Katsunari Takayama (25-6-0-1, 10) is, if you've never seen him, the embodiment of the lower weight classes. Hard working, gutsy, tough and a damned sight more talented and interesting then men twice his weight. Unfortunately the IBF Minimumweight champion is one of the most over-looked and forgotten fighters on the planet.
For the first time in since 2008 Takayama returns to fight Osaka, the place where he forged much of his early career. Sadly Takayama's journey to the IBF title saw him forced to become a hermit, traveling around the world for fights in the Philippines, South Africa and Mexico. Funnily however his first defense of the belt will be in Japan as he battles Filipino Vergilio Silvano (17-2-1, 10).
Takayama is a certified warrior. He's not a big puncher but he's tough, hard working, skilled and fast. He's a man who isn't afraid of losing, and seems to know that if he loses it's to a world class fighter as seen in losses to Eagle Den Junlaphan, Yutaka Niida, Roman Gonzalez and Nkosinathi Joyi, non of whom got out their contests with him without a fight.
In Silvano Takayama is taking on a man who is far less established but is looking to score a victory that will put him on the boxing map. The Filipino youngster is a confident fighter riding an 18 fight unbeaten streak and a 4-0 record in title fights. Unfortunately for Silvano however he's stepping up in a big way moving from fighting Jetly Purisima for the WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title to fighting Takayama for the IBF world title.
For me it's that step up that will decide the fight. Takayama will have seen everything Silvano has in his arsenal, on the flipside a lot of what Takayama has will be new to the challenger. The gulf in experience, skill and top fight ability will show through here, however I think Silvano will show enough to come again at another point somewhere down the line.
Prediction-Takayama UD12 (clear).
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Monday, 2 December 2013
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Donnie Nietes v Sammy Gutierrez
If any active champion is very lucky right now it's Donnie Nietes (31-1-4, 17) who got one of the luckiest decisions in boxing earlier this year when he defended his WBO Light Flyweight title with a draw over Moises Funetes. Nietes, who out punched, out fought, out worked and generally dominated by Fuentes deserved to lose his title back then yet some how got bailed out with the draw.
Nietes will be defending his title for the first time since that controversial contest with Fuentes as he battles another Mexican, Sammy Gutierrez (33-9-2, 23) a man who himself once claimed a portion of the world crown at Minimumweight.
At his best Gutierrez was a challenge for near enough anyone at 105 or even 108 and going through his opponents reads as a whose who. Unfortunately however Gutierrez wasn't a stand out fighter. He was a very credible fighter though someone who just seemed to come up short against the real world class fighters. For example he was stopped by Nkosinathi Joyi and out pointed by Omar Nino Romero, Raul Garcia and Juan Palacios.
The down fall for Gutierrez has been quick as well. Just 3 years ago he was the WBA interim champion but now he's struggling to string wins together and has gone 3-3 in his last 6 and 5-4 in his last 9. Yes, this is a fighter who is paying for his wars in the ring despite only being 27.
Whilst I'd also say that Nietes is regressing as a fighter in recent years he's not totally dropping off a cliff like Gutierrez. He's struggling for sure but there is enough left in the tank for him to keep his title despite some poor performances.
At his very best Nietes was a fringe pound-for-pound fighter who could do it all. Now however he's someone who struggles. He struggled with Fuentes, he struggled with Felipe Salguero and he struggled with Ramon Hirales Garcia. Maybe it's because Nietes isn't a natural Light Flyweight but personally I think it's the fact he's forgetting some of the things that made him so good at Minimumweight.
In regards to this bout, I think Nietes has enough left to stop the shadow of Gutierrez but don't let a good performance here belie the fact that Nietes isn't half the fighter he once was. This is a man who is very fortunate to call himself a world champion and likely won't be able to for too much longer.
Prediction-Nietes TKO8
Nietes will be defending his title for the first time since that controversial contest with Fuentes as he battles another Mexican, Sammy Gutierrez (33-9-2, 23) a man who himself once claimed a portion of the world crown at Minimumweight.
