HBO-PPV and Showtime Go Head-to-Head

HBO pay-per-view and Showtime offer competing boxing cards this Saturday night. On Showtime, it's Nate Campbell vs. Joan Guzman for Campbell's WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight titles. The opener is Timothy Bradley vs. Edner Cherry for Bradley's WBC junior welterweight title. Live telecast begins at 9pm ET from Biloxi, Mississippi.

HBO-PPV has its own lightweight title fight with Joel Casamayor defending his Ring magazine belt against Juan Manuel Marquez. The co-feature is the rematch between Sergio Mora and Vernon Forrest for Mora's WBC junior middleweight title. Fight coverage begins at 9pm ET from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both cards offer competitive fights with no one-sided mismatches. The Casamayor-Marquez bout is the most significant of the four and has a chance to be a classic. Plus, Mora-Forrest II might show if Mora is for real ... or if Forrest is just over-the-hill. Nevertheless, these fights don't belong on pay-per-view. If price is no object, go with the HBO-PPV card. If you're looking for a better value, go with the Showtime card. Of course, if you're a hardcore fan, you'll (unhappily) order the PPV ... set your DVR/VCR ... and stay up all night watching the fights.