Former WBO Light Heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer (41-2, 31) gets a chance to once again call himself a world champion this weekend as he takes on unbeaten American Marcus Oliveira (25-0-1, 20) for the now vacant WBA Light Heavyweight title.
Due to the stupid political situation of boxing at times this is a title fight that even I'm finding it hard to be excited by. The true WBA champion, Beibut Shumenov, has been inactive for 18 months, he returns this Saturday in a total mismatch against Tamas Kovacs. Rather than forcing Shumenov into an interesting battle with Braehmer the WBA have instead allowed Shumenov his mismatch and also put Braehmer into a bout that I feel is another equally one sided bout.
Braehmer, for years, has been one of the top 10 or so Light Heavyweights on the planet. He's certainly been beatable but he's never been easy to beat as he's combined solid boxing fundamentals, experience, power and toughness into a very solid all-rounder. Little really stands out about him, but like wise there are many flaws. He's not the hardest working, or the biggest hitter but he's dangerous and does enough more often than not to win rounds.
Although aged 35 Braehmer is a relatively young 35 and has had several breaks from the ring to various issues, including legal matters which have kept him "young" in terms of boxing. He's certainly slowed due to natural aging but he's not taken the excess punishment that he perhaps could have done had he been active these past few years.
Despite Braehmer's age it's worth noting that Oliveira himself is 34 years old and more worryingly this is his first real taste of world class. With 26 bouts behind and a professional career that dates back over 7 years this is a massive step up and it speaks volumes when you consider that Oliveira's best opponent to date was Ryan Coyne, who lets be honest was not great himself.
Oliveira is having the best run of his career with victories over Coyne, Ricky Torrez and Antwun Echols in his last 3. Despite those wins there is nothing that makes me think he will be able to test the talented, if frustrating, German.
Prediction-Braehmer TKO11
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Darren Barker v Felix Sturm
If you ask me I'd say one of the luckiest men to win a world title this year has been Britain's "Dazzling" Darren Barker (26-1, 16) who took a very debatable decision over Daniel Geale to claim the IBF title a few months back. The obvious move after that was an immediate rematch between the two though unfortunately that never happened and instead Barker's first defense will come against Germany's Felix Sturm (38-3-2-1, 17).
For years Sturm was criticised for taking easy defenses, claiming controversial victories and generally derided by the boxing public. Over the past two years however he has suffered a loss to Daniel Geale and a loss (later over-turned to a no contest) against Sam Soliman. This suggests that even the German fans are bored of him and the judges are no longer "in his pocket" as some have suggest.
At his beat Sturm was a jabbing machine. He was never be a big puncher, he'd never knock fighters clean out but he did have the uncanny ability to land his exceptional jab at will almost dismantling opponents with the crisp clean jab. It was this jab that helped him hold the WBA Middleweight hostage in Germany for years though unfortunately for him he ran into a determined and busy Geale who did enough to force the judges to give him the win.
Sturm is no longer able to keep up the busy jab like he did in his prime. It's still an excellent jab but his work rate has dropped off and a busy fighter like Geale has been able to make him look awful. In fact Geale, Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray have all made Sturm look second rate.
With that in mind I need to favour Barker to retain his title here. The Englishman might be going over the Germany but he's a younger fighter who can dig deep, has shown an improved ability to go 12 rounds and looks to be fighting at his best. Sure I felt he came second to Geale but that was genuinely close, this however won't be.
In terms of the jabbing game Barker will be able to hold his own with Sturm who turns 35 next month, in terms of the inside game I favour Barker and whilst he certainly won't dominate the fight he'll do enough to take a clear but competitive decision by around 8 rounds to 4.
Although a rematch in the UK has been signed in to the contract I'd imagine if Barker wins here we won't be seeing the rematch here, instead the Geale rematch is more likely and certainly makes for a more competitive bout than a do-over of this one.
Prediction-Barker UD12
For years Sturm was criticised for taking easy defenses, claiming controversial victories and generally derided by the boxing public. Over the past two years however he has suffered a loss to Daniel Geale and a loss (later over-turned to a no contest) against Sam Soliman. This suggests that even the German fans are bored of him and the judges are no longer "in his pocket" as some have suggest.
At his beat Sturm was a jabbing machine. He was never be a big puncher, he'd never knock fighters clean out but he did have the uncanny ability to land his exceptional jab at will almost dismantling opponents with the crisp clean jab. It was this jab that helped him hold the WBA Middleweight hostage in Germany for years though unfortunately for him he ran into a determined and busy Geale who did enough to force the judges to give him the win.
Sturm is no longer able to keep up the busy jab like he did in his prime. It's still an excellent jab but his work rate has dropped off and a busy fighter like Geale has been able to make him look awful. In fact Geale, Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray have all made Sturm look second rate.
With that in mind I need to favour Barker to retain his title here. The Englishman might be going over the Germany but he's a younger fighter who can dig deep, has shown an improved ability to go 12 rounds and looks to be fighting at his best. Sure I felt he came second to Geale but that was genuinely close, this however won't be.
In terms of the jabbing game Barker will be able to hold his own with Sturm who turns 35 next month, in terms of the inside game I favour Barker and whilst he certainly won't dominate the fight he'll do enough to take a clear but competitive decision by around 8 rounds to 4.
Although a rematch in the UK has been signed in to the contract I'd imagine if Barker wins here we won't be seeing the rematch here, instead the Geale rematch is more likely and certainly makes for a more competitive bout than a do-over of this one.
Prediction-Barker UD12
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Yoan Pablo Hernandez v Alexander Alekseev
Although the Cruiserweight division will always be the "bastard division" of boxing it has, in recent years, been one of the most exciting with major bouts and hardcore action on a regular basis. We expect that to continue this coming weekend as Cuban Yoan Pablo Hernandez (27-1, 13) defends his IBF Cruiserweight title for the third time.
Hernandez, the Ring magazine and IBF champion is a man who is widely regarded as one of the truly elite Cruiserweights. A giant in division at 6'4" with genuine knockdown power, solid speed, devastating reach and very impressive skills he does look like the real deal at times. Unfortunately for all the strengths that Hernandez has he does have a number of issues. Notably his finishing skills are less than average, his work rate can be very poor, his mental strength is questionable, his chin is suspect and most worryingly he has been inactive.
