In this weekends stand out fight we see Filipino born American based pound-for-pound fighter Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20) face off against against former Cuban amateur legend Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8) in a unification of the WBO and WBA titles and a bout to decide who truly is the top dog at Super Bantamweight.
Going in to the bout Rigondeaux is the betting under-dog despite having an amazing career as both an amateur and a professional. In fact as an amateur Rigondeaux's will go down as one of the all time greats. He fought around 400 amateur fights and was rumoured to have won 388 of them, which included numerous bouts in Olympics and World Amateur champions, in fact Rigondeaux claimed 2 Olympic gold medals and two World Amateur titles as he dominated the Bantamweight division in the unpaid ranks.
As a professional Rigondeaux has been fast tracked, partly due to his amateur credentials but also partly due to the fact he made his professional debut when he was 28 years old. The speed of Rigondeaux's rise to the top was amazing and within just 18 months of his debut he had already claimed the interim WBA Super Bantamweight title. After a solitary defense of the interim belt Rigondeaux claimed the "regular" title thanks to a victory over Rico Ramos and he has since defended his title twice.
Despite his stellar record and amazing skills Rigondeaux has numerous question marks over his durability as a professional. Although he has only been down once as a professional (thanks to Ricardo Cordoba) he has been rattled several times including in his last fight against the limited Robert Marroquin. It's fair to say that Donaire hit's as hard, if not harder, than both Cordoba and Marroquin but he's also not the sort of fighter who will let a hurt opponent recover with out applying some serious pressure.
Sure Rigondeaux can hurt fighters, especially with his body shots which are amongst the best in the sport right now but the big questions regarding his chin specifically are the big worries.
With Donaire we have an exceptional fighter. Sure the 30 year old lacks the amateur pedigree of Rigondeaux but his professional achievements speak for themselves. Not only is record excellent at 31-1 but he's also unbeaten in 30 bouts (losing only his second professional contest) spread over 12 years which have seen him claiming world titles at Flyweight, Super Flyweight, Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight. He has also been given accolades including "Fighter of the Year" as he's proven to be one of the sports premier fighters.
Over the past 6 years Donaire's record has spoke for it's self with victories over a real who's who of the sport including Vic Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Omar Andres Narvaez, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Jeffrey Mathebula, Toshiaki Nishioka and Jorge Arce. It's little wonder that the "Filipino Flash" is so highly ranked, especially when you consider the manner of many of his victories which he has made look very easy.
Despite the fact that Donaire has scored some exceptional victories over top contenders other opponents have made Donaire look bad. For example Narvaez, Mthalane and Vazquez all frustrated Donaire despite losing. These men have shown that Donaire isn't a perfect fighter and where an opponent uses an intelligent defense they can annoy Donaire who appears to be a flat out counter puncher and struggles to force the action, this could certainly come in to play against Rigondeaux.
If Rigondeaux can frustrate Donaire with refusal to engage and his own counter punching and speed he does have a genuine chance of the upset here though he'll need to make sure Donaire can't tag him clean.
For me personally the key to this bout concerns who can be the most patient. I don't imagine this will be a classic but it should be a high speed chess match with both men looking for a gap for their sharp, technically beautiful shots. Neither man will be looking to open up too much but both will be looking to land. Whilst I think Rigondeaux will cope better with the boos that I expect we'll hear I just can't see him avoiding Donaire's power right through the bout and when he's hurt Donaire won't let im off the hook.
Prediction-Donaire TKO7
Showing posts with label Cuba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cuba. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Friday, 1 March 2013
Richard Abril v Sharif Bogere
Talented Cuban Richard Abril (17-3-1, 8) will face US based Ugandan Sharif Bogere (23-0, 15) this coming Saturday on Showtime in a bout for the WBA Lightweight title, a belt that many feel already belongs to Abril who was widely viewed to have been robbed last year when he lost a decision to Brandon Rios.
Abril, 30, is viewed as a very talented boxer who may lack power though makes up for it by using his skills to fight to his strengths whilst neutralising his opponents, something he did spectacularly well to Brandon Rios. Sadly for Abril it's his lossesmore than his skills that he is best known for, with reverses to Breidis Prescott, Henry Lundy and most famously Brandon Rios (all by split decision), despite this Abril does have a number of notable victories himself including decisions over Jose Reyes and Miguel Acosta.