At his best Gutierrez was a challenge for near enough anyone at 105 or even 108 and going through his opponents reads as a whose who. Unfortunately however Gutierrez wasn't a stand out fighter. He was a very credible fighter though someone who just seemed to come up short against the real world class fighters. For example he was stopped by Nkosinathi Joyi and out pointed by Omar Nino Romero, Raul Garcia and Juan Palacios.
The down fall for Gutierrez has been quick as well. Just 3 years ago he was the WBA interim champion but now he's struggling to string wins together and has gone 3-3 in his last 6 and 5-4 in his last 9. Yes, this is a fighter who is paying for his wars in the ring despite only being 27.
Whilst I'd also say that Nietes is regressing as a fighter in recent years he's not totally dropping off a cliff like Gutierrez. He's struggling for sure but there is enough left in the tank for him to keep his title despite some poor performances.
At his very best Nietes was a fringe pound-for-pound fighter who could do it all. Now however he's someone who struggles. He struggled with Fuentes, he struggled with Felipe Salguero and he struggled with Ramon Hirales Garcia. Maybe it's because Nietes isn't a natural Light Flyweight but personally I think it's the fact he's forgetting some of the things that made him so good at Minimumweight.
In regards to this bout, I think Nietes has enough left to stop the shadow of Gutierrez but don't let a good performance here belie the fact that Nietes isn't half the fighter he once was. This is a man who is very fortunate to call himself a world champion and likely won't be able to for too much longer.
Prediction-Nietes TKO8
Merlito Sabillo v Carlos Buitrago
The next few days are amongst the most important in Minimumweight history. Inside a week the WBC, WBO and IBF titles will all be up for grabs and they will all be fought for across Asia.
For me the most interesting of those three bouts is for the WBO title as the unbeaten Filipino Merlito Sabillo (23-0, 12) looks to make the second defense of his title. Sabillo, who successfully defended his belt Jorle Estrada in July, will be facing his third successive Latin America as he takes on unbeaten Nicaraguan Carlos Buitrago (27-0-0-1, 16) in what looks likely to be a special contest.
Of the two men it's probably the challenger who is better known by boxing fans due to the huge amount of hype and expectation Buitrago has had on his shoulders over the past few years. The Nicaraguan, viewed by many as next great fighter from that country, has been tipped as a world champion since he was just a teenager.
It was about 4 years ago that hardcore fans began to hear about a Nicaraguan wonder kid who had the natural tools to go a long, long way. Of course some kids fail to ever reach their potential but Buitrago built on his excellent skills and has shown, in a number of fights, that he can do almost anything.
Unlike many South American's Buitrago has built his style on fundamental building blocks. This has seen him developing an excellent jab, a great straight and wonderful movement. Sure he has been showing it against mostly limited opponents but the fact that he has those tools in his locker is invaluable at the world level.
Although Buitrago is well known it's odd that the champion really isn't. In fact prior to this year almost nobody in the sport was talking about Merlito Sabillo, who has now become one of real dangermen at 105lbs.
Sabillo first popped on to the world stage courtesy of a stunning stoppage over Luis De La Rosa in Colombia back in March. This victory over De La Rosa, an all out war, saw Sabillo claiming the WBO interim world title that was later upgraded to the regular title when Moises Fuentes moved up to the Light Flyweight division.
Sabillo is a bit more of a warrior than Buitrago, in fact he was apparently spotted having street fights prior to becoming a professional boxer. He looks tough, he looks strong and although his record doesn't indicate it he does hit hard, as shown by the fact he has stopped his last 5 opponents.
It's this growing power and belief in Sabillo that makes me favour him by stoppage over the Nicaraguan visitor. In terms of pure boxing skills Buitrago is better but something makes me think that Sabillo's "street fighter" heart will come out and he'll eventually get close and break Buitrago down in the later rounds of an absolute classic.