At his best Hernandez would genuinely hold his own with any of the other top Cruiserweights such as Marco Huck, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk or Ola Afolabi. At his worst however he'd struggle with any of the top 10-15 Cruiserweights, as shown last time out when he was very, very fortunate to defeat Troy Toss.
That's the problem with Hernandez. He's skilled but can be discouraged and is very much a flat track bully who can't seem to be able to dominate against an opponent willing to take a shot and fight back.
Hernandez's challenger this time around is Russian power puncher Alexander Alekseev (24-2-1, 20) who was thought of as a nailed on future champion when he turned professional back in 2006. Unfortunately Alexseev has similar mental traits to Hernandez. Although a very different fighter Alexseev is another who is a bit of a bully in the ring and doesn't seem to have the mental toughness to back up his impressive talent.
At his best Alekseev is somewhat a Wladimir Klitschko style fighter with solid and powerful straight punches. His jab and straight are both excellent, powerful, fast and fluid. Unfortunately when fighters get inside he seems to really struggle and this was certainly shown against Firat Arslan.
What Alexeev needs to be concerned about here isn't so much the inside action but his chin. If Hernandez tags him clean on it we could well see a very early ending here.
With the ring rust of Hernandez, who has been out of the ring for more than a year, I do give Alexeev a chance, though in all honesty it's half a chance. Unfortunately for the Russian I cant see him standing up through Hernandez's fire power for 12 rounds and after Hernandez shakes some of the rust I see him stopping Alekseev.
Prediction-Hernandez TKO5
Hernandez, the Ring magazine and IBF champion is a man who is widely regarded as one of the truly elite Cruiserweights. A giant in division at 6'4" with genuine knockdown power, solid speed, devastating reach and very impressive skills he does look like the real deal at times. Unfortunately for all the strengths that Hernandez has he does have a number of issues. Notably his finishing skills are less than average, his work rate can be very poor, his mental strength is questionable, his chin is suspect and most worryingly he has been inactive.
At his best Hernandez would genuinely hold his own with any of the other top Cruiserweights such as Marco Huck, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk or Ola Afolabi. At his worst however he'd struggle with any of the top 10-15 Cruiserweights, as shown last time out when he was very, very fortunate to defeat Troy Toss.
That's the problem with Hernandez. He's skilled but can be discouraged and is very much a flat track bully who can't seem to be able to dominate against an opponent willing to take a shot and fight back.
Hernandez's challenger this time around is Russian power puncher Alexander Alekseev (24-2-1, 20) who was thought of as a nailed on future champion when he turned professional back in 2006. Unfortunately Alexseev has similar mental traits to Hernandez. Although a very different fighter Alexseev is another who is a bit of a bully in the ring and doesn't seem to have the mental toughness to back up his impressive talent.
At his best Alekseev is somewhat a Wladimir Klitschko style fighter with solid and powerful straight punches. His jab and straight are both excellent, powerful, fast and fluid. Unfortunately when fighters get inside he seems to really struggle and this was certainly shown against Firat Arslan.
What Alexeev needs to be concerned about here isn't so much the inside action but his chin. If Hernandez tags him clean on it we could well see a very early ending here.
With the ring rust of Hernandez, who has been out of the ring for more than a year, I do give Alexeev a chance, though in all honesty it's half a chance. Unfortunately for the Russian I cant see him standing up through Hernandez's fire power for 12 rounds and after Hernandez shakes some of the rust I see him stopping Alekseev.
Prediction-Hernandez TKO5
Friday, 18 October 2013
Robert Stieglitz v Isaac Ekpo
After the late cancellation of of the IBF Flyweight title bout that was scheduled on this weekend's Sport Events Steinforth card we are left with just a sole title fight in Europe this weekend as German Robert Stieglitz (45-3, 26) defends his WBO Super Middleweight title for the second time. The often over-looked Stieglitz will be facing the relatively unknown and totally unheralded Nigerian Isaac Ekpo (22-1, 16), AKA the Grenade.
Whilst the bout is the highest profile contest in Europe this weekend it's also one that appears to be relatively one sided with Stieglitz being a genuinely solid competitor. He's not a massive puncher but at his best he's a force to be reckoned with. He posses solid speed, solid technique and a fantastic work rate that he can see him grinding down opponents with volume rather than power.
Although Stieglitz isn't the most durable of fighters, having been stopped in 2 of his 3 losses, he has matured into a tougher fighter both mentally and physically. He's learned to take shots better and no longer seems to a fighter with worries. Sure he's not real competition for someone like Andre Ward or Carl Froch but he'd give pretty much anyone else in the division a genuinely tough days work.
Plenty is known about Stieglitz. We've all seen him fighting notable opponents including Librado Andrade and Arthur Abraham and we've also seen his in ring maturity. A lot less is known about Ekpo who has been a professional since 2005 though has never fought outside of Africa or fought a notable name. In fact in his 23 fight career it's hard to find anyone of any note on his record.
What is known about Ekpo is that he's unbeaten in the last 5 years and is actually on a 17 fight winning streak with 12 of those coming via stoppage. He's certainly got power, at least at the lower level, though questions are out there regarding whether or not he'll manage to connect again a better level of opponent or whether or not it'll have an effect at this level. My feeling is that it won't.
In fact my guess in regards to this bout is that Ekpo will miss regularly and be countered in return, slowly being broken down before being stopped in the late rounds of the bout.
Prediction- Stieglitz TKO8
Whilst the bout is the highest profile contest in Europe this weekend it's also one that appears to be relatively one sided with Stieglitz being a genuinely solid competitor. He's not a massive puncher but at his best he's a force to be reckoned with. He posses solid speed, solid technique and a fantastic work rate that he can see him grinding down opponents with volume rather than power.
Although Stieglitz isn't the most durable of fighters, having been stopped in 2 of his 3 losses, he has matured into a tougher fighter both mentally and physically. He's learned to take shots better and no longer seems to a fighter with worries. Sure he's not real competition for someone like Andre Ward or Carl Froch but he'd give pretty much anyone else in the division a genuinely tough days work.