At 5'11" Abril is a tall fighter for the Lightweight division, he's rangy, has a solid jab, ties up very well under pressure and knows how to use the ring excellently. Whilst he may not be a whole lot of fun to watch he's a fighter who know what it takes to score victories and how to bag rounds. Sadly it's the fact that he's not fun to watch that may have put some fans off watching him, although when he opens up, as he did against Acosta he can be very effective (though sadly that was a faded Acosta).
Whilst Abril is somewhat well known to boxing fans for his ability to shut down offenses it's fair to say his opponent Sharif Bogere is best known for his now legendary ring entrance where by he wears the dead skin of a lion. Despite the gimmicky costume Bogere, like Abril, is a very credible fighter at 135lbs and has also scored notable victories, though unlike Abril he's unbeaten.
At 24 years old Bogere is by far the younger man and despite having fought more times as a professional he's also the lesser experienced of the two thanks to Abril's long amateur background. That however doesn't mean that Bogere lacks experience himself having been a professional since 2008.
In his 23 fights to date Bogere has beaten some very credible opponents including Manuel Leyva, Raymundo Beltran and Sergio Rivera (an opponent that both men have beaten). Admittedly however the fight with Beltran was very close and had Bogere not been unbeaten going in there is every chance he would have been beaten that night.
Whilst Bogere has a plus 50% KO rate he's not a huge puncher. His shots are hurtful though aren't concussive, especially near world level, instead Bogere will need to use his speed to dart in and out from Abril whilst hoping not to get caught on the way in. Whilst he has speed, he will not only need be cautious of being caught by Abril's shots coming in but also burning out lat in the fight having only been 7 or more rounds twice in his career (as opposed to Abril who has been 7 rounds or more on 7 occasions).
It's with good reason that Abril starts as a 1/4 favourite, and it's those odds I like.
Prediction-Abril by Decision.
Abril, 30, is viewed as a very talented boxer who may lack power though makes up for it by using his skills to fight to his strengths whilst neutralising his opponents, something he did spectacularly well to Brandon Rios. Sadly for Abril it's his lossesmore than his skills that he is best known for, with reverses to Breidis Prescott, Henry Lundy and most famously Brandon Rios (all by split decision), despite this Abril does have a number of notable victories himself including decisions over Jose Reyes and Miguel Acosta.
At 5'11" Abril is a tall fighter for the Lightweight division, he's rangy, has a solid jab, ties up very well under pressure and knows how to use the ring excellently. Whilst he may not be a whole lot of fun to watch he's a fighter who know what it takes to score victories and how to bag rounds. Sadly it's the fact that he's not fun to watch that may have put some fans off watching him, although when he opens up, as he did against Acosta he can be very effective (though sadly that was a faded Acosta).
Whilst Abril is somewhat well known to boxing fans for his ability to shut down offenses it's fair to say his opponent Sharif Bogere is best known for his now legendary ring entrance where by he wears the dead skin of a lion. Despite the gimmicky costume Bogere, like Abril, is a very credible fighter at 135lbs and has also scored notable victories, though unlike Abril he's unbeaten.
At 24 years old Bogere is by far the younger man and despite having fought more times as a professional he's also the lesser experienced of the two thanks to Abril's long amateur background. That however doesn't mean that Bogere lacks experience himself having been a professional since 2008.
In his 23 fights to date Bogere has beaten some very credible opponents including Manuel Leyva, Raymundo Beltran and Sergio Rivera (an opponent that both men have beaten). Admittedly however the fight with Beltran was very close and had Bogere not been unbeaten going in there is every chance he would have been beaten that night.
Whilst Bogere has a plus 50% KO rate he's not a huge puncher. His shots are hurtful though aren't concussive, especially near world level, instead Bogere will need to use his speed to dart in and out from Abril whilst hoping not to get caught on the way in. Whilst he has speed, he will not only need be cautious of being caught by Abril's shots coming in but also burning out lat in the fight having only been 7 or more rounds twice in his career (as opposed to Abril who has been 7 rounds or more on 7 occasions).
It's with good reason that Abril starts as a 1/4 favourite, and it's those odds I like.
Prediction-Abril by Decision.
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Yuriorkis Gamboa v Michael Farenas
Former Cuban amateur sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa (21-0, 16) will return to the ring for the first time in 15 months as he faces unheralded Filipino Michael Farenas (34-3-4-1, 26) in a bout for the interim WBA Super Featherweight title. Although Gamboa goes in to this bout as a big favourite, I can't help but feel this will be a much tougher test than many anticipate.
