This past Saturday saw Psaul Spadafora eventually suffering the first defeat of his career. The "Pittsburgh Kid" simply fought on too long and fought someone too good to only be a shadow of their former self.
On man hoping to avoid the same fate as Spadafora will be Indonesia's Chris John (48-0-3, 22) who looks to defend his "Super" WBA Featherweight title this Friday in Australia. The long time unbeaten Indonesian, who has been accused of fighting poor challengers throughout his career, will this week be facing premier level challenger in the form of Simpiwe Vetyeka (25-2, 15).
John, the holder of one of the most impressive records in the sport and one of the longest title reigns, is a fighter who at his best sensational. He had great handspeed, every punch in the book, fantastic movement and the ability to unload some lovely combinations. As he's aged he's slowed however and his speed has gone, the legs have slowed and he's been forced to fight more in the pocket.
Against fighters like Shoji Kimura, Stanyslav Merdov and Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo we've seen John get away with fighting in the pocket due to his superior skill-set and ability. Against Satoshi Hosono however John was being dragged into a fight he didn't want, prior the the unsatisfying conclusion to the bout.
I feel that if the Hosono fight had reached a natural conclusion we'd have seen John needing to dig as deep as he's ever dug to have kept a hold of his title. That might be because I rate Hosono highly, but I'm not sure if that's all it is.
If I can be accused of rating Hosono highly then the same accusation can also be sent to me regarding Simpiwe Vetyeka. The South African has impressed me in both of his profile bouts, both of which were in Asia.
The first major bout for Vetyeka saw him dropping a narrow decision to the WBC Bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa. He pushed Hasegawa hard, took the best shots of the Japanese fighter and really give him hell. Vetyeka built on that result earlier this year when he stopped the teak tough Daud Cino Yordan, John's countryman.
Vetyeka has proven that he's tough, skilled, fast and technically very solid all round. He moves excellently, has a hard stiff and yet quick jab, the ability to fire his jab off whilst moving and really he's a very, very accomplished fighter. Not the sort of fighter John should be viewing as a patsy.
For me it's the movement and speed of Vetyeka which will actually see the upset occur. Vetyeka will refuse to trade in the pocket early rather sticking to his boxing and movement to allow him to rack up rounds with clever boxing. By round 8 or 9 he'll slow down and mix it on the inside though by then John will need a knockdown or two to retain. He'll not get any.
For the second successive week I think we'll see a long unbeaten run broken by a younger and fresher fighter.
Prediction-Vetyeka by Split Decision
Showing posts with label Featherweight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Featherweight. Show all posts
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Evgeny Gradovich v Billy Dib II
Earlier this year Russian Evgeny Gradovich (17-0, 8) announced himself on to the world stage by claiming the IBF Featherweight title courtesy of a decision over Australia's Billy Dib (36-2-0-1, 21). That bout, way back in March, wasn't a particularly fun to watch fight but it did see the massively over-hyped Dib losing his claim of being a "world champion".
Just over 8 months after their first meeting the two men collide in a rematch as one of the chief support bouts to the mouth watering clash between Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios. Whilst it may be boxing's equivalent to an appetiser I can't help but feel that this is a second serving I don't much want.
Since their first meeting Gradovich has seemingly become a better fighter. Sure he's not a shadow in the ring, but he's growing in confidence and experience fighter after fight. At the moment there is still some way to progress though he's still a 100 punch a round fighter who looks to beat up, grind down and defeat foes with constant work-rate and pressure.
If there is a clear issue with Gradovich it could be that he lacks fight ending power, and as a result his own physical demise may come quicker, though so far he has appeared sturdy and the sort of fighter who will give anyone headaches. In fact I'd go as far as to say that Gradovich is the type of guy who will give opponents cluster headaches due to sheer volume.
Whilst I feel Gradovich is improving I also feel the reverse is true when it comes to Dib. The once promising Australian really seems to have gone backwards since the first meeting with Gradovich. What was once a promising skilled fighter now appears to be a crude spoiler with little in terms of power, true boxing skills and although he still possesses some speed he's not looking world class.
Unfortunately for Dib he seems to have been a man who believed in his own hype. Now fighting after the loss to Gradovich he seems to be a man lacking either the confidence to be world class or the fire to compete at the top level. Whatever it is it's going to effect him again here and what should be a tale of revenge will just be a further step backwards for Dib.
With Gradovich lacking world class power I just see this being a bit of a 1-sided but messy decision for the "Russian Mexican" who will likely be hoping this is the last he has to do with Dib who is a frustration to many, including myself.
Prediction-Gradovich UD12
Just over 8 months after their first meeting the two men collide in a rematch as one of the chief support bouts to the mouth watering clash between Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios. Whilst it may be boxing's equivalent to an appetiser I can't help but feel that this is a second serving I don't much want.
Since their first meeting Gradovich has seemingly become a better fighter. Sure he's not a shadow in the ring, but he's growing in confidence and experience fighter after fight. At the moment there is still some way to progress though he's still a 100 punch a round fighter who looks to beat up, grind down and defeat foes with constant work-rate and pressure.
If there is a clear issue with Gradovich it could be that he lacks fight ending power, and as a result his own physical demise may come quicker, though so far he has appeared sturdy and the sort of fighter who will give anyone headaches. In fact I'd go as far as to say that Gradovich is the type of guy who will give opponents cluster headaches due to sheer volume.
Whilst I feel Gradovich is improving I also feel the reverse is true when it comes to Dib. The once promising Australian really seems to have gone backwards since the first meeting with Gradovich. What was once a promising skilled fighter now appears to be a crude spoiler with little in terms of power, true boxing skills and although he still possesses some speed he's not looking world class.
Unfortunately for Dib he seems to have been a man who believed in his own hype. Now fighting after the loss to Gradovich he seems to be a man lacking either the confidence to be world class or the fire to compete at the top level. Whatever it is it's going to effect him again here and what should be a tale of revenge will just be a further step backwards for Dib.
With Gradovich lacking world class power I just see this being a bit of a 1-sided but messy decision for the "Russian Mexican" who will likely be hoping this is the last he has to do with Dib who is a frustration to many, including myself.
Prediction-Gradovich UD12
Friday, 8 November 2013
Nicholas Walters v Alberto Garza
Over the last few years the Featherweight division has been a highly interesting division. It's had big named fighters like Yuriorkis Gamboa, Juan Manuel Lopez and Mikey Garcia all passing through it and it's also seen the emergence of Vasyl Lomachenko as a professional. Unfortunately however it's also been a division with titular issues, especially concerning the WBA who have had multiple champions in the division for far too long.
The biggest issue with the WBA at Featherweight is the fact they've had unbeaten Indonesian Chris John as their "Super Champion" yet never forced him to fight a genuine top contender in what feels like a life time. This has left them looking to fill both "regular" and "interim" title positions on a revolving door basis.
Thankfully the WBA seem to have accidentally stumbled on to a very credible, though under the radar, regular champion in the form of exciting Jamaican Nicholas Walters (22-0, 18). Sure the vast majority of fans haven't seen or heard of Walters but those who have will all tell you just how fun he is to watch. He's got explosive power, a decent amateur background and nasty intentions. Sure he's a bit wild but he is the sort of fighter that fans will love.
Rather amazingly Walters hasn't defended his title since he won the title last December. A title he won by destroying Colombian Daulis Prescott, the brother of Breidis Prescott, in 7 rounds. For those who saw that contest they quickly realised what Walters was about. He dropped Prescott in rounds 4,5 and 7 in a contest that should have made the world sit up and take note, though unfortunately with that fight being in Jamaica saw few fans had the chance to see it.
Thankfully this weekend sees many fans getting their first chance to see Walters in action as he travels to the US to take on challenger Alberto Garza (25-5-1-1, 20) live on HBO.
Whilst I've been fortunate enough to see a few of Walters' fights I'll be honest I've not seen many of Garza's.
Aged 28 Garza is a Mexican who at best could be described as a "fringe contender", few, if any, would regard him as top 15 Featherweight though he does hold several noteworthy victories. These include a 9th round TKO in Japan over Hiroyuki Enoki and a 12 round victory over Justin Savi. Unfortunately however those victories both came in 2010 and since then he suffered a stoppage loss to Robinson Castellanos and fought just twice in 31 months, including a 14 month stretch from his last contest.
Garza's inactivity in the past few years has really put the brakes on his career. Whilst the loss to Castellanos was bad at the time it now looks to have been excusable as Castellanos is beginning to look like a legitimate contender himself, though the inactivity is inexcusable.
Prior to his absence from the ring Garza certainly had power. Whilst he may "only" have scored 80% of his victories via T/KO it's worth noting that 4 of his 5 non-stoppage came in his first 10 contests. Since summer 2006 Garza has gone 15-5-1-1 (14) an incredible showing of his power. On the flipside of that however is the fact he has been stopped 3 times. He hits hard but he's also vulnerable.
With both men having serious power this looks like a genuine shoot out on paper. This is a bout that will see the winner make a mark on television audiences and for me it'll be Walters leaving the lasting impression in a bout made to let him make a name for himself. In a shoot out he who lands first tends to win, with 14 months out Garza will look rusty and whilst Walters has been inactive for a year himself he'll certainly feel less "inactive" given the fact he has since been signed up to a deal with Top Rank.
Prediction- Walters TKO4
The biggest issue with the WBA at Featherweight is the fact they've had unbeaten Indonesian Chris John as their "Super Champion" yet never forced him to fight a genuine top contender in what feels like a life time. This has left them looking to fill both "regular" and "interim" title positions on a revolving door basis.
Thankfully the WBA seem to have accidentally stumbled on to a very credible, though under the radar, regular champion in the form of exciting Jamaican Nicholas Walters (22-0, 18). Sure the vast majority of fans haven't seen or heard of Walters but those who have will all tell you just how fun he is to watch. He's got explosive power, a decent amateur background and nasty intentions. Sure he's a bit wild but he is the sort of fighter that fans will love.
Rather amazingly Walters hasn't defended his title since he won the title last December. A title he won by destroying Colombian Daulis Prescott, the brother of Breidis Prescott, in 7 rounds. For those who saw that contest they quickly realised what Walters was about. He dropped Prescott in rounds 4,5 and 7 in a contest that should have made the world sit up and take note, though unfortunately with that fight being in Jamaica saw few fans had the chance to see it.
Thankfully this weekend sees many fans getting their first chance to see Walters in action as he travels to the US to take on challenger Alberto Garza (25-5-1-1, 20) live on HBO.
Whilst I've been fortunate enough to see a few of Walters' fights I'll be honest I've not seen many of Garza's.
Aged 28 Garza is a Mexican who at best could be described as a "fringe contender", few, if any, would regard him as top 15 Featherweight though he does hold several noteworthy victories. These include a 9th round TKO in Japan over Hiroyuki Enoki and a 12 round victory over Justin Savi. Unfortunately however those victories both came in 2010 and since then he suffered a stoppage loss to Robinson Castellanos and fought just twice in 31 months, including a 14 month stretch from his last contest.
Garza's inactivity in the past few years has really put the brakes on his career. Whilst the loss to Castellanos was bad at the time it now looks to have been excusable as Castellanos is beginning to look like a legitimate contender himself, though the inactivity is inexcusable.
Prior to his absence from the ring Garza certainly had power. Whilst he may "only" have scored 80% of his victories via T/KO it's worth noting that 4 of his 5 non-stoppage came in his first 10 contests. Since summer 2006 Garza has gone 15-5-1-1 (14) an incredible showing of his power. On the flipside of that however is the fact he has been stopped 3 times. He hits hard but he's also vulnerable.
