Over the last few years the Featherweight division has been a highly interesting division. It's had big named fighters like Yuriorkis Gamboa, Juan Manuel Lopez and Mikey Garcia all passing through it and it's also seen the emergence of Vasyl Lomachenko as a professional. Unfortunately however it's also been a division with titular issues, especially concerning the WBA who have had multiple champions in the division for far too long.
The biggest issue with the WBA at Featherweight is the fact they've had unbeaten Indonesian Chris John as their "Super Champion" yet never forced him to fight a genuine top contender in what feels like a life time. This has left them looking to fill both "regular" and "interim" title positions on a revolving door basis.
Thankfully the WBA seem to have accidentally stumbled on to a very credible, though under the radar, regular champion in the form of exciting Jamaican Nicholas Walters (22-0, 18). Sure the vast majority of fans haven't seen or heard of Walters but those who have will all tell you just how fun he is to watch. He's got explosive power, a decent amateur background and nasty intentions. Sure he's a bit wild but he is the sort of fighter that fans will love.
Rather amazingly Walters hasn't defended his title since he won the title last December. A title he won by destroying Colombian Daulis Prescott, the brother of Breidis Prescott, in 7 rounds. For those who saw that contest they quickly realised what Walters was about. He dropped Prescott in rounds 4,5 and 7 in a contest that should have made the world sit up and take note, though unfortunately with that fight being in Jamaica saw few fans had the chance to see it.
Thankfully this weekend sees many fans getting their first chance to see Walters in action as he travels to the US to take on challenger Alberto Garza (25-5-1-1, 20) live on HBO.
Whilst I've been fortunate enough to see a few of Walters' fights I'll be honest I've not seen many of Garza's.
Aged 28 Garza is a Mexican who at best could be described as a "fringe contender", few, if any, would regard him as top 15 Featherweight though he does hold several noteworthy victories. These include a 9th round TKO in Japan over Hiroyuki Enoki and a 12 round victory over Justin Savi. Unfortunately however those victories both came in 2010 and since then he suffered a stoppage loss to Robinson Castellanos and fought just twice in 31 months, including a 14 month stretch from his last contest.
Garza's inactivity in the past few years has really put the brakes on his career. Whilst the loss to Castellanos was bad at the time it now looks to have been excusable as Castellanos is beginning to look like a legitimate contender himself, though the inactivity is inexcusable.
Prior to his absence from the ring Garza certainly had power. Whilst he may "only" have scored 80% of his victories via T/KO it's worth noting that 4 of his 5 non-stoppage came in his first 10 contests. Since summer 2006 Garza has gone 15-5-1-1 (14) an incredible showing of his power. On the flipside of that however is the fact he has been stopped 3 times. He hits hard but he's also vulnerable.
With both men having serious power this looks like a genuine shoot out on paper. This is a bout that will see the winner make a mark on television audiences and for me it'll be Walters leaving the lasting impression in a bout made to let him make a name for himself. In a shoot out he who lands first tends to win, with 14 months out Garza will look rusty and whilst Walters has been inactive for a year himself he'll certainly feel less "inactive" given the fact he has since been signed up to a deal with Top Rank.
Prediction- Walters TKO4
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Friday, 8 November 2013
Friday, 11 October 2013
Orlando Salido v Orlando Cruz
The first of two world title fights in the US this weekend is a battle of Orlando's as former world champion Orlando Salido (39-12-2-1, 27) takes on the openly gay Orlando Cruz (20-2-1, 10) in a battle for the vacant WBO Featherweight title, and probably the honour of being Vasyl Lomachenko's next target (if Lomachenko himself defeats Jose Ramirez on the same show).
For the experienced Salido, a 32 year old Mexican veteran fighting in his 10th world title bout, this is another chance to move back to the top. A chance to put a painful loss to Mikey Garcia behind him, and a chance to earn another major pay day. Despite having been in some 54 pro bouts, and against some big names like Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Juan Manel Lopez and Garcia, another pay day could go a long way.
On the other hand for Puerto Rican Cruz, also 32, this is by far his most notable bout. It's his not only his first world title bout but also his first really high profile bout since coming out as gay, becoming the first active boxer to do so. A victory here for Cruz would make him the first openly gay world champion and arguably a figure head for gay sportsmen, especially in such a "manly" sport as boxing.
Although this is Cruz's first world title fight, it's not the first time he's faced a world level boxer, having been stopped early doors by multi-time world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon back in 2010. Since the loss to Ponce De Leon however Cruz is 4-0 (3) having beaten the previously unbeaten Michael Franco in a round and the once promising Aalan Martinez in 6, stopping a man who had reached the final bell with Evgeny Gradovich.
Those who have followed the sport over the last decade will know all too well what Salido is about. Technically he's "solid" but well below genuine world level though what he has is grit and determination, a genuine toughness and the ability to break fighters mentally as well as physically. He gets most opponents into a war and he beats them in the trenches by taking their best shots.
The tactics of Salido have worked against some impressive names, such as Lopez and Guerrero (despite a highly controversial drugs test) though have seen him undone against the speed and explosiveness of Gamboa and the hard straight counter punching of Garcia.
It's also worth noting that despite having 12 losses on his record Salido is widely regarded as one of the genuinely top fighters at Featherweights on the planet. This is due to the fact that many of those losses came early in his career. In fact he was 11-7-2 after just 20 fights.
Cruz however is a little less well known. In fact Cruz's main claim to fame isn't what he did in the ring but the fact he came out as gay. Despite that he has been a decent fighter, though perhaps "decent" is the fairest description of the Puerto Rican as opposed to something like "world class".
The most notable victories on Cruz's record are not just the ones over Franco and Martinez but he also holds one over the then 30-0 Leonilo Miranda. These are the solid sort of wins that could get someone world ranked, though shouldn't make some one eligible for a vacant title. Unfortunately part of me thinks he's only getting this chance due to the fact that he is now high profile due to his sexuality.
With the sheer class difference of the two men it's hard to view anything but a stoppage win for Salido. He is, at worst, just as good as Cornelius Lock the first man to defeat Cruz and at best on par with Ponce De Leon, the second man to defeat Cruz. Cruz might try hard, and have some early success but will eventually be broken down and defeated in the middle or later rounds.
Prediction-Salido TKO8
For the experienced Salido, a 32 year old Mexican veteran fighting in his 10th world title bout, this is another chance to move back to the top. A chance to put a painful loss to Mikey Garcia behind him, and a chance to earn another major pay day. Despite having been in some 54 pro bouts, and against some big names like Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Juan Manel Lopez and Garcia, another pay day could go a long way.
