The March 7 Boxing After Dark card is getting a slight facelift as it heads to The Tank in San Jose, California. The main event is still the fireworks-promising junior middleweight matchup between James Kirkland and Joel Julio, but Vivian Harris has been dropped from the undercard bout against Victor Ortiz. He will be replaced by Mike Arnaoutis.
Arnaoutis (21-2, 10 KO) is working on a four-fight win streak since back-to-back losses against Ricardo Torres and Kendall Holt in 2006-07, both fights frustrating to watch. Arnaoutis allowed Torres to get back into that fight and, ultimately, beat him, and in the fight against Holt, Arnaoutis had turned over the training reins to his father, who -- no offense -- didn't belong as the chief second for a fighter on the cusp of the division's elite. I don't think anyone that watched that fight would disagree with the notion that the senior Arnaoutis was terrible in the corner.
According to Dan Rafael's chat, Arnaoutis is replacing Harris because Harris' management apparently gave Golden Boy a bit too much of a hassle in negotiations for them to deem it worth the time. It's too bad Harris won't get the opportunity, because had he knocked off Ortiz, he's right back in the mix at 140. This is a former titleholder that just fought at a Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Vivian's career isn't on the upswing. Getting on HBO against Ortiz could've been big.
At the same time, losing badly to Ortiz would have been a death sentence for his career. Maybe he could use a couple more fights before he tackles something like that. He's fought just once since Junior Witter knocked him flat in September 2007.
Ortiz-Arnaoutis is a decent replacement scrap, too. Arnaoutis has talent, but I worry that he doesn't have anything close to the killer instinct and savageness it will take to beat Ortiz, who will come with his guns blazing. Mighty Mike doesn't have big power and isn't, like, the best boxer in the world or anything.
Last I'd heard HBO and Golden Boy wanted to get Robert Guerrero on this card, too, provided he doesn't get hurt or anything against Edel Ruiz tonight. Guerrero is from the area and is a familiar face, so it makes sense.