Gamboa made his name as one of a number of truly elite Cuban amateurs alongside the likes of Guillermo Rigondeaux and Odlanier Solis and was seen as a professional champion in the making from day 1. It didn't take long for Gamboa to fulfill on his promise and within 2 years of being a professional he had already claimed the WBA Featherweight title stopping Jose Rojas in 10 rounds.
Having won a world title in just his 15th professional contest, Gamboa went from strength to strength and scored title defenses against the likes of Whyber Garcia, Rogers Mtagwa and Jonathan Victor Barros before unifying with IBF champion Orlando Salido. As the Unified WBA/IBF champion Gamboa was arguably the division's #1 fighter though sadly he got stripped of both titles and also suffered various issues with promoter Bob Arum.
It's those promotional issues that have really stopped Gamboa from being a real star. He has the talent and the style to be a major pound-for-pound player on the world stage though Arum prevented Gamboa from getting to popular Puerto Rican slugger Juan Manuel Lopez in what would have been a mega fight and Gamboa refused to allow Arum to bully him into a fight with Brandon Rios (Rios would later go on to claim a controversial victory over Richard Abril in one of the robbery of the year contenders).
The promotional issues surrounding Gamboa have now been sorted out with rap star 50 Cent acting as Gamboa's promoter though Gamoa will, rather ironically be fighting on a Top Rank (Bob Arum).
In terms of his fighting style Gamboa is at his best boxing offensively with his lightning quick and genuinely hurtful combinations and flurries which see him living up to his moniker of "El Ciclon de Guantánamo" (The Cyclone of Guantanamo). Though Gamboa has proven that he's not just a 1-trick pony and that he can also box on his toes going in and out with either single shots or short bursts of punches before getting back out to safety. Early in his career however Gamboa was dropped several times as he took too many risks, something he has since corrected about his style.
Whilst everyone in boxing knows all about Yuriorkis Gamboa, the people that know Michael Farenas are much fewer, however this won't be the first time he's mixed in world class, having fought a 3 round technical draw with WBA Super Featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama earlier this year. As well as the draw with Uchiyama Farenas has also faced known fighters such as Walter Estrada, Daniel Attah, Fernando Beltran and Marlon Aguilar (who was the last man to defeat him).
Promoted by former world champion Gerry Penalosa, Farenas has come on leaps and bounds in recent years and is a much improved fighter to the man who started his career 8-2-1, however he's certainly not a proven world beater and his power at fringe level is limited. Oddly he was giving Uchiyama a hard time early in their fight prior to the fight ending head clash and looked rather tough, something that should be evidenced from his record of never having been stopped.
Although he's far from a known quantity in America, Farenas will know that the crowd will have a lot of fans pulling for his countryman Manny Pacquiao in the main event and he may well take some energy from them as he looks for a major upset to close out the year. Sadly however his best chance comes in the fact that Gamboa has been out of the ring for over a year and has fought only 12 rounds in the past 27 months, this sort of inactivity for a fighter like Gamboa can really mess with his speed, timing and sharpness. This isn't like Denton Vassell v Ronnie Heffron a week back in Britain, Gamboa is a fighter who needs his speed, Vassell was a power house who slowly broke down Heffron.
Whilst Gamboa is rightfully the favourite, I'd certainly not count out an upset here as Farenas is confident, and Gamboa will be rusty.
Prediction-Gamboa UD (though with some difficult moments).
Gamboa made his name as one of a number of truly elite Cuban amateurs alongside the likes of Guillermo Rigondeaux and Odlanier Solis and was seen as a professional champion in the making from day 1. It didn't take long for Gamboa to fulfill on his promise and within 2 years of being a professional he had already claimed the WBA Featherweight title stopping Jose Rojas in 10 rounds.
Having won a world title in just his 15th professional contest, Gamboa went from strength to strength and scored title defenses against the likes of Whyber Garcia, Rogers Mtagwa and Jonathan Victor Barros before unifying with IBF champion Orlando Salido. As the Unified WBA/IBF champion Gamboa was arguably the division's #1 fighter though sadly he got stripped of both titles and also suffered various issues with promoter Bob Arum.
It's those promotional issues that have really stopped Gamboa from being a real star. He has the talent and the style to be a major pound-for-pound player on the world stage though Arum prevented Gamboa from getting to popular Puerto Rican slugger Juan Manuel Lopez in what would have been a mega fight and Gamboa refused to allow Arum to bully him into a fight with Brandon Rios (Rios would later go on to claim a controversial victory over Richard Abril in one of the robbery of the year contenders).