On the other hand for Puerto Rican Cruz, also 32, this is by far his most notable bout. It's his not only his first world title bout but also his first really high profile bout since coming out as gay, becoming the first active boxer to do so. A victory here for Cruz would make him the first openly gay world champion and arguably a figure head for gay sportsmen, especially in such a "manly" sport as boxing.
Although this is Cruz's first world title fight, it's not the first time he's faced a world level boxer, having been stopped early doors by multi-time world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon back in 2010. Since the loss to Ponce De Leon however Cruz is 4-0 (3) having beaten the previously unbeaten Michael Franco in a round and the once promising Aalan Martinez in 6, stopping a man who had reached the final bell with Evgeny Gradovich.
Those who have followed the sport over the last decade will know all too well what Salido is about. Technically he's "solid" but well below genuine world level though what he has is grit and determination, a genuine toughness and the ability to break fighters mentally as well as physically. He gets most opponents into a war and he beats them in the trenches by taking their best shots.
The tactics of Salido have worked against some impressive names, such as Lopez and Guerrero (despite a highly controversial drugs test) though have seen him undone against the speed and explosiveness of Gamboa and the hard straight counter punching of Garcia.
It's also worth noting that despite having 12 losses on his record Salido is widely regarded as one of the genuinely top fighters at Featherweights on the planet. This is due to the fact that many of those losses came early in his career. In fact he was 11-7-2 after just 20 fights.
Cruz however is a little less well known. In fact Cruz's main claim to fame isn't what he did in the ring but the fact he came out as gay. Despite that he has been a decent fighter, though perhaps "decent" is the fairest description of the Puerto Rican as opposed to something like "world class".
The most notable victories on Cruz's record are not just the ones over Franco and Martinez but he also holds one over the then 30-0 Leonilo Miranda. These are the solid sort of wins that could get someone world ranked, though shouldn't make some one eligible for a vacant title. Unfortunately part of me thinks he's only getting this chance due to the fact that he is now high profile due to his sexuality.
With the sheer class difference of the two men it's hard to view anything but a stoppage win for Salido. He is, at worst, just as good as Cornelius Lock the first man to defeat Cruz and at best on par with Ponce De Leon, the second man to defeat Cruz. Cruz might try hard, and have some early success but will eventually be broken down and defeated in the middle or later rounds.
Prediction-Salido TKO8
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Austin Trout v Saul Alvarez
The biggest fight of this weekend, by a notable margin sees the much maligned Light Middleweight division thrust into the boxing spotlight as unbeaten fighters collide in a genuinely exciting unification bout. In one corner you have the often over-looked Austin "No Doubt" Trout (26-0, 14) who currently holds the WBA Light Middleweight title in the other corner you have the WBC champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (41-0-1, 30). On the line are both the WBC title and the WBA "super" title and of course bragging rights, the Ring title and the consensus #1 ranking at 154lbs. The stakes could hardly be bigger.
Of the two men the pressure is certainly more on flame haired Mexican Alvarez. The 22 year from Jalisco is seen by many as "the next superstar of boxing" with a huge female fan base, a unique look, a fun to watch style and a genuine charisma about him as well the Golden Boy hype machine which has pushed him in to the limelight in the US in the hope of making him a superstar.
So far in his 42 fight career things have been good for Alvarez who has only been troubled a handful of times a career that dates back to October 2010. In fact the closest Alvarez has come to losing was a split decision victory over Miguel Vazquez (yes, the current IBF Lightweight champion) and a draw to little known Jorge Juarez, though he was rocked in his first high profile US bout by Jose Miguel Cotto (in what was Canelo's 3rd US fight).
The stocky Mexican fighter is certainly a born fighter having been impressive since he was 15 and fighting obscure opponents in Mexico. Though many do doubt his actual creditability in the Light Middleweight division where some have ranked him #1. So far his wins in world title bouts have been against very limited opponents including the brave but outclassed Matthew Hatton, the much smaller Alfonso Gomez and Josesito Lopez, the old Shane Mosley and Ryan Rhodes and the mentally weak Kermit Cintron.
With the other fighters in the division, including Trout, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, Javier Maciel, Erislandy Lara, Ishe Smith, James Kirkland and Alfredo Anguloit's fair to say that Alvarez's competition has been beyond poor since becoming a world champion.
Whilst "Canelo" has been fighting poor opponents he's been receiving the media acclaim of a fighter who is a pound-for-pound fighter. Whilst I don't mean to take away from his skills he doesn't look as rounded as the media have portrayed him. In fact defensively Alvarez has looked porous, offensively he's looked surprisingly quick though not as heavy handed as his record would indicate and whilst his shots are crisp he can be made to look lazy at times and his feet certainly aren't the swiftest.
As the under-dog it's fair to say there is less pressure on Trout who although unbeaten was pretty unknown by the wider boxing public just a few fights back, in fact until he beat Miguel Cotto (in what was considered a betting upset) it's fair to say that Trout was a completely overlooked fighter in the 154lb mix. This was despite notable wins in both Panama and Mexico over Nilson Julio Tapia, Rigoberto Alvarez ("Canelo's" brother) and David Lopez as well as a solid victory on Showtime against Delvin Rodriguez.
Like Alvarez, Trout is unbeaten since his debut in 2005 (a month before "Canelo") and although he's not had the hype and the promotional backing of Alvarez he's certainly proven his character fighting on the road on a regular basis. Be it in Panama, Mexico, Canada or Miguel Cotto's "adoptive home" of New York, Trout has had to prove his ability on the road and win decisions when he wasn't expected to.
In terms of his style, Trout has often been called a spoiler and whilst he can spoil fights, the southpaw isn't really that negative just very controlling in a fight. He's very highly skilled, he lacks explosive power but he certainly can hit hard enough to make fighters think twice, he has great movement and whilst not the most active at times he's a fighter who seems capable of putting his foot on the gas if and when needed. Like Canelo it's his hand speed more than anything that really stands out, though he certainly has a foot speed edge over Canelo and probably also a technical edge despite not having the power of the Mexican.
Going in to the bout Trout will know that he will need to clearly win the bout to get a decision. The Golden Boy backing that Alvarez has had won't be written off easily though "The Golden Boy Curse" could of course strike again here as it did Jorge Linares (against Juan Carlos Salgado) and Victor Ortiz (against Marcos Maidana).
