Although I believe Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is the best fighter at 115lbs the best boxer there, at least for now, is Argentinian veteran Omar Andres Narvaez (40-1-2, 21). Narvaez, the long term WBO champion is a man who, at 38 years old, has been denying father time like no one else in the lower weights.
Although thoroughly ancient for a Super Flyweight Narvaez has shown he still has all the traits of a man who isn't really on the slide as much as some would like. He's still sharp, fast, able to throw lovely blazing combinations and is still light on his feet. He may be 38 but he fighters like a man who is only in his 20's.
Whilst he still has the speed and style of a younger man Narvaez's key issue is that he lacks lights out power. He can break guys down over the course but no single shot he lands will have guys thinking twice and as a result he can be forced to fight a little harder than a man of his skills perhaps should. Thankfully his flurries of shots do tend to wear opponents down either physically or mentally.
Narvaez defends his title once again this weekend as he takes on the once beaten David Carmona (16-1-4, 8) of Mexico. Carmona the WBO Youth Super Flyweight champion is by far the younger man though with that also comes the fact he is untested near the same level as Narvaez.
In his 21 bouts to date Carmona's most notable foe has been been, well none of them really. Carmona has fought no one of note, no one nearly world class and no one who could possibly have prepared him for someone like Narvaez. That's not to say Carmona isn't talented but his talented has only been shown as a much, much, much lower level than that of Narvaez.
As for the bout it's fair to say that gulf in opponent will show up here. Carmona will go to win but will quickly discover that Narvaez isn't just an old man. Carmona's shots will be picked off and his body and head tagged almost at will by Narvaez.
Whilst Carmona hasn't shown durability issues he's also not shown the ability to do 12 rounds. With that in mind I expect Narvaez to pick up the pace late and force a stoppage against a tiring Carmona in the final 3 rounds.
Prediction-Narvaez TKO11
Showing posts with label WBO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WBO. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 December 2013
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Guillermo Rigondeaux v Joseph Agbeko
When we talk about pure boxers two men really stand out right now. One is Floyd Mayweather Jr, one of the greatest in recent memory, the other is Cuban sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux (12-0, 8, the current WBA "super" and WBO Super Bantamweight champion.
Unfortunately pure boxing, as George Foreman once observed, "The better it is, the less people appreciate it". This seems to be the case with Rigondeaux who at times makes boxing look so effortless and easy. Unfortunately however when he makes it look so simple it's easy to see why people don't appreciate it. What's the point in dominating if you can't also put on a show. Boxing whether we like it or not is a business and if you bore fans you can expect to be forgotten.
Following his fight with Nonito Donaire many felt it could be a very long time before saw Rigondeaux back in action. It's been a while I'll admit, some 8 months almost, since that fight but this weekend sees Rigondeaux returning to action as he attempts to defend both of his belts against Ghana's Joseph Agbeko (29-4, 22), a former 2-time IBF Bantamweight champion himself.
When it comes to Rigondeaux he can do everything. He makes fights, like I said, look simple. He slows down the pace when he wants, he lands every punch in the book, he makes other fighters look stupid and is a complete in the ring. Like all geniuses however he can get bored easily and as a result he can get tagged. His negativity can cause even the great man himself to get bored of things and it often seems that either Rigondeaux will destroy an opponent or get get bored of putting on a masterclass.
Agbeko doesn't have those same tricks as Rigondeaux. He's much less a skillster and more of a rough and tough type of fighter. That's not to say he lacks skills but he's more about strength and toughness than the sweet science.
Sadly for Agbeko the toughness and strength he had at 118lbs is unlikely to carry up that well at 122lbs, especially considering he's almost 34 years old and has fought just once the last 24 months. In all honesty the toughness and drive of Agbeko seemed to be leaving him in his most recent notable bout, a clear decision loss to Abner Mares.
With Rigondeaux's power, speed and technique it's hard not to see him landing crisp, clean shots on to the chin of Agbeko, eventually forcing a stoppage of the brave Ghanian who will be left chasing shadows prior to the stoppage. Rigondeaux will know that this is a fight that he needs to make an impression in and that's exactly what he will do.
Prediction-Rigondeaux TKO6
Unfortunately pure boxing, as George Foreman once observed, "The better it is, the less people appreciate it". This seems to be the case with Rigondeaux who at times makes boxing look so effortless and easy. Unfortunately however when he makes it look so simple it's easy to see why people don't appreciate it. What's the point in dominating if you can't also put on a show. Boxing whether we like it or not is a business and if you bore fans you can expect to be forgotten.
Following his fight with Nonito Donaire many felt it could be a very long time before saw Rigondeaux back in action. It's been a while I'll admit, some 8 months almost, since that fight but this weekend sees Rigondeaux returning to action as he attempts to defend both of his belts against Ghana's Joseph Agbeko (29-4, 22), a former 2-time IBF Bantamweight champion himself.
When it comes to Rigondeaux he can do everything. He makes fights, like I said, look simple. He slows down the pace when he wants, he lands every punch in the book, he makes other fighters look stupid and is a complete in the ring. Like all geniuses however he can get bored easily and as a result he can get tagged. His negativity can cause even the great man himself to get bored of things and it often seems that either Rigondeaux will destroy an opponent or get get bored of putting on a masterclass.
Agbeko doesn't have those same tricks as Rigondeaux. He's much less a skillster and more of a rough and tough type of fighter. That's not to say he lacks skills but he's more about strength and toughness than the sweet science.
Sadly for Agbeko the toughness and strength he had at 118lbs is unlikely to carry up that well at 122lbs, especially considering he's almost 34 years old and has fought just once the last 24 months. In all honesty the toughness and drive of Agbeko seemed to be leaving him in his most recent notable bout, a clear decision loss to Abner Mares.
With Rigondeaux's power, speed and technique it's hard not to see him landing crisp, clean shots on to the chin of Agbeko, eventually forcing a stoppage of the brave Ghanian who will be left chasing shadows prior to the stoppage. Rigondeaux will know that this is a fight that he needs to make an impression in and that's exactly what he will do.
Prediction-Rigondeaux TKO6
Monday, 2 December 2013
Tomoki Kameda v Immanuel Naidjala
Earlier this year Tomoki Kameda (28-0, 18) became a very significant figure in Japanese and world boxing. When he claimed the WBO Bantamweight title with a victory over Paulus Moses he became Japan's first ever WBO champion and in the process became the third of the Kameda brothers to claim a world title, thus setting a world record.
Tomoki will look to defend his title for the first time this coming Tuesday when he takes on unbeaten Namibian challenger Immanuel Naidjala (17-0-1, 11).
On paper this looks like a great fight with men who's combined record reads 45-0-1 (29) in reality however I expect this to be little more than a boxing lesson by Tomoki over the short and crude, but tough, Naidjala.
From what footage of Naidjala is available he looks like the sort of fighter who can be beaten with just a jab and some movement. He's the epitome of crude and although he looks incredibly strong he does look like the sort of fighter who will be able to catch Kameda when the Japanese fighter is boxing off his jab.
I think this fight sees Kameda boxing early on and moving, making Naidjala chase him and swing at air. After 5 or 6 rounds of this however Tomoki will likely feel more confident in holding his feet and going to the midsection of the challenger. Although this is playing to Naidjala's strengths it's hard to envision Naidjala having the power, skill or speed to really hurt Tomoki who will grind down the challenger in the last half of the fight.
Prediction-Tomoki TKO11
Tomoki will look to defend his title for the first time this coming Tuesday when he takes on unbeaten Namibian challenger Immanuel Naidjala (17-0-1, 11).
On paper this looks like a great fight with men who's combined record reads 45-0-1 (29) in reality however I expect this to be little more than a boxing lesson by Tomoki over the short and crude, but tough, Naidjala.
From what footage of Naidjala is available he looks like the sort of fighter who can be beaten with just a jab and some movement. He's the epitome of crude and although he looks incredibly strong he does look like the sort of fighter who will be able to catch Kameda when the Japanese fighter is boxing off his jab.
I think this fight sees Kameda boxing early on and moving, making Naidjala chase him and swing at air. After 5 or 6 rounds of this however Tomoki will likely feel more confident in holding his feet and going to the midsection of the challenger. Although this is playing to Naidjala's strengths it's hard to envision Naidjala having the power, skill or speed to really hurt Tomoki who will grind down the challenger in the last half of the fight.
Prediction-Tomoki TKO11
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Donnie Nietes v Sammy Gutierrez
If any active champion is very lucky right now it's Donnie Nietes (31-1-4, 17) who got one of the luckiest decisions in boxing earlier this year when he defended his WBO Light Flyweight title with a draw over Moises Funetes. Nietes, who out punched, out fought, out worked and generally dominated by Fuentes deserved to lose his title back then yet some how got bailed out with the draw.
Nietes will be defending his title for the first time since that controversial contest with Fuentes as he battles another Mexican, Sammy Gutierrez (33-9-2, 23) a man who himself once claimed a portion of the world crown at Minimumweight.
At his best Gutierrez was a challenge for near enough anyone at 105 or even 108 and going through his opponents reads as a whose who. Unfortunately however Gutierrez wasn't a stand out fighter. He was a very credible fighter though someone who just seemed to come up short against the real world class fighters. For example he was stopped by Nkosinathi Joyi and out pointed by Omar Nino Romero, Raul Garcia and Juan Palacios.
The down fall for Gutierrez has been quick as well. Just 3 years ago he was the WBA interim champion but now he's struggling to string wins together and has gone 3-3 in his last 6 and 5-4 in his last 9. Yes, this is a fighter who is paying for his wars in the ring despite only being 27.
Whilst I'd also say that Nietes is regressing as a fighter in recent years he's not totally dropping off a cliff like Gutierrez. He's struggling for sure but there is enough left in the tank for him to keep his title despite some poor performances.
At his very best Nietes was a fringe pound-for-pound fighter who could do it all. Now however he's someone who struggles. He struggled with Fuentes, he struggled with Felipe Salguero and he struggled with Ramon Hirales Garcia. Maybe it's because Nietes isn't a natural Light Flyweight but personally I think it's the fact he's forgetting some of the things that made him so good at Minimumweight.
In regards to this bout, I think Nietes has enough left to stop the shadow of Gutierrez but don't let a good performance here belie the fact that Nietes isn't half the fighter he once was. This is a man who is very fortunate to call himself a world champion and likely won't be able to for too much longer.
Prediction-Nietes TKO8
Nietes will be defending his title for the first time since that controversial contest with Fuentes as he battles another Mexican, Sammy Gutierrez (33-9-2, 23) a man who himself once claimed a portion of the world crown at Minimumweight.
At his best Gutierrez was a challenge for near enough anyone at 105 or even 108 and going through his opponents reads as a whose who. Unfortunately however Gutierrez wasn't a stand out fighter. He was a very credible fighter though someone who just seemed to come up short against the real world class fighters. For example he was stopped by Nkosinathi Joyi and out pointed by Omar Nino Romero, Raul Garcia and Juan Palacios.