With both men having serious power this looks like a genuine shoot out on paper. This is a bout that will see the winner make a mark on television audiences and for me it'll be Walters leaving the lasting impression in a bout made to let him make a name for himself. In a shoot out he who lands first tends to win, with 14 months out Garza will look rusty and whilst Walters has been inactive for a year himself he'll certainly feel less "inactive" given the fact he has since been signed up to a deal with Top Rank.
Prediction- Walters TKO4
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
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Abner Mares v Jhonny Gonzalez
Love him or hate him Abner Mares (26-0-1, 14), the current WBC Featherweight champion, is one of the sport's genuine emerging talents. He has shown himself to be fearless and happy to face anyone and although some of his victories have come with some somewhat dubious officiating he has always proven to be tough, fun watch and a fighter wanting to prove a point.
Mares is a Mexican who can both box or fight. At his best he's a combination throwing action fighter. Not a big hitter by any stretch of the imagination but a very clever fighter who can apply a lot of pressure and break opponents mentally as well as physically. He has sharp punches that are thrown in bunches, he has a fantastic body attack and a gritty determination to him.
Although many will try to complain that all of Mares's biggest wins have come with a fair amount of doubt from things like low blows, questionable calls and some rather nice refereeing he has proven to be able to instill his will on good fighters. Something he did in impressive fashion to Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon in his last 2 bouts.
With victories over not just Moreno and Ponce De Leon but also Joseph Agbeko, Vic Darchinyan, Eric Morel and Yonnhy Perez it's fair to that Mares has been going through strong competition and proving himself in a way that only he and Carl Froch having being doing so.
This coming weekend Mares attempts to make the first defense of his Featherweight title as he takes on former champion Jhonny Gonzalez (54-8, 46), a massively hard hitting Mexican who at his best has the power to rattle any fighters senses.
Gonzalez combines hard hitting power with solid boxing and decent size. At the fringe world level he's had great success with his ability to box or bomb, though he has been found to have issues that have plagued his career, notably a weaker than average chin.
Although talented Gonzalez has had mixed results at the top level beating the likes of Ratanachai Sor Vorapin, Marc Johnson, Fernando Montiel, Elios Rojas and Hozumi Hasegawa and losing to Israel Vazquez, Gerry Penalosa, Toshiaki Nishioka and Daniel Ponce De Leon. It's these mixed results that has made Gonzalez so difficult to read. Every time his career looks to be faltering he manages a big win and every time his career looks ready to take off he falters
If Gonzalez connects clean we will learn a lot about Mares's chin. He has been down in his career but has shown his toughness to get up and fight on though Gonzalez, at least on paper, the biggest puncher he'll have faced (or at least on an even keel with Ponce De Leon). Unfortunately I don't see see Gonzalez landing clean often enough to really give Mares any trouble and in fact I imagine Mares will be one step ahead of Gonzalez through out the fight using his speed advantage to neutralise the reach of Gonzalez.
With Mares likely to land to the body of Gonzalez early I think he'll eventually beat the power from Gonzalez before stopping him in the middle to late rounds.
Prediction- Mares TKO9
Mares is a Mexican who can both box or fight. At his best he's a combination throwing action fighter. Not a big hitter by any stretch of the imagination but a very clever fighter who can apply a lot of pressure and break opponents mentally as well as physically. He has sharp punches that are thrown in bunches, he has a fantastic body attack and a gritty determination to him.
Although many will try to complain that all of Mares's biggest wins have come with a fair amount of doubt from things like low blows, questionable calls and some rather nice refereeing he has proven to be able to instill his will on good fighters. Something he did in impressive fashion to Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon in his last 2 bouts.
With victories over not just Moreno and Ponce De Leon but also Joseph Agbeko, Vic Darchinyan, Eric Morel and Yonnhy Perez it's fair to that Mares has been going through strong competition and proving himself in a way that only he and Carl Froch having being doing so.
This coming weekend Mares attempts to make the first defense of his Featherweight title as he takes on former champion Jhonny Gonzalez (54-8, 46), a massively hard hitting Mexican who at his best has the power to rattle any fighters senses.
Gonzalez combines hard hitting power with solid boxing and decent size. At the fringe world level he's had great success with his ability to box or bomb, though he has been found to have issues that have plagued his career, notably a weaker than average chin.
Although talented Gonzalez has had mixed results at the top level beating the likes of Ratanachai Sor Vorapin, Marc Johnson, Fernando Montiel, Elios Rojas and Hozumi Hasegawa and losing to Israel Vazquez, Gerry Penalosa, Toshiaki Nishioka and Daniel Ponce De Leon. It's these mixed results that has made Gonzalez so difficult to read. Every time his career looks to be faltering he manages a big win and every time his career looks ready to take off he falters
If Gonzalez connects clean we will learn a lot about Mares's chin. He has been down in his career but has shown his toughness to get up and fight on though Gonzalez, at least on paper, the biggest puncher he'll have faced (or at least on an even keel with Ponce De Leon). Unfortunately I don't see see Gonzalez landing clean often enough to really give Mares any trouble and in fact I imagine Mares will be one step ahead of Gonzalez through out the fight using his speed advantage to neutralise the reach of Gonzalez.
With Mares likely to land to the body of Gonzalez early I think he'll eventually beat the power from Gonzalez before stopping him in the middle to late rounds.
Prediction- Mares TKO9
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Takashi Miura v Sergio Thompson
Just a few years ago the Super Featherweight division looked genuinely dead. Other than a bout between Takashi Uchiyama and Adrien Broner nothing there really interested me. Right now however the division appears to be heating up with a rumour of a Gamboa/Uchiyama in the pipeline and a very attractive looking bout in Mexico this coming weekend.
This weekend's bout sees WBC champion Takashi Miura (25-2-2, 19), an extremely hard hitting and tough Japanese fighter traveling to Mexico to take on the fun to watch though criminally under-rated Sergio Thompson (27-2, 15), a man best known for stopping Jorge Linares.
Miura won the title earlier this year stopping Thompson's countryman Gamaliel Diaz in destructive fashion. Whilst Diaz was little more than a journeyman champion the performance, or rather the result, was impressive with Miura really showing his power off.
Despite the stoppage of Diaz being the highlight of Miura's career so far his power was already well known following his all-Japanese bout with Uchiyama in which Miura managed to drop Uchiyama in eye catching fashion. Unfortunately for Miura he was later stopped by Uchiyama in what was his first world title fight.
Although not the busiest fighter in the ring Miura is, as mentioned, a hard hitter with a real toughness to him. He's a fighter who can be outboxed but always has the potential to end a fight with his destructive left hand which is something every fighter needs to be wary of.
Thompson, like Miura, is a fighter who is tough and hits hard. He's a fighter who despite having little, other than Linares victory on his record has the talent to defeat almost anyone at 130lbs and possibly even 135lbs, where he is probably a little less comfortable but still a very destructive force.
As Thompson's record indicates he rarely gets rounds under his belt, in fact his 29 fight career has only seen him in 118 rounds, that's not much more than 4 rounds a contest. This has seen him going 10 rounds once and 12 rounds once, incidentally losing both of those contests by decision. This of course leaves me wondering just what his stamina's like, especially in bouts. Sure he's as destructive as they come early but can he cope with a fighter who takes his power and pressure?
Although Thompson is the challenger what he going for him is home field advantage here. Japanese boxers are notoriously bad on the road and if Miura can't get into a groove from the off he's going to find it very hard to ever get going against Thompson. That's not to say he can't win but if he lets Thompson set the pace he will have to look for a single shot to turn the fight around and there is no saying that chance will come.
Whilst I do give Miura a chance, it is only a 20-30% chance and I really do favour Thompson, probably by mid round stoppage in what could well be a FOTY style war for as long as it lasts.
Prediction-Thompson TKO6
This weekend's bout sees WBC champion Takashi Miura (25-2-2, 19), an extremely hard hitting and tough Japanese fighter traveling to Mexico to take on the fun to watch though criminally under-rated Sergio Thompson (27-2, 15), a man best known for stopping Jorge Linares.
Miura won the title earlier this year stopping Thompson's countryman Gamaliel Diaz in destructive fashion. Whilst Diaz was little more than a journeyman champion the performance, or rather the result, was impressive with Miura really showing his power off.
Despite the stoppage of Diaz being the highlight of Miura's career so far his power was already well known following his all-Japanese bout with Uchiyama in which Miura managed to drop Uchiyama in eye catching fashion. Unfortunately for Miura he was later stopped by Uchiyama in what was his first world title fight.
Although not the busiest fighter in the ring Miura is, as mentioned, a hard hitter with a real toughness to him. He's a fighter who can be outboxed but always has the potential to end a fight with his destructive left hand which is something every fighter needs to be wary of.
Thompson, like Miura, is a fighter who is tough and hits hard. He's a fighter who despite having little, other than Linares victory on his record has the talent to defeat almost anyone at 130lbs and possibly even 135lbs, where he is probably a little less comfortable but still a very destructive force.
As Thompson's record indicates he rarely gets rounds under his belt, in fact his 29 fight career has only seen him in 118 rounds, that's not much more than 4 rounds a contest. This has seen him going 10 rounds once and 12 rounds once, incidentally losing both of those contests by decision. This of course leaves me wondering just what his stamina's like, especially in bouts. Sure he's as destructive as they come early but can he cope with a fighter who takes his power and pressure?
Although Thompson is the challenger what he going for him is home field advantage here. Japanese boxers are notoriously bad on the road and if Miura can't get into a groove from the off he's going to find it very hard to ever get going against Thompson. That's not to say he can't win but if he lets Thompson set the pace he will have to look for a single shot to turn the fight around and there is no saying that chance will come.
Whilst I do give Miura a chance, it is only a 20-30% chance and I really do favour Thompson, probably by mid round stoppage in what could well be a FOTY style war for as long as it lasts.
Prediction-Thompson TKO6
Claudio Marrero v Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar
Probably the most over-looked fight this weekend takes place on ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" and sees unheralded Dominican Caludio Marrero (14-0, 11) taking the step up from prospect to "world challenger" as he takes on Argentinian banger Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar (22-1, 18) for the WBA "interim" Featherweight title.
The bout, part of a "Friday Night Fights" world title double header is on paper a very interesting match up between a big punching southpaw and a talented speedster who also fights from the southpaw stance. Sure it's not a genuine "world level" bout but it's a highly promising match up between two fringe contenders in one of boxing's most confusing divisions.
The 126lbs division has had Indonesian Chris John, the WBA "super" champion, as the longest reigning champion with his reign being the better part of a decade. Alongside John at the top of the division is Mexican star Abner Mares, arguably the best fighter in the division , the WBC champion. You then have Evgeny Gradovich, the IBF champion and below that everything is a mess.
Jamaican Nicholas Walters is the "regular" WBA champion, Orlando Salido and Orlando Cruz battle for the vacant WBO title and in all honesty none of the champions ever look likely to face each other.
Thankfully though the division is lovely mess, there are lots of fights to be made and lots of fighters looking for their opportunity to make a name for themselves, which is precisely what we have here.
Of the two fighters I'll admit I'm more of a Marrero fan. The 24 year old "Matrix" is, at his best, a lovely fighter to watch with lightning quick hands, lovely long combinations and respectable, though not destructive, power.
Despite only being a professional since September 2010 Marrero has been making a name for himself with the hardcore fans. This was in part due to his eye catching stoppage of Francis Ruiz and a dominant decision over Emmanuel Lucero.
It was the decision over Lucero that saw very split views on Marrero. Did the fact Lucero survive 10 rounds prove Marrero's power was over-rated? Or did it prove that Marrero could easily cope with 10 rounds? It was a question that had no right answer, both were right. Sure it was the second time Marrero had been 10 rounds but going into the bout with Lucero his career had consisted of just 30 rounds and 10 extra rounds will have done his nothing but the world of good.