Plenty is known about Stieglitz. We've all seen him fighting notable opponents including Librado Andrade and Arthur Abraham and we've also seen his in ring maturity. A lot less is known about Ekpo who has been a professional since 2005 though has never fought outside of Africa or fought a notable name. In fact in his 23 fight career it's hard to find anyone of any note on his record.
What is known about Ekpo is that he's unbeaten in the last 5 years and is actually on a 17 fight winning streak with 12 of those coming via stoppage. He's certainly got power, at least at the lower level, though questions are out there regarding whether or not he'll manage to connect again a better level of opponent or whether or not it'll have an effect at this level. My feeling is that it won't.
In fact my guess in regards to this bout is that Ekpo will miss regularly and be countered in return, slowly being broken down before being stopped in the late rounds of the bout.
Prediction- Stieglitz TKO8
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Robert Stieglitz v Yuzo Kiyota
German fighter Robert Stieglitz (??) begins his second reign as the WBO Super Middleweight champion as he takes on little known Japanese challenger Yuzo Kiyota (?-?). This might appear a big step down for Stieglitz considering he stopped Arthur Abraham last time out but the bout serves as a genuinely intriguing contest with Kiyota fighting for his place in history.
We'll start by looking at the well known Stieglitz, a man who has been fighting at the world level for the past 6 or so years yet has been continually derided as one of the sports weaker champions-a harsh tag for a fighter who has achieved more than most.
Stieglitz first fought in a world title bout just over 6 years ago losing by stoppage to Alejandro Berrio in 3 rounds. That bout, for the IBF title was a major set back for Stieglitz though one he used to build from before suffering another set back a year later to Librado Andrade. Like the loss to Berrerio the defeat at the hands of Andrade left many wondering if Stieglitz had the chin and mental fortitude to really compete at the world level.
Since those losses Stieglitz has developed as a fighter, he has toughened up and become a much better fighter. He has shown a fantastic engine, solid skills and the heart of a lion although his competition has been less than spectacular.
The graduation for Stieglitz as a fighter occurred in 2009 when he dethroned Karoly Balzsay of the WBO title. He would later defend this belt 6 times against a variety of contenders before suffering a disputed decision loss to Arthur Abraham in 2012. Against Abraham in their first bout Stieglitz refused to be intimidated by Abraham's much vaunted punching power and instead forced the action himself, his shots failed to hurt the then challenger but proved he had developed as a fighter.
Less than 6 months after the loss to Abraham, Stieglitz faced him again and this time came out like a man possessed. He jumped on the then defending champion from the opening bell and never relented as he damaged Abraham's face to the point of the Dr needing to stop the fight.
Having answered questions about his chin and heart Stieglitz has only now been receiving the plaudits that he deserves though is still viewed as a "B" class champion.
Now on to his challenger the unheralded Japanese fighter Yuzo Kiyota.
Kiyota is all but unknown in the west though footage of the powerfully built fighter is available on youtube (though of course it's not easy to find). In the east however he is much more well known having been the OPBF Super Middleweight champion since 2008 and having been very fun to watch with his power and style.
Although Kiyota was stopped just a few fights back by Jameson Bostic in just a round he has developed significantly since that bout, much like Stieglitz has developed since his losses. At his worst Kiyota was a reckless powerhouse who was free swinging and hoping to take his opponents head off before he was tagged himself. Since the loss to Bostic however he has been using his thunderous jab more often and fighting in a more restrained manner.
As the major under-dog here Kiyota goes in with little expectation though a victory would see him cement his name in the record books. Not only would Kiyota become the first WBO champion from Japan but he would also become Japan's first ever Super Middleweight world champion.
With Kiyota's power, especially with his body shots it's hard to totally discount him, though in all honesty the experience, especially at this level, that Stieglitz has should see him through to a victory.
Prediction-Stieglitz UD12
We'll start by looking at the well known Stieglitz, a man who has been fighting at the world level for the past 6 or so years yet has been continually derided as one of the sports weaker champions-a harsh tag for a fighter who has achieved more than most.
Stieglitz first fought in a world title bout just over 6 years ago losing by stoppage to Alejandro Berrio in 3 rounds. That bout, for the IBF title was a major set back for Stieglitz though one he used to build from before suffering another set back a year later to Librado Andrade. Like the loss to Berrerio the defeat at the hands of Andrade left many wondering if Stieglitz had the chin and mental fortitude to really compete at the world level.
Since those losses Stieglitz has developed as a fighter, he has toughened up and become a much better fighter. He has shown a fantastic engine, solid skills and the heart of a lion although his competition has been less than spectacular.
The graduation for Stieglitz as a fighter occurred in 2009 when he dethroned Karoly Balzsay of the WBO title. He would later defend this belt 6 times against a variety of contenders before suffering a disputed decision loss to Arthur Abraham in 2012. Against Abraham in their first bout Stieglitz refused to be intimidated by Abraham's much vaunted punching power and instead forced the action himself, his shots failed to hurt the then challenger but proved he had developed as a fighter.
Less than 6 months after the loss to Abraham, Stieglitz faced him again and this time came out like a man possessed. He jumped on the then defending champion from the opening bell and never relented as he damaged Abraham's face to the point of the Dr needing to stop the fight.
Having answered questions about his chin and heart Stieglitz has only now been receiving the plaudits that he deserves though is still viewed as a "B" class champion.
Now on to his challenger the unheralded Japanese fighter Yuzo Kiyota.
Kiyota is all but unknown in the west though footage of the powerfully built fighter is available on youtube (though of course it's not easy to find). In the east however he is much more well known having been the OPBF Super Middleweight champion since 2008 and having been very fun to watch with his power and style.
Although Kiyota was stopped just a few fights back by Jameson Bostic in just a round he has developed significantly since that bout, much like Stieglitz has developed since his losses. At his worst Kiyota was a reckless powerhouse who was free swinging and hoping to take his opponents head off before he was tagged himself. Since the loss to Bostic however he has been using his thunderous jab more often and fighting in a more restrained manner.
As the major under-dog here Kiyota goes in with little expectation though a victory would see him cement his name in the record books. Not only would Kiyota become the first WBO champion from Japan but he would also become Japan's first ever Super Middleweight world champion.
With Kiyota's power, especially with his body shots it's hard to totally discount him, though in all honesty the experience, especially at this level, that Stieglitz has should see him through to a victory.