With all the variables and intangibles going into this bout it's hardnot to get excited about it. Of course the bout has the potential to be a bit of let down considering whats on the the line especially when we remember back to the last unification bout in the US between unbeaten champions (Timothy Bradley v Devon Alexander) however I'm personally expecting an electric atmosphere and a bout to remember.
Sadly as much as I'm looking forward to this I can't help but feel that the actual result will be less than the fighters deserve. The gut feeling is that Canelo wins a very controversial decision due to his popularity though part of me also sees Trout turning it on very late and making sure the judges can't screw him. If Trout can't stop Alvarez he may end up getting a draw when he deserves a victory.
Prediction- Draw.
Of the two men the pressure is certainly more on flame haired Mexican Alvarez. The 22 year from Jalisco is seen by many as "the next superstar of boxing" with a huge female fan base, a unique look, a fun to watch style and a genuine charisma about him as well the Golden Boy hype machine which has pushed him in to the limelight in the US in the hope of making him a superstar.
So far in his 42 fight career things have been good for Alvarez who has only been troubled a handful of times a career that dates back to October 2010. In fact the closest Alvarez has come to losing was a split decision victory over Miguel Vazquez (yes, the current IBF Lightweight champion) and a draw to little known Jorge Juarez, though he was rocked in his first high profile US bout by Jose Miguel Cotto (in what was Canelo's 3rd US fight).
The stocky Mexican fighter is certainly a born fighter having been impressive since he was 15 and fighting obscure opponents in Mexico. Though many do doubt his actual creditability in the Light Middleweight division where some have ranked him #1. So far his wins in world title bouts have been against very limited opponents including the brave but outclassed Matthew Hatton, the much smaller Alfonso Gomez and Josesito Lopez, the old Shane Mosley and Ryan Rhodes and the mentally weak Kermit Cintron.
With the other fighters in the division, including Trout, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, Javier Maciel, Erislandy Lara, Ishe Smith, James Kirkland and Alfredo Anguloit's fair to say that Alvarez's competition has been beyond poor since becoming a world champion.
Whilst "Canelo" has been fighting poor opponents he's been receiving the media acclaim of a fighter who is a pound-for-pound fighter. Whilst I don't mean to take away from his skills he doesn't look as rounded as the media have portrayed him. In fact defensively Alvarez has looked porous, offensively he's looked surprisingly quick though not as heavy handed as his record would indicate and whilst his shots are crisp he can be made to look lazy at times and his feet certainly aren't the swiftest.
As the under-dog it's fair to say there is less pressure on Trout who although unbeaten was pretty unknown by the wider boxing public just a few fights back, in fact until he beat Miguel Cotto (in what was considered a betting upset) it's fair to say that Trout was a completely overlooked fighter in the 154lb mix. This was despite notable wins in both Panama and Mexico over Nilson Julio Tapia, Rigoberto Alvarez ("Canelo's" brother) and David Lopez as well as a solid victory on Showtime against Delvin Rodriguez.
Like Alvarez, Trout is unbeaten since his debut in 2005 (a month before "Canelo") and although he's not had the hype and the promotional backing of Alvarez he's certainly proven his character fighting on the road on a regular basis. Be it in Panama, Mexico, Canada or Miguel Cotto's "adoptive home" of New York, Trout has had to prove his ability on the road and win decisions when he wasn't expected to.
In terms of his style, Trout has often been called a spoiler and whilst he can spoil fights, the southpaw isn't really that negative just very controlling in a fight. He's very highly skilled, he lacks explosive power but he certainly can hit hard enough to make fighters think twice, he has great movement and whilst not the most active at times he's a fighter who seems capable of putting his foot on the gas if and when needed. Like Canelo it's his hand speed more than anything that really stands out, though he certainly has a foot speed edge over Canelo and probably also a technical edge despite not having the power of the Mexican.
Going in to the bout Trout will know that he will need to clearly win the bout to get a decision. The Golden Boy backing that Alvarez has had won't be written off easily though "The Golden Boy Curse" could of course strike again here as it did Jorge Linares (against Juan Carlos Salgado) and Victor Ortiz (against Marcos Maidana).
With all the variables and intangibles going into this bout it's hardnot to get excited about it. Of course the bout has the potential to be a bit of let down considering whats on the the line especially when we remember back to the last unification bout in the US between unbeaten champions (Timothy Bradley v Devon Alexander) however I'm personally expecting an electric atmosphere and a bout to remember.
Sadly as much as I'm looking forward to this I can't help but feel that the actual result will be less than the fighters deserve. The gut feeling is that Canelo wins a very controversial decision due to his popularity though part of me also sees Trout turning it on very late and making sure the judges can't screw him. If Trout can't stop Alvarez he may end up getting a draw when he deserves a victory.
Prediction- Draw.
Friday, 8 March 2013
Juan Carlos Salgado v Argenis Mendez II
In what will probably turn out to be the fight of the weekend IBF Super Featherweight champion Juan Carlos Salgado (26-1-1-1, 16) will attempt to defend his belt against the highly ranked Argenis Mendez (20-2, 10) in a rematch of their brilliant 2011 bout which saw Salgado claiming a controversial unanimous decision in his homeland of Mexico.
The 28 year old Salgado burst on to the scene back in 2009 when he scored an upset of the year contender blasting out Jorge Linares in just 168 seconds to claim the WBA Super Featherweight title. Whilst his reign didn't last long, losing hit title to Takashi Uchiyama in just his first defense, he had proven his ability was at least near world class and had actually put on a solid effort against Uchiyama.
Since the loss to Uchiyama, Salgado has claimed the IBF title and gone 5-0-0-1 actually claiming the title when he first beat Mendez. Although he hasn't looked great as a champion, scraping a decision over Martin Honorio and seeing his bout with Miguel Beltran Jr called off early after a clash of heads he has managed to keep a hold of his title significantly longer than his first reign.
Salgado is a solid enough fighter, he's a hurtful puncher, he's a hard worker and whilst he's not the most polished he has solid skills. There is nothing that's going to blow you away about him and he can fight down to his opponents level (as he did with Honorio) though at his best he's probably in the top 5 of a weak Super Featherweight division with out too many questions. He's not invincible but only Mendez and Uchiyama have managed to drop him so far and both of those came in the 12th round.