Although I'll admit to being a fan of Marrero it does need to be said that he's in with what looks to be a dangerous Argentinian here, in fact aren't most Argentinian's dangerous?
Of course with most Argentinian's it's hard to say how good Cuellar actually is as many of his victories have come on the Argentinian scene which is very much a mixed bag. What we know is that Cuellar isn't a genuine world level boxer, his loss to Oscar Escandon was pretty decisive. Though with 18T/KO's from 23 fights he's capable of hurting opponents.
The 4 men who have survived the distance with Cuellar have been a mixed bag though the most worrying, on paper, was Miguel Leonardo Caceres. Caceres is a journeyman and wasn't far from defeating Cuellar just 18 months ago in a very narrow fight, albeit up at Featherweight.
What we see from Cuellar's record is that his power holds through the fight. He has a number of early knockouts but he's also had some in later rounds including an 11th round stoppage and stoppages in rounds 8 and 9.
Unfortunately whilst Cuellar looks like a banger, I dare say his record is notably inflated thanks to his competition. Sure he's fought Escandon but the Colombian never looked bothered by Cuellar and just walked him down. Whilst Marrero is a totally different style of fighter to Escandon I don't imagine he'll really have too many problems doing a similar job with his speed and movement being far too much for Cuellar.
The Argentinian is likely to be chasing shadows for much of the bout and wondering what's hitting him for the rest of it.
Prediction-Marrero TKO8
The bout, part of a "Friday Night Fights" world title double header is on paper a very interesting match up between a big punching southpaw and a talented speedster who also fights from the southpaw stance. Sure it's not a genuine "world level" bout but it's a highly promising match up between two fringe contenders in one of boxing's most confusing divisions.
The 126lbs division has had Indonesian Chris John, the WBA "super" champion, as the longest reigning champion with his reign being the better part of a decade. Alongside John at the top of the division is Mexican star Abner Mares, arguably the best fighter in the division , the WBC champion. You then have Evgeny Gradovich, the IBF champion and below that everything is a mess.
Jamaican Nicholas Walters is the "regular" WBA champion, Orlando Salido and Orlando Cruz battle for the vacant WBO title and in all honesty none of the champions ever look likely to face each other.
Thankfully though the division is lovely mess, there are lots of fights to be made and lots of fighters looking for their opportunity to make a name for themselves, which is precisely what we have here.
Of the two fighters I'll admit I'm more of a Marrero fan. The 24 year old "Matrix" is, at his best, a lovely fighter to watch with lightning quick hands, lovely long combinations and respectable, though not destructive, power.
Despite only being a professional since September 2010 Marrero has been making a name for himself with the hardcore fans. This was in part due to his eye catching stoppage of Francis Ruiz and a dominant decision over Emmanuel Lucero.
It was the decision over Lucero that saw very split views on Marrero. Did the fact Lucero survive 10 rounds prove Marrero's power was over-rated? Or did it prove that Marrero could easily cope with 10 rounds? It was a question that had no right answer, both were right. Sure it was the second time Marrero had been 10 rounds but going into the bout with Lucero his career had consisted of just 30 rounds and 10 extra rounds will have done his nothing but the world of good.
Although I'll admit to being a fan of Marrero it does need to be said that he's in with what looks to be a dangerous Argentinian here, in fact aren't most Argentinian's dangerous?
Of course with most Argentinian's it's hard to say how good Cuellar actually is as many of his victories have come on the Argentinian scene which is very much a mixed bag. What we know is that Cuellar isn't a genuine world level boxer, his loss to Oscar Escandon was pretty decisive. Though with 18T/KO's from 23 fights he's capable of hurting opponents.
The 4 men who have survived the distance with Cuellar have been a mixed bag though the most worrying, on paper, was Miguel Leonardo Caceres. Caceres is a journeyman and wasn't far from defeating Cuellar just 18 months ago in a very narrow fight, albeit up at Featherweight.
What we see from Cuellar's record is that his power holds through the fight. He has a number of early knockouts but he's also had some in later rounds including an 11th round stoppage and stoppages in rounds 8 and 9.
Unfortunately whilst Cuellar looks like a banger, I dare say his record is notably inflated thanks to his competition. Sure he's fought Escandon but the Colombian never looked bothered by Cuellar and just walked him down. Whilst Marrero is a totally different style of fighter to Escandon I don't imagine he'll really have too many problems doing a similar job with his speed and movement being far too much for Cuellar.
The Argentinian is likely to be chasing shadows for much of the bout and wondering what's hitting him for the rest of it.
Prediction-Marrero TKO8
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Evgeny Gradovich v Mauricio Javier Munoz
Mexican-Russian Evgeny Gradovich (16-0, 8) upset the boxing world just a few months ago by defeating Australian Billy Dib for the IBF Featherweight title. Gradovich now returns to the ring for the first time as a world champion as he takes on Mauricio Javier Munoz (26-3, 12) in Macau as part of the "Fists of Gold II" card.
The 26 year old champion may well be one of the least experienced champions out there in terms of professional bouts and rounds but is also from one of the top boxing gyms in the world, the Roberto Garcia gym in Oxnard California. With Garcia behind him Gradovich shares a gym with the likes of Mikey Garcia, Marcos Maidana and Brandon Rios all of whom will help him develop as a fighter.
As an amateur Gradovich was schooled in Russia where he was a solid fighter in the unpaid ranks. Since then he completely changed his style from the amateur style to that as of a busy brawler, a bundle of energy who comes forward and throws relentlessly, especially to the body. Although he's not the most accurate or the most efficient it's fair to say he will be a handful for anyone just due to his relentless assault.
Despite having only been a professional since 2010 Gradovich has been very impressive in his climb up the rankings. He may only have 95 combined rounds in his career but he has managed to take a highwork rate through a 12 round bout (the Dib contest) and twice in 10 round contests. He has also shown repeated improvement in the ring.
Argentinian Munoz is challenging for a world title for the second time, having previously been stopped by Toshiaki Nishioka in April 2011. Interestingly the Nishioka bout was fought at Super Bantamweight whilst this on will be at Featherweight.
Aged 27 Munoz has been a professional for over 7 years though hasn't yet really made a name for himself. Unfortunately other than the Nishioka fight he has yet to fight either a notable name or outside of South America. In fact the second best opponent on Munoz's record is Luis Franco, a man Munoz scored a very controversial victory over in an IBF eliminator.
In terms of his style very little really stands out about Munoz. He's active enough to make an opponent work and he's tough enough to not just fold but he's clumsy, technically very poor and seems to be pretty to out box. Whilst, as I said above, Gradovich isn't a pure boxer he's the sort of fighter who does everything Munoz does but better than Munoz.
Gradovich hits harder, he hits more and he's defensively smarter than Munoz. I really can't see anyway Munoz wins this. In Argentina the judging could have done him a favour but in Macau there really is no chance for the Argentinian who doesn't have the sort of power a fighter would need to discourage Gradovich from going to work.
Prediction-Gradovich UD12
The 26 year old champion may well be one of the least experienced champions out there in terms of professional bouts and rounds but is also from one of the top boxing gyms in the world, the Roberto Garcia gym in Oxnard California. With Garcia behind him Gradovich shares a gym with the likes of Mikey Garcia, Marcos Maidana and Brandon Rios all of whom will help him develop as a fighter.
As an amateur Gradovich was schooled in Russia where he was a solid fighter in the unpaid ranks. Since then he completely changed his style from the amateur style to that as of a busy brawler, a bundle of energy who comes forward and throws relentlessly, especially to the body. Although he's not the most accurate or the most efficient it's fair to say he will be a handful for anyone just due to his relentless assault.
Despite having only been a professional since 2010 Gradovich has been very impressive in his climb up the rankings. He may only have 95 combined rounds in his career but he has managed to take a highwork rate through a 12 round bout (the Dib contest) and twice in 10 round contests. He has also shown repeated improvement in the ring.
Argentinian Munoz is challenging for a world title for the second time, having previously been stopped by Toshiaki Nishioka in April 2011. Interestingly the Nishioka bout was fought at Super Bantamweight whilst this on will be at Featherweight.
Aged 27 Munoz has been a professional for over 7 years though hasn't yet really made a name for himself. Unfortunately other than the Nishioka fight he has yet to fight either a notable name or outside of South America. In fact the second best opponent on Munoz's record is Luis Franco, a man Munoz scored a very controversial victory over in an IBF eliminator.
In terms of his style very little really stands out about Munoz. He's active enough to make an opponent work and he's tough enough to not just fold but he's clumsy, technically very poor and seems to be pretty to out box. Whilst, as I said above, Gradovich isn't a pure boxer he's the sort of fighter who does everything Munoz does but better than Munoz.
Gradovich hits harder, he hits more and he's defensively smarter than Munoz. I really can't see anyway Munoz wins this. In Argentina the judging could have done him a favour but in Macau there really is no chance for the Argentinian who doesn't have the sort of power a fighter would need to discourage Gradovich from going to work.
Prediction-Gradovich UD12
Friday, 14 June 2013
Mikey Garcia v Juan Manuel Lopez
After several busy weeks this weekend has just a solitary world title fight though it is a very intriguing one as WBO Featherweight champion Mikey Garcia (31-0, 26) defends his title for the first time. Garcia will be facing the ever popular Puerto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez (33-2, 30) who looks to re-establish himself in the world of boxing after almost dropping off the proverbial map when he appeared for super stardom.
Mexican-American Garcia is arguably the standout fighter from his brother Robert Garcia 's gym and despite the gyms reputation for having brawling swarmers Mikey is a very, very talented pure boxer with an amazing outside game. Mikey combines explosive power, very sharp punching, a wonderful understanding of range and amazing time to tag fighters with counters and shots as they come in.
On the inside Garcia has a lot of questions to answer however due to his excellent skill he's never been forced to answer those questions instead tying up his opponents and forcing the referee to split them before landing his hurtful straight shots. A technique similar to that employed by Wladimir Klitschko and just as effective (if not more so in fact). It's this outside of game Garcia that makes him so outstanding and so tough to get to, just ask the usually durable Orlando Salido who dropped at will be Garcia last time out.
Although Garcia has only been in 1 "world title bout" he has been mixing in and around the fringe of world class for quite a while. His victory over Orlando Salido last time out was clearly the best win on his record though victories over Jonathan Victor Barros, Bernabe Concepcion, Cornelius Lock have all been solid victories. In fact actually going through Garcia's record we see a record that looks genuinely solid with victories over Robinson Castellanos, Walter Estrada, Tomas Villa, Oliver Lontchi and Matt Remmillard all standing out to various degrees.
With power, skill, youth (he's just 25) and a fantastic boxing brain on his shoulders the future is incredibly bright for Garcia who could very easily claim a title at Super Featherweight, Lightweight and possibly (though it'd be pushing it) Light Welterweight before his career is over.
In Juan Manuel Lopez we have one of boxing's "must watch" fighters. He combines thunderous power, good looks, a fantastic heart and very good timing with questionable stamina and poor defense. He's fun to watch in both victories and defeats though unfortunately he's also a fighter who does seem to talk before realising quite what he's saying.
Lopez first burst on to the scene in 2008 when he swatted away Daniel Ponce De Leon for the WBO Super Bantamweight title in a jaw dropping 145 seconds to become a world champion. As a result of the victory over Ponce De Leon, Lopez had moved to a very impressive 22-0 (20) and at just 24 years old he was boxing's new star in the making.