The down fall for Gutierrez has been quick as well. Just 3 years ago he was the WBA interim champion but now he's struggling to string wins together and has gone 3-3 in his last 6 and 5-4 in his last 9. Yes, this is a fighter who is paying for his wars in the ring despite only being 27.
Whilst I'd also say that Nietes is regressing as a fighter in recent years he's not totally dropping off a cliff like Gutierrez. He's struggling for sure but there is enough left in the tank for him to keep his title despite some poor performances.
At his very best Nietes was a fringe pound-for-pound fighter who could do it all. Now however he's someone who struggles. He struggled with Fuentes, he struggled with Felipe Salguero and he struggled with Ramon Hirales Garcia. Maybe it's because Nietes isn't a natural Light Flyweight but personally I think it's the fact he's forgetting some of the things that made him so good at Minimumweight.
In regards to this bout, I think Nietes has enough left to stop the shadow of Gutierrez but don't let a good performance here belie the fact that Nietes isn't half the fighter he once was. This is a man who is very fortunate to call himself a world champion and likely won't be able to for too much longer.
Prediction-Nietes TKO8
Merlito Sabillo v Carlos Buitrago
The next few days are amongst the most important in Minimumweight history. Inside a week the WBC, WBO and IBF titles will all be up for grabs and they will all be fought for across Asia.
For me the most interesting of those three bouts is for the WBO title as the unbeaten Filipino Merlito Sabillo (23-0, 12) looks to make the second defense of his title. Sabillo, who successfully defended his belt Jorle Estrada in July, will be facing his third successive Latin America as he takes on unbeaten Nicaraguan Carlos Buitrago (27-0-0-1, 16) in what looks likely to be a special contest.
Of the two men it's probably the challenger who is better known by boxing fans due to the huge amount of hype and expectation Buitrago has had on his shoulders over the past few years. The Nicaraguan, viewed by many as next great fighter from that country, has been tipped as a world champion since he was just a teenager.
It was about 4 years ago that hardcore fans began to hear about a Nicaraguan wonder kid who had the natural tools to go a long, long way. Of course some kids fail to ever reach their potential but Buitrago built on his excellent skills and has shown, in a number of fights, that he can do almost anything.
Unlike many South American's Buitrago has built his style on fundamental building blocks. This has seen him developing an excellent jab, a great straight and wonderful movement. Sure he has been showing it against mostly limited opponents but the fact that he has those tools in his locker is invaluable at the world level.
Although Buitrago is well known it's odd that the champion really isn't. In fact prior to this year almost nobody in the sport was talking about Merlito Sabillo, who has now become one of real dangermen at 105lbs.
Sabillo first popped on to the world stage courtesy of a stunning stoppage over Luis De La Rosa in Colombia back in March. This victory over De La Rosa, an all out war, saw Sabillo claiming the WBO interim world title that was later upgraded to the regular title when Moises Fuentes moved up to the Light Flyweight division.
Sabillo is a bit more of a warrior than Buitrago, in fact he was apparently spotted having street fights prior to becoming a professional boxer. He looks tough, he looks strong and although his record doesn't indicate it he does hit hard, as shown by the fact he has stopped his last 5 opponents.
It's this growing power and belief in Sabillo that makes me favour him by stoppage over the Nicaraguan visitor. In terms of pure boxing skills Buitrago is better but something makes me think that Sabillo's "street fighter" heart will come out and he'll eventually get close and break Buitrago down in the later rounds of an absolute classic.
Prediction-Sabillo TKO11
For me the most interesting of those three bouts is for the WBO title as the unbeaten Filipino Merlito Sabillo (23-0, 12) looks to make the second defense of his title. Sabillo, who successfully defended his belt Jorle Estrada in July, will be facing his third successive Latin America as he takes on unbeaten Nicaraguan Carlos Buitrago (27-0-0-1, 16) in what looks likely to be a special contest.
Of the two men it's probably the challenger who is better known by boxing fans due to the huge amount of hype and expectation Buitrago has had on his shoulders over the past few years. The Nicaraguan, viewed by many as next great fighter from that country, has been tipped as a world champion since he was just a teenager.
It was about 4 years ago that hardcore fans began to hear about a Nicaraguan wonder kid who had the natural tools to go a long, long way. Of course some kids fail to ever reach their potential but Buitrago built on his excellent skills and has shown, in a number of fights, that he can do almost anything.
Unlike many South American's Buitrago has built his style on fundamental building blocks. This has seen him developing an excellent jab, a great straight and wonderful movement. Sure he has been showing it against mostly limited opponents but the fact that he has those tools in his locker is invaluable at the world level.
Although Buitrago is well known it's odd that the champion really isn't. In fact prior to this year almost nobody in the sport was talking about Merlito Sabillo, who has now become one of real dangermen at 105lbs.
Sabillo first popped on to the world stage courtesy of a stunning stoppage over Luis De La Rosa in Colombia back in March. This victory over De La Rosa, an all out war, saw Sabillo claiming the WBO interim world title that was later upgraded to the regular title when Moises Fuentes moved up to the Light Flyweight division.
Sabillo is a bit more of a warrior than Buitrago, in fact he was apparently spotted having street fights prior to becoming a professional boxer. He looks tough, he looks strong and although his record doesn't indicate it he does hit hard, as shown by the fact he has stopped his last 5 opponents.
It's this growing power and belief in Sabillo that makes me favour him by stoppage over the Nicaraguan visitor. In terms of pure boxing skills Buitrago is better but something makes me think that Sabillo's "street fighter" heart will come out and he'll eventually get close and break Buitrago down in the later rounds of an absolute classic.
Prediction-Sabillo TKO11
Sergey Kovalev v Ismayl Sillakh
If we think about fighters who have emerged from obscurity this year few rival the destructive Sergey Kovalev (22-0-1, 20). Kovalev, who a year ago was fighting the likes of Lionell Thompson ad Darnell Boone. is now the WBO Light Heavyweight champion and a man that fans feel the need to watch.
The destructive Kovalev has had a career defining year in 2013 defeating the highly regarded Gabriel Campillo in 3 rounds, the world ranked Cornelius White, also in 3 rounds, and the then WBO world champion in 4 rounds. Although he has only been in 10 rounds of action through the whole year he left a pile of bodies in his wake and none are ever likely to be the same fighter they once were.
What Kovalev does so well is he destroys whilst doing the basics well. He's not the reckless force of nature like Srisaket Sor Rungvisai but is a calm and controlled wrecking ball who uses a high work rate, lots of sharp straight shots and a grinding mentality. He seems to know that whilst no single show may take an opponent out cold his sheer work rate will break them mentally and physically, as shown against Cleverly who was a broken man after just 3 rounds.
What Kovalev also has, as well as his work rate and heavy hands, is the mentality that even if he takes one he'll have the opponent backing up taking the power off the shot anyway. No one wants a tear up with this guy and with good reason, he's a monster!
Whilst Kovalev has gone from total obscurity to world champion in the space of two years his challenger, Ismayl Sillakh (21-1, 17), has gone from a promising fighter to who?
Sillakh was once viewed as a superstar in the making with flair, a fun to watch style and similarities to Roy Jones Jr. Unfortunately a set back loss to Denis Grachev last year took all his momentum and left many wondering whether or not he had the chin to go up to the next level. He had the skills, and power for sure but if a fighter hasn't got the ability to take a punch then they will always have question marks over their head.
Whilst Sillakh has bounced back from the loss to Grachev with with 4 victories, including 3 by stoppage, they have been against very weak opponents and the step up from them to Kovalev is a massive step up. A step up that I can't see Sillakh making at this point in time.
Although certainly dangerous I have a feeling that Sillakh will walk on to a bomb at some point and Kovalev, one of the best finishers in the game, will turn it up forcing the referee to save Sillakh. And by that I aren;t using Howard Foster's definition of saving a fighter, if Sillakh is allowed to continue whilst hurt he will almost certainly end up in hospital due to Kovalev's destructiveness.
Prediction-Kovalev TKO5
The destructive Kovalev has had a career defining year in 2013 defeating the highly regarded Gabriel Campillo in 3 rounds, the world ranked Cornelius White, also in 3 rounds, and the then WBO world champion in 4 rounds. Although he has only been in 10 rounds of action through the whole year he left a pile of bodies in his wake and none are ever likely to be the same fighter they once were.
What Kovalev does so well is he destroys whilst doing the basics well. He's not the reckless force of nature like Srisaket Sor Rungvisai but is a calm and controlled wrecking ball who uses a high work rate, lots of sharp straight shots and a grinding mentality. He seems to know that whilst no single show may take an opponent out cold his sheer work rate will break them mentally and physically, as shown against Cleverly who was a broken man after just 3 rounds.
What Kovalev also has, as well as his work rate and heavy hands, is the mentality that even if he takes one he'll have the opponent backing up taking the power off the shot anyway. No one wants a tear up with this guy and with good reason, he's a monster!
Whilst Kovalev has gone from total obscurity to world champion in the space of two years his challenger, Ismayl Sillakh (21-1, 17), has gone from a promising fighter to who?
Sillakh was once viewed as a superstar in the making with flair, a fun to watch style and similarities to Roy Jones Jr. Unfortunately a set back loss to Denis Grachev last year took all his momentum and left many wondering whether or not he had the chin to go up to the next level. He had the skills, and power for sure but if a fighter hasn't got the ability to take a punch then they will always have question marks over their head.
Whilst Sillakh has bounced back from the loss to Grachev with with 4 victories, including 3 by stoppage, they have been against very weak opponents and the step up from them to Kovalev is a massive step up. A step up that I can't see Sillakh making at this point in time.
Although certainly dangerous I have a feeling that Sillakh will walk on to a bomb at some point and Kovalev, one of the best finishers in the game, will turn it up forcing the referee to save Sillakh. And by that I aren;t using Howard Foster's definition of saving a fighter, if Sillakh is allowed to continue whilst hurt he will almost certainly end up in hospital due to Kovalev's destructiveness.
Prediction-Kovalev TKO5
Friday, 8 November 2013
Roman Martinez v Mikey Garcia
It's become somewhat popular in recent years to talk about how poor American boxing is. The top fighters such as Floyd Mayweather Jr, Bernard Hopkins and Andre Ward are known as being somewhat boring despite their talent and for many the excitement is being sapped slowly out of American fighting.
One man who has been able to buck that trend is Mexican-American Mikey Garcia (32-0, 27), a man many are proclaiming as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet despite the fact he is just 25 years old.
What Garcia has done so well this far in his career is combine explosive power with fantastic counter punching and perfect judgement of distance. Garcia doesn't give opponents many opportunities but when he gets even a whiff of a chance to land his potent right hand he makes sure to connect. No one seems to like taking Garcia's lethal power more than once or twice and it's little wonder that he has stopped so many opponents.