Whilst the Super Featherweight division is weak Mendez is deservedly ranked highly and boxrec's rating of #5 is around what I'd have him personally. He's a fighter who is very highly skilled and a fighter who has had to prove his ability against some of the other top Super Featherweights to get his chance in title fights.
Prior to the first Salgado fight Mendez had to travel to South Africa in an IBF eliminator, whilst there he widely out pointed former title holder Cassius Baloyi. Although he lost in Mexico the first time he faced Salgado he gave him a very tough fight, dropping Salgado before controversially being out pointed. Since then he has beaten Honorio (for a second time) in an IBF eliminator.
Born in the Dominican Republic though based in the US, the 26 year old Mendez, trained by Brit Lee Beard was a very good amateur and certainly has the superior skills of the two men. As long as he shows those skills he should get the decision this time, especially with the bout now being in the US rather than Mexico. It should also be a fantastic fight just like the first.
Prediction-Mendez by UD
The 28 year old Salgado burst on to the scene back in 2009 when he scored an upset of the year contender blasting out Jorge Linares in just 168 seconds to claim the WBA Super Featherweight title. Whilst his reign didn't last long, losing hit title to Takashi Uchiyama in just his first defense, he had proven his ability was at least near world class and had actually put on a solid effort against Uchiyama.
Since the loss to Uchiyama, Salgado has claimed the IBF title and gone 5-0-0-1 actually claiming the title when he first beat Mendez. Although he hasn't looked great as a champion, scraping a decision over Martin Honorio and seeing his bout with Miguel Beltran Jr called off early after a clash of heads he has managed to keep a hold of his title significantly longer than his first reign.
Salgado is a solid enough fighter, he's a hurtful puncher, he's a hard worker and whilst he's not the most polished he has solid skills. There is nothing that's going to blow you away about him and he can fight down to his opponents level (as he did with Honorio) though at his best he's probably in the top 5 of a weak Super Featherweight division with out too many questions. He's not invincible but only Mendez and Uchiyama have managed to drop him so far and both of those came in the 12th round.
Whilst the Super Featherweight division is weak Mendez is deservedly ranked highly and boxrec's rating of #5 is around what I'd have him personally. He's a fighter who is very highly skilled and a fighter who has had to prove his ability against some of the other top Super Featherweights to get his chance in title fights.
Prior to the first Salgado fight Mendez had to travel to South Africa in an IBF eliminator, whilst there he widely out pointed former title holder Cassius Baloyi. Although he lost in Mexico the first time he faced Salgado he gave him a very tough fight, dropping Salgado before controversially being out pointed. Since then he has beaten Honorio (for a second time) in an IBF eliminator.
Born in the Dominican Republic though based in the US, the 26 year old Mendez, trained by Brit Lee Beard was a very good amateur and certainly has the superior skills of the two men. As long as he shows those skills he should get the decision this time, especially with the bout now being in the US rather than Mexico. It should also be a fantastic fight just like the first.
Prediction-Mendez by UD
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Nathan Cleverly v Shawn Hawk
When you're a world champion you have expectation on your shoulders, especially when you're in a competitive weight division and your either American or British. Sadly for WBO Light Heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (24-0, 11) his competition has, in recent years, really fallen below an "acceptable" level and things don't get better with his up coming defense against late stand in Shawn Hawk (23-2-1, 17).
Thankfully for Cleverly, this fight isn't totally his fault. Originally he was meant to fight in his native Wales against the highly ranked Ukrainian Vyacheslav Uzelkov (27-2, 16), that was however scrapped so that Cleverly could face unbeaten American Ryan Coyne (21-0, 9) in a show case bout. Sadly that bout was scrapped when Coyne's promoter, Don King stepped in and prevented it from taking place. With only a week left, Hawk eventually accepted the bout, despite a number of complaints and other offers, including one from unbeaten American Cedric Agnew.
Sadly this is the world of boxing and what at first looked like an interesting defense for Cleverly has become nothing more than a joke bout that has to be, rightly, criticised. Whilst it's easy to blame Don King for preventing the Coyne fight, that fight it's self hardly looked competitive and instead the blame needs to lie with Cleverly's promoter Frank Warren who has been too busy riding the coat tails of other, better known fighters than actually getting his fighter a decent fight. The Uzelkov fight was decent enough, though the division also has fighters like Cornelius White (20-1, 16) and Isaac Chilemba (20-1-1, 9) who are both deserving of a world title fight, unlike Coyne and Hawk.
Anyway with that said Cleverly himself isn't a bad fighter. At just 25 years old he has time to get the recognition he likely feels he deserves and although he'll often have his reign criticised this shouldn't take away from the fact that the young Welshman is talented. Cleverly however not only has poor defenses hanging over his head but also the fact he will for ever be linked with former training partner Joe Calzaghe, a fighter who himself had numerous poor defenses before making a name for himself later in his career.
Cleverly is a fighter who is still developing and whilst he'll never be a thunderous puncher he is an aggressive and hard working fighter who appears to have a genuinely sensation engine (one thing he certainly picked up from his time with Calzaghe). He's relentless and can break fighters down on that relentless work rate, as he did with Karo Murat in arguably his best win to date. Despite often bringing pressure, Cleverly, at his best, is actually a genuinely talented boxer who can hit and move, and this was what he did earlier in his career when arguably he was testing himself more against the likes of Tony Oakey, Danny McIntosh (who was then unbeaten) and Antonio Brancalion. Sadly the hitting and moving seems to have gone from his game and replaced by the more exciting brawling that has almost seen him lose to the likes of Tony Bellew and Nadjib Mohammedi.
Sadly for someone who enjoys a tear up Cleverly hasn't got the hurtful 1-punch power, in fact, the Murat stoppage aside, it's hard to really say with "world" level opponent Cleverly has stopped (with Aleksy Kuziemski being his only other stoppage win in the past 2 years). As well as the lack of power, Cleverly also lacks a true defense, especially when brawling, and whilst his chin does seem to be solid, he's taking a lot of shots which will have a cumulative effect over his career, especially at world level.
After title defenses against the likes Aleksy Kuziemski (who took the fight at just a few days notice), Tony Bellew (who had never previously stepped beyond Commonwealth level) and Tommy Karpency (who genuinely was awful) it should be perhaps no surprise to say that Hawk is average at best. Despite his record of 23-2-1 (17) the man dubbed "The Sioux Warrior" is not expected to be a real challenge and with good reason.