Prediction-Stieglitz UD12
Friday, 14 December 2012
Arthur Abraham v Mehdi Bouadla
German based Armenian Arthur Abraham (35-3, 27) will make the first defense of his WBO Super Middleweight title this weekend as he faces Frenchman Mehdi Bouadla (26-4, 11) at the Arena Nürnberger Versicherung.
Abraham claimed this title a few months ago as he controversially defeated Robert Stieglitz in a thoroughly fun to watch fight that saw both fighters giving and taking for 12 rounds. It did however take him 3 attempts to claim a Super Middleweight title after having also claimed a Middleweight title way back in 2005.
As a Middleweight Abraham was a really dangerous fighter who could KO fighters at any time, with either hand. His work rate was low, his guard was solid and his style was hugely frustrating, though when he let his hands go he was stupidly fun to watch. Sadly when he moved up to Super Middleweight he found that fighters weren't that easy to beat as the bigger men used their size, especially their reach and their ability to take harder shots. It was at Super Middleweight that Abraham suffered all 3 of his losses, 2 by decision and 1 by DQ.
Whilst Abraham is a known fighter with world credentials spanning the better part of the decade that has seen him in with fighters such as Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Andre Dirrell, Jermain Taylor, Kheron Gevor and Edison Miranda (twice, including a memorable and bloody battle) it's fair to say that Mehdi Bouadla is much less well known. Despite being less high profile Bouadla has himself mixed in world class company having faced a then 8-0 Gennady Golovkin, former title contender Morrade Hakkar and most recently Mikkel Kessler.
For most it's the Kessler fight that really suggest how good Bouadla is, and to be fair, it's not very. He's not bad as such but he's a long way from being a genuinely world class fighter and I think this will be shown as Abraham slowly breaks down Bouadla in the middle to late rounds. Kessler is admittedly a very different fighter to Abraham, but they both bang and I think that one thing in common will show again here.
Prediction-Abrahm TKO9
Abraham claimed this title a few months ago as he controversially defeated Robert Stieglitz in a thoroughly fun to watch fight that saw both fighters giving and taking for 12 rounds. It did however take him 3 attempts to claim a Super Middleweight title after having also claimed a Middleweight title way back in 2005.
As a Middleweight Abraham was a really dangerous fighter who could KO fighters at any time, with either hand. His work rate was low, his guard was solid and his style was hugely frustrating, though when he let his hands go he was stupidly fun to watch. Sadly when he moved up to Super Middleweight he found that fighters weren't that easy to beat as the bigger men used their size, especially their reach and their ability to take harder shots. It was at Super Middleweight that Abraham suffered all 3 of his losses, 2 by decision and 1 by DQ.
Whilst Abraham is a known fighter with world credentials spanning the better part of the decade that has seen him in with fighters such as Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Andre Dirrell, Jermain Taylor, Kheron Gevor and Edison Miranda (twice, including a memorable and bloody battle) it's fair to say that Mehdi Bouadla is much less well known. Despite being less high profile Bouadla has himself mixed in world class company having faced a then 8-0 Gennady Golovkin, former title contender Morrade Hakkar and most recently Mikkel Kessler.
For most it's the Kessler fight that really suggest how good Bouadla is, and to be fair, it's not very. He's not bad as such but he's a long way from being a genuinely world class fighter and I think this will be shown as Abraham slowly breaks down Bouadla in the middle to late rounds. Kessler is admittedly a very different fighter to Abraham, but they both bang and I think that one thing in common will show again here.
Prediction-Abrahm TKO9
Friday, 9 November 2012
Wladimir Klitschko v Mariusz Wach
Heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko (58-3, 50) will look to make yet another successful defense of his world titles, including the Ring Magazine, WBA "super", WBO and IBF as he faces unbeaten Pole Mariusz Wach (27-0, 15) in an interesting battle of the giants.
Although Wach is unbeaten he is the big under-dog going in to this fight, however some are tipping the Pole to shock the world. I myself can't see it, however it is fair to say that Wach is likely to be Wladimir's biggest challenge in quite some time, in fact at over 6'7" it's fair to say Wach is one of the biggest challenges in the division, period.
With his huge height and unbeaten record Wach does make for an interesting proposition for Klitschko. Then when you also factor in things such as the fact Wach is young than Wladimir by 4 years and also has a marginally bigger reach (82" to Wladimir's 81") it's little a little wonder that some are favouring Wach. Sadly however Wach isn't as good as his record looks and so far, in a career dating back to 2005, Wach hasn't scored a a really major win, instead feasting on club fighters like Kevin McBride and Tye Fields. In fact it's fair to say that Wach's best win to date is over Jason Gavern, not a world level fighter.
Despite the fact Wach hasn't faced anyone near world level, he has shown solid power, especially in recent bouts. In fact despite his record only showing a 55% KO rate he has stopped his last 7 opponents dating back to April 2009 including scoring eye catching KO's over both McBride and Christian Hammer.
Sadly despite seemingly developing his punch power, Wach is slow, he's clumsy and his over-all skills are limited, to say the least. Other than his size it's fair to say there is little to really but shocked by.
Like the challenger, the champion, Wladimir Klitschko is tall, however Klitschko is much, much more than just a tall Heavyweight. As we all know Wladimir is arguably the hardest puncher in the sport with his straight right hand being genuinely deadly, he also posses an excellent, fight controlling jab and whilst he's not got the aggression of some of the most memorable Heavyweights out there he is incredibly hard to beat.
The long standing feeling over Klitschko is that he's chinny and easily beatable as a result, however he's managed to go unbeaten in over 8 years and won no less than 13 title fights in that period. Not only has he been winning, but he's been beating the top guys in the division such as Chris Byrd, Samuel Peter, Sultan Ibragimov, Ruslan Chagaev, Eddie Chambers and of course the supposed saviour of the division David Haye.
I can't help but think that Klitschko is going to have a bit of a field day with Wach. Wach may be able to, whack (excuse the pun) but Klitschko is able to do a bit more than just punch, so I imagine he'll box, manage to use his superior foot work and get off on Wach in a cautious bout. I think it will start really slowly but Wladimir will manage to detonate his right hand in the middle rounds and Wach will topple. Don't expect this to be exciting, but expect it to be...interesting.
