Sakio Bika vs. Luke Sharp - the return of the Scorpion.

Down in Oz this Saturday.

Bika is seeing his first action following an excess of 27 months on the shelf collecting dust, and snapping his streak of half a dozen world rated opponents dating back to December 2011. In fact, that opponent, Alfredo Contreras, was his only non-top-15 dud in eight years.

Sharp, then, is an uncharacteristically tame choice for Bika, even for a rust-shaker. The guy has thrice drawn with guys with losing records, and lost to one.

Why this is even scheduled for a minor WBC regional bauble with Bika inactive for so long and Sharp going 1-3 in his last four is anybody's guess. The former is presumably well past having dropped from the rankings and Sharp being so high as top 50 is barely conceivable.

 

Unless he got brain damage from his 12 round thumping at the hands of Adonis Stevenson in 2015, the old dirty bastard ought to wreck this kid.

 

Fell apart, was only supposed to be a headgear exhibition for charity anyway.

 

Then what, though? Another venture up to light heavy to parlay his 7 year old moderate success versus Ward into a rematch (and probably a shutout loss, but at least a payday)?

Or can he still butt & rabbit punch his way to supremacy over today's crop of SMW champs?

 

Maybe go the WBC route (since he's scooping up their bauble against Sharp anyway) heading for Anthony Dirrell III? ...which then becomes a tiebreaker IV should he finally get on the scoreboard.

 

How about Kessler (if the comeback rumors are true) versus Bika?

 

Yeah, puts a bow on their common era, would have been a nice matchup in the old days and neither would have too much of a firm advantage in age or rust.

 

Plus, it juxtaposes the squeaky clean textbook boxing of The Viking Warrior over the filthy melee chaos of the Scorpion. Would be intriguing to watch unfold. Do the sharper and straighter counter punches of Kessler win the day, or does Bika's mauling and physicality. Is this fought inside or at range?