Hawk has been a professional since 2004 (a year longer than Cleverly) started his career well running up 13 straight wins 11 by TKO as he fought at Cruiserweight. Sadly for Hawk (and those thinking he may be a big puncher) these wins were against real scrubs in Washington and Idaho and when he faced semi-decent fighter, Ed Perry, Hawk could only muster up a draw.
Just 2 years after drawing with Ed Perry, Hawk would suffer his first professional loss as Cruiserweight Matt Godfrey clearly defeated him over 10 rounds in arguably Hawk's biggest fight to date. This loss saw Hawk falling to 18-1-1 (16), a record still befitting that of a puncher, though he was still with out a recognisable victory on his record, in fact it wasn't until 2010 that Hawk got his first noteworthy win as he took a victory over former world title contender Rubin Williams. The victory over Williams was followed by Hawk's most notable victory, a decision win over Otis Griffin, sadly however this did come against a very faded fighter and it did also see Hawk getting knocked down and really struggling to the decision.
Since defeating Griffin Hawk as beaten Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan (via a 10 round decision) and lost to to the quick Colombian Eleider Alvarez (who himself would have been a more acceptable challenger than Hawk). Alvarez, at the time taking part in just his 9th professional bout, really dominated Hawk, winning 11 of the 12 rounds on 2 of the 3 cards (and winning 10 rounds on the final card). Worryingly the Alvarez fight was actually the most recent fight of Hawk's career taking place just 5 months ago.
For Cleverly this is little more than a chance to make a name in the US. Sadly he doesn't have the ability, or the power to make a big splash, though hopefully a decent performance will help him land fights with the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson or Tavoris Cloud, all of which I think could beat him. Anything less than scorecards of 117-111 should be seen as a failure by Clverly who really needs to either a stoppage or a white wash for this not to have been a real waste of time.
Prediction: Cleverly UD
Thankfully for Cleverly, this fight isn't totally his fault. Originally he was meant to fight in his native Wales against the highly ranked Ukrainian Vyacheslav Uzelkov (27-2, 16), that was however scrapped so that Cleverly could face unbeaten American Ryan Coyne (21-0, 9) in a show case bout. Sadly that bout was scrapped when Coyne's promoter, Don King stepped in and prevented it from taking place. With only a week left, Hawk eventually accepted the bout, despite a number of complaints and other offers, including one from unbeaten American Cedric Agnew.
Sadly this is the world of boxing and what at first looked like an interesting defense for Cleverly has become nothing more than a joke bout that has to be, rightly, criticised. Whilst it's easy to blame Don King for preventing the Coyne fight, that fight it's self hardly looked competitive and instead the blame needs to lie with Cleverly's promoter Frank Warren who has been too busy riding the coat tails of other, better known fighters than actually getting his fighter a decent fight. The Uzelkov fight was decent enough, though the division also has fighters like Cornelius White (20-1, 16) and Isaac Chilemba (20-1-1, 9) who are both deserving of a world title fight, unlike Coyne and Hawk.
Anyway with that said Cleverly himself isn't a bad fighter. At just 25 years old he has time to get the recognition he likely feels he deserves and although he'll often have his reign criticised this shouldn't take away from the fact that the young Welshman is talented. Cleverly however not only has poor defenses hanging over his head but also the fact he will for ever be linked with former training partner Joe Calzaghe, a fighter who himself had numerous poor defenses before making a name for himself later in his career.
Cleverly is a fighter who is still developing and whilst he'll never be a thunderous puncher he is an aggressive and hard working fighter who appears to have a genuinely sensation engine (one thing he certainly picked up from his time with Calzaghe). He's relentless and can break fighters down on that relentless work rate, as he did with Karo Murat in arguably his best win to date. Despite often bringing pressure, Cleverly, at his best, is actually a genuinely talented boxer who can hit and move, and this was what he did earlier in his career when arguably he was testing himself more against the likes of Tony Oakey, Danny McIntosh (who was then unbeaten) and Antonio Brancalion. Sadly the hitting and moving seems to have gone from his game and replaced by the more exciting brawling that has almost seen him lose to the likes of Tony Bellew and Nadjib Mohammedi.
Sadly for someone who enjoys a tear up Cleverly hasn't got the hurtful 1-punch power, in fact, the Murat stoppage aside, it's hard to really say with "world" level opponent Cleverly has stopped (with Aleksy Kuziemski being his only other stoppage win in the past 2 years). As well as the lack of power, Cleverly also lacks a true defense, especially when brawling, and whilst his chin does seem to be solid, he's taking a lot of shots which will have a cumulative effect over his career, especially at world level.
After title defenses against the likes Aleksy Kuziemski (who took the fight at just a few days notice), Tony Bellew (who had never previously stepped beyond Commonwealth level) and Tommy Karpency (who genuinely was awful) it should be perhaps no surprise to say that Hawk is average at best. Despite his record of 23-2-1 (17) the man dubbed "The Sioux Warrior" is not expected to be a real challenge and with good reason.
Hawk has been a professional since 2004 (a year longer than Cleverly) started his career well running up 13 straight wins 11 by TKO as he fought at Cruiserweight. Sadly for Hawk (and those thinking he may be a big puncher) these wins were against real scrubs in Washington and Idaho and when he faced semi-decent fighter, Ed Perry, Hawk could only muster up a draw.
Just 2 years after drawing with Ed Perry, Hawk would suffer his first professional loss as Cruiserweight Matt Godfrey clearly defeated him over 10 rounds in arguably Hawk's biggest fight to date. This loss saw Hawk falling to 18-1-1 (16), a record still befitting that of a puncher, though he was still with out a recognisable victory on his record, in fact it wasn't until 2010 that Hawk got his first noteworthy win as he took a victory over former world title contender Rubin Williams. The victory over Williams was followed by Hawk's most notable victory, a decision win over Otis Griffin, sadly however this did come against a very faded fighter and it did also see Hawk getting knocked down and really struggling to the decision.
Since defeating Griffin Hawk as beaten Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan (via a 10 round decision) and lost to to the quick Colombian Eleider Alvarez (who himself would have been a more acceptable challenger than Hawk). Alvarez, at the time taking part in just his 9th professional bout, really dominated Hawk, winning 11 of the 12 rounds on 2 of the 3 cards (and winning 10 rounds on the final card). Worryingly the Alvarez fight was actually the most recent fight of Hawk's career taking place just 5 months ago.