The Puerto Rican had actually been very impressive in his bouts leading up to the Ponce De Leon fight and remained impressive following it as he defended the belt 5 times. Although he had blasted out his first 4 challengers he was given a torrid time by Rogers Mtagwa in the final defense before moving up to Featherweight.
In the Featherweight division Lopez impressed again as a weight up seemed to free him of the issues he was having in making the 122lb limit. He would quickly claim the WBO title there and defend it 3 times as fans bayed to see him face Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa. Sadly the fans never got their dream as Lopez was stopped by the aforementioned Orlando Salido in 2011.
Since the loss to Salido Lopez has never quite looked the same fight and despite winning 3 of 4 bouts (losing again to Salido in a rematch) he hasn't really recorded a win of note (Mike Oliver, whilst boasting an impressive record wasn't notable in the grand scale of things).
Against Salido we found a man who could take Lopez's power and walk through it whilst firing back and eventually grinding down Lopez. Both the Salido fights were wars and seem to have taken their toll on Lopez who at just 29 years old is a fighter who appears to be on the slide. His boxing, whilst once solid has taken a backwards step as he fell in love with his power and against a talented boxer/boxer--puncher or a hard nosed fighter Lopez can be made to look relatively poor.
Going in to this bout the only way I can imagine a win for Lopez is if he can plant a bomb on Garcia very early that catches the champion cold. If Lopez cannot tag Garcia very early then the result seems a forgone one. The talented Garcia will simply land his own powerful, straight snappy shots between the slower shots of Lopez and eventually force a stoppage (maybe even a clean KO).
Lopez has got bucket loads of heart so won't be stopped very early but will be stopped eventually when Garcia decides to just put his foot on the gas.
Prediction-Garcia TKO6
Mexican-American Garcia is arguably the standout fighter from his brother Robert Garcia 's gym and despite the gyms reputation for having brawling swarmers Mikey is a very, very talented pure boxer with an amazing outside game. Mikey combines explosive power, very sharp punching, a wonderful understanding of range and amazing time to tag fighters with counters and shots as they come in.
On the inside Garcia has a lot of questions to answer however due to his excellent skill he's never been forced to answer those questions instead tying up his opponents and forcing the referee to split them before landing his hurtful straight shots. A technique similar to that employed by Wladimir Klitschko and just as effective (if not more so in fact). It's this outside of game Garcia that makes him so outstanding and so tough to get to, just ask the usually durable Orlando Salido who dropped at will be Garcia last time out.
Although Garcia has only been in 1 "world title bout" he has been mixing in and around the fringe of world class for quite a while. His victory over Orlando Salido last time out was clearly the best win on his record though victories over Jonathan Victor Barros, Bernabe Concepcion, Cornelius Lock have all been solid victories. In fact actually going through Garcia's record we see a record that looks genuinely solid with victories over Robinson Castellanos, Walter Estrada, Tomas Villa, Oliver Lontchi and Matt Remmillard all standing out to various degrees.
With power, skill, youth (he's just 25) and a fantastic boxing brain on his shoulders the future is incredibly bright for Garcia who could very easily claim a title at Super Featherweight, Lightweight and possibly (though it'd be pushing it) Light Welterweight before his career is over.
In Juan Manuel Lopez we have one of boxing's "must watch" fighters. He combines thunderous power, good looks, a fantastic heart and very good timing with questionable stamina and poor defense. He's fun to watch in both victories and defeats though unfortunately he's also a fighter who does seem to talk before realising quite what he's saying.
Lopez first burst on to the scene in 2008 when he swatted away Daniel Ponce De Leon for the WBO Super Bantamweight title in a jaw dropping 145 seconds to become a world champion. As a result of the victory over Ponce De Leon, Lopez had moved to a very impressive 22-0 (20) and at just 24 years old he was boxing's new star in the making.
The Puerto Rican had actually been very impressive in his bouts leading up to the Ponce De Leon fight and remained impressive following it as he defended the belt 5 times. Although he had blasted out his first 4 challengers he was given a torrid time by Rogers Mtagwa in the final defense before moving up to Featherweight.
In the Featherweight division Lopez impressed again as a weight up seemed to free him of the issues he was having in making the 122lb limit. He would quickly claim the WBO title there and defend it 3 times as fans bayed to see him face Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa. Sadly the fans never got their dream as Lopez was stopped by the aforementioned Orlando Salido in 2011.
Since the loss to Salido Lopez has never quite looked the same fight and despite winning 3 of 4 bouts (losing again to Salido in a rematch) he hasn't really recorded a win of note (Mike Oliver, whilst boasting an impressive record wasn't notable in the grand scale of things).
Against Salido we found a man who could take Lopez's power and walk through it whilst firing back and eventually grinding down Lopez. Both the Salido fights were wars and seem to have taken their toll on Lopez who at just 29 years old is a fighter who appears to be on the slide. His boxing, whilst once solid has taken a backwards step as he fell in love with his power and against a talented boxer/boxer--puncher or a hard nosed fighter Lopez can be made to look relatively poor.
Going in to this bout the only way I can imagine a win for Lopez is if he can plant a bomb on Garcia very early that catches the champion cold. If Lopez cannot tag Garcia very early then the result seems a forgone one. The talented Garcia will simply land his own powerful, straight snappy shots between the slower shots of Lopez and eventually force a stoppage (maybe even a clean KO).
Lopez has got bucket loads of heart so won't be stopped very early but will be stopped eventually when Garcia decides to just put his foot on the gas.
Prediction-Garcia TKO6
Friday, 3 May 2013
Daniel Ponce De Leon v Abner Mares
In a really promising all Mexican bout at Featherweight WBC champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (?-?) attempts to defend his title against former Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight title holder Abner Mares (?-?) who will be hoping to become a 3-weight world champion.
On paper this is a case of a smaller man (Mares) moving up to take on not only a world champion but one of the hardest punchers in the sport in a pretty even looking bout. It's bouts like this that have defined the young Mares who has faced a genuinely tough string of opponents in recent years including Yonnhy Perez, Vic Darchinyan, Joseph Agbeko (twice) and Anselmo Moreno in the past 3 years. With such a tough schedule however it's no wonder some are featuring Mares in the top 10 pound-for-pound lists.
With a true "puncher's" record Ponce De Leon doesn't half pack a punch. In fact with a 72.92% KO ratio he is up there with the hardest punchers in the sport and he's proven it at world level himself having claimed world titles at both Super Bantamweight and Featherweight. Sadly however for Ponce De Leon he's never really had the skills to compliment his destructive power and his punch delivery and set ups have been lacking, though in recent years he's certainly developed his boxing ability and hardly looks like the fighter he once was.
Mares on the other hand is a determined and dogged combination puncher with a bullish style that sees him applying relentless pressure and aggression in an attempt to break down an opponent. This mindset combined with his body attack (both legal and illegal) has made him a genuine nightmare to fight against.
The big question mark going in to this fight is whether or not Mares will be able to assert himself against a big, tough, powerful lump like Ponce De Leon who is a genuine Featherweight (and has even pushed Adrien Broner hard at Super Featherweight). If Mares can't bully Ponce De Leon and get on the inside to launch his excellent combinations then this will be a very hard night, though he does have a plan be of out boxing the technically limited Ponce De Leon. If however Ponce De Leon can stamp his power on the bout and make Mares think twice about coming inside this could become a genuinely hard bout for Mares, who is being painted as a future Mexican star.
I've written off Mares too many times in the past to do so again so whilst I view the bout as a very tough one I do see Mares managing to overcome his experienced and hard hitting rival one way or another.
Prediction-Mares UD 12
On paper this is a case of a smaller man (Mares) moving up to take on not only a world champion but one of the hardest punchers in the sport in a pretty even looking bout. It's bouts like this that have defined the young Mares who has faced a genuinely tough string of opponents in recent years including Yonnhy Perez, Vic Darchinyan, Joseph Agbeko (twice) and Anselmo Moreno in the past 3 years. With such a tough schedule however it's no wonder some are featuring Mares in the top 10 pound-for-pound lists.
With a true "puncher's" record Ponce De Leon doesn't half pack a punch. In fact with a 72.92% KO ratio he is up there with the hardest punchers in the sport and he's proven it at world level himself having claimed world titles at both Super Bantamweight and Featherweight. Sadly however for Ponce De Leon he's never really had the skills to compliment his destructive power and his punch delivery and set ups have been lacking, though in recent years he's certainly developed his boxing ability and hardly looks like the fighter he once was.
Mares on the other hand is a determined and dogged combination puncher with a bullish style that sees him applying relentless pressure and aggression in an attempt to break down an opponent. This mindset combined with his body attack (both legal and illegal) has made him a genuine nightmare to fight against.
The big question mark going in to this fight is whether or not Mares will be able to assert himself against a big, tough, powerful lump like Ponce De Leon who is a genuine Featherweight (and has even pushed Adrien Broner hard at Super Featherweight). If Mares can't bully Ponce De Leon and get on the inside to launch his excellent combinations then this will be a very hard night, though he does have a plan be of out boxing the technically limited Ponce De Leon. If however Ponce De Leon can stamp his power on the bout and make Mares think twice about coming inside this could become a genuinely hard bout for Mares, who is being painted as a future Mexican star.
I've written off Mares too many times in the past to do so again so whilst I view the bout as a very tough one I do see Mares managing to overcome his experienced and hard hitting rival one way or another.
Prediction-Mares UD 12
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Javier Fortuna v Miguel Zamudio
The first world title fight of this week sees unbeaten Dominican Javier Fortuna (21-0-0-1, 15) make the first defense of his WBA "interim" Featherweight title as he takes on little known Mexican Miguel Zamudio (25-1-1, 13) on ESPN Friday Night Fights.
Going in to the bout the champion is a clear favourite. Although Fortuna was disappointing last time out when he defeated Patrick Hyland in an unexpectedly tough test he is a very talented fighter who not only has an excellent amateur pedigree but also some fantastic natural attributes include lightning speed and brilliant athleticism. In fact as an athlete Fortuna is genuinely special with both his hands, feet and reactions being incredible.
Sadly for Fortuna despite his attributes he does seem to, at times, switch off and leave the boxing behind whilst deciding to use his legs more than his hands. This can make for an awful fight when he decides to almost run from an exchange rather than box and move. Sadly when Fortuna realised he wasn't going to budge Hyland he decided to run and this is probably the lingering imaage some fight fans have of him.
At his best Fortuna is an explosive fun to watch fighter who can drop an opponent with an instant as he did when he faced Cristobal Cruz and if we see that version of Fortuna here he could easily put the memory of the Hyland stinker behind him. If he's however "showing off" his negativity we could be in for a long boring night.
The challenger is much less well known than the champion and in fact it's fair to say only a handful of boxing fans will have seen much, if anything of Miguel Zamudio and that probably should tell you a lot about him in all honesty. The Mexican, who has been a professional for a little over 4 years has a very, very scratchy record which has seen him only fighting in Mexico so far and often against very limited opponents.
The most well known opponent of Zamudio is probably 20 year old Mexican Adrian Young who himself is merely a prospect (currently 17-0, 15). Young isn't only the most known fighter Zamubio has faced but he is also the man who defeated Zamudio via 2nd round TKO back in December 2009. This loss probably says more about Zamudio than any of his wins and would suggest that if Fortuna can connect he can finish this off very quickly.
Whilst on paper this looks like a good bout I sort of feel this is set up to let Fortuna score an eye catching stoppage and help make fans forget about the Hyland bout. I really can't see the talented Fortuna doing anything but blasting Zamudio out of there within 4 rounds.
Prediction-Fortuna TKO4
Please note-
After this preview went online Fortuna failed to make weight. He has been stripped of the title and will be unable to reclaim it.