This weekend we see Garcia stepping up from the Featherweight division to start his campaign at Super Featherweight. A move up caused by Garcia's inability to make the 126lb Featherweight division comfortably, something that saw him stripped of his WBO title last time out when he defeated Juan Manuel Lopez.
In a somewhat symbolic move Garcia leaves the Featherweight division by defeating a Puerto Rican and begins his journey in the Super Featherweight by facing on a Puerto Rican as he battles WBO Super Featherweight champion Roman Martinez (27-1-2, 16), a man who many feel has been living on borrowed time in recent contests.
Whilst Garcia is a wonderful boxer-puncher it's far to say that Martinez is more of a fighter. The Puerto Rican is flawed though tough, hard working and determined to win. He's not pretty by any stretch of the imagination but he's proven to be very happy to take one to land one. Unfortunately however for Martinez he's now looking somewhat like a "done" fighter and was very fortunate in his last 3 contests as he scored controversial victories over Miguel Beltran Jr and Diego Magdaleno as well a very suspect draw with Juan Carlos Burgos.
Although Martinez has been fortunate in his recent bouts he has been fighting busy fighters. Against Garcia it's fair to say that Martinez is facing a much more measured opponent. Of course Garcia is a more complete boxer than Beltran, Burgos and Magdaleno but if Martinez can take his power this could be a long night for the American youngster.
On the flipside however Martinez has been taking more and more shots. His last 3 bouts in particular were all very hard and those wars do age a fighter, especially when Martinez himself was never a great defensive boxer. If Martinez cannot cut the space off quickly then he will merely be charging on to the hard and heavy shots of Garcia, shots that have explosive and concussive power. If this happens I wouldn't be shocked to see Martinez suffer his first stoppage loss and for Garcia to become a 2-weight world champion.
Prediction-Garcia TKO7
One man who has been able to buck that trend is Mexican-American Mikey Garcia (32-0, 27), a man many are proclaiming as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet despite the fact he is just 25 years old.
What Garcia has done so well this far in his career is combine explosive power with fantastic counter punching and perfect judgement of distance. Garcia doesn't give opponents many opportunities but when he gets even a whiff of a chance to land his potent right hand he makes sure to connect. No one seems to like taking Garcia's lethal power more than once or twice and it's little wonder that he has stopped so many opponents.
This weekend we see Garcia stepping up from the Featherweight division to start his campaign at Super Featherweight. A move up caused by Garcia's inability to make the 126lb Featherweight division comfortably, something that saw him stripped of his WBO title last time out when he defeated Juan Manuel Lopez.
In a somewhat symbolic move Garcia leaves the Featherweight division by defeating a Puerto Rican and begins his journey in the Super Featherweight by facing on a Puerto Rican as he battles WBO Super Featherweight champion Roman Martinez (27-1-2, 16), a man who many feel has been living on borrowed time in recent contests.
Whilst Garcia is a wonderful boxer-puncher it's far to say that Martinez is more of a fighter. The Puerto Rican is flawed though tough, hard working and determined to win. He's not pretty by any stretch of the imagination but he's proven to be very happy to take one to land one. Unfortunately however for Martinez he's now looking somewhat like a "done" fighter and was very fortunate in his last 3 contests as he scored controversial victories over Miguel Beltran Jr and Diego Magdaleno as well a very suspect draw with Juan Carlos Burgos.
Although Martinez has been fortunate in his recent bouts he has been fighting busy fighters. Against Garcia it's fair to say that Martinez is facing a much more measured opponent. Of course Garcia is a more complete boxer than Beltran, Burgos and Magdaleno but if Martinez can take his power this could be a long night for the American youngster.
On the flipside however Martinez has been taking more and more shots. His last 3 bouts in particular were all very hard and those wars do age a fighter, especially when Martinez himself was never a great defensive boxer. If Martinez cannot cut the space off quickly then he will merely be charging on to the hard and heavy shots of Garcia, shots that have explosive and concussive power. If this happens I wouldn't be shocked to see Martinez suffer his first stoppage loss and for Garcia to become a 2-weight world champion.
Prediction-Garcia TKO7
Demetrius Andrade v Vanes Martirosyan
If there is a division that promises a lot right now and seems to only partly deliver it's the Light Middleweight division. In some regards it's one of the best division's in the sport with the name value of Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and the excitement value of James Kirkland and Alfredo Angulo .
In other respects however the division is a cesspit. It's given up some of the weakest champions in recent memory, including Cornelius Bundrage and Ishe Smith, some of biggest mismatches such as Canelo v Matthew Hatton, Canelo v Alfonso Gomez and Canelo v Kermit Cintron and some of the biggest disappointments in terms of what we have gotten with the talent available.
Thankfully this weekend we do get a genuinely interesting contest in the division as unbeaten men collide, both of whom have been US Olympians and both of whom have yet to get close to fulfilling the promise they showed early in their career.
In one corner is 2008 Olympian Demetrius Andrade (19-0, 13), a former World Amateur champion who has promises a lot though been slow in moving through the ranks. Through his first 19 fights his most notable opponents have been Saul Duran, Grady Brewer and Freddy Hernandez, hardly the resume of a man who was expected to be fast tracked up the rankings.
In the opposite corner is 2004 Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (33-0-1, 21) a man who has been a professional for well over 8 years yet has only faced a handful of opponents of note. Most notably Erislandy Lara, who was unfortunate to only receive a draw with Martirosyan and Kassim Ouma who was on the wrong side of a very hotly debated decision.
It's fair to say that both men have been slow to get to this point, their first world title fight.
In the case if Andrade it is somewhat defensible. The 6'1" southpaw is now just 25, he's taken a bit of time to get to this point but he's young enough to take his time, even if his activity has been poor. At 27 years old however Martirosyan hasn't gotten the same time. His activity has been fine with 34 bouts in a little over 8 years but many of those bouts seemed to be stalling bouts as opposed to progressive contests in his career.
Of the two men Martirosyan is the slightly more proven as a professional. Although he is fortunate to be unbeaten he has scared semi notable victories over Saul Roman, Billy Lyell and Joe Greene. Not murderer's row but certainly no worse than the opponents Andrade has faced. Of the two men however it's Andrade who appears to have the more natural skill-set and the more complete game.
Fast, with long range and a southpaw stance Andrade has the potential to be a nightmare for anyone in the division. He skills still need polishing off somewhat but the potential is there. Martirosyan on the other hand is a fighter who's struck me as nothing better than average. Nothing sticks out about him other than the fact he is possibly not as durable as one would think. He has been dropped by both Saul Roman and Kassim Ouma and whilst they were both solid contender types neither would be classed as a world level puncher (despite Roman's record of 31 KO's in 37 victories).
If anything the fact Andrade has been down before is the biggest worry here. If Andrade goes out to make a statement I honestly don't see Vanes living with him. If Andrade boxes with in himself then a clear decision is on the cards for the man known as "Boo Boo".
Prediction-Andrade TKO8
In other respects however the division is a cesspit. It's given up some of the weakest champions in recent memory, including Cornelius Bundrage and Ishe Smith, some of biggest mismatches such as Canelo v Matthew Hatton, Canelo v Alfonso Gomez and Canelo v Kermit Cintron and some of the biggest disappointments in terms of what we have gotten with the talent available.
Thankfully this weekend we do get a genuinely interesting contest in the division as unbeaten men collide, both of whom have been US Olympians and both of whom have yet to get close to fulfilling the promise they showed early in their career.
In one corner is 2008 Olympian Demetrius Andrade (19-0, 13), a former World Amateur champion who has promises a lot though been slow in moving through the ranks. Through his first 19 fights his most notable opponents have been Saul Duran, Grady Brewer and Freddy Hernandez, hardly the resume of a man who was expected to be fast tracked up the rankings.
In the opposite corner is 2004 Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (33-0-1, 21) a man who has been a professional for well over 8 years yet has only faced a handful of opponents of note. Most notably Erislandy Lara, who was unfortunate to only receive a draw with Martirosyan and Kassim Ouma who was on the wrong side of a very hotly debated decision.
It's fair to say that both men have been slow to get to this point, their first world title fight.
In the case if Andrade it is somewhat defensible. The 6'1" southpaw is now just 25, he's taken a bit of time to get to this point but he's young enough to take his time, even if his activity has been poor. At 27 years old however Martirosyan hasn't gotten the same time. His activity has been fine with 34 bouts in a little over 8 years but many of those bouts seemed to be stalling bouts as opposed to progressive contests in his career.
Of the two men Martirosyan is the slightly more proven as a professional. Although he is fortunate to be unbeaten he has scared semi notable victories over Saul Roman, Billy Lyell and Joe Greene. Not murderer's row but certainly no worse than the opponents Andrade has faced. Of the two men however it's Andrade who appears to have the more natural skill-set and the more complete game.
Fast, with long range and a southpaw stance Andrade has the potential to be a nightmare for anyone in the division. He skills still need polishing off somewhat but the potential is there. Martirosyan on the other hand is a fighter who's struck me as nothing better than average. Nothing sticks out about him other than the fact he is possibly not as durable as one would think. He has been dropped by both Saul Roman and Kassim Ouma and whilst they were both solid contender types neither would be classed as a world level puncher (despite Roman's record of 31 KO's in 37 victories).
If anything the fact Andrade has been down before is the biggest worry here. If Andrade goes out to make a statement I honestly don't see Vanes living with him. If Andrade boxes with in himself then a clear decision is on the cards for the man known as "Boo Boo".
Prediction-Andrade TKO8
Friday, 25 October 2013
Peter Quillin v Gabriel Rosado
The Middleweight division is one of boxing's weirdest ones. It has a lot of good fighters in it, a lot of fantastic possibilities and a lot of potential excitement. Unfortunately for all the good things about it we also have politics really preventing the match ups fans want and instead we've been getting second tier fighters dressed up as world title contenders.
Unfortunately we get one of those again this weekend as WBO world champion Peter Quillin (29-0, 21) takes on the always game but limited Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13), a man who's limitations at world level have been shown more than once.
Rosado is a decent fighter. Key word "decent", he's a proverbial gate keeper and will defeat some contenders but with losses to Fernando Guerrero, Alfredo Angulo, Derek Ennis and Gennady Golovkin in the last 4 and a bit years he does seem to be getting more than his share of chances. Of course the fact Rosado isn't linked to either of the two big promoters and is easy to deal with does work in his favour though when you figure his best wins are over Kassim Ouma, Jesus Soto Karass and Sechew Powell you do struggle to think of him as a world level fighter.