For Cleverly this is little more than a chance to make a name in the US. Sadly he doesn't have the ability, or the power to make a big splash, though hopefully a decent performance will help him land fights with the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson or Tavoris Cloud, all of which I think could beat him. Anything less than scorecards of 117-111 should be seen as a failure by Clverly who really needs to either a stoppage or a white wash for this not to have been a real waste of time.
Prediction: Cleverly UD
Friday, 19 October 2012
Paulie Malignaggi v Pablo Cesar Cano
Earlier this year out-spoken American Paulie Malignaggi (31-4, 7) really revitalised his career as he claimed the WBA Welterweight title in an impressive performance against Ukrainian Vyacheslav Senchenko. Malignaggi is now set to make the first defense of that title as he prepares to face popular Mexican Pablo Cesar Cano (25-1-1, 19).
Despite being a noted non-puncher Malignaggi has, time and time again, proven himself to be an extremely talented fighter who has brilliant technical skills as well as fantastic speed and movement coupled alongside real heart and genuine toughness. Sadly, most, seem to only remember the fact he is a non-puncher rather than give his skills the credit they deserve.
Malignaggi burst on to the world stage way back in 2006 when he showed his toughness in brave losing effort to hard punching Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto and since then has been a mainstay on the world scene with bouts against the likes of Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan and Juan Diaz. Sadly, despite his extreme talent he has found it hard to beat the very top guys who just have that something extra.
Malignaggi made his professional debut way back in 2001 and since then has won both the IBF Light Welterweight title (which he defended twice) and the WBA Welterweight title (the belt he is defending this weekend). All this despite having serious hand issues troubling him through out his career. In recent years however the hands seem to be holding up well and remarkably he has stopped 2 of his last 4 opponents, scoring his first stoppage wins since 2003.
In terms of his style Malignaggi is very slippery, he not only judges distance wonderfully well but he also anticipates his opponents next move whilst landing stinging jabs on to his opponents face, often landing his pot shots and getting out of range before he, himself, is tagged. When tagged however, Malignaggi has shown great resiliency and his brave battle with Cotto really earned him some well deserved plaudits. Sadly however his lack of power has always been an issue and has separated him (a very good fighter) from his top contemporary fighters, such as Cotto and Hatton who were simply able to walk through his shuts using educated pressure.
Whilst Malignaggi is a very known fighter, his opponent, Pablo Cesar Cano, is a bit more obscure having only really come to prominence in the last year or so. Aged just 23 the Mexican burst on to the scene last year in his highest profile bout so far, a brave losing effort to Mexican icon Erik Morales in a WBC Light Welterweight bout. Despite being stopped (by his own corner) against Morales, it was easy to like the kids grit and heart as he started to cut up and swell badly at the hands of Morales.
Other than the Morales bout there is little of note on Cano's record, however earlier this year Cano did claim the interim WBA World Light Welterweight title by defeating the relatively unknown Venezuelan Johan Perez, via controversial technical decision. Despite winning this title, it appears Cano is making a move to 147lbs, and if he defeat Malignaggi he may well intend to stay there. Interestingly however Cano did manage to make Super Featherweight less than 2 years ago, which would perhaps show that he is not a true Light Welterweight, never mind a Welterweight.
Like many Mexican's Cano is a tough fighter, he's not massively skilled but he's tough and seems to enjoy a fighter, however he does have decent boxing skills, as he has shown against both Perez and Morales. He is slowly improving and gaining relevant experience and appears to be really developing as not only a boxer but also a man and with this in mind he must come into this bout as a the puncher, despite arguably being the smaller man.
Sadly despite Cano being an improving fighter he is unlikely to have improved to the level of being able to beat Malignaggi who I feel is simply going to be too fast and too skilled for Cano, who may have his moments but will not have enough of them to claim more than a round or two here and there. Due to the fact Cano is a tough and brave Mexican I imagine he will make it to the final bell, however I wouldn't be shocked if his face looked a bit of a mess by the end of the bout as Malignaggi tries to make a statement.
Prediction-Malignaggi UD
Despite being a noted non-puncher Malignaggi has, time and time again, proven himself to be an extremely talented fighter who has brilliant technical skills as well as fantastic speed and movement coupled alongside real heart and genuine toughness. Sadly, most, seem to only remember the fact he is a non-puncher rather than give his skills the credit they deserve.
Malignaggi burst on to the world stage way back in 2006 when he showed his toughness in brave losing effort to hard punching Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto and since then has been a mainstay on the world scene with bouts against the likes of Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan and Juan Diaz. Sadly, despite his extreme talent he has found it hard to beat the very top guys who just have that something extra.
Malignaggi made his professional debut way back in 2001 and since then has won both the IBF Light Welterweight title (which he defended twice) and the WBA Welterweight title (the belt he is defending this weekend). All this despite having serious hand issues troubling him through out his career. In recent years however the hands seem to be holding up well and remarkably he has stopped 2 of his last 4 opponents, scoring his first stoppage wins since 2003.
In terms of his style Malignaggi is very slippery, he not only judges distance wonderfully well but he also anticipates his opponents next move whilst landing stinging jabs on to his opponents face, often landing his pot shots and getting out of range before he, himself, is tagged. When tagged however, Malignaggi has shown great resiliency and his brave battle with Cotto really earned him some well deserved plaudits. Sadly however his lack of power has always been an issue and has separated him (a very good fighter) from his top contemporary fighters, such as Cotto and Hatton who were simply able to walk through his shuts using educated pressure.
Whilst Malignaggi is a very known fighter, his opponent, Pablo Cesar Cano, is a bit more obscure having only really come to prominence in the last year or so. Aged just 23 the Mexican burst on to the scene last year in his highest profile bout so far, a brave losing effort to Mexican icon Erik Morales in a WBC Light Welterweight bout. Despite being stopped (by his own corner) against Morales, it was easy to like the kids grit and heart as he started to cut up and swell badly at the hands of Morales.
Other than the Morales bout there is little of note on Cano's record, however earlier this year Cano did claim the interim WBA World Light Welterweight title by defeating the relatively unknown Venezuelan Johan Perez, via controversial technical decision. Despite winning this title, it appears Cano is making a move to 147lbs, and if he defeat Malignaggi he may well intend to stay there. Interestingly however Cano did manage to make Super Featherweight less than 2 years ago, which would perhaps show that he is not a true Light Welterweight, never mind a Welterweight.