The promotional issues surrounding Gamboa have now been sorted out with rap star 50 Cent acting as Gamboa's promoter though Gamoa will, rather ironically be fighting on a Top Rank (Bob Arum).
In terms of his fighting style Gamboa is at his best boxing offensively with his lightning quick and genuinely hurtful combinations and flurries which see him living up to his moniker of "El Ciclon de Guantánamo" (The Cyclone of Guantanamo). Though Gamboa has proven that he's not just a 1-trick pony and that he can also box on his toes going in and out with either single shots or short bursts of punches before getting back out to safety. Early in his career however Gamboa was dropped several times as he took too many risks, something he has since corrected about his style.
Whilst everyone in boxing knows all about Yuriorkis Gamboa, the people that know Michael Farenas are much fewer, however this won't be the first time he's mixed in world class, having fought a 3 round technical draw with WBA Super Featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama earlier this year. As well as the draw with Uchiyama Farenas has also faced known fighters such as Walter Estrada, Daniel Attah, Fernando Beltran and Marlon Aguilar (who was the last man to defeat him).
Promoted by former world champion Gerry Penalosa, Farenas has come on leaps and bounds in recent years and is a much improved fighter to the man who started his career 8-2-1, however he's certainly not a proven world beater and his power at fringe level is limited. Oddly he was giving Uchiyama a hard time early in their fight prior to the fight ending head clash and looked rather tough, something that should be evidenced from his record of never having been stopped.
Although he's far from a known quantity in America, Farenas will know that the crowd will have a lot of fans pulling for his countryman Manny Pacquiao in the main event and he may well take some energy from them as he looks for a major upset to close out the year. Sadly however his best chance comes in the fact that Gamboa has been out of the ring for over a year and has fought only 12 rounds in the past 27 months, this sort of inactivity for a fighter like Gamboa can really mess with his speed, timing and sharpness. This isn't like Denton Vassell v Ronnie Heffron a week back in Britain, Gamboa is a fighter who needs his speed, Vassell was a power house who slowly broke down Heffron.
Whilst Gamboa is rightfully the favourite, I'd certainly not count out an upset here as Farenas is confident, and Gamboa will be rusty.
Prediction-Gamboa UD (though with some difficult moments).
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Yoan Pablo Hernandez v Troy Ross
The Cruiserweight division has almost always been one of the most maligned divisions in the sport of boxing, despite this the division has had some absolutely brilliant fights and fantastic fighters. I'm hoping that this coming weekend gives us yet another Cruiserweight cracker as German based Cuban Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1, 13) defends his IBF title against Guyana born Canadian Troy Ross (25-2, 16).
At 37 years old Ross will feel that this is his final chance at really making a name for himself having had a frustrating career though he will know that he's a big under-dog needing to go Germany for this fight. Sadly the frustration hasn't all been Ross' own doing but instead he's been part of the unfortunate "who needs him?" club.
Ross first made his name in the amateurs where he twice competed at the Olympics (1996, 2000) and also claimed medals at both the 1998 Commonwealth Games (Silver) and the 1999 Pan Am Games (Bronze). In total Ross fought in a record 91 amateur bouts, winning 81 of them with losses to David Haye, Vassiliy Jirov and Humberto Savigne amongst others.
Ross finally turned professional in 2001 as a Light Heavyweight and on his debut he out pointed the defensively minded Roger Bowden over 4 rounds. Over the following few years Ross would score a series of wins and advance to 12-0 (8) and would appear to be one of the most promising prospects in the Cruiserweight division then his world crashed down as he controversially suffered his first loss, a split decision to Willie Herring.
Despite suffering the loss to Herring, Ross bounced back quickly and in his very next fight he won his first professional title claiming the Canada Cruiserweight title by defeating Claudio Rasco in 8 rounds. Sadly rather than building on this success Troy, for whatever reason over a year inactive not fighting at all in 2006. Thankfully after returning to the ring in 2007 Troy swiftly won the Commonwealth Cruiserweight title and it seemed as if things were looking on the up and up.
Sadly after 3 fights in just a few months in 2007 Ross was again inactive fighting just once in 2008 as his career momentum was killed off again. Thankfully however Ross's career was given a shot in the arm in 2009 when he was one of 16 fighters selected to be part of the 4th series of "The Contender". In "The Contender" Ross really made a name for himself not only winning the tournament but winning it with relative ease beating Lawrence Tauasa (TKO2), Felix Cora Jr (TKO1), Akinyemi Laleye (UD5) and in the final Ehinomen Ehikhamenor (TKO4). It was hoped that this would move Ross' career on swiftly but sadly his next 2 bouts seemed to be more about staying active than capitalising on his success.
