In boxing, most fights are signed with one fighter having a clear advantage over the other. But even when that is the case, sometimes the match-up lends itself to the potential of an upset.
Here's a look at five reasonably possible upsets for the remainder of 2012:
Denis Grachev over Lucian Bute (November 3)
On paper, former IBF super middleweight champ, Bute, has all the advantages-- Speed, experience, and even punching power. However, the Romanian-Canadian is coming off a crushing TKO 5 loss to Carl Froch in May and, against Grachev, he'll be making his debut at the light heavyweight limit. Russia's Grachev, on the other hand, is still riding high after his upset TKO 8 victory over highly-regarded prospect, Ismayl Sillakh. If Bute can settle into his groove, he'll likely be fine. But if Grachev can get to Bute early and possibly even hurt him, he could pull off the upset.
Anselmo Moreno over Abner Mares (November 10)
Panama's WBA bantamweight champ, Moreno, may be one of the sport's most underrated fighters. A joy to watch for many boxing purists, "Chemito" has been mostly untouchable since hitting the bantamweight main stage and is expected to retain most, if not all, of his magic at the 122 lb. limit. Abner Mares is a tremendous talent and one of the sport's best young fighters, but he has never faced anyone as skilled as Moreno. We just simply don't know how the defending WBC junior featherweight titlist will respond.
Carlos Quintana over Keith Thurman (November 24)
The 35-year-old Quintana is no longer at the top of his game, but that doesn't mean that the veteran southpaw can't completely ruin the run of a younger, less-experienced prospect. In Quintana's last bout, he out-worked and out-thought Deandre Latimore en route to a sixth round TKO win. Years prior, Quintana also managed upsets of fighters like Paul Williams and Joel Julio. Thurman is young and strong, but hardly a tactical genius or a well-seasoned pro at this stage of his career. If Quintana can take Thurman into deep water, the 23-year-old just may drown.
Austin Trout over Miguel Cotto (December 1)
There's no doubt that Miguel Cotto looked sharp and revitalized in his unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather earlier in the year. But what happens now, in a significantly smaller fight for a fraction of the pay? There's bound to be a letdown to some degree. The question is whether Austin Trout, who is largely untested despite his status as a "world" champion, can step up and take control of the bout. There's nothing in his past that suggests he can, but there isn't anything suggesting he can't, either.
Juan Manuel Marquez over Manny Pacquiao (December 8)
After three close, very disputed decisions, some would even question why Marquez would be the underdog in this upcoming fourth contest. There are more than a few knowledgeable people who think that the Mexican actually earned at least two victories out of the three contests. But no matter how you saw their three previous encounters, Marquez has to be acknowledged as a live underdog as someone who knows how to shut down the Pacquiao offense machine.
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Paul Magno was a licensed official in the state of Michoacan, Mexico, and a close follower of the sport for more than 30 years. His work can also be found on Fox Sports and The BoxingTribune. In the past, Paul has done work for Inside Fights, The Queensberry Rules and Eastside Boxing.
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