Like many Mexican's Cano is a tough fighter, he's not massively skilled but he's tough and seems to enjoy a fighter, however he does have decent boxing skills, as he has shown against both Perez and Morales. He is slowly improving and gaining relevant experience and appears to be really developing as not only a boxer but also a man and with this in mind he must come into this bout as a the puncher, despite arguably being the smaller man.
Sadly despite Cano being an improving fighter he is unlikely to have improved to the level of being able to beat Malignaggi who I feel is simply going to be too fast and too skilled for Cano, who may have his moments but will not have enough of them to claim more than a round or two here and there. Due to the fact Cano is a tough and brave Mexican I imagine he will make it to the final bell, however I wouldn't be shocked if his face looked a bit of a mess by the end of the bout as Malignaggi tries to make a statement.
Prediction-Malignaggi UD
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam v Peter Quillin
In recent months the Middleweight division has really come alive with Gennady Golovkin defeating Grzegorz Proksa (WBA interim), Daniel Geale defeating Felix Sturm (IBF and WBA "Super") and Sergio Martinez defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (WBC and Ring). Now we get to see the current WBO champion Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam (27-0, 17) try to defend his title for the first time as he faces the highly regarded Peter Quillin (27-0, 20).
Despite not being well known outside of mainland European N'Dam N'Jikam is well regarded as a talented boxer-puncher though many question his credentials so far and especially the way in which has has been crowned world champion, which saw Russian Dmitry Pirog controversially stripped of his belt.
Whilst many may not like the way N'Dam N'Jikam got his title, the Cameroonian born Frenchman is a very talented fighter who moves excellently and has fantastic hand speed. His ability has seen him not only recording 27 victories but also scoring several notable victories including defeating the likes of Gennady Martirosyan, Avtandil Khurtsidze, Giovanni Lorenzo and the well regarded Max Bursak. As well as those victories he also been the WBA interim champion and the WBO interim champion.
In terms of his style N'Dam N'Jikam is an impressive boxer, he moves well and looks very loose in the ring, however his power does seem lacking and many question whether or not he can cope with really top class fighters. In fact many felt that Avtandil Khurtsidze did enough to deserve the victory over him last year in easily the toughest bout of N'Dam N'Jikam's career so far. With his speed and movement however N'Dam N'Jikam is a problem for most fighters in the division and will not be easy to beat.
Interestingly, since debuting in 2004 N'Dam N'Jikam has only fought in France, Morocco and Luxembourg, in fact 24 of his 27 bouts to date have taken place in France. With this up coming bout taking place in America, this could be a key factor.
Despite being the challenger, American based Peter Quillin is the big favourite (priced around 4/11) and with good reason. Not only is the fight going to take place in America but Quillin is seen by many as the best Middleweight not to have fought for a world title yet.
Quillin, like N'Dam N'Jikam, is seen as a very talented fighter, however Quillin appears to have much more sting on his shots than the champion and has shown his hurtful power on a number of well known opponents. In fact 5 of Quillin's last 6 opponents failed to survive the distance with only Ronald "Winky" Wright managing to see the scheduled and even he was dropped.
Whilst the victory over Wright was the highest profile of Quillin's career he also holds victories over Craig McEwan, Jessie Brinkley, Fernando Zuniga, Dionisio Miranda and a faded Antwun Echols. All credible and solid victories against fringe title level competition.
In terms of his style Quillin is a fighter who is able to box excellently and has fast heavy hands hands. He's unlikely to apply a huge amount of pressure but he is very patient and a very accurate counter puncher who has a wonderfully effective jab when he decides to actually use it (it has been under-utilised in the past).
In terms of this fight I think we're going to see a high paced chess match early on as the fighter take a round or two to figure each other out. Don't expect it to be very exciting but expect to see a lot posing and a lot of looking for openings before it opens up a bit in the middle portion of the bout. Expect by round 9 or 10 for both fighters to have finally warmed into the bout before Quillin lets his hands go and really looks to make a point before stopping N'Dam N'Jikam late. However by the same respect if Quillin can hurt N'Dam N'Jikam early expect him to go for the kill earlier.
Prediction-Quillin TKO 11
Despite not being well known outside of mainland European N'Dam N'Jikam is well regarded as a talented boxer-puncher though many question his credentials so far and especially the way in which has has been crowned world champion, which saw Russian Dmitry Pirog controversially stripped of his belt.
Whilst many may not like the way N'Dam N'Jikam got his title, the Cameroonian born Frenchman is a very talented fighter who moves excellently and has fantastic hand speed. His ability has seen him not only recording 27 victories but also scoring several notable victories including defeating the likes of Gennady Martirosyan, Avtandil Khurtsidze, Giovanni Lorenzo and the well regarded Max Bursak. As well as those victories he also been the WBA interim champion and the WBO interim champion.
In terms of his style N'Dam N'Jikam is an impressive boxer, he moves well and looks very loose in the ring, however his power does seem lacking and many question whether or not he can cope with really top class fighters. In fact many felt that Avtandil Khurtsidze did enough to deserve the victory over him last year in easily the toughest bout of N'Dam N'Jikam's career so far. With his speed and movement however N'Dam N'Jikam is a problem for most fighters in the division and will not be easy to beat.
Interestingly, since debuting in 2004 N'Dam N'Jikam has only fought in France, Morocco and Luxembourg, in fact 24 of his 27 bouts to date have taken place in France. With this up coming bout taking place in America, this could be a key factor.
Despite being the challenger, American based Peter Quillin is the big favourite (priced around 4/11) and with good reason. Not only is the fight going to take place in America but Quillin is seen by many as the best Middleweight not to have fought for a world title yet.
Quillin, like N'Dam N'Jikam, is seen as a very talented fighter, however Quillin appears to have much more sting on his shots than the champion and has shown his hurtful power on a number of well known opponents. In fact 5 of Quillin's last 6 opponents failed to survive the distance with only Ronald "Winky" Wright managing to see the scheduled and even he was dropped.
Whilst the victory over Wright was the highest profile of Quillin's career he also holds victories over Craig McEwan, Jessie Brinkley, Fernando Zuniga, Dionisio Miranda and a faded Antwun Echols. All credible and solid victories against fringe title level competition.
In terms of his style Quillin is a fighter who is able to box excellently and has fast heavy hands hands. He's unlikely to apply a huge amount of pressure but he is very patient and a very accurate counter puncher who has a wonderfully effective jab when he decides to actually use it (it has been under-utilised in the past).