Despite his limitations Rosado is tough, brings excitement with his pressure, and refuses to back down from a fight. He's the sort of guy who will make fans almost every time he gets in the ring, win or lose. As Golovkin described him, rather affectionately, he's a "good boy", a nice hard working fighter who is genuinely hard to root against, despite his lack of world level qualifications.
The hard hitting Quillin, who claimed his world title by defeating Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam, will be making the second defense of his title. His first came in a very easy victory over Fernando Guerrero, a man who in all honesty had done nothing to deserve a world title fight. The class and power difference between the Quillin and Guerrero was obvious from the opening bell and Quillin just cruised past his challenger.
Quillin, whilst not the most technically gifted is skilled, determined, heavy handed and he sort of fighter who hurts you every time he lands. Sometimes he can be made to look lazy if a fighter uses their feet against him but in the end he knows that his pressure will pay off and he'll get to land his shots. Oddly in that respect he's a bit like Arthur Abraham, though a lot more athletically gifted and a lot less rigid in what he does.
With Guerrero having beaten Rosado but been squashed by Quillin I think this shows the level the two men are on. Quillin losing would be a major upset. Despite that there is something interesting about this bout. Can Quillin stop Rosado quicker than Golovkin? That's pretty much it.
With fans wanting Quillin v Golovkin this bout may add pressure to that happening. Unfortunately politics between HBO and Showtime will stand in the way, at least for now, though it's a bout that could well linger if both men are happy to face fringe contenders the next few years and pick up relatively easy victories waiting for the networks and promoters to actually put their differences behind them for the sake of the sport.
Prediction-Quillin TKO6 (beating Golovkin by a round)
Unfortunately we get one of those again this weekend as WBO world champion Peter Quillin (29-0, 21) takes on the always game but limited Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13), a man who's limitations at world level have been shown more than once.
Rosado is a decent fighter. Key word "decent", he's a proverbial gate keeper and will defeat some contenders but with losses to Fernando Guerrero, Alfredo Angulo, Derek Ennis and Gennady Golovkin in the last 4 and a bit years he does seem to be getting more than his share of chances. Of course the fact Rosado isn't linked to either of the two big promoters and is easy to deal with does work in his favour though when you figure his best wins are over Kassim Ouma, Jesus Soto Karass and Sechew Powell you do struggle to think of him as a world level fighter.
Despite his limitations Rosado is tough, brings excitement with his pressure, and refuses to back down from a fight. He's the sort of guy who will make fans almost every time he gets in the ring, win or lose. As Golovkin described him, rather affectionately, he's a "good boy", a nice hard working fighter who is genuinely hard to root against, despite his lack of world level qualifications.
The hard hitting Quillin, who claimed his world title by defeating Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam, will be making the second defense of his title. His first came in a very easy victory over Fernando Guerrero, a man who in all honesty had done nothing to deserve a world title fight. The class and power difference between the Quillin and Guerrero was obvious from the opening bell and Quillin just cruised past his challenger.
Quillin, whilst not the most technically gifted is skilled, determined, heavy handed and he sort of fighter who hurts you every time he lands. Sometimes he can be made to look lazy if a fighter uses their feet against him but in the end he knows that his pressure will pay off and he'll get to land his shots. Oddly in that respect he's a bit like Arthur Abraham, though a lot more athletically gifted and a lot less rigid in what he does.
With Guerrero having beaten Rosado but been squashed by Quillin I think this shows the level the two men are on. Quillin losing would be a major upset. Despite that there is something interesting about this bout. Can Quillin stop Rosado quicker than Golovkin? That's pretty much it.
With fans wanting Quillin v Golovkin this bout may add pressure to that happening. Unfortunately politics between HBO and Showtime will stand in the way, at least for now, though it's a bout that could well linger if both men are happy to face fringe contenders the next few years and pick up relatively easy victories waiting for the networks and promoters to actually put their differences behind them for the sake of the sport.
Prediction-Quillin TKO6 (beating Golovkin by a round)
Friday, 18 October 2013
Mike Alvarado v Ruslan Provodnikov
Not every fight we see scheduled gets the pulses racing in anticipation of a war. I know I'm not looking forward to Andre Ward v Edwin Rodriguez for example, however one fight that screams "blood, guts and violence" is the upcoming WBO interim Light Welterweight contest between Mike Alvarado (34-1, 23) and Russian slugger Ruslan Provodnikov (22-2, 15), a fight that makes me remember just why I love this great sport of ours.
It's not often that we get true warriors matched together, but that's what we have here with two fighters who actually look like they were made for each other. Both are TV friendly, fan friendly and better yet they are sharing a ring together, what more can we want?
As the defending champion the pressure is on Alvarado who impressed many by avenging his sole defeat earlier this year. Having lost to Brandon Rios in a tear up last year Alvarado took on Rios for a second time and showed his ability to box as well as fight as he mixed things up and out pointed Rios in a barnstormer. He'll have to show his boxing ability again here, though it's a relief for the American that has it in his locker.
Although Alvarado is "only" 33 he's a fighter who has many more miles on the clock than a normal 33 year old. His history of out-manning opponents will have taken it's toll on his long term health, his career and his ability to go to the well again. That's not to say he's only got 1 more good fight in him, but it is to say that his style is going to catch up with him sooner or later. It might be this bout, it might the next one, or it might be 10 fights away, but it will happen.
Whilst Alvarado has shown an ability to go to plan B we've never seen that from Provodnikov a man who has single game plan and one that is usually effective. To fight. You'll never get anything unpredictable from Provodnikov, there's no traps or clever countering, there's little in the way of imagination though what you get is a strong, tough, hard hitting Russian on a seek and destroy mission from round 1 to round 12.
Provodnikov can be made to look second rate by someone who boxes on the move, though he'll take advantage of any lapses in concentration and landing thudding shots with either hand. It takes not just a tough opponent to beat him, but one with either boundless energy or one the ability to discourage him, something we've yet to see.
If Alvarado employees his usual "fighting" style then this is a FOTY candidate with every round being a mini war. If, instead, Alvarado elects to box the American may find that he looks a level or two better than Provodnikov who could look 1-dimensional. Problem for Alvarado though if he does choose to box is that Provodbikov won't back off and only needs to land one punch to shake him, as hard as Alvarado tries to box there will always be that tense feeling that Provodnikov is only 1 shot away from turning the bout around.
I think Alvarado will manage to box for most of the fight, he'll certainly have a scare and may be dropped, though will show his smarts and just do enough to take a very tight decision in a memorable FOTY contender. I can certainly see Provodnikov hurting the American, but for some reason I think that Alvarado will see out the storm in a fight that sees fans and the media calling for an immediate rematch, just as much for the action as anything else.
Prediction-Alvarado SD12
It's not often that we get true warriors matched together, but that's what we have here with two fighters who actually look like they were made for each other. Both are TV friendly, fan friendly and better yet they are sharing a ring together, what more can we want?
As the defending champion the pressure is on Alvarado who impressed many by avenging his sole defeat earlier this year. Having lost to Brandon Rios in a tear up last year Alvarado took on Rios for a second time and showed his ability to box as well as fight as he mixed things up and out pointed Rios in a barnstormer. He'll have to show his boxing ability again here, though it's a relief for the American that has it in his locker.
Although Alvarado is "only" 33 he's a fighter who has many more miles on the clock than a normal 33 year old. His history of out-manning opponents will have taken it's toll on his long term health, his career and his ability to go to the well again. That's not to say he's only got 1 more good fight in him, but it is to say that his style is going to catch up with him sooner or later. It might be this bout, it might the next one, or it might be 10 fights away, but it will happen.
Whilst Alvarado has shown an ability to go to plan B we've never seen that from Provodnikov a man who has single game plan and one that is usually effective. To fight. You'll never get anything unpredictable from Provodnikov, there's no traps or clever countering, there's little in the way of imagination though what you get is a strong, tough, hard hitting Russian on a seek and destroy mission from round 1 to round 12.
Provodnikov can be made to look second rate by someone who boxes on the move, though he'll take advantage of any lapses in concentration and landing thudding shots with either hand. It takes not just a tough opponent to beat him, but one with either boundless energy or one the ability to discourage him, something we've yet to see.
If Alvarado employees his usual "fighting" style then this is a FOTY candidate with every round being a mini war. If, instead, Alvarado elects to box the American may find that he looks a level or two better than Provodnikov who could look 1-dimensional. Problem for Alvarado though if he does choose to box is that Provodbikov won't back off and only needs to land one punch to shake him, as hard as Alvarado tries to box there will always be that tense feeling that Provodnikov is only 1 shot away from turning the bout around.
I think Alvarado will manage to box for most of the fight, he'll certainly have a scare and may be dropped, though will show his smarts and just do enough to take a very tight decision in a memorable FOTY contender. I can certainly see Provodnikov hurting the American, but for some reason I think that Alvarado will see out the storm in a fight that sees fans and the media calling for an immediate rematch, just as much for the action as anything else.
Prediction-Alvarado SD12
Robert Stieglitz v Isaac Ekpo
After the late cancellation of of the IBF Flyweight title bout that was scheduled on this weekend's Sport Events Steinforth card we are left with just a sole title fight in Europe this weekend as German Robert Stieglitz (45-3, 26) defends his WBO Super Middleweight title for the second time. The often over-looked Stieglitz will be facing the relatively unknown and totally unheralded Nigerian Isaac Ekpo (22-1, 16), AKA the Grenade.
Whilst the bout is the highest profile contest in Europe this weekend it's also one that appears to be relatively one sided with Stieglitz being a genuinely solid competitor. He's not a massive puncher but at his best he's a force to be reckoned with. He posses solid speed, solid technique and a fantastic work rate that he can see him grinding down opponents with volume rather than power.
Although Stieglitz isn't the most durable of fighters, having been stopped in 2 of his 3 losses, he has matured into a tougher fighter both mentally and physically. He's learned to take shots better and no longer seems to a fighter with worries. Sure he's not real competition for someone like Andre Ward or Carl Froch but he'd give pretty much anyone else in the division a genuinely tough days work.
Plenty is known about Stieglitz. We've all seen him fighting notable opponents including Librado Andrade and Arthur Abraham and we've also seen his in ring maturity. A lot less is known about Ekpo who has been a professional since 2005 though has never fought outside of Africa or fought a notable name. In fact in his 23 fight career it's hard to find anyone of any note on his record.
What is known about Ekpo is that he's unbeaten in the last 5 years and is actually on a 17 fight winning streak with 12 of those coming via stoppage. He's certainly got power, at least at the lower level, though questions are out there regarding whether or not he'll manage to connect again a better level of opponent or whether or not it'll have an effect at this level. My feeling is that it won't.
In fact my guess in regards to this bout is that Ekpo will miss regularly and be countered in return, slowly being broken down before being stopped in the late rounds of the bout.