Sadly however, as we all know, Wladimir Klitschko's long term trainer Emmanuel Steward passed away recently. This will be the first time Klitschko will fight with out Steward in a number of years, and hopefully this won't get to Wladimir. As we all know, Wladimir was re-invented under Steward and hopefully this won't see Wlad forgetting the teachings of his much missed mentor.
Prediction: Klitschko KO8
Although Wach is unbeaten he is the big under-dog going in to this fight, however some are tipping the Pole to shock the world. I myself can't see it, however it is fair to say that Wach is likely to be Wladimir's biggest challenge in quite some time, in fact at over 6'7" it's fair to say Wach is one of the biggest challenges in the division, period.
With his huge height and unbeaten record Wach does make for an interesting proposition for Klitschko. Then when you also factor in things such as the fact Wach is young than Wladimir by 4 years and also has a marginally bigger reach (82" to Wladimir's 81") it's little a little wonder that some are favouring Wach. Sadly however Wach isn't as good as his record looks and so far, in a career dating back to 2005, Wach hasn't scored a a really major win, instead feasting on club fighters like Kevin McBride and Tye Fields. In fact it's fair to say that Wach's best win to date is over Jason Gavern, not a world level fighter.
Despite the fact Wach hasn't faced anyone near world level, he has shown solid power, especially in recent bouts. In fact despite his record only showing a 55% KO rate he has stopped his last 7 opponents dating back to April 2009 including scoring eye catching KO's over both McBride and Christian Hammer.
Sadly despite seemingly developing his punch power, Wach is slow, he's clumsy and his over-all skills are limited, to say the least. Other than his size it's fair to say there is little to really but shocked by.
Like the challenger, the champion, Wladimir Klitschko is tall, however Klitschko is much, much more than just a tall Heavyweight. As we all know Wladimir is arguably the hardest puncher in the sport with his straight right hand being genuinely deadly, he also posses an excellent, fight controlling jab and whilst he's not got the aggression of some of the most memorable Heavyweights out there he is incredibly hard to beat.
The long standing feeling over Klitschko is that he's chinny and easily beatable as a result, however he's managed to go unbeaten in over 8 years and won no less than 13 title fights in that period. Not only has he been winning, but he's been beating the top guys in the division such as Chris Byrd, Samuel Peter, Sultan Ibragimov, Ruslan Chagaev, Eddie Chambers and of course the supposed saviour of the division David Haye.
I can't help but think that Klitschko is going to have a bit of a field day with Wach. Wach may be able to, whack (excuse the pun) but Klitschko is able to do a bit more than just punch, so I imagine he'll box, manage to use his superior foot work and get off on Wach in a cautious bout. I think it will start really slowly but Wladimir will manage to detonate his right hand in the middle rounds and Wach will topple. Don't expect this to be exciting, but expect it to be...interesting.
Sadly however, as we all know, Wladimir Klitschko's long term trainer Emmanuel Steward passed away recently. This will be the first time Klitschko will fight with out Steward in a number of years, and hopefully this won't get to Wladimir. As we all know, Wladimir was re-invented under Steward and hopefully this won't see Wlad forgetting the teachings of his much missed mentor.
Prediction: Klitschko KO8
Friday, 2 November 2012
Marco Huck v Firat Arslan
WBO Cruiserweight champion Marco Huck (34-2-1, 25) looks to make the 10th defense of his belt this coming weekend as he faces veteran Firat Arslan (32-5-2, 21) in what looks likely to be Huck's final bout as a Cruiserweight and possibly Arslan's last career bout.
The 42 year old challenger has been there, seen it and gotten the T-shirt in his his 15 year career that has seen him becoming a staple of the Cruiserweight division. He has literally been in with a who's who of the division, especially in the last 5 or 6 years, and he's also held his own with not only some of the best of his generation but also of the emerging fighters in the division.
Arslan would really make a name for himself between 2006 and 2008 as he scored successive victories over the likes of Grigory Drozd, Valery Brudov, Virgil Hill and the always dangerous Darnell Wilson as he claimed the WBA Cruiserweight title, a title he defended three times. Sadly however for Arslan his advanced age didn't help him hold the title for long as he suffered a 10th round TKO loss to Guillermo Jones and a year later an 11th round TKO loss to Steve Herelius in an interim title bout.
Following the losses to Jones and Herelius, some expected Arslan to bow out of the sport gracefully with a then solid record of 29-5-2 (18) however Arslan seemed to think there as still life in the old dog. On his return to the ring, just 9 after losing to Herelius, Arslan stopped Michal Bilak before gaining revenge over Lubos Suda who had beaten him back in 2003. The come back then saw Arslan defeating Orlando Antonio Farias before scoring an eye opening draw with the highly touted Alexander Alekseev.
In terms of his style Arslan is a very tough fighter, he's in your face and brings a lot of pressure whilst looking to work from behind his high guard. Despite being in his 40's he has a respectable work rate even if it's not particularly high as he attempted to do enough to either just nick rounds or grind down opponents. If you allow Arslan to dictate either the tempo or the distance of a fight he can spring an upset on anyone however at just 5'11" he is short for a Cruiserweight and can be kept at range by a decent boxer.
Whilst Arslan is certainly coming to the end of his career, the 27 year old Huck is still well with in his prime and the former kick boxer is unarguably one of the most fun to watch fighters in world boxing. Despite having only been a professional for 8 years Huck has been one of the key names in the Cruiserweight division for 6 of them (since claiming the European-Union title in 2006).
As a Cruiserweight Huck is seen as a crude, caveman style fighter who is hugely powerful, teak tough and whilst not the most skilled has the physicality to win bouts with his power and raw aggression. Despite this he's not unbeatable with Steve Cunningham holding a 12th round TKO victory over Huck, although that was way back in 2007, the one and only time that Huck has been beaten at Cruiserweight.
Following the loss to Cunningham, Huck has rebuilt his career well claiming the European title and then the WBO title as he's swathed through a number of very skilled fighters including Jean Marc Monrose,Victor Emilio Ramirez, Ola Afolabi (twice), Denis Lebedev and Hugo Hernan Garay. However there is a lot of debate about whether or not the victories over Lebedev and Afolabi were above board (with a lot of debate over both bouts).
