[PilotMan]

Second week of August, 2006

Fight Night -

I am having a hard time taking this fight seriously after the windfall of last week. Still, Drydon deserves my support and he deserves to be allowed to continue his comback. Adrian Jammet, is still looking for his first win. Three of his four losses have been by TKO. Drydon still has the potential to be one of the best fighters in the stable, but that is a different road from where he is at right now.

For the match tonight, I want to see a more convincing four rounds of action, and a full fight. Not one round here and one round there. A loss for Drydon could signal the end to his days at Punishment Inc, as his contract may be seen as to valuable to keep around toiling in the bottom of the flyweight division, when I could be representing a fighter with a bright future in the featherweight division. The oddsmakers don’t know who to pick in this one. It is a pick’em.

This week also finds one of the fighters of the year in action. Pernell Whitaker, in the lightweight division is facing off against Luis Valdez. Here is a tale of the tape:

Pernell Whitaker 43-1-1(18) #3 v. Luis Valdez 35-3-0(15) #4

Valdez has been hanging around the top of the lightweight division for over a year, but has only fought twice. Both of those fights were wins, with the last coming at the expense of Joe Gans. Whitaker is coming off the 6^th round TKO of Melvin Horne.

Whitaker is at the top of his game right now, and if he was going to want a shot at the title, now is when he would want it. A matchup between him and Damien Essett would be tantalizing. For now he must dispatch Valdez. The oddsmakers have full faith that he can do it to. Despite being ranked together, the bookies feel that Whitaker is a class above Valdez. He is too. Odds on Whitaker are a lopsided 1/10, while the odds on Valdez getting the win are 20/1. I may throw a bone at that longshot, because the odds on the favorite are crazy, even if he is going to win.