Prediction- Stieglitz TKO8
Whilst the bout is the highest profile contest in Europe this weekend it's also one that appears to be relatively one sided with Stieglitz being a genuinely solid competitor. He's not a massive puncher but at his best he's a force to be reckoned with. He posses solid speed, solid technique and a fantastic work rate that he can see him grinding down opponents with volume rather than power.
Although Stieglitz isn't the most durable of fighters, having been stopped in 2 of his 3 losses, he has matured into a tougher fighter both mentally and physically. He's learned to take shots better and no longer seems to a fighter with worries. Sure he's not real competition for someone like Andre Ward or Carl Froch but he'd give pretty much anyone else in the division a genuinely tough days work.
Plenty is known about Stieglitz. We've all seen him fighting notable opponents including Librado Andrade and Arthur Abraham and we've also seen his in ring maturity. A lot less is known about Ekpo who has been a professional since 2005 though has never fought outside of Africa or fought a notable name. In fact in his 23 fight career it's hard to find anyone of any note on his record.
What is known about Ekpo is that he's unbeaten in the last 5 years and is actually on a 17 fight winning streak with 12 of those coming via stoppage. He's certainly got power, at least at the lower level, though questions are out there regarding whether or not he'll manage to connect again a better level of opponent or whether or not it'll have an effect at this level. My feeling is that it won't.
In fact my guess in regards to this bout is that Ekpo will miss regularly and be countered in return, slowly being broken down before being stopped in the late rounds of the bout.
Prediction- Stieglitz TKO8
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
Timothy Bradley v Juan Manuel Marquez
This weekend's stand out bout, by far, takes place in the US as future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez (55-6-1, 40) looks to claim another world title. In Marquez's way is unbeaten American Timothy Bradley (30-0-0-1, 12) the reigning and defending WBO Welterweight champion and a man with a point to prove after 2 successive bouts in which he was "fortunate"to win.
For Bradley, a talented all rounder, this is a big chance to answer some serious questions. With out a doubt he was given the benefit of the doubt against Manny Pacquiao and he was also lucky to survive, never mind get the victory over Ruslan Provodnikov last time out. Whilst he showed great heart in both of those fights he also took a lot of damage and may never be the same fighter either physically or mentally.
Prior to those two fights Bradley was on or around the fringes of the "pound-for-pound" lists. It wasn't that he had any great qualities in terms of speed, or power though his will to win and never say die attitude was second to none. He had a great heart and amazing conditioning and it was often this that helped him see out some really bad issues.
Whilst that all sounds incredibly negative the flipside was that Bradley also didn't have any clear weaknesses. It was difficult to to have Bradley rating less than 7/10 on anything, other than perhaps power. His speed isn't amazing, but it is good, his skills are good, his power makes fighters respect him, his movement is solid, his combinations are solid.
Whilst Bradley was lucky to beat Pacquiao many feel that Mexican Marquez is unfortunate not to have 4 wins over the Filipino superstar. Saying that however Marquez did finally get a definitive victory over "The Pacman" last time out when he left Pacquiao unconscious in after an eye catching KO.
Like Bradley, Marquez is viewed in, or around, the pound-for-pound list. Unlike Bradley however Marquez has had a bit more of a hard luck career. He lost on his debut back in 1993 after being disqualified, having been forced to wait 3 years for his debut, he would later lose, albeit controversially to Freddie Norwood, Chris John, Manny Pacquiao twice-both time controversially, and Floyd Mayweather Jr with only the Mayweather loss being a clear one.
Marquez is one of the sports true technicians. He's now 40 years old but has perfected the art of being an offensive counter puncher who, like Bradley, refuses to just lose. He's tough, throws beautiful combinations, has hurtful power which can be concussive when he lands clean and has unexpectedly good hand speed.
Whilst Marquez is a great technical boxer he does have his weaknesses. He's not the fastest of starters, he's not the most active in the ring and he's also a long way from being a natural Welterweight, though he did fill out to an impressive 143lbs for his most recent bout.
At their respective primes it'd be next to impossible to back Bradley against Marquez. Aged 40 however Marquez is no longer the clear favourite, though I do tend to favour him slightly. Bradley refuses to be stopped and although he's solid in every category I can't hep but feel that Marquez will manage to do whats needed to just take a very, very hard fought decision.
Prediction-Marquez SD12
For Bradley, a talented all rounder, this is a big chance to answer some serious questions. With out a doubt he was given the benefit of the doubt against Manny Pacquiao and he was also lucky to survive, never mind get the victory over Ruslan Provodnikov last time out. Whilst he showed great heart in both of those fights he also took a lot of damage and may never be the same fighter either physically or mentally.
Prior to those two fights Bradley was on or around the fringes of the "pound-for-pound" lists. It wasn't that he had any great qualities in terms of speed, or power though his will to win and never say die attitude was second to none. He had a great heart and amazing conditioning and it was often this that helped him see out some really bad issues.
Whilst that all sounds incredibly negative the flipside was that Bradley also didn't have any clear weaknesses. It was difficult to to have Bradley rating less than 7/10 on anything, other than perhaps power. His speed isn't amazing, but it is good, his skills are good, his power makes fighters respect him, his movement is solid, his combinations are solid.
Whilst Bradley was lucky to beat Pacquiao many feel that Mexican Marquez is unfortunate not to have 4 wins over the Filipino superstar. Saying that however Marquez did finally get a definitive victory over "The Pacman" last time out when he left Pacquiao unconscious in after an eye catching KO.
Like Bradley, Marquez is viewed in, or around, the pound-for-pound list. Unlike Bradley however Marquez has had a bit more of a hard luck career. He lost on his debut back in 1993 after being disqualified, having been forced to wait 3 years for his debut, he would later lose, albeit controversially to Freddie Norwood, Chris John, Manny Pacquiao twice-both time controversially, and Floyd Mayweather Jr with only the Mayweather loss being a clear one.
Marquez is one of the sports true technicians. He's now 40 years old but has perfected the art of being an offensive counter puncher who, like Bradley, refuses to just lose. He's tough, throws beautiful combinations, has hurtful power which can be concussive when he lands clean and has unexpectedly good hand speed.
Whilst Marquez is a great technical boxer he does have his weaknesses. He's not the fastest of starters, he's not the most active in the ring and he's also a long way from being a natural Welterweight, though he did fill out to an impressive 143lbs for his most recent bout.
At their respective primes it'd be next to impossible to back Bradley against Marquez. Aged 40 however Marquez is no longer the clear favourite, though I do tend to favour him slightly. Bradley refuses to be stopped and although he's solid in every category I can't hep but feel that Marquez will manage to do whats needed to just take a very, very hard fought decision.
Prediction-Marquez SD12
Friday, 6 September 2013
Ricky Burns v Raymundo Beltran
In the past few weeks the British list of world champions has changed quite a bit with Nathan Cleverly losing his WBO Light Heavyweight title whilst Darren Barker Claimed the IBF Middleweight title. One man hoping not to get caught up in the title shuffle will be WBO Lightweight champion Ricky Burns (36-2, 11) who looks to make the fourth defense of his title as he takes on the dangerous, over hugely under-rated Raymundo Beltran (28-6, 17).
Although Burns will go into the fight as a rightful favourite as not only the champion but also the home fighter, fighting in his native Scotland the odds I've seen listed seem rather astonishing, favouring Burns at 1/4 (1.25) for a fight that is actually much tougher than they bookies seem to think.
Burns at his best, is a highly skilled boxer, who in recent bouts, notably the victory against Kevin Mitchell, appeared to be adding a punch to his boxing skills. Typically he's shown good timing, a clever understanding of the ring, a crisp jab and a lovely selection of shots. At his worst however, as we saw last time out against Jose Gonzalez, he's a pedestrian fighter who can be made to look slow and robotic.
Aged just 30 Burns is partaking in his 9th straight world title fight and standing at 5'10" he is a tall and rangy Lightweight. Whilst many have merely said "he won" the Gonzalez fight due to Gonzalez "quitting" I dare say that Burns is now struggling with the Lightweight limit, thus his awful performance that night was as much to do with Gonzalez, who was admittedly skilled, as a possible issues with the 135lb division.
Although I'm sure others will disagree, if Burns is struggling with 135lbs this fight really could be very, very difficult for him, and it could well explain the lack of energy and timing he showed against Gonzalez.
If you just look at Beltran's record, as I'm sure the bookies have done, you'd see a record of someone who perhaps hasn't shown anything to prove his worth at world. A quick review of his record however shows that he's become a bit of a bad luck story and in fact he could well boast a 32-2 (17) record with all 4 of his decision losses being controversial.
In fact if Beltran's close decision losses had gone his way not only would he have a very solid looking record in terms of numbers but his recent run of victories would look to be amongst the best in the division. Whilst he has scored genuine victories over Ji-Hoon Kim and Henry Lundy he would also have added victories over Sharif Bogere and Luis Ramos Jr in his last 6 bouts. Lets be honest Kim, Lundy, Bogere and Ramos might not be world champions but all 4 are "in the mix".
Beltran may not be the most skilled or the hardest hitter in the sport but he's in your face warrior. He'll refuse to back up and instead he'll force the fight for the full distance. He'll be in your face and try to beat you whether it's the first round or the last and in fact if you let Beltran know he's the under-dog he seems more determined than ever to prove himself.
Entering as the under-dog Beltran is going to come in to this fight with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove. Whilst he'll know the playing field is stacked against him he'll know it's not impossible to upset opponents and if my theory that Burns is struggling at 135 turns out to be right we may well be shocked here.
Prediction-Burns by SD12 (Probably a controversial result)
Although Burns will go into the fight as a rightful favourite as not only the champion but also the home fighter, fighting in his native Scotland the odds I've seen listed seem rather astonishing, favouring Burns at 1/4 (1.25) for a fight that is actually much tougher than they bookies seem to think.
Burns at his best, is a highly skilled boxer, who in recent bouts, notably the victory against Kevin Mitchell, appeared to be adding a punch to his boxing skills. Typically he's shown good timing, a clever understanding of the ring, a crisp jab and a lovely selection of shots. At his worst however, as we saw last time out against Jose Gonzalez, he's a pedestrian fighter who can be made to look slow and robotic.
Aged just 30 Burns is partaking in his 9th straight world title fight and standing at 5'10" he is a tall and rangy Lightweight. Whilst many have merely said "he won" the Gonzalez fight due to Gonzalez "quitting" I dare say that Burns is now struggling with the Lightweight limit, thus his awful performance that night was as much to do with Gonzalez, who was admittedly skilled, as a possible issues with the 135lb division.
Although I'm sure others will disagree, if Burns is struggling with 135lbs this fight really could be very, very difficult for him, and it could well explain the lack of energy and timing he showed against Gonzalez.
If you just look at Beltran's record, as I'm sure the bookies have done, you'd see a record of someone who perhaps hasn't shown anything to prove his worth at world. A quick review of his record however shows that he's become a bit of a bad luck story and in fact he could well boast a 32-2 (17) record with all 4 of his decision losses being controversial.