Despite suffering his only Cruiserweight loss back in 2007, Huck is current 0-1-1 in his last 3 having scored a draw Afolabi last time out and a loss in a WBA Heavyweight title bout to Alexander Povetkin in his fight prior. In both of these Huck came on strong after losing a number of early rounds and in all honesty he could well have won both bouts due despite losing a number of early rounds. Against Arslan, Huck will likely start faster than he did in either of those bouts.
I imagine this will be very fun to watch as both men are happy to stand in front of opponents and land their own shots between their opponents attacks. Neither guy is a typical "boxer" and neither guy particularly likes to take a backward step, this would therefore look, at least on paper, like a really exciting to watch bout. Sadly despite the brilliant combination of styles, it's hard to see Arslan managing to keep up with Huck's pace and power. As a result of Huck being the younger, more powerful, bigger, stronger, tougher man...it's impossible to go against Huck.
Prediction: Huck by TKO6
The 42 year old challenger has been there, seen it and gotten the T-shirt in his his 15 year career that has seen him becoming a staple of the Cruiserweight division. He has literally been in with a who's who of the division, especially in the last 5 or 6 years, and he's also held his own with not only some of the best of his generation but also of the emerging fighters in the division.
Arslan would really make a name for himself between 2006 and 2008 as he scored successive victories over the likes of Grigory Drozd, Valery Brudov, Virgil Hill and the always dangerous Darnell Wilson as he claimed the WBA Cruiserweight title, a title he defended three times. Sadly however for Arslan his advanced age didn't help him hold the title for long as he suffered a 10th round TKO loss to Guillermo Jones and a year later an 11th round TKO loss to Steve Herelius in an interim title bout.
Following the losses to Jones and Herelius, some expected Arslan to bow out of the sport gracefully with a then solid record of 29-5-2 (18) however Arslan seemed to think there as still life in the old dog. On his return to the ring, just 9 after losing to Herelius, Arslan stopped Michal Bilak before gaining revenge over Lubos Suda who had beaten him back in 2003. The come back then saw Arslan defeating Orlando Antonio Farias before scoring an eye opening draw with the highly touted Alexander Alekseev.
In terms of his style Arslan is a very tough fighter, he's in your face and brings a lot of pressure whilst looking to work from behind his high guard. Despite being in his 40's he has a respectable work rate even if it's not particularly high as he attempted to do enough to either just nick rounds or grind down opponents. If you allow Arslan to dictate either the tempo or the distance of a fight he can spring an upset on anyone however at just 5'11" he is short for a Cruiserweight and can be kept at range by a decent boxer.
Whilst Arslan is certainly coming to the end of his career, the 27 year old Huck is still well with in his prime and the former kick boxer is unarguably one of the most fun to watch fighters in world boxing. Despite having only been a professional for 8 years Huck has been one of the key names in the Cruiserweight division for 6 of them (since claiming the European-Union title in 2006).
As a Cruiserweight Huck is seen as a crude, caveman style fighter who is hugely powerful, teak tough and whilst not the most skilled has the physicality to win bouts with his power and raw aggression. Despite this he's not unbeatable with Steve Cunningham holding a 12th round TKO victory over Huck, although that was way back in 2007, the one and only time that Huck has been beaten at Cruiserweight.
Following the loss to Cunningham, Huck has rebuilt his career well claiming the European title and then the WBO title as he's swathed through a number of very skilled fighters including Jean Marc Monrose,Victor Emilio Ramirez, Ola Afolabi (twice), Denis Lebedev and Hugo Hernan Garay. However there is a lot of debate about whether or not the victories over Lebedev and Afolabi were above board (with a lot of debate over both bouts).
Despite suffering his only Cruiserweight loss back in 2007, Huck is current 0-1-1 in his last 3 having scored a draw Afolabi last time out and a loss in a WBA Heavyweight title bout to Alexander Povetkin in his fight prior. In both of these Huck came on strong after losing a number of early rounds and in all honesty he could well have won both bouts due despite losing a number of early rounds. Against Arslan, Huck will likely start faster than he did in either of those bouts.
I imagine this will be very fun to watch as both men are happy to stand in front of opponents and land their own shots between their opponents attacks. Neither guy is a typical "boxer" and neither guy particularly likes to take a backward step, this would therefore look, at least on paper, like a really exciting to watch bout. Sadly despite the brilliant combination of styles, it's hard to see Arslan managing to keep up with Huck's pace and power. As a result of Huck being the younger, more powerful, bigger, stronger, tougher man...it's impossible to go against Huck.
Prediction: Huck by TKO6
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Yoan Pablo Hernandez v Troy Ross
The Cruiserweight division has almost always been one of the most maligned divisions in the sport of boxing, despite this the division has had some absolutely brilliant fights and fantastic fighters. I'm hoping that this coming weekend gives us yet another Cruiserweight cracker as German based Cuban Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1, 13) defends his IBF title against Guyana born Canadian Troy Ross (25-2, 16).
At 37 years old Ross will feel that this is his final chance at really making a name for himself having had a frustrating career though he will know that he's a big under-dog needing to go Germany for this fight. Sadly the frustration hasn't all been Ross' own doing but instead he's been part of the unfortunate "who needs him?" club.
Ross first made his name in the amateurs where he twice competed at the Olympics (1996, 2000) and also claimed medals at both the 1998 Commonwealth Games (Silver) and the 1999 Pan Am Games (Bronze). In total Ross fought in a record 91 amateur bouts, winning 81 of them with losses to David Haye, Vassiliy Jirov and Humberto Savigne amongst others.
Ross finally turned professional in 2001 as a Light Heavyweight and on his debut he out pointed the defensively minded Roger Bowden over 4 rounds. Over the following few years Ross would score a series of wins and advance to 12-0 (8) and would appear to be one of the most promising prospects in the Cruiserweight division then his world crashed down as he controversially suffered his first loss, a split decision to Willie Herring.
Despite suffering the loss to Herring, Ross bounced back quickly and in his very next fight he won his first professional title claiming the Canada Cruiserweight title by defeating Claudio Rasco in 8 rounds. Sadly rather than building on this success Troy, for whatever reason over a year inactive not fighting at all in 2006. Thankfully after returning to the ring in 2007 Troy swiftly won the Commonwealth Cruiserweight title and it seemed as if things were looking on the up and up.