Going in to the bout the champion is a clear favourite. Although Fortuna was disappointing last time out when he defeated Patrick Hyland in an unexpectedly tough test he is a very talented fighter who not only has an excellent amateur pedigree but also some fantastic natural attributes include lightning speed and brilliant athleticism. In fact as an athlete Fortuna is genuinely special with both his hands, feet and reactions being incredible.
Sadly for Fortuna despite his attributes he does seem to, at times, switch off and leave the boxing behind whilst deciding to use his legs more than his hands. This can make for an awful fight when he decides to almost run from an exchange rather than box and move. Sadly when Fortuna realised he wasn't going to budge Hyland he decided to run and this is probably the lingering imaage some fight fans have of him.
At his best Fortuna is an explosive fun to watch fighter who can drop an opponent with an instant as he did when he faced Cristobal Cruz and if we see that version of Fortuna here he could easily put the memory of the Hyland stinker behind him. If he's however "showing off" his negativity we could be in for a long boring night.
The challenger is much less well known than the champion and in fact it's fair to say only a handful of boxing fans will have seen much, if anything of Miguel Zamudio and that probably should tell you a lot about him in all honesty. The Mexican, who has been a professional for a little over 4 years has a very, very scratchy record which has seen him only fighting in Mexico so far and often against very limited opponents.
The most well known opponent of Zamudio is probably 20 year old Mexican Adrian Young who himself is merely a prospect (currently 17-0, 15). Young isn't only the most known fighter Zamubio has faced but he is also the man who defeated Zamudio via 2nd round TKO back in December 2009. This loss probably says more about Zamudio than any of his wins and would suggest that if Fortuna can connect he can finish this off very quickly.
Whilst on paper this looks like a good bout I sort of feel this is set up to let Fortuna score an eye catching stoppage and help make fans forget about the Hyland bout. I really can't see the talented Fortuna doing anything but blasting Zamudio out of there within 4 rounds.
Prediction-Fortuna TKO4
Please note-
After this preview went online Fortuna failed to make weight. He has been stripped of the title and will be unable to reclaim it.
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Chris John v Satoshi Hosono
Unbeaten Indonesian Chris John (48-0-2, 22) may well have the longest unbeaten run of any active fighter but the WBA "Super" champion at Featherweight is still a fighter that many boxing fans have either ignored or simply don't know much about. This weekend those same fans who have given up on John's career will again be ignoring him as he defends his title against the relatively unknown Japanese challenger Satoshi Hosono (23-2, 17) in what could actually be a tougher than expected defense.
Although Hosono is pretty unknown in the west the 29 year old dubbed "Bazooka" is actually a 2-time world title challenger and a former OPBF and Japanese title holder. In fact Hosono's only losses to date have come against genuine world level fighters in Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym and Celestino Caballero, both of those losses coming by decision.
Although Hosono has fought at the world level twice in his 7 and a half year career this will be his first bout outside of his native Japan which could put him at a notable disadvantage (despite how close Indonesia and Japan are geographically) especially considering the history between the two countries. Despite fighting on foreign soil for the first time Hosono's biggest issue will actually be with his opponent who hasn't remained unbeaten in 50 fights for no reason. Hosono has the power to hurt anyone in the division though the big question with him is whether or not he has the skills to land on a fighter like John, if he can this bout will be interesting.
For John there is little to really say that hasn't been said numerous times before. In his homeland he's a boxing god. He's been a world champion for a staggering 9 years, he's unbeaten since he turned professional way back in 1998 and he's shown not only genuine toughness but also very solid boxing ability. He's been able to find a way to beat numerous fighters including Ratanachai Sor Vorapin, Derrick Gainer, Juan Manuel Marquez, Hiroyuki Enoki, Rocky Juarez and Daud Cino Yordan.
Sadly for John he's a victim of his own success. Had he not been such a huge fan favourite in Indonesia on television channel RCTI we may well have seen him leaving his homeland more often, to date however John has fought abroad just 9 times with 5 of those fights taking place in the East (and a further 2 in Australia).
For John, now 33 years old his age may be his downfall though it's also amazing that he's managed to remain at Featherweight for pretty much his whole career. Whilst it's impressive that he's made the same weight for 15 years it's also amazing that he still appears to have plenty of miles left on the clock despite fighting for a jaw dropping 407 professional rounds, though this is in part due to his lack of power and it's over 5 years since he last stopped an opponent.
If Hosono goes in there with the idea that John can't hurt him he'll be making a mistake, John isn't a powerful puncher but he puts his shots together excellently and can shake people up with his fantastic flurries. If he can either time John and land a counter right or trap him and unload with the right he has a chance. If John however is able to box at his own pace this probably will be win #49 for the legendary Indonesian who probably doesn't have long left in the sport.
I know some fans can't be bothered to give John a chance though I'd hope that every boxing fan will get to see John at least once as he's a future hall of famer whether fans like to admit it or not.
Prediction-John by UD
Although Hosono is pretty unknown in the west the 29 year old dubbed "Bazooka" is actually a 2-time world title challenger and a former OPBF and Japanese title holder. In fact Hosono's only losses to date have come against genuine world level fighters in Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym and Celestino Caballero, both of those losses coming by decision.
Although Hosono has fought at the world level twice in his 7 and a half year career this will be his first bout outside of his native Japan which could put him at a notable disadvantage (despite how close Indonesia and Japan are geographically) especially considering the history between the two countries. Despite fighting on foreign soil for the first time Hosono's biggest issue will actually be with his opponent who hasn't remained unbeaten in 50 fights for no reason. Hosono has the power to hurt anyone in the division though the big question with him is whether or not he has the skills to land on a fighter like John, if he can this bout will be interesting.
For John there is little to really say that hasn't been said numerous times before. In his homeland he's a boxing god. He's been a world champion for a staggering 9 years, he's unbeaten since he turned professional way back in 1998 and he's shown not only genuine toughness but also very solid boxing ability. He's been able to find a way to beat numerous fighters including Ratanachai Sor Vorapin, Derrick Gainer, Juan Manuel Marquez, Hiroyuki Enoki, Rocky Juarez and Daud Cino Yordan.
Sadly for John he's a victim of his own success. Had he not been such a huge fan favourite in Indonesia on television channel RCTI we may well have seen him leaving his homeland more often, to date however John has fought abroad just 9 times with 5 of those fights taking place in the East (and a further 2 in Australia).
For John, now 33 years old his age may be his downfall though it's also amazing that he's managed to remain at Featherweight for pretty much his whole career. Whilst it's impressive that he's made the same weight for 15 years it's also amazing that he still appears to have plenty of miles left on the clock despite fighting for a jaw dropping 407 professional rounds, though this is in part due to his lack of power and it's over 5 years since he last stopped an opponent.
If Hosono goes in there with the idea that John can't hurt him he'll be making a mistake, John isn't a powerful puncher but he puts his shots together excellently and can shake people up with his fantastic flurries. If he can either time John and land a counter right or trap him and unload with the right he has a chance. If John however is able to box at his own pace this probably will be win #49 for the legendary Indonesian who probably doesn't have long left in the sport.
I know some fans can't be bothered to give John a chance though I'd hope that every boxing fan will get to see John at least once as he's a future hall of famer whether fans like to admit it or not.
Prediction-John by UD
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Billy Dib v Evgeny Gradovich
Australian IBF Featherweight champion Billy Dib (35-1-0-1, 21) has become a bit of a forgotten man in the Featherweight division despite his world title. This weekend gives him a huge chance to make boxing fans remember his name as he travels to the US to face unbeaten US based Russian Evgeny Gradovich (15-0, 8) live on ESPN Friday Night Fights.
Going in to the fight Dib is the favourite, priced around 2/5, however for many this is based more on his experience than anything else. He's not shown himself to have world quality skills in fact in his only bout with a genuine world level fighter Dib was made to look genuinely poor as Steve Luevano literally abused him in the ring.
Whilst Dib does have a pretty looking record and a shiny title, his best victories haven't been great. In fact his best victory may well be his controversial decision victory over South African Zolani Marali back in 2008 or his stoppage over Mexican Eduardo Escobedo in 2012 (who retired after the 6th round). Not exactly the credentials of a top fighter in a division which has had real quality over the last few years.
To many Dib's most infamous bout was with Luevano back in 2008 for the WBO Featherweight title, in fact that was the last time Dib fought outside of his homeland. The performance of Dib against Luevano was poor and although the judges some how had the fight close he really showed little more than the ability to use his feet to get away from Luevano who rocked him numerous times. Saying that however Dib is an improved fighter and is now a fully fledged man at 27 years old. He still has the fast feet and has fast hands though his power is over-rated on his record and he's not a hugely strong fighter.
Whilst Dib may have the edge in professional experience the unbeaten Gradovich is certainly not a novice to the ring. As well as his 15 professional bouts (totaling 83 rounds) he also had a long amateur career (reportedly 160 fights) and has had quality sparring sessions at the Garcia gym with Robert Garcia.
As well as the amateur pedigree of Gradovich he's also got home advantage with the fight taking place in the US. Admittedly it's not in his home town, but he's closer to home than Dib who has had to travel overseas for this bout. Gradovich has been fighting through out the US since turning professional back in 2010 and to some he's seen as a US fighter.
The biggest issue for Gradovich may be due to his competition so far. I know I said that Dib lacks the quality of wins expected of a title holder, he still has much better wins that Gradovich who has faced very limited opposition so far with former world title challenger Francisco Leal probably being the the best name on his record. Despite this Gradovich does go into the bout with the confidence of being unbeaten and with the knowledge that he's the under-dog and has little expectation on his shoulders.
In terms of his style Gradovich fights much more like a Mexican than a Russian, hence his playful nickname of "The Mexican Russian", he throws a lot of punches and tries to break fighters both mentally and physically. He'll have to show his ability to cut the ring off against Dib, though if he can and if he can hammer away at the body of Dib, slowing the champions wheels, he may well force a stoppage late.
For Dib this fight is a must win fight. A loss here will see him almost banned from fighting in the US and with out a title few will be eager to face him. He knows the pressure will be on him, especially when you consider that promoter 50 Cent is backing him hard, however it maybe his promotional ties that help here with 50 Cent arguably having some pull. Saying that though, I don't know if he has enough to discourage the aggressive and hard working Russian.
Prediction- Gradovich by TKO11.
Betting-Gradovich to win can be got around 11/4 whilst Dib is 2/5
Going in to the fight Dib is the favourite, priced around 2/5, however for many this is based more on his experience than anything else. He's not shown himself to have world quality skills in fact in his only bout with a genuine world level fighter Dib was made to look genuinely poor as Steve Luevano literally abused him in the ring.
Whilst Dib does have a pretty looking record and a shiny title, his best victories haven't been great. In fact his best victory may well be his controversial decision victory over South African Zolani Marali back in 2008 or his stoppage over Mexican Eduardo Escobedo in 2012 (who retired after the 6th round). Not exactly the credentials of a top fighter in a division which has had real quality over the last few years.
To many Dib's most infamous bout was with Luevano back in 2008 for the WBO Featherweight title, in fact that was the last time Dib fought outside of his homeland. The performance of Dib against Luevano was poor and although the judges some how had the fight close he really showed little more than the ability to use his feet to get away from Luevano who rocked him numerous times. Saying that however Dib is an improved fighter and is now a fully fledged man at 27 years old. He still has the fast feet and has fast hands though his power is over-rated on his record and he's not a hugely strong fighter.
Whilst Dib may have the edge in professional experience the unbeaten Gradovich is certainly not a novice to the ring. As well as his 15 professional bouts (totaling 83 rounds) he also had a long amateur career (reportedly 160 fights) and has had quality sparring sessions at the Garcia gym with Robert Garcia.