In fact if Beltran's close decision losses had gone his way not only would he have a very solid looking record in terms of numbers but his recent run of victories would look to be amongst the best in the division. Whilst he has scored genuine victories over Ji-Hoon Kim and Henry Lundy he would also have added victories over Sharif Bogere and Luis Ramos Jr in his last 6 bouts. Lets be honest Kim, Lundy, Bogere and Ramos might not be world champions but all 4 are "in the mix".
Beltran may not be the most skilled or the hardest hitter in the sport but he's in your face warrior. He'll refuse to back up and instead he'll force the fight for the full distance. He'll be in your face and try to beat you whether it's the first round or the last and in fact if you let Beltran know he's the under-dog he seems more determined than ever to prove himself.
Entering as the under-dog Beltran is going to come in to this fight with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove. Whilst he'll know the playing field is stacked against him he'll know it's not impossible to upset opponents and if my theory that Burns is struggling at 135 turns out to be right we may well be shocked here.
Prediction-Burns by SD12 (Probably a controversial result)
Moises Fuentes v Luis De la Rosa
It's not often that a world title fight, on a Saturday night, goes completely under the radar but this weekend has one such fight as Mexican Moises Fuentes (17-1-1, 8) attempts to claim the WBO "interim" Light Flyweight title as he takes on Colombian Luis De la Rosa (22-2-1, 12) in what could turn out to be a "sleeper" classic.
For those who haven't seen Fuentes before, where have you been hiding? The guy is a beast of a Light Flyweight (and had been a beast of a Minimumweight prior to adding 3lbs), he's tough, hard working, and a real night mare to fight with his toughness and pressure mentality.
Although of course many fans ignore the lower weight divisions Fuentes is one of those fighters who's style we can all enjoy. He's relentless in his pursuit of victory, he throws a lot, takes a lot and refuses to take a backwards step. It was his none stop pressure that forced the retirement of former Minimumweight great Ivan Calderon and also saw him scoring a draw against Donnie Nietes (in a bout I have marked down as a front runner for the robbery of the year).
Although Fuentes can often be made to look slow, with both his hands an feet, his toughness, combined with a determined body attack can eventually see opponents forced to slow to his level. When that happens he tends to be able to grind down an opponent to take a decision.
Whilst plenty of fans will have had the fortune of seeing the Mexican many fewer will have had the fortune of seeing his co-challenger. In fact in all honesty De La Rosa is pretty unknown outside of Colombia with only his two losses being of any sort of note at all.
The first of those losses came in 2010 in a split decision loss to very good Raul Garcia the second of those, coming earlier this year in fact, came to the unheralded Merlito Sabillo of the Philippines. Unfortunately with losses in both of those fights there is little in terms of noteworthy victories on his record, the best would be a domestic title victory over Luis Doria.
Despite the fact De La Rosa has lost his two highest profile bouts he hasn't actually looked that bad. His fight with Sabillo was exceptional before he was stopped whilst his loss to "Rayito" saw him dropping Garcia and being beaten by a single point on two card, whilst winning on the third. Sure he might not be a special fighter but in his two top tier chances he has performed very admirably.
The style of the two men should genuinely gel quite well here with Fuentes stalking and De La Rosa fighting hard on the back foot. Unfortunately for the Colombian however I can't imagine him lasting the 12 rounds with Fuentes's body attack pressure, though he'll certainly give it his all until his body folds.
Prediction-Fuentes TKO9
For those who haven't seen Fuentes before, where have you been hiding? The guy is a beast of a Light Flyweight (and had been a beast of a Minimumweight prior to adding 3lbs), he's tough, hard working, and a real night mare to fight with his toughness and pressure mentality.
Although of course many fans ignore the lower weight divisions Fuentes is one of those fighters who's style we can all enjoy. He's relentless in his pursuit of victory, he throws a lot, takes a lot and refuses to take a backwards step. It was his none stop pressure that forced the retirement of former Minimumweight great Ivan Calderon and also saw him scoring a draw against Donnie Nietes (in a bout I have marked down as a front runner for the robbery of the year).
Although Fuentes can often be made to look slow, with both his hands an feet, his toughness, combined with a determined body attack can eventually see opponents forced to slow to his level. When that happens he tends to be able to grind down an opponent to take a decision.
Whilst plenty of fans will have had the fortune of seeing the Mexican many fewer will have had the fortune of seeing his co-challenger. In fact in all honesty De La Rosa is pretty unknown outside of Colombia with only his two losses being of any sort of note at all.
The first of those losses came in 2010 in a split decision loss to very good Raul Garcia the second of those, coming earlier this year in fact, came to the unheralded Merlito Sabillo of the Philippines. Unfortunately with losses in both of those fights there is little in terms of noteworthy victories on his record, the best would be a domestic title victory over Luis Doria.
Despite the fact De La Rosa has lost his two highest profile bouts he hasn't actually looked that bad. His fight with Sabillo was exceptional before he was stopped whilst his loss to "Rayito" saw him dropping Garcia and being beaten by a single point on two card, whilst winning on the third. Sure he might not be a special fighter but in his two top tier chances he has performed very admirably.
The style of the two men should genuinely gel quite well here with Fuentes stalking and De La Rosa fighting hard on the back foot. Unfortunately for the Colombian however I can't imagine him lasting the 12 rounds with Fuentes's body attack pressure, though he'll certainly give it his all until his body folds.
Prediction-Fuentes TKO9
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Omar Andres Narvaez v Hiroyuki Hisataka
It's often said that fighters in the smaller divisions age significantly quicker than their heavier counterparts. If that's true Argentinian veteran Omar Andres Narvaez (39-1-2, 20) must be boxing's version of a octogenarian holding the WBO Super Flyweight title despite being 38.
Narvaez, who was the first of the 2000 Olympians to claim a world title, is a fighter who widely splits the opinion of the boxing world depending on whether or not you've actually followed him or not. If you've not followed him you've probably only seen his bout with Nonito Donaire, a bout that he was out-gunned in from the off and a fight that he stood no chance in. Rather than giving Donaire a chance to behead him Narvaez covered up and actually showed how poor Donaire was when he was forced to make the action, something we saw again when Donaire fought Guillermo Rigondeaux.
If you've instead followed Narvaez's career you'll be fully aware of what a talented fighter he is. He's quick, skilled, slippery and a nightmare to fight. He's not strong or hard hitting but he's slippery, intelligent and knows how to get in and out whilst landing his own flurry of shots. From the outside he can be neutralised but he's got unbelievable quickness for such an "old man" that he tends to find his way inside whenever he wants.
Although it's fair to say that Narvaez is slipping as a fighter and I certainly wouldn't fancy his chances against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, he's still a more than capable fighter. Despite still be good we did see him showing cracks in his armour last time out as Mexican Felipe Orucuta almost dethroned him and he looks like he's certainly becoming more beatable fight after fight.
Narvaez looks for the 8th defense of his WBO Super Flyweight title this coming weekend when he takes on Japanese fighter Hiroyuki Hisataka (22-10-1, 10) a fighter who's record makes him look like an easy mark for Narvaez.
Surprisingly Hisataka has one of those misleading records. His record really looks much worse than it should simply because he's been matched so very hard and it's left his record looking like a who's who which includes Tomonobu Shimizu, Panomroonglek Kaiyanghadaogym, Takefumi Sakata, Denkaosan Kaovichit, Hugo Fidel Cazares and Oleydong Sithsamerchai.
At 28 years old Hisataka is notably younger than the champion and is probably just coming into his boxing prime. He's no longer a child but he's a fully grown man who is tough, hard working and has given good fighters, Kaovichit for example, a very good run for their money.
Although Hisataka isn't near the skill level of Narvaez, very few are, the intangibles do oddly favour Hisataka to really give Narvaez a very tough night. I'm not saying Hisataka will win but he will certainly give a very good account of himself and maybe help open doors to another world title fight.
This it a bout that the under-dog has been written off before he's stepped foot in the ring though is a surprisingly live under-dog.
Prediction-UD12 Narvaez
Narvaez, who was the first of the 2000 Olympians to claim a world title, is a fighter who widely splits the opinion of the boxing world depending on whether or not you've actually followed him or not. If you've not followed him you've probably only seen his bout with Nonito Donaire, a bout that he was out-gunned in from the off and a fight that he stood no chance in. Rather than giving Donaire a chance to behead him Narvaez covered up and actually showed how poor Donaire was when he was forced to make the action, something we saw again when Donaire fought Guillermo Rigondeaux.
If you've instead followed Narvaez's career you'll be fully aware of what a talented fighter he is. He's quick, skilled, slippery and a nightmare to fight. He's not strong or hard hitting but he's slippery, intelligent and knows how to get in and out whilst landing his own flurry of shots. From the outside he can be neutralised but he's got unbelievable quickness for such an "old man" that he tends to find his way inside whenever he wants.
Although it's fair to say that Narvaez is slipping as a fighter and I certainly wouldn't fancy his chances against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, he's still a more than capable fighter. Despite still be good we did see him showing cracks in his armour last time out as Mexican Felipe Orucuta almost dethroned him and he looks like he's certainly becoming more beatable fight after fight.
Narvaez looks for the 8th defense of his WBO Super Flyweight title this coming weekend when he takes on Japanese fighter Hiroyuki Hisataka (22-10-1, 10) a fighter who's record makes him look like an easy mark for Narvaez.
Surprisingly Hisataka has one of those misleading records. His record really looks much worse than it should simply because he's been matched so very hard and it's left his record looking like a who's who which includes Tomonobu Shimizu, Panomroonglek Kaiyanghadaogym, Takefumi Sakata, Denkaosan Kaovichit, Hugo Fidel Cazares and Oleydong Sithsamerchai.
At 28 years old Hisataka is notably younger than the champion and is probably just coming into his boxing prime. He's no longer a child but he's a fully grown man who is tough, hard working and has given good fighters, Kaovichit for example, a very good run for their money.
Although Hisataka isn't near the skill level of Narvaez, very few are, the intangibles do oddly favour Hisataka to really give Narvaez a very tough night. I'm not saying Hisataka will win but he will certainly give a very good account of himself and maybe help open doors to another world title fight.
This it a bout that the under-dog has been written off before he's stepped foot in the ring though is a surprisingly live under-dog.
Prediction-UD12 Narvaez
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Nathan Cleverly v Sergey Kovalev
Although the Light Heavyweight division has lacked exciting fights in recent years one man seems to have come under a lot more criticism than perhaps he should have.
Welshman Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12), the current WBO Light Heavyweight champion, seems to have been under-attack from every direction. British fans have tired of Frank Warren talking a good game about Cleverly whilst completely failing to deliver, international fans have grown bored of Warren talking about Cleverly fighting top international fighters and even top fighters seem to have gotten sick of their names just being linked to Cleverly.