Prediction-Sabillo TKO11
For me the most interesting of those three bouts is for the WBO title as the unbeaten Filipino Merlito Sabillo (23-0, 12) looks to make the second defense of his title. Sabillo, who successfully defended his belt Jorle Estrada in July, will be facing his third successive Latin America as he takes on unbeaten Nicaraguan Carlos Buitrago (27-0-0-1, 16) in what looks likely to be a special contest.
Of the two men it's probably the challenger who is better known by boxing fans due to the huge amount of hype and expectation Buitrago has had on his shoulders over the past few years. The Nicaraguan, viewed by many as next great fighter from that country, has been tipped as a world champion since he was just a teenager.
It was about 4 years ago that hardcore fans began to hear about a Nicaraguan wonder kid who had the natural tools to go a long, long way. Of course some kids fail to ever reach their potential but Buitrago built on his excellent skills and has shown, in a number of fights, that he can do almost anything.
Unlike many South American's Buitrago has built his style on fundamental building blocks. This has seen him developing an excellent jab, a great straight and wonderful movement. Sure he has been showing it against mostly limited opponents but the fact that he has those tools in his locker is invaluable at the world level.
Although Buitrago is well known it's odd that the champion really isn't. In fact prior to this year almost nobody in the sport was talking about Merlito Sabillo, who has now become one of real dangermen at 105lbs.
Sabillo first popped on to the world stage courtesy of a stunning stoppage over Luis De La Rosa in Colombia back in March. This victory over De La Rosa, an all out war, saw Sabillo claiming the WBO interim world title that was later upgraded to the regular title when Moises Fuentes moved up to the Light Flyweight division.
Sabillo is a bit more of a warrior than Buitrago, in fact he was apparently spotted having street fights prior to becoming a professional boxer. He looks tough, he looks strong and although his record doesn't indicate it he does hit hard, as shown by the fact he has stopped his last 5 opponents.
It's this growing power and belief in Sabillo that makes me favour him by stoppage over the Nicaraguan visitor. In terms of pure boxing skills Buitrago is better but something makes me think that Sabillo's "street fighter" heart will come out and he'll eventually get close and break Buitrago down in the later rounds of an absolute classic.
Prediction-Sabillo TKO11
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
John Riel Casimero v Felipe Salguero
Filipino Light Flyweight John Riel Casimero (18-2, 10) looks to make the third defense of his IBF title this weekend in one of a number of "forgotten" bouts, though one that looks like it has the potential to be the fight of the weekend.
Although relatively ignored by the boxing public Casimero is one of the true "road warriors" of boxing. He has been fighting throughout Latin America in recent contests and sadly this has prevented many Filipino fans from actually following one of their few active world champions, despite impressive victories in Panama, Argentina, Mexico and Nicaragua over his past few fights.
This time it's a Latin American traveling to fight Casimero as highly ranked Mexican fighter Felipe Salguero (18-4-1, 13) returns to the Philippines for his second world title fight, following a close 2012 loss to Donnie Neites in a WBO title title contest.
Although Salguero was taking a huge step up when he faced Neites last he gave a stirring performance using controlled aggression, heavy hands and a solid work rate to push the talented Neites very close. It was supposed to be an easy defense for Neites but Salguero proved to be a genuine challenge who adapted well to fighting on foreign soil for the first time.
Unfortunately following his loss to Neites, Salguero was stopped by Luis Alberto Rios a man who was subsequently outboxed by Casimero. Prior to being stopped by Rios however he had dropped the Panamanian and so obviously does have the power to hurt good fighters. Saying that however Casimero is tough and only Moruti Mthalane, the IBF Flyweight champion, has stopped him so far.
The match up here is one that sees a solid, world ranked pressure fighter up against a skilled boxer. Usually these match ups depend a lot on on the levels of the two men, not just of their fighting ability but also their ability to adapt to what the other man does. Here I think Casimero is the more versatile, he can box, he can fight and whilst he's not elite at any particular thing he's also not got a lot of clear weaknesses. Salguero on the other hand is slightly crude and can be out boxed.
