Over the past few years the Cruiserweight division has become a show stealer. No longer is it merely the bastard division between Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight but it's now it's own, highly established and amazingly entertaining division which brings us more action pound-for-pound than almost any other division in the sport. In fact for me it's the second division in the sport right now behind the red hot Flyweight division.
One problem with the Cruiserweight division however is that over the past few years it has been European centric with very little action coming stateside. That changes a little this Friday as Poland's Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (48-2-1, 24) takes his WBC title over to Chicago to defend it against Italian veteran Giacobbe Fragomeni (31-3-2, 12). This, the third meeting between the two men, will see Fragomeni seeking to tie the scoreline between the two men which currently sees Wloadrczyk leading 1-0 with 1 fight scored a draw.
At 44 years old Fragomeni is a bit of a freak of a freak. He's been one of the top Cruiserweights on the plant from around 2006 and despite a loss to David Haye that year it was obvious that Fragomeni had the talent to one day be a world champion.
Fragomeni would later become a title holder. In 2008 he beat Rudolph Kraj by 8th round technical decision to claim the WBC title, a title he would successfully defend once, scoring a draw with Wlodarczyk in that defense. Unfortunately he reign was curtailed by Hungarian Zsolt Erdei one fight later before a Wlodarczyk rematch saw Fragomeni being stopped in 8 rounds.
Since the loss to Wlodarczyk in 2010 Fragomeni has gone 5-0-1, claiming the WBC silver title in the process with a split decision over fellow Italian veteran Silvio Branco. It's that silver title that has helped Fragomeni getting a third fight with Wlodarczyk.
A warrior at heart Fragomeni's inclusion in a bout tends to leave us with an exciting action. Not often much in terms of "sweet science" but plenty of action all the same.
Much like the challenger Wlodarczyk, a 32 year who has previously held the IBF title, is a warrior. He's slightly better technically than Fragomeni but is mainly a tough and gutsy fighter who excellent engine and sheer bloody mindedness.
One of the weaknesses of Wlodarczyk is that he is a slow starter and he can be put over. Problem with knocking him over however is that he has the uncanny ability to just get up and fight back. This is what saved him last time out when he was dropped and dominated early on by Rakhim Chakhkiev.
When he's got his engine going and everything clicks however Wlodarczyk is a monster to defeat. He's got a great work rate, fantastic punch selection, good combinations and really hurtful power. He's not going to knock world level fighters out with one shot too often but every shot looks hurtful, every shot is grinding and every shot does damage. When he lets them go they have the capability of breaking down almost anyone in the division.
It's the grinding effect of Wlodarczyk that I think will take it's effect here as he breaks down Fragomeni and stops him around round 7 or 8 with the Italian veteran looking his age for a round or two before the stoppage. Thankfully for the first 5 or 6 rounds we should get some genuinely enthralling action that will hopefully make the US audience want to see more of this generation of brilliant Cruiserweights.
Prediction-Wlodarczyk TKO8
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