HBO, Showtime Serve Up Competing Title Doubleheaders

This Saturday night, fight fans will need to get their VCRs or DVRs ready if they want to catch all the televised boxing action. At 9pm ET, Showtime (from Tampa, FL) has a pair of light heavyweight bouts featuring current titlists defending against 39-year-old ex-champs who own KO wins over Roy Jones Jr.. Clinton Woods defends his IBF belt against Antonio Tarver and undefeated WBC champ Chad Dawson puts his title on the line against Glen Johnson. The winners could meet in a unification fight, or one of the winners might be a line for a big money shot at the winner of Joe Calzaghe-Bernard Hopkins on April 19.

At 10pm ET, HBO (from Atlantic City, NJ) offers a pair of welterweight title fights with undefeated WBA champ Miguel Cotto against The Contender's Alfonso Gomez and IBF champ Kermit Cintron looking to even an old score with former champ Antonio Margarito, who won their 2005 meeting by fifth round TKO. Cotto should be too much for the game Gomez and another impressive win could add further public support for a fight with pound-for-pound champ Floyd Mayweather Jr.. Pretty Boy, however, seems intent on safer rematches with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

All four bouts are worth watching, but if you have to make a choice, should you watch the Showtime fights or the HBO fights? Chad Dawson appears to be the real deal but Glen Johnson is unlikely to have the hand speed necessary to make the fight close. Antonio Tarver is getting worse every fight and - even at his best - he was no fun to watch. On the other hand, both HBO fights could deliver fireworks as Cotto, Gomez, Cintron and Margarito are all crowd-pleasers. Bottom line, watch all four fights if you can ... but if you have to choose, go with the pair on HBO.