It wasn't until 2010 that Ross finally got his big break as he fought for the IBF title against Steve Cunningham, sadly however Ross was to be controversially stopped on a cut accidentally caused by Cunningham's glove. Despite the controversial nature of the loss many felt that Ross had been impressive dropping Cunningham in round 4, with many suspecting he'd done enough to deserve a rematch. Sadly for Ross he was overlooked and fought just twice in the following 2 years as he moved to 25-2 (16).
In terms of his style Ross is tricky not only due to his southpaw stance but also his fast feet which sees him using a lot of movement and the fact he has heavy hands. He's very tough and can either fight on the counter or fight in short bursts of hard and heavy shots. However at 37 it's fair to say that his natural speed and stamina will be questionable, especially considering his inactivity in recent years which will have done him any favours.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 27 will be looking for the second defense of his IBF Cruiserweight title, a title he won from Steve Cunningham almost a year ago. Like Ross, Hernandez was a solid amateur winning the 2001 Cuban Junior Championships and The 2002 World Junior championships, a Pan Am Games Silver medal in 2003 and a Cuban national title in 2005. Rather than continuing on as an amateur in Cuba, Hernandez defected to Germany when he was just 20 years old.
Just months prior to turning 21 Hernandez made his professional debut in Germany where he stopped David Vicena in 2 rounds. Over the following months Hernandez was kept active and within just 4 months he was 4-0 (2). The following year Hernandez was again kept busy and recorded 5 more victories as he moved his record to 9-0 (5) against a low level of opponent.
In 2007 Hernandez won his first professional title as he claimed the WBA Fedelatin Cruiserweight title by defeating Daniel Bispo in just 61 seconds. Before the end of the year Hernandez had added the WBC Latino Cruiserweight title to his collection by stopping Mohamed Azzaoui in 128 seconds as he proved to have genuinely nasty power in his shots. By the end of the year he had moved impressively to 14-0 (8) scoring 6 opening round stoppages.
Having looked impressive in his first 14 bouts Hernandez's handlers decided to set him up and put him in with hard hitting former WBC champion Wayne Braithwaite. The bout started brilliantly with both men landing solid shots on each other in the opening round with Hernandez dropping Braithwaite. In the second round the pace dropped though Hernandez seemed to just knick it with his cleaner punching, however Braithwaite wasn't done and in round 3 he dropped Hernandez three times to force the stoppage. It was this fight that really started a change in Hernandez who became less active and less offensive as a result of being so badly hurt by Braithwaite.
Hernandez bounced back well from the loss to Braithwaite by scoring 2 wins over low level opponents before struggling to victory over journeyman Michael Simms who managed to drop Hernandez in the 7th round of an 8 round contest. Although he managed to score the win he had been lucky, and didn't look like the once impressive prospect that had tore through his earlier opponents.
Since the lucky victory over Simms, Hernandez has been fighting like a boxer with a point to prove. In 2009 and 2010 Hernandez scored notable victories over Aaron Williams, Enad Licina and Cesar David Crenz as he completely rebuilt not only his confidence but also his style. He was no longer trying to take fighters out early but instead using his boxing ability and size to control fights. Whilst he still had power to hurt opponents he seemed more content on winning safe than winning stylish and is appeared to have been working as his record moved to 23-1 (12), scoring just 4 T/KO's in his 9 bouts after facing Braithwaite.
Hernandez would finally prove he was worthy of the early hype 2011 as he stopped Frenchman Steve Herelius (KO7) to claim the interim WBA World Cruiserweight title before controversially out pointing Steve Cunningham for the IBF world title via a 6th round Technical Decision. Hernandez would then rematch Cunningham, just a few months ago, and take a clear cut decision over the American, dropping Cunningham hard twice in the 4th round.
Whilst Hernandez's record may not represent that of a hard puncher he does hit incredibly hard, especially when he lets his hands go, which are very fast in combinations. Sadly however Hernandez seems to have become apprehensive since both the Briathwaite and Simms fight and instead of letting his hands go he often seems happier to box at a slower pace, often fighting as counter puncher. Whilst still very talented he's not the exciting destructive force he once was, which is probably a good thing as I do question whether or not his stamina can hold out at a high work rate.