Thankfully fans, who have been calling for Cleverly to fight a real challenger, have finally gotten their own way as he takes on unbeaten Russian puncher Sergey Kovalev (21-0-1, 19). A challenger who seems to be wake of destruction behind him fight after fight after fight.
Although Cleverly has never looked in any danger of being stopped in his 26 contests so far his chin is still a bit of a question to me. Many around the sport will tell you he's been thoroughly chin checked though in all honesty the biggest puncher he has faced to date has been Tony Bellew, a fighter who's power is genuinely unproven, especially at the world level.
The only world level facets Cleverly has proven to have is a world level work rate. The guy, when he's in a rhythm simply doesn't stop throwing. In all honesty his engine is probably the best seen in and around the Light Heavyweight division since former training mate Joe Calzaghe, though unlike Calzaghe he's not got the proven skills to combine with his engine. That's not to say Cleverly is unskilled, just not as highly skilled as Calzaghe.
Having been a world champion for over 2 years Cleverly's opponents have been poor, there is no way of defending that, though the division of course hasn't been awash with talent, like, for example the current Flyweight division, it hasn't been as bad as Cleverly has been making it look. Unfortunately he's missed on defining wins over the likes of Gabriel Campillo to instead fight the likes of, uh, Shawn Hawk.
On man who did score a defining, and highly impressive victory over Campillo was Kovalev who earlier this year dismantled the talented Spanish fighter in 3, one sided rounds in a performance that really put him on the boxing map.
With the HBO hype machine well behind Kovalev his raise through the ranks has been quick. Just 2 years ago he was a relative unknown fighting Grover Young, now however he's one of the most highly rated Light Heavyweights on the planet. In fact, some people already rank Kovalev as a better fighter than Cleverly despite Cleverly's status as a world champion.
The rise from prospect to highly ranked contender took Kovalev just 18 rounds as he defeated Roman Simakov, Darnell Boone, Lionell Thompson, Campillo and most recently Cornelius White, all 5 victories coming by T/KO.
Kovalev, like both Lucas Matthysse and Gennady Golovkin has not fight changing power but fighter changing power. The power in the fists of Kovalev isn't just concussive, but is confidence destroying. He lands and a fighter who thought he could win when the first bell went suddenly realises they are in with no chance. A typically skilled boxer feels their legs turn to jelly, a brawler becomes a runner and a hunter becomes the hunter.
With Cleverly often showing a propensity to brawl he's in for trouble. He lacks the power needed to keep a world class fighter honest and Kovalev is a world class fighter with elite class power. The supposedly tough chin of Cleverly isn't just going to be checked here, but is likely going to be destroyed. The first few rounds might not see it happen but sooner or later Cleverly is going to be in a world of trouble that he simply cannot escape from.
Prediction-Kovalev TKO7
Welshman Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12), the current WBO Light Heavyweight champion, seems to have been under-attack from every direction. British fans have tired of Frank Warren talking a good game about Cleverly whilst completely failing to deliver, international fans have grown bored of Warren talking about Cleverly fighting top international fighters and even top fighters seem to have gotten sick of their names just being linked to Cleverly.
Thankfully fans, who have been calling for Cleverly to fight a real challenger, have finally gotten their own way as he takes on unbeaten Russian puncher Sergey Kovalev (21-0-1, 19). A challenger who seems to be wake of destruction behind him fight after fight after fight.
Although Cleverly has never looked in any danger of being stopped in his 26 contests so far his chin is still a bit of a question to me. Many around the sport will tell you he's been thoroughly chin checked though in all honesty the biggest puncher he has faced to date has been Tony Bellew, a fighter who's power is genuinely unproven, especially at the world level.
The only world level facets Cleverly has proven to have is a world level work rate. The guy, when he's in a rhythm simply doesn't stop throwing. In all honesty his engine is probably the best seen in and around the Light Heavyweight division since former training mate Joe Calzaghe, though unlike Calzaghe he's not got the proven skills to combine with his engine. That's not to say Cleverly is unskilled, just not as highly skilled as Calzaghe.
Having been a world champion for over 2 years Cleverly's opponents have been poor, there is no way of defending that, though the division of course hasn't been awash with talent, like, for example the current Flyweight division, it hasn't been as bad as Cleverly has been making it look. Unfortunately he's missed on defining wins over the likes of Gabriel Campillo to instead fight the likes of, uh, Shawn Hawk.
On man who did score a defining, and highly impressive victory over Campillo was Kovalev who earlier this year dismantled the talented Spanish fighter in 3, one sided rounds in a performance that really put him on the boxing map.
With the HBO hype machine well behind Kovalev his raise through the ranks has been quick. Just 2 years ago he was a relative unknown fighting Grover Young, now however he's one of the most highly rated Light Heavyweights on the planet. In fact, some people already rank Kovalev as a better fighter than Cleverly despite Cleverly's status as a world champion.
The rise from prospect to highly ranked contender took Kovalev just 18 rounds as he defeated Roman Simakov, Darnell Boone, Lionell Thompson, Campillo and most recently Cornelius White, all 5 victories coming by T/KO.
Kovalev, like both Lucas Matthysse and Gennady Golovkin has not fight changing power but fighter changing power. The power in the fists of Kovalev isn't just concussive, but is confidence destroying. He lands and a fighter who thought he could win when the first bell went suddenly realises they are in with no chance. A typically skilled boxer feels their legs turn to jelly, a brawler becomes a runner and a hunter becomes the hunter.
With Cleverly often showing a propensity to brawl he's in for trouble. He lacks the power needed to keep a world class fighter honest and Kovalev is a world class fighter with elite class power. The supposedly tough chin of Cleverly isn't just going to be checked here, but is likely going to be destroyed. The first few rounds might not see it happen but sooner or later Cleverly is going to be in a world of trouble that he simply cannot escape from.
Prediction-Kovalev TKO7
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Paulus Ambunda v Tomoki Kameda
The second world title fight this week is in the Philippines just hours after the first as Tomoki Kameda (27-0, 18) challenges WBO Bantamweight champion Paulus Ambunda (20-0, 10). A victory for Tomoki would see him becoming the 3rd of the Kameda brothers to win world titles and the second Kameda to currently hold a Bantamweight title and he would also become the first ever Japanese fighter to claim a WBO world title.
Ambunda, of Namibia, is one of boxing's most obscure champions. He's a tough as old boots fighter given the rather fitting nickname of "The Rock" who combines toughness with an insane engine and hits harder than his record would indicate. He's certainly no Mayweather or Rigondeaux in the defensive stakes but then again his style often seems to depend more on his offense than anything else.
Ambunda won the WBO title earlier this year taking a decision over Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu, who is basically the only name on Ambunda's record. The fight between Pungluang and Ambunda was certainly a war from the off and is a bout most fans missed out on, though if you're fortunate enough to be able to find it online watch it immediately!
Whilst the champion is a ball of aggressive energy he is also incredibly short stood at just 5'0". It's this lack of height that effectively forces Ambunda to be the type of fighter that he is, though against an intelligent boxer who is taller and longer he may come undone, as h almost did against the 5'6" Bongani Mahlangu.
In Tomoki Kameda we have a well schooled challenger who has been able to develop in both Japan and in Mexico. It was in Mexico that he really made his name and it was also there that he was dubbed "El Mexicanito" (The Little Mexican). The Mexican fans warmed to him quickly due to his style which was, like Ambunda's, generally aggressive with high work and a lot of body shots.
Although Tomoki is known for his work rate he's actually got a fair bit more to his game than just an action packed brawling style. He can, when needed, box, counter punch or brawl and it's with this trio of traits that many view him as potentially the best of the Kameda brothers.
For this bout in particular it's fair to say that Tomoki will need to be a boxer and not a fighter. If he he tries go to war with Ambunda the bout will be tough, much tougher than it needs to be. Instead Kameda needs to be on his toes, use his height (7" advantage) and reach to keep Ambunda at a safe distance and land his jab and straights through out. If Tomoki can do this it's hard to imagine him losing, if he gets dragged in to a war it's really anyone game.
Prediction-Tomoki UD12 (after some difficult periods)
Ambunda, of Namibia, is one of boxing's most obscure champions. He's a tough as old boots fighter given the rather fitting nickname of "The Rock" who combines toughness with an insane engine and hits harder than his record would indicate. He's certainly no Mayweather or Rigondeaux in the defensive stakes but then again his style often seems to depend more on his offense than anything else.
Ambunda won the WBO title earlier this year taking a decision over Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu, who is basically the only name on Ambunda's record. The fight between Pungluang and Ambunda was certainly a war from the off and is a bout most fans missed out on, though if you're fortunate enough to be able to find it online watch it immediately!
Whilst the champion is a ball of aggressive energy he is also incredibly short stood at just 5'0". It's this lack of height that effectively forces Ambunda to be the type of fighter that he is, though against an intelligent boxer who is taller and longer he may come undone, as h almost did against the 5'6" Bongani Mahlangu.
In Tomoki Kameda we have a well schooled challenger who has been able to develop in both Japan and in Mexico. It was in Mexico that he really made his name and it was also there that he was dubbed "El Mexicanito" (The Little Mexican). The Mexican fans warmed to him quickly due to his style which was, like Ambunda's, generally aggressive with high work and a lot of body shots.
Although Tomoki is known for his work rate he's actually got a fair bit more to his game than just an action packed brawling style. He can, when needed, box, counter punch or brawl and it's with this trio of traits that many view him as potentially the best of the Kameda brothers.
For this bout in particular it's fair to say that Tomoki will need to be a boxer and not a fighter. If he he tries go to war with Ambunda the bout will be tough, much tougher than it needs to be. Instead Kameda needs to be on his toes, use his height (7" advantage) and reach to keep Ambunda at a safe distance and land his jab and straights through out. If Tomoki can do this it's hard to imagine him losing, if he gets dragged in to a war it's really anyone game.
Prediction-Tomoki UD12 (after some difficult periods)
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Julian Yedras v Carlos Buitrago
Less than a week after Melito Sabillo of the Philippines successfully defended his WBO Minimumweight title for the first time stopping Jorle Estrada, the WBO "interim" Minimumweight title is up for grabs.
Although on paper I really like the match up on paper between Julian Yedras (21-0, 13) and Carlos Buitrago (26-0-0-1, 16) I can't fathom the WBO's decision to have a belt on the line rather than just making the bout a final eliminator.
As you can see from the records both men are unbeaten with spectacular records, it's also worth noting that both men are young with Yedras being 25 and Buitrago being just 21. In my eyes both men are effectively prospects who shouldn't be fighting for an interim title, but I guess this is the boxing world that we live in.
