(From left to right: Derry Mathews, promoter Eddie Hearn, Anthony Crolla)

Anthony Crolla makes his first competitive start this weekend since the night he almost killed Heywood rival Kieran Farrell. In a suffocating December brawl, the 22-year-old Farrell developed an acute subdural haematoma that threatened his life. He survived but not without consequence. Farrell lost almost a third of his brain, his career and a pitiless dream. The effect on Crolla has yet to be measured. Rarely, though, are the winners of such catastrophes able to proceed unaltered.

Former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan confessed to pulling his punches against Jimmy Duncan after previous foe Young Ali (Asymin Mustapha) fell into a coma and later died in 1982. A tormented Chris Eubank was similarly affected against Thulani Malinga after Michael Watson only narrowly evaded death in their titanic rematch. Junior lightweight world titlist Gabriel Ruelas claimed to have been haunted by the ghost of Jimmy Garcia when he re-entered the fray against Azumah Nelson. Ruelas had dealt the 23-year old Colombian Garcia a prolonged beating seven months prior from which he would never recover. The boxers that left the ring under their own volition were subsequently crippled with guilt and regret. It is a familiar story.

In 1994, Liverpool’s Richie Wenton turned his back on Neil Swain in the middle of an exchange, spat out his mouthpiece and wept -- so tortured was he over his involvement in the death of Londoner Bradley Stone. “Every second of every minute of every round, I was thinking about Bradley,” he said afterwards. There have been countless more examples. Mbulelo Botile didn’t win another fight after injuring Paul Ingle. Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini was never the same boxer after the death of Duk Koo Kim. Emile Griffith after Benny Paret. Ezzard Charles after Sam Baroudi. Training to deliver unyielding punishment upon an opponent without ever intending to hurt them became a mystifying paradox too pronounced to ignore.

To compound the psychological quandary that confronts Crolla, the man that opposes him at Liverpool’s Echo Arena is Derry Mathews, who stopped the New Moston man on his feet in Britain’s most torrid encounter of last year. The pair will contest the vacant Commonwealth title at lightweight Saturday. Both are former British champions.

Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado are not like most humans. They’re not even like most boxers, a class of people who, to varying degrees, must suppress their self-preservation instinct. At the lowest end, the “hit and don’t get hit” subset of stylists still know what they’re in for when they enter the boxing ring, because the mere act of stepping between the ropes requires an understanding that pain and punishment are inevitable. The “take two punches to give one” types have to tamp down the self-preservation instinct yet more, but Rios and Alvarado aren’t even like most of them, the brawlers who fight that way because it’s their best chance to win. Rios and Alvarado can. Not. Help. Themselves. They are adherents to the school of violence for violence’s sake. Rios grins like the Joker when he gets punched. Alvarado, apparently, indulges in casual extracurricular knife fights during training camp.

You could imagine well in advance how a fight between these two junior welterweights might play out, and that’s why the match was made last year. It’s why it was the Fight of the Year for 2012 and it’s why we’re getting a rematch Saturday on HBO.

The worst thing you can say about Rios-Alvarado II is that whereas last year it was viewed, nearly universally, as competitive, it is not this time. There a few answers to why we're still getting the rematch, none of them bad: The ending of the first fight was not so conclusive because the referee made a borderline call to step in and save Alvarado, but if not for the TKO loss, Alvarado might’ve had a chance to win a decision; Alvarado didn’t fight as well for the entirety of the fight as he could’ve and should’ve; and even if it’s not competitive, so what? – it will be thrilling for every second both of them are standing. Worst case scenario: It’s not as good as the first, but even this accounting of lackluster sequels features a number of fights that weren’t at all bad ones.

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The scene: Las Vegas Hilton, Nevada, USA. June 6, 1988.