So, finally, on to the actual fight. Whilst Ross is capable of frustrating Hernandez with his movement and jab I just can't see Ross getting a decision in Germany, and I think he knows that. For Ross to win he will have to do what Braithwaite did back in 2008. Yes Ross has the power to do that but he's giving away around 5" and will seriously struggle to get inside Hernandez. Instead I see this being a pretty easy fight for Hernandez who may not have the same foot speed as Ross but has the reach and hand speed to keep him at range. Ross's inactivity, age and size disadvantages as well as the fight being in Germany will count against him and unless he goes for broke and lands the Hail Mary I just don't see him winning.
Prediction-Hernandez Unanimous Decision
At 37 years old Ross will feel that this is his final chance at really making a name for himself having had a frustrating career though he will know that he's a big under-dog needing to go Germany for this fight. Sadly the frustration hasn't all been Ross' own doing but instead he's been part of the unfortunate "who needs him?" club.
Ross first made his name in the amateurs where he twice competed at the Olympics (1996, 2000) and also claimed medals at both the 1998 Commonwealth Games (Silver) and the 1999 Pan Am Games (Bronze). In total Ross fought in a record 91 amateur bouts, winning 81 of them with losses to David Haye, Vassiliy Jirov and Humberto Savigne amongst others.
Ross finally turned professional in 2001 as a Light Heavyweight and on his debut he out pointed the defensively minded Roger Bowden over 4 rounds. Over the following few years Ross would score a series of wins and advance to 12-0 (8) and would appear to be one of the most promising prospects in the Cruiserweight division then his world crashed down as he controversially suffered his first loss, a split decision to Willie Herring.
Despite suffering the loss to Herring, Ross bounced back quickly and in his very next fight he won his first professional title claiming the Canada Cruiserweight title by defeating Claudio Rasco in 8 rounds. Sadly rather than building on this success Troy, for whatever reason over a year inactive not fighting at all in 2006. Thankfully after returning to the ring in 2007 Troy swiftly won the Commonwealth Cruiserweight title and it seemed as if things were looking on the up and up.
Sadly after 3 fights in just a few months in 2007 Ross was again inactive fighting just once in 2008 as his career momentum was killed off again. Thankfully however Ross's career was given a shot in the arm in 2009 when he was one of 16 fighters selected to be part of the 4th series of "The Contender". In "The Contender" Ross really made a name for himself not only winning the tournament but winning it with relative ease beating Lawrence Tauasa (TKO2), Felix Cora Jr (TKO1), Akinyemi Laleye (UD5) and in the final Ehinomen Ehikhamenor (TKO4). It was hoped that this would move Ross' career on swiftly but sadly his next 2 bouts seemed to be more about staying active than capitalising on his success.
It wasn't until 2010 that Ross finally got his big break as he fought for the IBF title against Steve Cunningham, sadly however Ross was to be controversially stopped on a cut accidentally caused by Cunningham's glove. Despite the controversial nature of the loss many felt that Ross had been impressive dropping Cunningham in round 4, with many suspecting he'd done enough to deserve a rematch. Sadly for Ross he was overlooked and fought just twice in the following 2 years as he moved to 25-2 (16).
In terms of his style Ross is tricky not only due to his southpaw stance but also his fast feet which sees him using a lot of movement and the fact he has heavy hands. He's very tough and can either fight on the counter or fight in short bursts of hard and heavy shots. However at 37 it's fair to say that his natural speed and stamina will be questionable, especially considering his inactivity in recent years which will have done him any favours.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 27 will be looking for the second defense of his IBF Cruiserweight title, a title he won from Steve Cunningham almost a year ago. Like Ross, Hernandez was a solid amateur winning the 2001 Cuban Junior Championships and The 2002 World Junior championships, a Pan Am Games Silver medal in 2003 and a Cuban national title in 2005. Rather than continuing on as an amateur in Cuba, Hernandez defected to Germany when he was just 20 years old.
Just months prior to turning 21 Hernandez made his professional debut in Germany where he stopped David Vicena in 2 rounds. Over the following months Hernandez was kept active and within just 4 months he was 4-0 (2). The following year Hernandez was again kept busy and recorded 5 more victories as he moved his record to 9-0 (5) against a low level of opponent.
In 2007 Hernandez won his first professional title as he claimed the WBA Fedelatin Cruiserweight title by defeating Daniel Bispo in just 61 seconds. Before the end of the year Hernandez had added the WBC Latino Cruiserweight title to his collection by stopping Mohamed Azzaoui in 128 seconds as he proved to have genuinely nasty power in his shots. By the end of the year he had moved impressively to 14-0 (8) scoring 6 opening round stoppages.