Nicaraguan Buitrago has been a fighter who has been on my radar for several years. He's a fighter a fighter that many in Nicaragua have been tipping as a potential superstar and has been compared, in terms of potential, to Roman Gonzalez-a man I am a huge fan of. He hasn't just just been touted by his promoters but also sparring partners including Juan Palacios, a former WBC and WBA interim champion at 105lbs and Gonzalez the current WBA Light Flyweight super champion.
Having been lucky enough to have seen Buitrago coming through his development it's great to see the fighter he has become. Sure he's not the next Gonzalez (a total wrecking ball) of the next Alexis Arguello (legend) but he's still an incredible talent with very solid technical grounding, a fantastic jab, hurtful power and the ability to throw almost every punch in the book. Despite his age he's very mature, though he has been a professional for over 5 years and like mentioned has sparred with some genuinely fantastic opponents.
To date the most notable names on Buitrago's record are Jorle Estrada-who lost to Sabillo last weekend, Carlos Melo-a former world title challenger, Eddy Castro-another former world title challenger and the world ranked Yader Escobar. Not a great list of opponents but certainly not bad either for a 21 year old fighter.
Yedras, a Mexican dubbed "El Nino Artillero" (apparently "The Kid Gunner" or something to that effect) isn't a fighter who has been on my radar for as long as Buitrago, though in my defense has hasn't been a professional as long, though he did turn professional in 2009.
From what I've seen of Yedras (or Yedra) he looks somewhat slow and predictable. He has a solid defense though offensively he looks crude with his shots often looping wide or falling short. When he connects he appears to have heavy hands though against the quality of opponents he's been facing it's hard to tell if he actually hits hard or if they would have collapsed with a swift breeze.
Whilst Buitrago has faced fringe world level opponents Yedras has only faced a handful of opponents with winning records, none of which are anywhere near world level. Worryingly a number of these weak opponents have almost beaten Yedras.
Using Boxrec's rating systems Yedras is currently ranked #35 in the division, just 2 places above Ali Raymi who is quickly becoming a name to keep an eye out for, Buitrago on the other hand is ranked at #15.
From the footage available it's impossible to pick against Buitrago. Sure he's fighting in Yedras's native Mexico but the skill level between the two men is huge as is the experience (in terms of real experience, not number of bouts). In fact the only advantage Yedras has is that he's fighting at home and that won't be able to really help him here.
At the beginning of this preview I said I liked this bout on paper. I think that's the only way I actually like this bout because in all honesty it's a mismatch.
Prediction-Buitrago TKO 6
Although on paper I really like the match up on paper between Julian Yedras (21-0, 13) and Carlos Buitrago (26-0-0-1, 16) I can't fathom the WBO's decision to have a belt on the line rather than just making the bout a final eliminator.
As you can see from the records both men are unbeaten with spectacular records, it's also worth noting that both men are young with Yedras being 25 and Buitrago being just 21. In my eyes both men are effectively prospects who shouldn't be fighting for an interim title, but I guess this is the boxing world that we live in.
Nicaraguan Buitrago has been a fighter who has been on my radar for several years. He's a fighter a fighter that many in Nicaragua have been tipping as a potential superstar and has been compared, in terms of potential, to Roman Gonzalez-a man I am a huge fan of. He hasn't just just been touted by his promoters but also sparring partners including Juan Palacios, a former WBC and WBA interim champion at 105lbs and Gonzalez the current WBA Light Flyweight super champion.
Having been lucky enough to have seen Buitrago coming through his development it's great to see the fighter he has become. Sure he's not the next Gonzalez (a total wrecking ball) of the next Alexis Arguello (legend) but he's still an incredible talent with very solid technical grounding, a fantastic jab, hurtful power and the ability to throw almost every punch in the book. Despite his age he's very mature, though he has been a professional for over 5 years and like mentioned has sparred with some genuinely fantastic opponents.
To date the most notable names on Buitrago's record are Jorle Estrada-who lost to Sabillo last weekend, Carlos Melo-a former world title challenger, Eddy Castro-another former world title challenger and the world ranked Yader Escobar. Not a great list of opponents but certainly not bad either for a 21 year old fighter.
Yedras, a Mexican dubbed "El Nino Artillero" (apparently "The Kid Gunner" or something to that effect) isn't a fighter who has been on my radar for as long as Buitrago, though in my defense has hasn't been a professional as long, though he did turn professional in 2009.
From what I've seen of Yedras (or Yedra) he looks somewhat slow and predictable. He has a solid defense though offensively he looks crude with his shots often looping wide or falling short. When he connects he appears to have heavy hands though against the quality of opponents he's been facing it's hard to tell if he actually hits hard or if they would have collapsed with a swift breeze.
Whilst Buitrago has faced fringe world level opponents Yedras has only faced a handful of opponents with winning records, none of which are anywhere near world level. Worryingly a number of these weak opponents have almost beaten Yedras.
Using Boxrec's rating systems Yedras is currently ranked #35 in the division, just 2 places above Ali Raymi who is quickly becoming a name to keep an eye out for, Buitrago on the other hand is ranked at #15.
From the footage available it's impossible to pick against Buitrago. Sure he's fighting in Yedras's native Mexico but the skill level between the two men is huge as is the experience (in terms of real experience, not number of bouts). In fact the only advantage Yedras has is that he's fighting at home and that won't be able to really help him here.
At the beginning of this preview I said I liked this bout on paper. I think that's the only way I actually like this bout because in all honesty it's a mismatch.
Prediction-Buitrago TKO 6
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Robert Stieglitz v Yuzo Kiyota
German fighter Robert Stieglitz (??) begins his second reign as the WBO Super Middleweight champion as he takes on little known Japanese challenger Yuzo Kiyota (?-?). This might appear a big step down for Stieglitz considering he stopped Arthur Abraham last time out but the bout serves as a genuinely intriguing contest with Kiyota fighting for his place in history.
We'll start by looking at the well known Stieglitz, a man who has been fighting at the world level for the past 6 or so years yet has been continually derided as one of the sports weaker champions-a harsh tag for a fighter who has achieved more than most.
Stieglitz first fought in a world title bout just over 6 years ago losing by stoppage to Alejandro Berrio in 3 rounds. That bout, for the IBF title was a major set back for Stieglitz though one he used to build from before suffering another set back a year later to Librado Andrade. Like the loss to Berrerio the defeat at the hands of Andrade left many wondering if Stieglitz had the chin and mental fortitude to really compete at the world level.
Since those losses Stieglitz has developed as a fighter, he has toughened up and become a much better fighter. He has shown a fantastic engine, solid skills and the heart of a lion although his competition has been less than spectacular.
The graduation for Stieglitz as a fighter occurred in 2009 when he dethroned Karoly Balzsay of the WBO title. He would later defend this belt 6 times against a variety of contenders before suffering a disputed decision loss to Arthur Abraham in 2012. Against Abraham in their first bout Stieglitz refused to be intimidated by Abraham's much vaunted punching power and instead forced the action himself, his shots failed to hurt the then challenger but proved he had developed as a fighter.
Less than 6 months after the loss to Abraham, Stieglitz faced him again and this time came out like a man possessed. He jumped on the then defending champion from the opening bell and never relented as he damaged Abraham's face to the point of the Dr needing to stop the fight.
Having answered questions about his chin and heart Stieglitz has only now been receiving the plaudits that he deserves though is still viewed as a "B" class champion.
Now on to his challenger the unheralded Japanese fighter Yuzo Kiyota.
Kiyota is all but unknown in the west though footage of the powerfully built fighter is available on youtube (though of course it's not easy to find). In the east however he is much more well known having been the OPBF Super Middleweight champion since 2008 and having been very fun to watch with his power and style.
Although Kiyota was stopped just a few fights back by Jameson Bostic in just a round he has developed significantly since that bout, much like Stieglitz has developed since his losses. At his worst Kiyota was a reckless powerhouse who was free swinging and hoping to take his opponents head off before he was tagged himself. Since the loss to Bostic however he has been using his thunderous jab more often and fighting in a more restrained manner.
As the major under-dog here Kiyota goes in with little expectation though a victory would see him cement his name in the record books. Not only would Kiyota become the first WBO champion from Japan but he would also become Japan's first ever Super Middleweight world champion.
With Kiyota's power, especially with his body shots it's hard to totally discount him, though in all honesty the experience, especially at this level, that Stieglitz has should see him through to a victory.
Prediction-Stieglitz UD12
We'll start by looking at the well known Stieglitz, a man who has been fighting at the world level for the past 6 or so years yet has been continually derided as one of the sports weaker champions-a harsh tag for a fighter who has achieved more than most.
Stieglitz first fought in a world title bout just over 6 years ago losing by stoppage to Alejandro Berrio in 3 rounds. That bout, for the IBF title was a major set back for Stieglitz though one he used to build from before suffering another set back a year later to Librado Andrade. Like the loss to Berrerio the defeat at the hands of Andrade left many wondering if Stieglitz had the chin and mental fortitude to really compete at the world level.
Since those losses Stieglitz has developed as a fighter, he has toughened up and become a much better fighter. He has shown a fantastic engine, solid skills and the heart of a lion although his competition has been less than spectacular.
The graduation for Stieglitz as a fighter occurred in 2009 when he dethroned Karoly Balzsay of the WBO title. He would later defend this belt 6 times against a variety of contenders before suffering a disputed decision loss to Arthur Abraham in 2012. Against Abraham in their first bout Stieglitz refused to be intimidated by Abraham's much vaunted punching power and instead forced the action himself, his shots failed to hurt the then challenger but proved he had developed as a fighter.
Less than 6 months after the loss to Abraham, Stieglitz faced him again and this time came out like a man possessed. He jumped on the then defending champion from the opening bell and never relented as he damaged Abraham's face to the point of the Dr needing to stop the fight.
Having answered questions about his chin and heart Stieglitz has only now been receiving the plaudits that he deserves though is still viewed as a "B" class champion.
Now on to his challenger the unheralded Japanese fighter Yuzo Kiyota.
Kiyota is all but unknown in the west though footage of the powerfully built fighter is available on youtube (though of course it's not easy to find). In the east however he is much more well known having been the OPBF Super Middleweight champion since 2008 and having been very fun to watch with his power and style.
Although Kiyota was stopped just a few fights back by Jameson Bostic in just a round he has developed significantly since that bout, much like Stieglitz has developed since his losses. At his worst Kiyota was a reckless powerhouse who was free swinging and hoping to take his opponents head off before he was tagged himself. Since the loss to Bostic however he has been using his thunderous jab more often and fighting in a more restrained manner.
As the major under-dog here Kiyota goes in with little expectation though a victory would see him cement his name in the record books. Not only would Kiyota become the first WBO champion from Japan but he would also become Japan's first ever Super Middleweight world champion.
With Kiyota's power, especially with his body shots it's hard to totally discount him, though in all honesty the experience, especially at this level, that Stieglitz has should see him through to a victory.
Prediction-Stieglitz UD12
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