In terms of this fight I think we're going to see a high paced chess match early on as the fighter take a round or two to figure each other out. Don't expect it to be very exciting but expect to see a lot posing and a lot of looking for openings before it opens up a bit in the middle portion of the bout. Expect by round 9 or 10 for both fighters to have finally warmed into the bout before Quillin lets his hands go and really looks to make a point before stopping N'Dam N'Jikam late. However by the same respect if Quillin can hurt N'Dam N'Jikam early expect him to go for the kill earlier.
Prediction-Quillin TKO 11
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Saul Alvarez v Josesito Lopez
It's rare for me to genuinely hate a fight but the upcoming WBC Light Middleweight title fight between champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (40-0-1, 29) and challenger Josesito Lopez (30-4-0-1, 18) is one that I cannot stomach nor understand.
Ginger haired Saul Alvarez is seen by many in the sport as the emerging Mexican star of the future. He's got a massive fan base that seems to grow after every fight and he's got a pretty fun to watch style that combines heavy hands with some wonderful combinations. At just 21 years old it's fair to say that, if matched well, Alvarez really could be a star for the next 10 or so years, however this brings us to the big problem of Alvarez. Just how do you match a 21 year old world champion with the world looking at him? The answer seems to be softly.
Since his break out US performance against Jose Miguel Cotto back in May 2010 on the Floyd Mayweather Jr v Shane Mosley undercard there has been expectation on Alvarez. This expectation grew suddenly after Alvarez stopped the teak tough Argentinian Carlos Manuel Baldomir and then again when Alvarez claimed the WBC Light Middleweight title by out pointing Matthew Hatton in March 2011. Sadly however Alvarez's reign as world champion, in a solid division, has been less than note worthy with victories over a 35 year old Ryan Rhodes, a horribly undersized Alfonso Gomez, an undeserving Kermit Cintron and an ancient Shane Mosley. In a division that has talent like Floyd Mayweather Jr, Miguel Cotto, Austin Trout, James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Javier Maciel, Lukas Konecny and Zaurbek Baysangurov we really need to ask why Alvarez has been content on fighting second rate opponents.
That's not to say that his opponent this coming weekend, Josesito Lopez, is second rate, but he certainly isn't a Light Middleweight or an opponent that we should really be that excited about. Lopez is there as the sacrificial lamb as Golden Boy Promotions continue to develop Alvarez on hype rather than achievement, a risky strategy in this sport.
So why is Lopez not a solid opponent for Alvarez? Well to start this we need to look at Lopez. He may be taller than Alvarez but he's a naturally thin guy and not the thick set build of Alvarez. Just a year ago Lopez was fighting as a Light Welterweight in fact it's almost certain he could make Light Welterweight still if he wanted to. The highest Lopez has ever weighed was just 144¾lbs, over 9 lbs less than the Light Middleweight limit. Again, whilst he is a solid fighter he is no Light Middleweight.
Lopez got this fight after upsetting the Golden Boy Promotions apple cart by stunning Victor Ortiz in June, breaking Ortiz's jaw. The original idea was to put Ortiz in with Alvarez, though again it wasn't a match up I liked when we see the talent in the Light Middleweight division.
Sadly the size factor will never be overcome. Lopez may be able to survive 6 or 7 rounds but the sheer size and power difference is going to be far too much and take it's toll on the California native who I expect to be ground down in the middle rounds before being ultimately stopped. The biggest problem with this fight is sadly the Golden Boy hype train who will continue to declare Alvarez as one of the sports biggest stars despite the fact he'll have only beaten a Light Welterweight.
Prediction- Alvarez TKO 6
To sum this up in a word-Mismatch.
Ginger haired Saul Alvarez is seen by many in the sport as the emerging Mexican star of the future. He's got a massive fan base that seems to grow after every fight and he's got a pretty fun to watch style that combines heavy hands with some wonderful combinations. At just 21 years old it's fair to say that, if matched well, Alvarez really could be a star for the next 10 or so years, however this brings us to the big problem of Alvarez. Just how do you match a 21 year old world champion with the world looking at him? The answer seems to be softly.
Since his break out US performance against Jose Miguel Cotto back in May 2010 on the Floyd Mayweather Jr v Shane Mosley undercard there has been expectation on Alvarez. This expectation grew suddenly after Alvarez stopped the teak tough Argentinian Carlos Manuel Baldomir and then again when Alvarez claimed the WBC Light Middleweight title by out pointing Matthew Hatton in March 2011. Sadly however Alvarez's reign as world champion, in a solid division, has been less than note worthy with victories over a 35 year old Ryan Rhodes, a horribly undersized Alfonso Gomez, an undeserving Kermit Cintron and an ancient Shane Mosley. In a division that has talent like Floyd Mayweather Jr, Miguel Cotto, Austin Trout, James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Javier Maciel, Lukas Konecny and Zaurbek Baysangurov we really need to ask why Alvarez has been content on fighting second rate opponents.
That's not to say that his opponent this coming weekend, Josesito Lopez, is second rate, but he certainly isn't a Light Middleweight or an opponent that we should really be that excited about. Lopez is there as the sacrificial lamb as Golden Boy Promotions continue to develop Alvarez on hype rather than achievement, a risky strategy in this sport.
So why is Lopez not a solid opponent for Alvarez? Well to start this we need to look at Lopez. He may be taller than Alvarez but he's a naturally thin guy and not the thick set build of Alvarez. Just a year ago Lopez was fighting as a Light Welterweight in fact it's almost certain he could make Light Welterweight still if he wanted to. The highest Lopez has ever weighed was just 144¾lbs, over 9 lbs less than the Light Middleweight limit. Again, whilst he is a solid fighter he is no Light Middleweight.
Lopez got this fight after upsetting the Golden Boy Promotions apple cart by stunning Victor Ortiz in June, breaking Ortiz's jaw. The original idea was to put Ortiz in with Alvarez, though again it wasn't a match up I liked when we see the talent in the Light Middleweight division.
Sadly the size factor will never be overcome. Lopez may be able to survive 6 or 7 rounds but the sheer size and power difference is going to be far too much and take it's toll on the California native who I expect to be ground down in the middle rounds before being ultimately stopped. The biggest problem with this fight is sadly the Golden Boy hype train who will continue to declare Alvarez as one of the sports biggest stars despite the fact he'll have only beaten a Light Welterweight.
Prediction- Alvarez TKO 6
To sum this up in a word-Mismatch.
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