This will be tough, competitive and possibly a very good fight, however I feel that Casimero will manage to take the decision, albeit a close one.
Prediction-Casimero UD12 (close)
Although relatively ignored by the boxing public Casimero is one of the true "road warriors" of boxing. He has been fighting throughout Latin America in recent contests and sadly this has prevented many Filipino fans from actually following one of their few active world champions, despite impressive victories in Panama, Argentina, Mexico and Nicaragua over his past few fights.
This time it's a Latin American traveling to fight Casimero as highly ranked Mexican fighter Felipe Salguero (18-4-1, 13) returns to the Philippines for his second world title fight, following a close 2012 loss to Donnie Neites in a WBO title title contest.
Although Salguero was taking a huge step up when he faced Neites last he gave a stirring performance using controlled aggression, heavy hands and a solid work rate to push the talented Neites very close. It was supposed to be an easy defense for Neites but Salguero proved to be a genuine challenge who adapted well to fighting on foreign soil for the first time.
Unfortunately following his loss to Neites, Salguero was stopped by Luis Alberto Rios a man who was subsequently outboxed by Casimero. Prior to being stopped by Rios however he had dropped the Panamanian and so obviously does have the power to hurt good fighters. Saying that however Casimero is tough and only Moruti Mthalane, the IBF Flyweight champion, has stopped him so far.
The match up here is one that sees a solid, world ranked pressure fighter up against a skilled boxer. Usually these match ups depend a lot on on the levels of the two men, not just of their fighting ability but also their ability to adapt to what the other man does. Here I think Casimero is the more versatile, he can box, he can fight and whilst he's not elite at any particular thing he's also not got a lot of clear weaknesses. Salguero on the other hand is slightly crude and can be out boxed.
This will be tough, competitive and possibly a very good fight, however I feel that Casimero will manage to take the decision, albeit a close one.
Prediction-Casimero UD12 (close)
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Paulus Ambunda v Tomoki Kameda
The second world title fight this week is in the Philippines just hours after the first as Tomoki Kameda (27-0, 18) challenges WBO Bantamweight champion Paulus Ambunda (20-0, 10). A victory for Tomoki would see him becoming the 3rd of the Kameda brothers to win world titles and the second Kameda to currently hold a Bantamweight title and he would also become the first ever Japanese fighter to claim a WBO world title.
Ambunda, of Namibia, is one of boxing's most obscure champions. He's a tough as old boots fighter given the rather fitting nickname of "The Rock" who combines toughness with an insane engine and hits harder than his record would indicate. He's certainly no Mayweather or Rigondeaux in the defensive stakes but then again his style often seems to depend more on his offense than anything else.
Ambunda won the WBO title earlier this year taking a decision over Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu, who is basically the only name on Ambunda's record. The fight between Pungluang and Ambunda was certainly a war from the off and is a bout most fans missed out on, though if you're fortunate enough to be able to find it online watch it immediately!
Whilst the champion is a ball of aggressive energy he is also incredibly short stood at just 5'0". It's this lack of height that effectively forces Ambunda to be the type of fighter that he is, though against an intelligent boxer who is taller and longer he may come undone, as h almost did against the 5'6" Bongani Mahlangu.
In Tomoki Kameda we have a well schooled challenger who has been able to develop in both Japan and in Mexico. It was in Mexico that he really made his name and it was also there that he was dubbed "El Mexicanito" (The Little Mexican). The Mexican fans warmed to him quickly due to his style which was, like Ambunda's, generally aggressive with high work and a lot of body shots.
Although Tomoki is known for his work rate he's actually got a fair bit more to his game than just an action packed brawling style. He can, when needed, box, counter punch or brawl and it's with this trio of traits that many view him as potentially the best of the Kameda brothers.
For this bout in particular it's fair to say that Tomoki will need to be a boxer and not a fighter. If he he tries go to war with Ambunda the bout will be tough, much tougher than it needs to be. Instead Kameda needs to be on his toes, use his height (7" advantage) and reach to keep Ambunda at a safe distance and land his jab and straights through out. If Tomoki can do this it's hard to imagine him losing, if he gets dragged in to a war it's really anyone game.