As well as the amateur pedigree of Gradovich he's also got home advantage with the fight taking place in the US. Admittedly it's not in his home town, but he's closer to home than Dib who has had to travel overseas for this bout. Gradovich has been fighting through out the US since turning professional back in 2010 and to some he's seen as a US fighter.
The biggest issue for Gradovich may be due to his competition so far. I know I said that Dib lacks the quality of wins expected of a title holder, he still has much better wins that Gradovich who has faced very limited opposition so far with former world title challenger Francisco Leal probably being the the best name on his record. Despite this Gradovich does go into the bout with the confidence of being unbeaten and with the knowledge that he's the under-dog and has little expectation on his shoulders.
In terms of his style Gradovich fights much more like a Mexican than a Russian, hence his playful nickname of "The Mexican Russian", he throws a lot of punches and tries to break fighters both mentally and physically. He'll have to show his ability to cut the ring off against Dib, though if he can and if he can hammer away at the body of Dib, slowing the champions wheels, he may well force a stoppage late.
For Dib this fight is a must win fight. A loss here will see him almost banned from fighting in the US and with out a title few will be eager to face him. He knows the pressure will be on him, especially when you consider that promoter 50 Cent is backing him hard, however it maybe his promotional ties that help here with 50 Cent arguably having some pull. Saying that though, I don't know if he has enough to discourage the aggressive and hard working Russian.
Prediction- Gradovich by TKO11.
Betting-Gradovich to win can be got around 11/4 whilst Dib is 2/5
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Orlando Salido v Miguel Angel Garcia
It's not often a fighter with a "journeyman" looking record can become the #1 guy in a division, though according to Ring Magazine this weekend gives WBO champion Orlando Salido (39-11-2-1, 27) a chance to do just that, if he can get by the undefeated Miguel "Mikey" Angel Garcia (30-0, 26) in what promises to be an enthralling match up.
Whilst many may feel that unbeaten Indonesian Chris John is the Linear Champion (having taken the title from Juan Manuel Marquez back in 2006) it's also fair that John has done little to back up his claim of being the top man in the division whilst others, including Salido, have faced some genuine great competition. In fact many felt, after Yuriokris Gamboa's move to Super Featherweight that Salido was, buy rights, the top guy at the weight having scored notable wins over Juan Manuel Lopez (twice). Stylistically however Lopez was made for Salido, whilst a number of others at the weight at much less "made to order".
The 32 year old Salido of Mexico is as tough as old boots and an example of a fighter developing with age. He's been a professional since 1996 and despite starting his career 8-6-1 (4) with 5 T/KO losses he has really built his career on a solid work ethic and learning from his experiences. Amazingly despite those early stoppage defeats he's not been stopped in his subsequent 38 bouts, many of which have been in and around world level.
It wasn't until 2004 that Salido got his first taste of world title fighting when he lost an enthralling bout with Juan Manuel Marquez. Just 18 months after losing to Marquez, Salido would defeat Rogers Mtagwa in an IBF Eliminator before defeating Robert Guerrero for the IBF Featherweight title. Sadly for Salido he tested positive for a banned substance (which he hotly disputed having taken, and may very well have been a false positive) and the title was swiftly stripped from around his waist.
Almost 2 years after having his win over Guerrero scratched from the record book Salido was given another chance to claim the IBF title as he faced Cristobal Cruz for the vacant title. Against Cruz both men gave it their all throwing over 1000 punches a piece though Cruz narrowly took the split decision. A rematch in 2010 saw an improved Salido dropping Cruz twice to claim the title via clear unanimous decision to finally become a world champion.
Sadly for Salido his first title reign lasted just 4 months until he was beaten by Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa who unified his own WBA title with the IBF title then held by Salido. Thankfully however Salido didn't need to wait long for a chance to reclaim a portion of the world title stopping Puerto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez just 7 months after losing to Gamboa. Since claiming the WBO title from Lopez, Salido has defended his title twice (stopping both Kenichi Yamaguchi and Lopez in a rematch) to reaffirm his place amongst the top guys at 126lbs.
In terms of Salido the fighter he combines relentless work rate, a huge heart, a solid chin and hurtful grinding power that can break a fighter either mentally or physically. Although he can be hurt, and dropped (in fact he's been dropped in 2 of his last bouts amongst numerous other knockdowns) he has a knack of getting back, biting down on his gum shield, recovering and coming straight back at a fighter trying to get revenge. He may not be the most skilled, the most patient or the most silky in the ring but he's one of the most relentless and stubborn fighters in the sport right now.
Whilst Salido has been fighting in an around the world level for quite some time this will be the foray in to that class for his challenger Miguel Angel Garcia, a product of his brother's (Robert Garcia) boxing gym in Oxnard California. The same gym that has seen the rise of the all action Brandon Rios.
Unlike many of his gym mates Garcia isn't an all out brawler but instead a patient and calculated counter puncher with real venom on his shots. He combines a cute boxing brain with excellent timing and fantastic shot selection which sees him landing at an alarming percent of his power shots. It's these clean counter shots and a solid defense that has seen him rising in the world rankings in recent years and scoring notable wins over the likes of Cornelius Lock, Olivier Lontchi, Matt Remillard, Bernabe Concepcion and the very tough Jonathan Victor Barros.
Despite having been a professional since 2006 Garcia is now just 25 and coming into his physical peak. He might be young but with 30 fights, 138 professional rounds and countless tough sparring sessions he's also very experienced and has seen pretty much everything before in the gym where he has continually been with top tier fighters (including not just Rios but also Kelly Pavlik and Marcos Maidana). This has helped him keep his head level in his biggest fights to date and may well help him against Salido.
Going into this bout Garcia has got numerous problems. Whilst he may be the younger, fresher guy and he may have a superior reach he also has a low work rate, he's never been in a live fight with a guy like Salido (who like Brandon Rios, doesn't know the meaning of the word quit) and he's never been the 12 round distance (having only twice gone 9 or more rounds). I dare say that although Garcia has seen everything this could be the difference between seeing it in a safe gym environment and a true ring war, and if Salido is still the same fighter he was when he stopped Lopez I dare say he eventually grinds down a slightly panicked Garcia in the later rounds. Sure Garcia doesn't give himself away like Lopez but his lack of 12 round experience does leave him looking very vulnerable here.
Prediction-Salido TKO11
Whilst many may feel that unbeaten Indonesian Chris John is the Linear Champion (having taken the title from Juan Manuel Marquez back in 2006) it's also fair that John has done little to back up his claim of being the top man in the division whilst others, including Salido, have faced some genuine great competition. In fact many felt, after Yuriokris Gamboa's move to Super Featherweight that Salido was, buy rights, the top guy at the weight having scored notable wins over Juan Manuel Lopez (twice). Stylistically however Lopez was made for Salido, whilst a number of others at the weight at much less "made to order".
The 32 year old Salido of Mexico is as tough as old boots and an example of a fighter developing with age. He's been a professional since 1996 and despite starting his career 8-6-1 (4) with 5 T/KO losses he has really built his career on a solid work ethic and learning from his experiences. Amazingly despite those early stoppage defeats he's not been stopped in his subsequent 38 bouts, many of which have been in and around world level.
It wasn't until 2004 that Salido got his first taste of world title fighting when he lost an enthralling bout with Juan Manuel Marquez. Just 18 months after losing to Marquez, Salido would defeat Rogers Mtagwa in an IBF Eliminator before defeating Robert Guerrero for the IBF Featherweight title. Sadly for Salido he tested positive for a banned substance (which he hotly disputed having taken, and may very well have been a false positive) and the title was swiftly stripped from around his waist.
Almost 2 years after having his win over Guerrero scratched from the record book Salido was given another chance to claim the IBF title as he faced Cristobal Cruz for the vacant title. Against Cruz both men gave it their all throwing over 1000 punches a piece though Cruz narrowly took the split decision. A rematch in 2010 saw an improved Salido dropping Cruz twice to claim the title via clear unanimous decision to finally become a world champion.
Sadly for Salido his first title reign lasted just 4 months until he was beaten by Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa who unified his own WBA title with the IBF title then held by Salido. Thankfully however Salido didn't need to wait long for a chance to reclaim a portion of the world title stopping Puerto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez just 7 months after losing to Gamboa. Since claiming the WBO title from Lopez, Salido has defended his title twice (stopping both Kenichi Yamaguchi and Lopez in a rematch) to reaffirm his place amongst the top guys at 126lbs.
In terms of Salido the fighter he combines relentless work rate, a huge heart, a solid chin and hurtful grinding power that can break a fighter either mentally or physically. Although he can be hurt, and dropped (in fact he's been dropped in 2 of his last bouts amongst numerous other knockdowns) he has a knack of getting back, biting down on his gum shield, recovering and coming straight back at a fighter trying to get revenge. He may not be the most skilled, the most patient or the most silky in the ring but he's one of the most relentless and stubborn fighters in the sport right now.
Whilst Salido has been fighting in an around the world level for quite some time this will be the foray in to that class for his challenger Miguel Angel Garcia, a product of his brother's (Robert Garcia) boxing gym in Oxnard California. The same gym that has seen the rise of the all action Brandon Rios.
Unlike many of his gym mates Garcia isn't an all out brawler but instead a patient and calculated counter puncher with real venom on his shots. He combines a cute boxing brain with excellent timing and fantastic shot selection which sees him landing at an alarming percent of his power shots. It's these clean counter shots and a solid defense that has seen him rising in the world rankings in recent years and scoring notable wins over the likes of Cornelius Lock, Olivier Lontchi, Matt Remillard, Bernabe Concepcion and the very tough Jonathan Victor Barros.
Despite having been a professional since 2006 Garcia is now just 25 and coming into his physical peak. He might be young but with 30 fights, 138 professional rounds and countless tough sparring sessions he's also very experienced and has seen pretty much everything before in the gym where he has continually been with top tier fighters (including not just Rios but also Kelly Pavlik and Marcos Maidana). This has helped him keep his head level in his biggest fights to date and may well help him against Salido.
Going into this bout Garcia has got numerous problems. Whilst he may be the younger, fresher guy and he may have a superior reach he also has a low work rate, he's never been in a live fight with a guy like Salido (who like Brandon Rios, doesn't know the meaning of the word quit) and he's never been the 12 round distance (having only twice gone 9 or more rounds). I dare say that although Garcia has seen everything this could be the difference between seeing it in a safe gym environment and a true ring war, and if Salido is still the same fighter he was when he stopped Lopez I dare say he eventually grinds down a slightly panicked Garcia in the later rounds. Sure Garcia doesn't give himself away like Lopez but his lack of 12 round experience does leave him looking very vulnerable here.
Prediction-Salido TKO11
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Takashi Uchiyama v Bryan Vasquez
In the western world boxing seems to
take a break over the Christmas and New Year period however in Japan
New Year is a whole different ball game with an amazing 5 world title
fights all on the New Years Eve. For me personally the stand out of
those fights is the WBA Featherweight bout between regular champion
Takashi Uchiyama (18-0-1, 15) and former interim champion Bryan
Vasquez (29-0, 15).
Of the two fighters it's the Japanese champion who is much higher regarded than the challenger with some regarding him as one of the hardest punchers pound-for-pound in the sport. Although aged 33 Uchiyama is actually a very young 33 with just 118 rounds under his belt (around 6 rounds a fight) thanks to his fearsome power which has seen him move in to the top spot at 130lbs.
