Peter Quillin vs. Michael Zerafa: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info
Peter Quillin (31-0-1, 22 KO) looks to be taking it easy in his return to the ring after his draw in April against Andy Lee. On Saturday in Mashantucket, Connecticut—before the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Andre Berto card in Las Vegas—Quillin will take on little-known fighter Michael Zerafa (17-1, 9 KO).
The bout is on the undercard of the IBF super welterweight title fight between champion Cornelius Bundrage and undefeated challenger Jermall Charlo. It's an NBC Premier Boxing Champions broadcast.
When: Saturday, September 12, at 4 p.m. ET
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Where: Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports
Fighting Words
Why is Quillin fighting a 23-year-old who has had just four 10-round fights in his career? Per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Quillin said:
"I feel like in my mind you always got to give a person a shot. I'm trying to keep my mind focused just on Michael because I know everybody's looking to make a name for themselves, including him. If he comes in there and beats me then he would probably be pulling off one of the biggest upsets in boxing recently.
"
That sounds commendable, but it doesn't really change the fact that this fight looks like a huge mismatch. Quillin is a skilled fighter and hard puncher who held a share of the middleweight crown for almost two years.
Zerafa has never fought in the United States, and no one on his resume would ring a bell in the minds of most fight fans. Quite frankly, if Quillin is looking to gain respect, he'll have to take on better opponents than Zerafa.
Last Time Out
Quillin missed weight and looked as bad as he ever has against Lee. He's far more skilled than Lee, who is a one-dimensional, one-punch knockout artist. But Quillin didn't have the stamina or the will to pull away late in the fight after shining early on.
After he failed to make weight, Quillin tweeted this message to his fans and Lee:
If there's some intrigue built for Saturday's fight, it's whether he has regained the fire for the sport he seemed to lose as he prepared for Lee. The fight with Zerafa will be contested at a 163-pound catchweight, per Ryan O'Hara of Tha Boxing Voice.
Zerafa scored a fourth-round TKO win over Yodmongkol Singmanasak in Australia. If you've ever heard of Singmanasak—and you're not related to him—give yourself a gold star.
He had a 12-14 record coming in.
Prediction
Quillin is going to dismantle Zerafa. Not only has Zerafa never faced a puncher like Quillin, he'll also be at a size disadvantage.
Kid Chocolate is bigger and better in every way. However, because of Zerafa's age and lack of experience, that's exactly how it should be.
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