Prediction-Tomoki UD12 (after some difficult periods)
Ambunda, of Namibia, is one of boxing's most obscure champions. He's a tough as old boots fighter given the rather fitting nickname of "The Rock" who combines toughness with an insane engine and hits harder than his record would indicate. He's certainly no Mayweather or Rigondeaux in the defensive stakes but then again his style often seems to depend more on his offense than anything else.
Ambunda won the WBO title earlier this year taking a decision over Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu, who is basically the only name on Ambunda's record. The fight between Pungluang and Ambunda was certainly a war from the off and is a bout most fans missed out on, though if you're fortunate enough to be able to find it online watch it immediately!
Whilst the champion is a ball of aggressive energy he is also incredibly short stood at just 5'0". It's this lack of height that effectively forces Ambunda to be the type of fighter that he is, though against an intelligent boxer who is taller and longer he may come undone, as h almost did against the 5'6" Bongani Mahlangu.
In Tomoki Kameda we have a well schooled challenger who has been able to develop in both Japan and in Mexico. It was in Mexico that he really made his name and it was also there that he was dubbed "El Mexicanito" (The Little Mexican). The Mexican fans warmed to him quickly due to his style which was, like Ambunda's, generally aggressive with high work and a lot of body shots.
Although Tomoki is known for his work rate he's actually got a fair bit more to his game than just an action packed brawling style. He can, when needed, box, counter punch or brawl and it's with this trio of traits that many view him as potentially the best of the Kameda brothers.
For this bout in particular it's fair to say that Tomoki will need to be a boxer and not a fighter. If he he tries go to war with Ambunda the bout will be tough, much tougher than it needs to be. Instead Kameda needs to be on his toes, use his height (7" advantage) and reach to keep Ambunda at a safe distance and land his jab and straights through out. If Tomoki can do this it's hard to imagine him losing, if he gets dragged in to a war it's really anyone game.
Prediction-Tomoki UD12 (after some difficult periods)
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Nonito Donaire v Guillermo Rigondeaux
In this weekends stand out fight we see Filipino born American based pound-for-pound fighter Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20) face off against against former Cuban amateur legend Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8) in a unification of the WBO and WBA titles and a bout to decide who truly is the top dog at Super Bantamweight.
Going in to the bout Rigondeaux is the betting under-dog despite having an amazing career as both an amateur and a professional. In fact as an amateur Rigondeaux's will go down as one of the all time greats. He fought around 400 amateur fights and was rumoured to have won 388 of them, which included numerous bouts in Olympics and World Amateur champions, in fact Rigondeaux claimed 2 Olympic gold medals and two World Amateur titles as he dominated the Bantamweight division in the unpaid ranks.
As a professional Rigondeaux has been fast tracked, partly due to his amateur credentials but also partly due to the fact he made his professional debut when he was 28 years old. The speed of Rigondeaux's rise to the top was amazing and within just 18 months of his debut he had already claimed the interim WBA Super Bantamweight title. After a solitary defense of the interim belt Rigondeaux claimed the "regular" title thanks to a victory over Rico Ramos and he has since defended his title twice.
Despite his stellar record and amazing skills Rigondeaux has numerous question marks over his durability as a professional. Although he has only been down once as a professional (thanks to Ricardo Cordoba) he has been rattled several times including in his last fight against the limited Robert Marroquin. It's fair to say that Donaire hit's as hard, if not harder, than both Cordoba and Marroquin but he's also not the sort of fighter who will let a hurt opponent recover with out applying some serious pressure.
Sure Rigondeaux can hurt fighters, especially with his body shots which are amongst the best in the sport right now but the big questions regarding his chin specifically are the big worries.
