Whilst much of the boxing world will be turned to Russia this weekend I've got to admit that the bout I'm nost looking forward to this weekend is the upcoming WBA Super Bantamweight title clash between Britain's Scott Quigg (26-0-1, 19) and Cuban Yoandris Salinas (20-0-1, 13).
Despite the "lower" billing than many other bouts this weekend and relatively unhyped nature of the bout I've got to admit that this, at least on paper, looks like it could, potentially, be a very interesting contest between two men looking to make the move to genuine world level having been flirting around the fringes for a while.
Of the two Quigg is the better known fighter. He's a former WBA "interim" Super Bantamweight champion and is a fighter who has been on British numerous times, it's also fair to say that he will have the home crowd behind him. Saying that however Salinas has never had a problem with the crowd being against him, in fact the Miami based Cuban has gone in to the lions den fight after fight and in recent years he has traveled to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Peru.
Quigg isn't just the better known of the two men but is also the clear favourite. He holds the most notable wins of the two men, including a stoppages over Rendall Munroe, Jamie Arthur and Jason Booth, though, with out being rude his most notable victories have been on the British domestic scene and he's never really had a step up from British level to anything like genuine world class.
Interestingly whilst Quigg has scored the more notable victories it's Salinas who has faced the toughest opponent, scoring a draw with Nehomar Cermeno in Cermeno's adoptive Panama, in a bout that many feel Salinas deserved to win. It's fair to say that had Salinas gotten that decision in his favour he'd have had the most outstanding victory between these two.
Style wise his looks like it could be a very interesting bout of boxing.
Quigg is a strong, but basic boxer. He's adapted well after starting his combat sport career in kick boxing and has shown very good development fight after fight. His punches are hurtful, he's tough and more impressively he's shown excellent shot selection especially in in his second bout against Munroe.
Although Salinas isn't as strong or as powerful as Quigg he is an excellent boxer. Cuban's usually are of course though when you look at Salinas's amateur pedigree you realise just how good he is. He was a multi-time Cuban amateur champion, won international medals in competitions such as the Central American & Caribbean Games and Pan Am games and has a reported 300 amateur bouts. This a guy who knows his way around the ring.
With this in mind I expect us to see a fair bit of boxing early in and in fact I actually think Quigg could be frustrated by Salinas's boxing early on. The Cuban is confident, very sound defensively, fast with both hands and goes to the body very well. If he can take the power of Quigg then we are in for something that could become very memorable.
Unfortunately with boxing judging the way it is right now I can't go against Quigg. I think edge in power will just see him over the line in a bout that could be very close on the cards.
Prediction-Quigg SD12
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