Sadly after 3 fights in just a few months in 2007 Ross was again inactive fighting just once in 2008 as his career momentum was killed off again. Thankfully however Ross's career was given a shot in the arm in 2009 when he was one of 16 fighters selected to be part of the 4th series of "The Contender". In "The Contender" Ross really made a name for himself not only winning the tournament but winning it with relative ease beating Lawrence Tauasa (TKO2), Felix Cora Jr (TKO1), Akinyemi Laleye (UD5) and in the final Ehinomen Ehikhamenor (TKO4). It was hoped that this would move Ross' career on swiftly but sadly his next 2 bouts seemed to be more about staying active than capitalising on his success.
It wasn't until 2010 that Ross finally got his big break as he fought for the IBF title against Steve Cunningham, sadly however Ross was to be controversially stopped on a cut accidentally caused by Cunningham's glove. Despite the controversial nature of the loss many felt that Ross had been impressive dropping Cunningham in round 4, with many suspecting he'd done enough to deserve a rematch. Sadly for Ross he was overlooked and fought just twice in the following 2 years as he moved to 25-2 (16).
In terms of his style Ross is tricky not only due to his southpaw stance but also his fast feet which sees him using a lot of movement and the fact he has heavy hands. He's very tough and can either fight on the counter or fight in short bursts of hard and heavy shots. However at 37 it's fair to say that his natural speed and stamina will be questionable, especially considering his inactivity in recent years which will have done him any favours.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 27 will be looking for the second defense of his IBF Cruiserweight title, a title he won from Steve Cunningham almost a year ago. Like Ross, Hernandez was a solid amateur winning the 2001 Cuban Junior Championships and The 2002 World Junior championships, a Pan Am Games Silver medal in 2003 and a Cuban national title in 2005. Rather than continuing on as an amateur in Cuba, Hernandez defected to Germany when he was just 20 years old.
Just months prior to turning 21 Hernandez made his professional debut in Germany where he stopped David Vicena in 2 rounds. Over the following months Hernandez was kept active and within just 4 months he was 4-0 (2). The following year Hernandez was again kept busy and recorded 5 more victories as he moved his record to 9-0 (5) against a low level of opponent.
In 2007 Hernandez won his first professional title as he claimed the WBA Fedelatin Cruiserweight title by defeating Daniel Bispo in just 61 seconds. Before the end of the year Hernandez had added the WBC Latino Cruiserweight title to his collection by stopping Mohamed Azzaoui in 128 seconds as he proved to have genuinely nasty power in his shots. By the end of the year he had moved impressively to 14-0 (8) scoring 6 opening round stoppages.
Having looked impressive in his first 14 bouts Hernandez's handlers decided to set him up and put him in with hard hitting former WBC champion Wayne Braithwaite. The bout started brilliantly with both men landing solid shots on each other in the opening round with Hernandez dropping Braithwaite. In the second round the pace dropped though Hernandez seemed to just knick it with his cleaner punching, however Braithwaite wasn't done and in round 3 he dropped Hernandez three times to force the stoppage. It was this fight that really started a change in Hernandez who became less active and less offensive as a result of being so badly hurt by Braithwaite.
Hernandez bounced back well from the loss to Braithwaite by scoring 2 wins over low level opponents before struggling to victory over journeyman Michael Simms who managed to drop Hernandez in the 7th round of an 8 round contest. Although he managed to score the win he had been lucky, and didn't look like the once impressive prospect that had tore through his earlier opponents.
Since the lucky victory over Simms, Hernandez has been fighting like a boxer with a point to prove. In 2009 and 2010 Hernandez scored notable victories over Aaron Williams, Enad Licina and Cesar David Crenz as he completely rebuilt not only his confidence but also his style. He was no longer trying to take fighters out early but instead using his boxing ability and size to control fights. Whilst he still had power to hurt opponents he seemed more content on winning safe than winning stylish and is appeared to have been working as his record moved to 23-1 (12), scoring just 4 T/KO's in his 9 bouts after facing Braithwaite.
Hernandez would finally prove he was worthy of the early hype 2011 as he stopped Frenchman Steve Herelius (KO7) to claim the interim WBA World Cruiserweight title before controversially out pointing Steve Cunningham for the IBF world title via a 6th round Technical Decision. Hernandez would then rematch Cunningham, just a few months ago, and take a clear cut decision over the American, dropping Cunningham hard twice in the 4th round.
Whilst Hernandez's record may not represent that of a hard puncher he does hit incredibly hard, especially when he lets his hands go, which are very fast in combinations. Sadly however Hernandez seems to have become apprehensive since both the Briathwaite and Simms fight and instead of letting his hands go he often seems happier to box at a slower pace, often fighting as counter puncher. Whilst still very talented he's not the exciting destructive force he once was, which is probably a good thing as I do question whether or not his stamina can hold out at a high work rate.
So, finally, on to the actual fight. Whilst Ross is capable of frustrating Hernandez with his movement and jab I just can't see Ross getting a decision in Germany, and I think he knows that. For Ross to win he will have to do what Braithwaite did back in 2008. Yes Ross has the power to do that but he's giving away around 5" and will seriously struggle to get inside Hernandez. Instead I see this being a pretty easy fight for Hernandez who may not have the same foot speed as Ross but has the reach and hand speed to keep him at range. Ross's inactivity, age and size disadvantages as well as the fight being in Germany will count against him and unless he goes for broke and lands the Hail Mary I just don't see him winning.
Prediction-Hernandez Unanimous Decision
At 37 years old Ross will feel that this is his final chance at really making a name for himself having had a frustrating career though he will know that he's a big under-dog needing to go Germany for this fight. Sadly the frustration hasn't all been Ross' own doing but instead he's been part of the unfortunate "who needs him?" club.
Ross first made his name in the amateurs where he twice competed at the Olympics (1996, 2000) and also claimed medals at both the 1998 Commonwealth Games (Silver) and the 1999 Pan Am Games (Bronze). In total Ross fought in a record 91 amateur bouts, winning 81 of them with losses to David Haye, Vassiliy Jirov and Humberto Savigne amongst others.