Whilst not well known in the west Uchiyama has a very respectable record with victories over proven world class fighters such as Juan Carlos Salgado and Jorge Solis as well as solid rivals like Takashi Miura and Roy Mukhlis. Though maybe the most telling thing on his record in regards to his up coming fight is the 3rd round technical draw he suffered last time out at the hands of tough Filipino Michael Farenas, who recently gave Yuriorkis Gamboa a tougher than expected bout. That bout saw a clash of heads opening up a nasty cut around Uchiyama's eye that may not have fully healed.
As well as being hard hitting Uchiyama is also very fun to watch. He's not the slickest and he can be drawn in to a tear up, however with his power he always has the ability to end the fight at any moment, a trait that everyone at 130lbs needs to be fully aware of.
Whilst we know enough about Uchiyama to make an opinion that he's a top guy at the weight, we really don't know a lot about Costa Rican Bryan Vasquez who despite his long unbeaten record really hasn't faced anyone of note. In fact the best victory on the record of the 25 year old challenger came last time out against Jorge Lacierva who had previously challenger for silverware way down at 115lbs.
Despite not being really known about, Vasquez has actually looked like a “decent” fighter with good all round skills and respectable speed, though his lack of power is a trait that does stand out as being a key weakness. Although his record is littered with opening round wins (7) they have come at a very low level with no noteworthy stoppages other than the one against Lacierva (who interestingly had only been stopped once in his previous 55 bouts). This will be a real problem again Uchiyama who will try to establish his type of fight and try to land his booming shots.
For me the class and power difference as well as home field advantage should be far more than enough to see a clear winner. I imagine Vasquez will be game but out classed in the early rounds before fading in the second half and getting stopping by Uchiyama's very hurtful power.
Prediction-Uchiyama TKO8
Of the two fighters it's the Japanese champion who is much higher regarded than the challenger with some regarding him as one of the hardest punchers pound-for-pound in the sport. Although aged 33 Uchiyama is actually a very young 33 with just 118 rounds under his belt (around 6 rounds a fight) thanks to his fearsome power which has seen him move in to the top spot at 130lbs.
Whilst not well known in the west Uchiyama has a very respectable record with victories over proven world class fighters such as Juan Carlos Salgado and Jorge Solis as well as solid rivals like Takashi Miura and Roy Mukhlis. Though maybe the most telling thing on his record in regards to his up coming fight is the 3rd round technical draw he suffered last time out at the hands of tough Filipino Michael Farenas, who recently gave Yuriorkis Gamboa a tougher than expected bout. That bout saw a clash of heads opening up a nasty cut around Uchiyama's eye that may not have fully healed.
As well as being hard hitting Uchiyama is also very fun to watch. He's not the slickest and he can be drawn in to a tear up, however with his power he always has the ability to end the fight at any moment, a trait that everyone at 130lbs needs to be fully aware of.
Whilst we know enough about Uchiyama to make an opinion that he's a top guy at the weight, we really don't know a lot about Costa Rican Bryan Vasquez who despite his long unbeaten record really hasn't faced anyone of note. In fact the best victory on the record of the 25 year old challenger came last time out against Jorge Lacierva who had previously challenger for silverware way down at 115lbs.
Despite not being really known about, Vasquez has actually looked like a “decent” fighter with good all round skills and respectable speed, though his lack of power is a trait that does stand out as being a key weakness. Although his record is littered with opening round wins (7) they have come at a very low level with no noteworthy stoppages other than the one against Lacierva (who interestingly had only been stopped once in his previous 55 bouts). This will be a real problem again Uchiyama who will try to establish his type of fight and try to land his booming shots.
For me the class and power difference as well as home field advantage should be far more than enough to see a clear winner. I imagine Vasquez will be game but out classed in the early rounds before fading in the second half and getting stopping by Uchiyama's very hurtful power.
Prediction-Uchiyama TKO8
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Nicholas Walters v Daulis Prescott
Aggressive and fun to watch Nicholas Walters (21-0, 17) gets his first chance to claim a version of a world title as he faces Colombian Daulis Prescott (26-1-0-3, 19) after a political situation saw the WBA Featherweight title become vacant. The WBA title, previous held by Panamanian Celestino Caballero hasn't been defended since December 2011 and the WBA seem to have lost patience with Caballero.
Jamaican Walters is a pretty well kept secret in boxing circles who has only really been seen by the hardcore fans who have made an effort to catch the long cards from Panama (where he has fought 19 of his 21 bouts to date). For those who have managed to see him, they've been treat to a hugely fun to watch, slightly wild but very powerful fighter with a genuinely eye catching style.
Although Walters is somewhat unknown by the vast majority of fight fans he has scored some decent wins, with the most notable of those coming last year against former world title challenger Irving Berry (TKO6). Though of course his record is relatively thin compared to that of many others in and around the Featherweight, he has shown the ability to beat good fighters.
Having been professional since 2008 the 26 year old Walters will be hoping to make an impression here, though it's fair to say that Daulis Prescott will also be wanting to prove himself. Prescott, the younger brother of Breidis Prescott (best known for stopping Amir Khan inside a round) may not be as as known as his older brother though has quietly been forging his own career since turning professional way back in 2006.
Like Walters, Prescott has been been fighting relatively under-the-radar though unlike Walters', Prescott has suffered a defeat being out pointed by Armenian Gabriel Tolmajyan last year in a split decision. As well as this loss he also has 3 no contests thanks to head clashes which have plagued his career in all honesty .
Since his loss to Tolmajyan, Prescott has run up 3 straight victories including a decision win over the then 11-1 Saul Morales, arguably the best victory of Prescott's career so far. Sadly however for Prescott, Morales is no where near the level of Walters and I tend to think that it's the loss of Prescott that tells us more about him than anything else.
With Walters' power and Prescott's limited ability I dare say that Prescott (who goes into this as the WBA's #5 ranked fighter some how) will get put into his shell early and eventually ground down in the latter half of the fight.
Prediction-Walters TKO7
Jamaican Walters is a pretty well kept secret in boxing circles who has only really been seen by the hardcore fans who have made an effort to catch the long cards from Panama (where he has fought 19 of his 21 bouts to date). For those who have managed to see him, they've been treat to a hugely fun to watch, slightly wild but very powerful fighter with a genuinely eye catching style.
Although Walters is somewhat unknown by the vast majority of fight fans he has scored some decent wins, with the most notable of those coming last year against former world title challenger Irving Berry (TKO6). Though of course his record is relatively thin compared to that of many others in and around the Featherweight, he has shown the ability to beat good fighters.
Having been professional since 2008 the 26 year old Walters will be hoping to make an impression here, though it's fair to say that Daulis Prescott will also be wanting to prove himself. Prescott, the younger brother of Breidis Prescott (best known for stopping Amir Khan inside a round) may not be as as known as his older brother though has quietly been forging his own career since turning professional way back in 2006.
Like Walters, Prescott has been been fighting relatively under-the-radar though unlike Walters', Prescott has suffered a defeat being out pointed by Armenian Gabriel Tolmajyan last year in a split decision. As well as this loss he also has 3 no contests thanks to head clashes which have plagued his career in all honesty .
Since his loss to Tolmajyan, Prescott has run up 3 straight victories including a decision win over the then 11-1 Saul Morales, arguably the best victory of Prescott's career so far. Sadly however for Prescott, Morales is no where near the level of Walters and I tend to think that it's the loss of Prescott that tells us more about him than anything else.
With Walters' power and Prescott's limited ability I dare say that Prescott (who goes into this as the WBA's #5 ranked fighter some how) will get put into his shell early and eventually ground down in the latter half of the fight.
Prediction-Walters TKO7
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Chris John v Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo
Indonesian Featherweight Chris John (47-0-2, 22) not only has the longest active unbeaten record at 49 fights, but he is also one of the longest reigning world champions having held the various forms of the WBA Featherweight title since 2003. This weekend however John seeks to take the unbeaten record of another unbeaten fighter as he faces Thai Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (44-0, 27). Yes you are reading this right, the combined records of these two men reads 91-0-2 (49) and tomorrow morning, they will fight for John's "Super" WBA Featherweight title.
Most fight fans around the world will know something about Chris John. You don't hold various forms of the WBA title for 9 years with out boxing fans knowing who you are, likewise you don't go 49 fights unbeaten with out people reading about you. Though of course despite those stats most haven't really seen much of John, other than perhaps his 2 fights in the US against Rocky Juarez.
A reason for so few fight fans to have actually seen John is due to the fact he's a legendary fight in Indonesia where his is paid very nicely. His payments in Indonesia as the main event are significantly better than what he generally gets paid for fighting away from home, hence his lack of fights in Europe or the US. In fact in a career spanning all the way back to 1998 John has only fought 8 times out of his homeland, 3 times in Japan, twice in Australia, once in Singapore and the two aforementioned bouts with Juarez in the US. However tomorrows fight will see John fighting in Singapore for the second successive fight, again with a huge payment expected.
In terms of his record John is a bit of a strange one. He's been unbeaten since 1998 yet has only faced a number of well regarded opponents. Whilst Juan Manuel Marquez is obviously the stand out name on John's record (who John beat in 2006), John also holds wins over Oscar Leon, Derrick Gainer, Rocky Juarez and fellow Indonesian Daud Cino Yordan (who also fights on the same card).
At his best John was a hugely talented fighter who could move, box, and whilst he couldn't really bang, he knew what to do to stay out of trouble using his legs and long accurate shots thrown in combinations. He had quick hands, he was tough (though knew how to stay out of too much danger) and quick feet. However at 33 years old John is no longer the fighter he once was and the fact he struggled with Stanyslav Merdov just a year ago, despite dropping Merdov, shows signs that John is a fighter who is feeling the effects of a long career. Not only is long in terms of years (14) or fights (49) but also rounds (395). The problem with not being a hard puncher, especially at world level is that 12 rounds take their toll on your body and with John having stopped only 3 of his last 17 opponents, he has run up a lot of miles on the clock.
Whilst John is well known through out the boxing world for various things, it's fair to say that Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo is much less well known, however many view him as having a genuine chance at scoring the upset. The 27 year old Thai turned professional in 2003 and swiftly claimed the WBC Asian Boxing Council Featherweight title, a title he defended well over 20 times!
Although Piriyapino has a long unbeaten record, like John, it's hard to find too many recognisable names on his record however the most recognisable is former world champion Yoddamrong Sithyodthong, however Sithyodthong wasn't the fighter he had once been. Other than that, his record is padded with journeyman, like Jack Asis and Jaime Barcelona which make it almost impossible to really say how good he is.
Like fellow Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu, Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo has a genuinely tough look to him. Whilst their styles are different, they are similar and Piriyapinyo does seem like the sort of fighter who will force an opponent to work hard (like Sor Singyu, who appears to have a better defense). If Piriyapinyo can force the fight to John he really could take advantage of the champions age and wear and tear, however the fact he is slow on his feet does give John a chance to stay away and box.
If John isn't up for this and cannot roll back the clock I really do see the upset. Piriyapinyo will not only be looking to retain his unbeaten record, but will be looking to score by far the biggest win of his career, a win that will really allow him to make some serious money and a chance to show his talent around the world. Whilst John is the favourite, I personally will be going for the upset here.
Prediction: Piriyapinyo UD 12
Most fight fans around the world will know something about Chris John. You don't hold various forms of the WBA title for 9 years with out boxing fans knowing who you are, likewise you don't go 49 fights unbeaten with out people reading about you. Though of course despite those stats most haven't really seen much of John, other than perhaps his 2 fights in the US against Rocky Juarez.
A reason for so few fight fans to have actually seen John is due to the fact he's a legendary fight in Indonesia where his is paid very nicely. His payments in Indonesia as the main event are significantly better than what he generally gets paid for fighting away from home, hence his lack of fights in Europe or the US. In fact in a career spanning all the way back to 1998 John has only fought 8 times out of his homeland, 3 times in Japan, twice in Australia, once in Singapore and the two aforementioned bouts with Juarez in the US. However tomorrows fight will see John fighting in Singapore for the second successive fight, again with a huge payment expected.
