[PilotMan]

Third week of December, 2006

Merry Chrismas.

Fight Night-

All of my skills and abilities are going to be put to the test this week. Melvin Horne is making his debut. He needs a little work, and could be better, but he represents the single greatest challenge. He has chosen to work with me. A former title holder, and he thinks that I may be able to guide him back to the top. I hope that I am up to the challenge. He hasn’t fought since the whipping by Pernell Whitaker. This fight will be different.

His opponent is Edwin Rosario, a top-20 fighter who drew with Barney Ross in his last fight. He is best known for being an aggressive power puncher, many believe his biggest weakness to be his accuracy and defense. He is not weak in any area, but is less strong in some. I would like to see a defensive fight plan in play, until I get a feeling of where Horne is going to take this fight. His power may overwhelm Rosario, but I would hate to really see his bell get rung. His chin is not the best in the business. I think that he can be more accurate, and perhaps counter punching is the soup de jour. Round one will have more answers.

This is going to be the most important of his fights. If he doesn’t win here, I am really going to have my hands full.

Oddsmakers are leaning heavily in Horne’s favor. They like him as a fighter and like him better under my tutelage. He is the favorite at 1/4, while Rosario is 7/2. Personally, those are not bad odds for Rosario, and if I wasn’t totally convinced in my fighter I would bet that way. The odds on Horne are terrible. No big payday looming here.

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There is one fight of note. Jeff Ellery, a former light-heavyweight champion, is trying to break his 3 loss steak with a fight against Martin Kinnear. Ellery, 20-11-1(12) #13, lost his last fight in a first round KO to Cliff Harris. His chin is his weakness, look for Kinnear to push the action and force his way inside. Kinnear, 26-14-0(18) #10, lost his last fight by getting TKOed in the 8^th round against Bob Foster. He had won three fights in a row prior to that loss, and was ranked as high as 6^th in the world. The big news here is that a loss would pretty much kill any hope that Jeff Ellery had of returning to the world stage. Oddsmakers like Kinnear in this one. Odds on him are 8/11, while Ellery is 7/6. Personally, I think that Ellery is in for another big fall.