Ross finally turned professional in 2001 as a Light Heavyweight and on his debut he out pointed the defensively minded Roger Bowden over 4 rounds. Over the following few years Ross would score a series of wins and advance to 12-0 (8) and would appear to be one of the most promising prospects in the Cruiserweight division then his world crashed down as he controversially suffered his first loss, a split decision to Willie Herring.
Despite suffering the loss to Herring, Ross bounced back quickly and in his very next fight he won his first professional title claiming the Canada Cruiserweight title by defeating Claudio Rasco in 8 rounds. Sadly rather than building on this success Troy, for whatever reason over a year inactive not fighting at all in 2006. Thankfully after returning to the ring in 2007 Troy swiftly won the Commonwealth Cruiserweight title and it seemed as if things were looking on the up and up.
Sadly after 3 fights in just a few months in 2007 Ross was again inactive fighting just once in 2008 as his career momentum was killed off again. Thankfully however Ross's career was given a shot in the arm in 2009 when he was one of 16 fighters selected to be part of the 4th series of "The Contender". In "The Contender" Ross really made a name for himself not only winning the tournament but winning it with relative ease beating Lawrence Tauasa (TKO2), Felix Cora Jr (TKO1), Akinyemi Laleye (UD5) and in the final Ehinomen Ehikhamenor (TKO4). It was hoped that this would move Ross' career on swiftly but sadly his next 2 bouts seemed to be more about staying active than capitalising on his success.
It wasn't until 2010 that Ross finally got his big break as he fought for the IBF title against Steve Cunningham, sadly however Ross was to be controversially stopped on a cut accidentally caused by Cunningham's glove. Despite the controversial nature of the loss many felt that Ross had been impressive dropping Cunningham in round 4, with many suspecting he'd done enough to deserve a rematch. Sadly for Ross he was overlooked and fought just twice in the following 2 years as he moved to 25-2 (16).
In terms of his style Ross is tricky not only due to his southpaw stance but also his fast feet which sees him using a lot of movement and the fact he has heavy hands. He's very tough and can either fight on the counter or fight in short bursts of hard and heavy shots. However at 37 it's fair to say that his natural speed and stamina will be questionable, especially considering his inactivity in recent years which will have done him any favours.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 27 will be looking for the second defense of his IBF Cruiserweight title, a title he won from Steve Cunningham almost a year ago. Like Ross, Hernandez was a solid amateur winning the 2001 Cuban Junior Championships and The 2002 World Junior championships, a Pan Am Games Silver medal in 2003 and a Cuban national title in 2005. Rather than continuing on as an amateur in Cuba, Hernandez defected to Germany when he was just 20 years old.
Just months prior to turning 21 Hernandez made his professional debut in Germany where he stopped David Vicena in 2 rounds. Over the following months Hernandez was kept active and within just 4 months he was 4-0 (2). The following year Hernandez was again kept busy and recorded 5 more victories as he moved his record to 9-0 (5) against a low level of opponent.
In 2007 Hernandez won his first professional title as he claimed the WBA Fedelatin Cruiserweight title by defeating Daniel Bispo in just 61 seconds. Before the end of the year Hernandez had added the WBC Latino Cruiserweight title to his collection by stopping Mohamed Azzaoui in 128 seconds as he proved to have genuinely nasty power in his shots. By the end of the year he had moved impressively to 14-0 (8) scoring 6 opening round stoppages.
Having looked impressive in his first 14 bouts Hernandez's handlers decided to set him up and put him in with hard hitting former WBC champion Wayne Braithwaite. The bout started brilliantly with both men landing solid shots on each other in the opening round with Hernandez dropping Braithwaite. In the second round the pace dropped though Hernandez seemed to just knick it with his cleaner punching, however Braithwaite wasn't done and in round 3 he dropped Hernandez three times to force the stoppage. It was this fight that really started a change in Hernandez who became less active and less offensive as a result of being so badly hurt by Braithwaite.
Hernandez bounced back well from the loss to Braithwaite by scoring 2 wins over low level opponents before struggling to victory over journeyman Michael Simms who managed to drop Hernandez in the 7th round of an 8 round contest. Although he managed to score the win he had been lucky, and didn't look like the once impressive prospect that had tore through his earlier opponents.
Since the lucky victory over Simms, Hernandez has been fighting like a boxer with a point to prove. In 2009 and 2010 Hernandez scored notable victories over Aaron Williams, Enad Licina and Cesar David Crenz as he completely rebuilt not only his confidence but also his style. He was no longer trying to take fighters out early but instead using his boxing ability and size to control fights. Whilst he still had power to hurt opponents he seemed more content on winning safe than winning stylish and is appeared to have been working as his record moved to 23-1 (12), scoring just 4 T/KO's in his 9 bouts after facing Braithwaite.
Hernandez would finally prove he was worthy of the early hype 2011 as he stopped Frenchman Steve Herelius (KO7) to claim the interim WBA World Cruiserweight title before controversially out pointing Steve Cunningham for the IBF world title via a 6th round Technical Decision. Hernandez would then rematch Cunningham, just a few months ago, and take a clear cut decision over the American, dropping Cunningham hard twice in the 4th round.
Whilst Hernandez's record may not represent that of a hard puncher he does hit incredibly hard, especially when he lets his hands go, which are very fast in combinations. Sadly however Hernandez seems to have become apprehensive since both the Briathwaite and Simms fight and instead of letting his hands go he often seems happier to box at a slower pace, often fighting as counter puncher. Whilst still very talented he's not the exciting destructive force he once was, which is probably a good thing as I do question whether or not his stamina can hold out at a high work rate.
So, finally, on to the actual fight. Whilst Ross is capable of frustrating Hernandez with his movement and jab I just can't see Ross getting a decision in Germany, and I think he knows that. For Ross to win he will have to do what Braithwaite did back in 2008. Yes Ross has the power to do that but he's giving away around 5" and will seriously struggle to get inside Hernandez. Instead I see this being a pretty easy fight for Hernandez who may not have the same foot speed as Ross but has the reach and hand speed to keep him at range. Ross's inactivity, age and size disadvantages as well as the fight being in Germany will count against him and unless he goes for broke and lands the Hail Mary I just don't see him winning.
Prediction-Hernandez Unanimous Decision
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