Having looked impressive in his first 14 bouts Hernandez's handlers decided to set him up and put him in with hard hitting former WBC champion Wayne Braithwaite. The bout started brilliantly with both men landing solid shots on each other in the opening round with Hernandez dropping Braithwaite. In the second round the pace dropped though Hernandez seemed to just knick it with his cleaner punching, however Braithwaite wasn't done and in round 3 he dropped Hernandez three times to force the stoppage. It was this fight that really started a change in Hernandez who became less active and less offensive as a result of being so badly hurt by Braithwaite.
Hernandez bounced back well from the loss to Braithwaite by scoring 2 wins over low level opponents before struggling to victory over journeyman Michael Simms who managed to drop Hernandez in the 7th round of an 8 round contest. Although he managed to score the win he had been lucky, and didn't look like the once impressive prospect that had tore through his earlier opponents.
Since the lucky victory over Simms, Hernandez has been fighting like a boxer with a point to prove. In 2009 and 2010 Hernandez scored notable victories over Aaron Williams, Enad Licina and Cesar David Crenz as he completely rebuilt not only his confidence but also his style. He was no longer trying to take fighters out early but instead using his boxing ability and size to control fights. Whilst he still had power to hurt opponents he seemed more content on winning safe than winning stylish and is appeared to have been working as his record moved to 23-1 (12), scoring just 4 T/KO's in his 9 bouts after facing Braithwaite.
Hernandez would finally prove he was worthy of the early hype 2011 as he stopped Frenchman Steve Herelius (KO7) to claim the interim WBA World Cruiserweight title before controversially out pointing Steve Cunningham for the IBF world title via a 6th round Technical Decision. Hernandez would then rematch Cunningham, just a few months ago, and take a clear cut decision over the American, dropping Cunningham hard twice in the 4th round.
Whilst Hernandez's record may not represent that of a hard puncher he does hit incredibly hard, especially when he lets his hands go, which are very fast in combinations. Sadly however Hernandez seems to have become apprehensive since both the Briathwaite and Simms fight and instead of letting his hands go he often seems happier to box at a slower pace, often fighting as counter puncher. Whilst still very talented he's not the exciting destructive force he once was, which is probably a good thing as I do question whether or not his stamina can hold out at a high work rate.
So, finally, on to the actual fight. Whilst Ross is capable of frustrating Hernandez with his movement and jab I just can't see Ross getting a decision in Germany, and I think he knows that. For Ross to win he will have to do what Braithwaite did back in 2008. Yes Ross has the power to do that but he's giving away around 5" and will seriously struggle to get inside Hernandez. Instead I see this being a pretty easy fight for Hernandez who may not have the same foot speed as Ross but has the reach and hand speed to keep him at range. Ross's inactivity, age and size disadvantages as well as the fight being in Germany will count against him and unless he goes for broke and lands the Hail Mary I just don't see him winning.
Prediction-Hernandez Unanimous Decision
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Guillermo Rigondeaux v Robert Marroquin
Cuban former amateur standout Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8) may well be the most gifted fighter in world boxing today though sadly the current WBA Super Bantamweight champion isn't yet getting the sort of fights he deserves. This weekend Rigondeaux defends his world title against American youngster Robert Marroquin (22-1, 15) in what appears to be nothing more than a mismatch.
The unbeaten Cuban was one of, if not the best, amateur of the early 00's claiming 2 Olympic gold medals (2000, 2004) and 2 World Amateur titles (2001, 2005) whilst compiling well over 300 wins to just 12 losses. He was sensational. Power, speed, skills, timing Rigondeaux really did have it all.
In 2007 Rigondeaux defected from Cuba though was later captured and brought back to the land of his birth. Just 2 years later however Rigondeaux defected again and was this time successful as he set up home in Miami and started his professional career, a career that has so far seen him swiftly rise to world level with the those same skills he honed in the amateurs rankings.
After making his debut in May 2009, Rigondeaux swiftly raced through the rankings before claiming the interim WBA World Super Bantamweight title in just his 7th bout as he out pointed former world champion Ricardo Cordoba. It had taken Rigondeaux just 18 months to go from his debut to "interim" world champion.
After defending the "interim" WBA title once Rigondeaux would claim the full version of the WBA title by stopping the champion Rico Ramos in 6 rounds via a devastating body shot. Since winning the full version of the title Rigondeaux has made just a solitary defense as he dominated the over-matched Teon Kennedy.