In terms of his record John is a bit of a strange one. He's been unbeaten since 1998 yet has only faced a number of well regarded opponents. Whilst Juan Manuel Marquez is obviously the stand out name on John's record (who John beat in 2006), John also holds wins over Oscar Leon, Derrick Gainer, Rocky Juarez and fellow Indonesian Daud Cino Yordan (who also fights on the same card).
At his best John was a hugely talented fighter who could move, box, and whilst he couldn't really bang, he knew what to do to stay out of trouble using his legs and long accurate shots thrown in combinations. He had quick hands, he was tough (though knew how to stay out of too much danger) and quick feet. However at 33 years old John is no longer the fighter he once was and the fact he struggled with Stanyslav Merdov just a year ago, despite dropping Merdov, shows signs that John is a fighter who is feeling the effects of a long career. Not only is long in terms of years (14) or fights (49) but also rounds (395). The problem with not being a hard puncher, especially at world level is that 12 rounds take their toll on your body and with John having stopped only 3 of his last 17 opponents, he has run up a lot of miles on the clock.
Whilst John is well known through out the boxing world for various things, it's fair to say that Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo is much less well known, however many view him as having a genuine chance at scoring the upset. The 27 year old Thai turned professional in 2003 and swiftly claimed the WBC Asian Boxing Council Featherweight title, a title he defended well over 20 times!
Although Piriyapino has a long unbeaten record, like John, it's hard to find too many recognisable names on his record however the most recognisable is former world champion Yoddamrong Sithyodthong, however Sithyodthong wasn't the fighter he had once been. Other than that, his record is padded with journeyman, like Jack Asis and Jaime Barcelona which make it almost impossible to really say how good he is.
Like fellow Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu, Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo has a genuinely tough look to him. Whilst their styles are different, they are similar and Piriyapinyo does seem like the sort of fighter who will force an opponent to work hard (like Sor Singyu, who appears to have a better defense). If Piriyapinyo can force the fight to John he really could take advantage of the champions age and wear and tear, however the fact he is slow on his feet does give John a chance to stay away and box.
If John isn't up for this and cannot roll back the clock I really do see the upset. Piriyapinyo will not only be looking to retain his unbeaten record, but will be looking to score by far the biggest win of his career, a win that will really allow him to make some serious money and a chance to show his talent around the world. Whilst John is the favourite, I personally will be going for the upset here.
Prediction: Piriyapinyo UD 12
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Jhonny Gonzalez v Daniel Ponce De Leon
With the "Grito de Dolores" holiday ahead of us both Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions have set up cards aiming to appeal to the massive Mexican boxing community. Whilst Golden Boy have gotten Saul Alvarez v Josesito Lopez the most exciting bout on their card is actually the bout for the WBC Featherweight title between Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45) and challenger Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4, 35).
Whilst Saul "Canelo" Alvarez may be seen as the future of Mexican boxing, Ponce De Leon and Gonzalez are both veterans, but both are veterans who have power and and excitement running through their veins, which is why I, like many others, love this bout.
The champion, Jhonny Gonzalez, first fought professionally way back in 1999 and actually started his career with 2 losses. In fact early in his career the young Gonzalez wasn't really expected to achieve a whole lot suffering 4 losses in his first 18 professional bouts. Despite this Gonzalez continued to fight on and in 2005 he scored his big breakthrough by stopping Thai Ratanachai Sor Vorapin to claim the WBO Bantamweight title.
After winning the world title Gonzalez would begin to mix with genuine world level fighters on a regular basis and scored notable wins over Marc Johnson, Fernando Montiel and Irene Pacheco. Those wins were however marred somewhat with losses to Israel Vazquez (at Super Bantamweight) and Gerry Penalosa, both by TKO as Gonzalez showed real fragility.
It didn't take long for Gonzalez to bounce back from those losses an less than 2 years later he was again fighting for a world title as he took on the very talented Japanese fighter Toshiaki Nishioka for the WBC Super Bantamweight title. Despite dropping Nishioka in the opening round Gonzalez was eventually stopped himself in round 3. Gonzalez's drive and determination saw him refusing to give up on himself and 2 years later he completely revitalised his career by stopping Hozumi Hasegawa and claiming the WBC Featherweight title, finally becoming a 2-weight world champion.
Since claiming the WBC Featherweight in April 2011 Gonzalez has made 4 world title defenses including 3 by stoppage (With only Elio Rojas managing to survive the distance). Amazingly only 3 of Gonzalez's last 26 fights have gone the schedule.
Despite his reputation as a hard hitting but fragile fighter Gonzalez is actually a genuinely talented boxer who just so happens to have incredibly heavy hands. He can box well behind the jab and has started to use his experience more to make up for his perceived fragilities. When he lands he lands hard but don't let that confuse you into thinking he's just a raw banger because he's really much more.
The challenger, Daniel Ponce De Leon is the slightly older man at 32 years old though has "only" been boxing since 2001. Like Gonzalez he has made his name by being an incredibly hard puncher in fact Ponce De Leon actually started his career with an amazing 21 straight T/KO's all of which all but a handful came in the first 5 or so rounds.
After compiling an excellent record of 24-0 (23) Ponce De Leon would step up for the first time and face Panamanian "freak" Celestino Caballero (who despite being a Super Bantamweight at the time stood at an alarming 5'11). Caballero managed to not only survive the distance with Ponce De Leon but also become the first man to defeat the Mexican banger.
Ponce De Leon would bounce back from his first career loss by swiftly climbing back up the rankings and by the end of 2005 he had claimed his first world title, the WBO Super Bantamweight title by defeating Sod Kokietgym via decision. As the WBO world champion Ponce De Leon would make 6 successful title defenses with 4 of those coming by T/KO (including opening round KO's over Sod Kokietgym and Rey Bautista) before losing his title to the then emerging Purto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez inside a round.
Following the loss to Lopez, Ponce De Leon rebuilt his record with 7 straight wins before controversially losing to Adrian Broner, and subsequently losing to Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa. Since then however Ponce De Leon has won his last 2 bouts (admittedly against lower level fighters) as he's continued to stay busy.
Whilst Ponce De Leon punches like a horse he has often been criticized for being incredibly limited. A few years back one commentator actually said “Well, why would you want to bother to learn to box when you can punch like that?” following a monster punch by Ponce De Leon, however in recent bouts Ponce De Leon does seem to have developed some real boxing skills of his own, whilst he'll never be Pernell Whittaker he's no longer just a crude home run hitter.
On paper this looks like an out and out shoot out. Two huge punchers capable of disconnecting an opponent from their senses and it could well be a case of whoever lands first wins, it genuinely is a fight that promises to be "blink and you miss it". Whilst fights like this may tend to favour the tougher fighter (in this case Ponce De Leon) this is actually a really, really hard call. Ponce certainly seems to have rounded his skills off in recent years but no longer seems to be the monster puncher he once was (scoring only 5 T/KO's in his last 11 bouts) whilst Jhonny stills hurts his opponents with every single shot he lands. With this in mind I'm going with Gonzalez though wouldn't be surprised if Ponce De Leon scored an early stoppage. One thing is for sure, this will not go the distance.
Prediction-Gonzalez TKO4
Whilst Saul "Canelo" Alvarez may be seen as the future of Mexican boxing, Ponce De Leon and Gonzalez are both veterans, but both are veterans who have power and and excitement running through their veins, which is why I, like many others, love this bout.
The champion, Jhonny Gonzalez, first fought professionally way back in 1999 and actually started his career with 2 losses. In fact early in his career the young Gonzalez wasn't really expected to achieve a whole lot suffering 4 losses in his first 18 professional bouts. Despite this Gonzalez continued to fight on and in 2005 he scored his big breakthrough by stopping Thai Ratanachai Sor Vorapin to claim the WBO Bantamweight title.
After winning the world title Gonzalez would begin to mix with genuine world level fighters on a regular basis and scored notable wins over Marc Johnson, Fernando Montiel and Irene Pacheco. Those wins were however marred somewhat with losses to Israel Vazquez (at Super Bantamweight) and Gerry Penalosa, both by TKO as Gonzalez showed real fragility.
It didn't take long for Gonzalez to bounce back from those losses an less than 2 years later he was again fighting for a world title as he took on the very talented Japanese fighter Toshiaki Nishioka for the WBC Super Bantamweight title. Despite dropping Nishioka in the opening round Gonzalez was eventually stopped himself in round 3. Gonzalez's drive and determination saw him refusing to give up on himself and 2 years later he completely revitalised his career by stopping Hozumi Hasegawa and claiming the WBC Featherweight title, finally becoming a 2-weight world champion.
Since claiming the WBC Featherweight in April 2011 Gonzalez has made 4 world title defenses including 3 by stoppage (With only Elio Rojas managing to survive the distance). Amazingly only 3 of Gonzalez's last 26 fights have gone the schedule.
Despite his reputation as a hard hitting but fragile fighter Gonzalez is actually a genuinely talented boxer who just so happens to have incredibly heavy hands. He can box well behind the jab and has started to use his experience more to make up for his perceived fragilities. When he lands he lands hard but don't let that confuse you into thinking he's just a raw banger because he's really much more.
The challenger, Daniel Ponce De Leon is the slightly older man at 32 years old though has "only" been boxing since 2001. Like Gonzalez he has made his name by being an incredibly hard puncher in fact Ponce De Leon actually started his career with an amazing 21 straight T/KO's all of which all but a handful came in the first 5 or so rounds.
After compiling an excellent record of 24-0 (23) Ponce De Leon would step up for the first time and face Panamanian "freak" Celestino Caballero (who despite being a Super Bantamweight at the time stood at an alarming 5'11). Caballero managed to not only survive the distance with Ponce De Leon but also become the first man to defeat the Mexican banger.
Ponce De Leon would bounce back from his first career loss by swiftly climbing back up the rankings and by the end of 2005 he had claimed his first world title, the WBO Super Bantamweight title by defeating Sod Kokietgym via decision. As the WBO world champion Ponce De Leon would make 6 successful title defenses with 4 of those coming by T/KO (including opening round KO's over Sod Kokietgym and Rey Bautista) before losing his title to the then emerging Purto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez inside a round.
Following the loss to Lopez, Ponce De Leon rebuilt his record with 7 straight wins before controversially losing to Adrian Broner, and subsequently losing to Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa. Since then however Ponce De Leon has won his last 2 bouts (admittedly against lower level fighters) as he's continued to stay busy.
Whilst Ponce De Leon punches like a horse he has often been criticized for being incredibly limited. A few years back one commentator actually said “Well, why would you want to bother to learn to box when you can punch like that?” following a monster punch by Ponce De Leon, however in recent bouts Ponce De Leon does seem to have developed some real boxing skills of his own, whilst he'll never be Pernell Whittaker he's no longer just a crude home run hitter.
On paper this looks like an out and out shoot out. Two huge punchers capable of disconnecting an opponent from their senses and it could well be a case of whoever lands first wins, it genuinely is a fight that promises to be "blink and you miss it". Whilst fights like this may tend to favour the tougher fighter (in this case Ponce De Leon) this is actually a really, really hard call. Ponce certainly seems to have rounded his skills off in recent years but no longer seems to be the monster puncher he once was (scoring only 5 T/KO's in his last 11 bouts) whilst Jhonny stills hurts his opponents with every single shot he lands. With this in mind I'm going with Gonzalez though wouldn't be surprised if Ponce De Leon scored an early stoppage. One thing is for sure, this will not go the distance.
Prediction-Gonzalez TKO4
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