With Donaire we have an exceptional fighter. Sure the 30 year old lacks the amateur pedigree of Rigondeaux but his professional achievements speak for themselves. Not only is record excellent at 31-1 but he's also unbeaten in 30 bouts (losing only his second professional contest) spread over 12 years which have seen him claiming world titles at Flyweight, Super Flyweight, Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight. He has also been given accolades including "Fighter of the Year" as he's proven to be one of the sports premier fighters.
Over the past 6 years Donaire's record has spoke for it's self with victories over a real who's who of the sport including Vic Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Omar Andres Narvaez, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Jeffrey Mathebula, Toshiaki Nishioka and Jorge Arce. It's little wonder that the "Filipino Flash" is so highly ranked, especially when you consider the manner of many of his victories which he has made look very easy.
Despite the fact that Donaire has scored some exceptional victories over top contenders other opponents have made Donaire look bad. For example Narvaez, Mthalane and Vazquez all frustrated Donaire despite losing. These men have shown that Donaire isn't a perfect fighter and where an opponent uses an intelligent defense they can annoy Donaire who appears to be a flat out counter puncher and struggles to force the action, this could certainly come in to play against Rigondeaux.
If Rigondeaux can frustrate Donaire with refusal to engage and his own counter punching and speed he does have a genuine chance of the upset here though he'll need to make sure Donaire can't tag him clean.
For me personally the key to this bout concerns who can be the most patient. I don't imagine this will be a classic but it should be a high speed chess match with both men looking for a gap for their sharp, technically beautiful shots. Neither man will be looking to open up too much but both will be looking to land. Whilst I think Rigondeaux will cope better with the boos that I expect we'll hear I just can't see him avoiding Donaire's power right through the bout and when he's hurt Donaire won't let im off the hook.
Prediction-Donaire TKO7
Going in to the bout Rigondeaux is the betting under-dog despite having an amazing career as both an amateur and a professional. In fact as an amateur Rigondeaux's will go down as one of the all time greats. He fought around 400 amateur fights and was rumoured to have won 388 of them, which included numerous bouts in Olympics and World Amateur champions, in fact Rigondeaux claimed 2 Olympic gold medals and two World Amateur titles as he dominated the Bantamweight division in the unpaid ranks.
As a professional Rigondeaux has been fast tracked, partly due to his amateur credentials but also partly due to the fact he made his professional debut when he was 28 years old. The speed of Rigondeaux's rise to the top was amazing and within just 18 months of his debut he had already claimed the interim WBA Super Bantamweight title. After a solitary defense of the interim belt Rigondeaux claimed the "regular" title thanks to a victory over Rico Ramos and he has since defended his title twice.
Despite his stellar record and amazing skills Rigondeaux has numerous question marks over his durability as a professional. Although he has only been down once as a professional (thanks to Ricardo Cordoba) he has been rattled several times including in his last fight against the limited Robert Marroquin. It's fair to say that Donaire hit's as hard, if not harder, than both Cordoba and Marroquin but he's also not the sort of fighter who will let a hurt opponent recover with out applying some serious pressure.
Sure Rigondeaux can hurt fighters, especially with his body shots which are amongst the best in the sport right now but the big questions regarding his chin specifically are the big worries.
With Donaire we have an exceptional fighter. Sure the 30 year old lacks the amateur pedigree of Rigondeaux but his professional achievements speak for themselves. Not only is record excellent at 31-1 but he's also unbeaten in 30 bouts (losing only his second professional contest) spread over 12 years which have seen him claiming world titles at Flyweight, Super Flyweight, Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight. He has also been given accolades including "Fighter of the Year" as he's proven to be one of the sports premier fighters.
Over the past 6 years Donaire's record has spoke for it's self with victories over a real who's who of the sport including Vic Darchinyan, Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Omar Andres Narvaez, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Jeffrey Mathebula, Toshiaki Nishioka and Jorge Arce. It's little wonder that the "Filipino Flash" is so highly ranked, especially when you consider the manner of many of his victories which he has made look very easy.
