Earlier this month, it was reported that HBO would be hosting junior welterweight tournament early next year between WBC champion Devon Alexander, WBA king Amir Khan, WBA interim titlist Marcos Maidana, and Victor Ortiz.
Unlike Showtime's Super Six tournament taking place, the junior welterweight tournament would only consist of three fights. Therefore, it more so resembles Don King's World Middleweight Series from 2001 between Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad, William Joppy, and Keith Holmes. Hopkins emerged as the victor in that tournament, as well as the undisputed middleweight champion, with a memorable 12th round TKO of the previous unbeaten Trinidad.
There are already talks of kicking off the junior welterweight tournament in March with a match on HBO Boxing After Dark between Alexander and Maidana, which would present an intriguing contrast of styles. Alexander has the classic boxer style, whereas Maidana is a heavy handed slugger as he showed in his 7th round TKO of Ortiz this past June. Let it be known that other titlists in the division, IBF champion Juan Urango and WBO kingpin Timothy Bradley, are not included in this tournament. Urango could be facing former two division champion Zab Judah at some point this spring, while Bradley is set to defend against Lamont Peterson next month.
Boxing fans might even witness a second junior welterweight tournament taking place between the winners of Urango vs. Judah, Bradley vs. Peterson, and whoever wins the proposed HBO tournament taking place this upcoming spring. With pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao having moved up to the welterweight ranks, the junior welterweight division is once again wide open and full of viable contenders who are determined to assume the position of world's best in that weight class.
Who would've thought there would be enough talent at 140lbs to necessitate not one, but two tournaments??
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