At almost 32 years old Rigondeaux is "getting on a bit" though he is still very fresh due to his short professional career. He is still lightning quick with his hands and even quicker with his brain able to out think opponents as he sets traps and land with devastating counters, though he's also more than capable of going forward and being an accurate aggressive fighter. He will however be seeking to make an impression.
Challenger Robert Marroquin may be significantly younger than the champion (at just 23) though surprisingly he has significantly more professional experience at 23 fights already (and 94 rounds, to Rigondeaux's 47). Sadly however the additional professional experience is unlikely to prevent him from being any more than a sacrificial lamb.
Marroquin himself debuted back in 2008 as just a teenager and won his first 19 fights (14 of those by KO) before suffering the solitary defeat of his career by the upset minded Francisco Leal who took the fight to Marroquin on route to claiming a split decision. Since that loss however Marroquin has bounced back well and recorded 3 successive wins over limited opposition.
In terms of talent Marroquin is "solid", he has respectable power and a solid defense, however the Leal fight proved that he can be marked up. Whilst he has been dropping guys like Eduardo Arcos with solid shots in fights he is sadly taking a massive step up in class to face Rigondeaux who, like Leal is a southpaw.
Whilst some may be giving Marroquin a chance based on his record and the way he has beaten low level opponents (and seriously they have been low level opponents) I really can't see it. I can really only see one winner and that's Rigondeaux, the big question however is "how"? In all honesty Marroquin has never been hit by someone like Rigondeaux and I imagine when he's hit by Rigondeaux he will really feel it and will, as most Rigondeaux opponents, think twice about letting his hands go in fear of being countered. He may survive the distance but I don't see it.
Prediction-Rigondeaux TKO5
The unbeaten Cuban was one of, if not the best, amateur of the early 00's claiming 2 Olympic gold medals (2000, 2004) and 2 World Amateur titles (2001, 2005) whilst compiling well over 300 wins to just 12 losses. He was sensational. Power, speed, skills, timing Rigondeaux really did have it all.
In 2007 Rigondeaux defected from Cuba though was later captured and brought back to the land of his birth. Just 2 years later however Rigondeaux defected again and was this time successful as he set up home in Miami and started his professional career, a career that has so far seen him swiftly rise to world level with the those same skills he honed in the amateurs rankings.
After making his debut in May 2009, Rigondeaux swiftly raced through the rankings before claiming the interim WBA World Super Bantamweight title in just his 7th bout as he out pointed former world champion Ricardo Cordoba. It had taken Rigondeaux just 18 months to go from his debut to "interim" world champion.
After defending the "interim" WBA title once Rigondeaux would claim the full version of the WBA title by stopping the champion Rico Ramos in 6 rounds via a devastating body shot. Since winning the full version of the title Rigondeaux has made just a solitary defense as he dominated the over-matched Teon Kennedy.
At almost 32 years old Rigondeaux is "getting on a bit" though he is still very fresh due to his short professional career. He is still lightning quick with his hands and even quicker with his brain able to out think opponents as he sets traps and land with devastating counters, though he's also more than capable of going forward and being an accurate aggressive fighter. He will however be seeking to make an impression.
Challenger Robert Marroquin may be significantly younger than the champion (at just 23) though surprisingly he has significantly more professional experience at 23 fights already (and 94 rounds, to Rigondeaux's 47). Sadly however the additional professional experience is unlikely to prevent him from being any more than a sacrificial lamb.
Marroquin himself debuted back in 2008 as just a teenager and won his first 19 fights (14 of those by KO) before suffering the solitary defeat of his career by the upset minded Francisco Leal who took the fight to Marroquin on route to claiming a split decision. Since that loss however Marroquin has bounced back well and recorded 3 successive wins over limited opposition.
In terms of talent Marroquin is "solid", he has respectable power and a solid defense, however the Leal fight proved that he can be marked up. Whilst he has been dropping guys like Eduardo Arcos with solid shots in fights he is sadly taking a massive step up in class to face Rigondeaux who, like Leal is a southpaw.
Whilst some may be giving Marroquin a chance based on his record and the way he has beaten low level opponents (and seriously they have been low level opponents) I really can't see it. I can really only see one winner and that's Rigondeaux, the big question however is "how"? In all honesty Marroquin has never been hit by someone like Rigondeaux and I imagine when he's hit by Rigondeaux he will really feel it and will, as most Rigondeaux opponents, think twice about letting his hands go in fear of being countered. He may survive the distance but I don't see it.
Prediction-Rigondeaux TKO5
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