boxing Schedule, Featuring Previews And Predictions For Timothy Bradley Vs. Luis Carlos Abregu, Fernando Guerrero Vs. Ishe Smith And More

My instinct says Porter-Robinson is the least competitive of the three, but here’s some stuff for you to think on in this junior middleweight clash. Robinson’s only loss is to then-unproven Brad Solomon, but it was a close fight, and in his next bout, Solomon upset a heavily-hyped prospect Kenny Galarza with ease. So maybe Robinson’s better than his resume looks. Porter is undefeated and is the puncher in this fight, but he struggled against Russell Jordan, and Robinson’s a bit of a beanpole like Jordan but more talented.

Houston Chronicle - Houston's Lane juggles firefighting, boxing training

Lane has been fighting professionally for two years, training mostly at Savannah Boxing Gym where he spars with Juan Diaz. Lane's fast rise can be attributed to his never-give-up mentality. When he's not working one of his two, 24-hour shifts a week, Lane spends most of his time training. "When you're sleeping, he's working," Lane's corner man Derwin Richards said. "And when you're working, he's working harder."

Bakersfield.com - Dallas to fight on Showtime

While at the famed Wild Card, Dallas put in more than 50 rounds of boxing with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. "That was a great experience for me," said Dallas, who worked with the Filipino during his camps for Joshua Clottey and Oscar De La Hoya. "I learned a lot working with him. He has an amazing work ethic, and it rubs off on you just being around him."

Bad Left Hook Fight Previews: Hatton-Nuzhnenko, Judah-Santa Cruz, Guerrero-Smith, Tua-Barrett and More - Bad Left Hook

Judah keeps saying he's going back to 140 but he never does. I'm also fairly certain this will be his only fight in 2010. He'll lay waste to Santa Cruz (28-4, 17 KO), who was once robbed of the legit lightweight championship, and since then has gone 3-1, beating three scrubs and getting knocked out by Antonio Pitalua. Santa Cruz, despite that one night where he dominated a disinterested Joel Casamayor, has never done a whole lot.

Boxing Scene - Judah-Santa Cruz: Crossroads for Kings Former, Almost

Anyone who follows boxing right now knows how good, how deep, Jr. Welterweight is at the moment. It’s not an easy field to navigate and even the winner on Friday will have difficulty squeezing into the mix. Judah would have the easier time, his name value providing an economic incentive for titlists like Amir Khan, Timothy Bradley, and Devon Alexander to test the veteran. A defeat though would erode an already questionable standing and make Judah a hard sell to major networks.

The Sweet Science - All Signs Point To A New Version Of Zab Judah, Humbled, And More Mature

He admitted he'd been too easily distracted in the past, but said that was history. 140 pounds, he feels, is where he belongs, where his body is best. Don King, he said, suggested he go to 147 to fight Cory Spinks, and Zab did, and then hung in that class, through losses to Baldomir, Mayweather, Cotto and Clottey. But at 140, his speed and power stand out more, and he thinks he will be able to show the young guns, like Khan, Maidana, Bradley and Alexander that he is no spent shell.