Back when The Max Kellerman Show ruled the airwaves of New York City, host Max Kellerman regularly proposed a thought experiment that he referred to as “The Four Corners”:

(I have probably recounted this story verbatim so forgive me if it sounds familiar.)

It is a Saturday afternoon at the park.

In one corner, there is a group of kids shooting hoops.  In the opposite corner, a father and son are working on their golf swings.  In the next corner, there is a baseball game.  And in the last corner, two kids are slugging it out in an old-fashioned fistfight. 

Which corner do you think is catching the park’s attention?

Everyone will be crowded around the brawl because, intrinsically, human beings love fighting.  As a result, Max concludes, boxing is everybody’s favorite sport—even if we are not conscious of this.

While this may be a classic case of Kellerman-hyperbole, it still saddens me that every time HBO schedules a great fight, I feel obligated to write an explanatory piece describing why you should care, rather than the preview piece that the fight warrants. 

On the weekend before the Super Bowl, HBO traditionally schedules a super-fight to kick off the year.  2011 is no different. 

On Saturday night, two undefeated American champions in their physical primes, Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander, will square off for supremacy of the junior-welterweight division, boxing’s most talent-laden weight class.

Bradley and Alexander are the two best 140-pounders in the world and among the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters.  

It is rare to see boxers of this caliber agree to fight each other this early in their careers.  It is even more rare to see a fight like this take place outside of pay-per-view.

While sports fans clamor for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao mega-fight that will probably never happen, matchups like Bradley vs. Alexander are what boxing needs to regain relevance.  The best fighting the best—for less than $59.95. 

In an era where sanctioning bodies anoint four titlists in each division, nearly everyone is a champion.  But Bradley-Alexander is worth a prize much greater than some meaningless trinket.  Saturday’s winner will be designated the man at 140 pounds. 

However, in a weight class this loaded, such a title is only temporary. 

Rising superstar Amir Khan, who recently defeated fellow 140-pounder Marcos Maidana in 2010’s Fight of the Year, will likely challenge the winner. 

Each participant in this de-facto round robin has openly desired to clean house within the junior-welterweight division.  Simply mixing and matching these four warriors will provide an endless number of excellent fights.

Plus, whoever emerges when the dust has settled will have an excellent chance to land a big money fight with Pacquiao or Mayweather. 

Boxing’s next superstar could be born this weekend.  Why not jump ahead of the curve and introduce yourself to him before everyone else?

I have often heard the question, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”  This Saturday night, sports fans should make sure that the sound of Bradley vs. Alexander’s tree gets heard. 

I mean, you might as well. 

After all, it is your favorite sport.