Iran “The Blade” Barkley, 24-4 (15), a one-time hoodlum from the Bronx, had outswung the Liverpool-born Canadian Michael Olajide to earn a title crack at Hearns. Detroit’s celebrated “Hit Man,” 45-2 (38), had been busy busting heads and collecting title belts since his fall to Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

Barkley arrived at the fight in mourning after a freak accident claimed the life of close friend and fellow boxer Davey Moore. Persuaded to seize his chance by Moore’s wife, the baleful underdog began exchanging heavy artillery with Hearns from the opening bell.

As we join the action, Barkley, a notorious bleeder, is cut over his left eye and bleeding from his mouth and has started to go for broke. Showtime’s Steve Albert and Gil Clancy describe the action from ringside alongside ESPN's Al Bernstein.

If you’re a boxing fan then chances are you’re already excited just seeing those three names in the headline. If you’re not a serious fan, then hopefully I can explain to you why Rios, Alvarado and Golovkin are the power rangers of boxing -- synonymous with blood, sweat and action.

There are a few other intriguing shows on, including a very nice WealthTV light heavyweight pick up, so let’s get to it.

Who knew Robert Stieglitz had this kind of animal in him? Saturday on Epix, the super middleweight got revenge on his hard-punching German countryman Arthur Abraham, reversing a competitive loss in their first meeting by storming out hard, hurting Abraham in the 2nd and closing his eye so badly that the referee and ring doctor didn't think it should continue after the 3rd.

Something blew inside Chicago’s UIC Pavilion during ESPN2 Friday Night Fights, and it wasn’t just the wind. Hometown fighter Donovan “Da Bomb” George was handed a dud of a decision against fellow middleweight David Lopez, a split decision draw in a fight he clearly should have won.

(Dec 1, 2012; New York City; Austin Trout celebrates his unanimous decision win over Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

Been nearly three months round these parts since we updated the pound-for-pound top 20 list of the best boxers in the world regardless of weight, which is informational about how the sport has been going: It means not much has happened to warrant significant changes. But as four men who were on the list to start 2013 have fought since, including one last weekend, now's as good a time as any. It's also just an excuse to catch up with the latest comings and goings of boxing's elite practitioners, a number of whom will be occupied between now and the next regularly scheduled update about every two months or so.

Here's the most recent past update, for comparison's sake. You'll notice our #20, featherweight Orlando Salido, is out after his loss to Mikey Garcia. But gee, I wonder who will replace him? Life is such a mystery.

As usual, the dominant criterion is quality wins, especially of recent vintage. Other criteria, such as the "eyeball test," factor in around the periphery.

Well that’s just cruel -- kind of like coming off the Timothy Bradley/Ruslan Provodnikov high into a week without much on. Mind you, if old Ruslan taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t underestimate the potential of fights before they happen. That’s easier said than done and rather invalidates the whole point of the schedule, though.

So I, for one, will continue to make predictions based on the available evidence. I will be wrong sometimes. For that, I apologise to boxing’s all-knowing super-scribes, who always know the exact outcome of every fight before it happens but only sometimes deign to write it down.

This week’s boxing TV schedule isn’t packed, as previously mentioned. There’s the super middleweight rematch between Arthur Abraham and Robert Stieglitz in Germany as well as some other bits and bobs. May as well get to it.

(Timothy Bradley, left, shares a moment with Ruslan Provodnikov, right, after the fight; photo credit: Chris Farina, Top Rank)

With all the business maneuvering in the boxing news the past couple days, and despite heaping helpings of social media love, Timothy Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov still might not have gotten the attention it deserves. Fights rarely come more stupefying, with a big underdog nearly upsetting the favorite, one man throwing caution to the window against another man who doesn't know the meaning of "restraint," dangerous and thrilling exchanges, and a race to the finish. It's as though Top Rank and HBO hired a dramaturge to coach both men beforehand. Just when you think you've seen it all in boxing, the sport does something to remind you that you never, ever have.

Revisiting the fight doesn't preclude a look at its business side, though, or else that headline would be a big lie. It's an almost entirely Bradley-Provodnikov-focused edition of Weekend Afterthoughts.