Despite the fact that Donaire has scored some exceptional victories over top contenders other opponents have made Donaire look bad. For example Narvaez, Mthalane and Vazquez all frustrated Donaire despite losing. These men have shown that Donaire isn't a perfect fighter and where an opponent uses an intelligent defense they can annoy Donaire who appears to be a flat out counter puncher and struggles to force the action, this could certainly come in to play against Rigondeaux.
If Rigondeaux can frustrate Donaire with refusal to engage and his own counter punching and speed he does have a genuine chance of the upset here though he'll need to make sure Donaire can't tag him clean.
For me personally the key to this bout concerns who can be the most patient. I don't imagine this will be a classic but it should be a high speed chess match with both men looking for a gap for their sharp, technically beautiful shots. Neither man will be looking to open up too much but both will be looking to land. Whilst I think Rigondeaux will cope better with the boos that I expect we'll hear I just can't see him avoiding Donaire's power right through the bout and when he's hurt Donaire won't let im off the hook.
Prediction-Donaire TKO7
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Luis de la Rosa v Merlito Sabillo
In this weekends most overlooked fight once beaten Colombian Luis De La Rosa (21-1-1, 12) faces undefeated Filipino Merlito Sabillo (20-0, 10) in a bout over the WBO interim Minimumweight title. Although neither fighter is a big name both are well regarded by those in the know with several feeling that either man is there or there abouts in the top 10.
With this fight being in Colombia home star Luis De La Rosa must start the bout as the favourite despite having suffered a loss. In fact now I've mentioned that loss it's worth noting that it came by split decision against the hugely talented Raul Garcia back in 2010, in a bout that saw Garcia dropped in early in the bout. Although not a massive puncher it's fair to say that De La Rosa hits hard as Garcia isn't a fighter who goes down easily.
Sadly aside from Garcia it's hard to see another recognisable fighter on De La Rosa's ledger as he's faced a long string of nobodies since turning professional in 2006, although he did claim the Colombian Light Flyweight title back in 2010.
As well as the loss, De La Rosa has suffered a draw, a 4 round draw early in his career to the then debuting Stiven Monterrosa who recently got flatten by Roman Gonzalez. Other than that he's been a winner in all of his bouts, though he was taken close by journeyman Alfonso De la Hoz (who's record is a who's who of South America boxing).
Whilst De La Rosa will be in front of his home fans the hardcore boxing fans may well favour the Filipino challenger to come away with the title belt. Sabillo, like De La Rosa, has generally faced limited opposition though he has scored noteworthy wins over the likes of Jonathan Refugio to defend the OPBF Minimumweight title and Jetly Purisima for the Filipino title. Sure they aren't world names but they are decent enough fighters to test a fighters ability against.
From the footage of Sabillo he looks a very big guy for Minimumweight (he stands around 5'4") and looks very good fighting from a southpaw stance with a nice array of punches and a patient style despite often coming forward.
If the fight was in a neutral venue I'd have gone with Sabillo, though with it being in Colombia you need to favour the home fighter. Expect the fight to be close and go to a decision before the home fighter claims a close and probably controversial decision.
Prediction-De La Rosa via decision
With this fight being in Colombia home star Luis De La Rosa must start the bout as the favourite despite having suffered a loss. In fact now I've mentioned that loss it's worth noting that it came by split decision against the hugely talented Raul Garcia back in 2010, in a bout that saw Garcia dropped in early in the bout. Although not a massive puncher it's fair to say that De La Rosa hits hard as Garcia isn't a fighter who goes down easily.
Sadly aside from Garcia it's hard to see another recognisable fighter on De La Rosa's ledger as he's faced a long string of nobodies since turning professional in 2006, although he did claim the Colombian Light Flyweight title back in 2010.
As well as the loss, De La Rosa has suffered a draw, a 4 round draw early in his career to the then debuting Stiven Monterrosa who recently got flatten by Roman Gonzalez. Other than that he's been a winner in all of his bouts, though he was taken close by journeyman Alfonso De la Hoz (who's record is a who's who of South America boxing).
Whilst De La Rosa will be in front of his home fans the hardcore boxing fans may well favour the Filipino challenger to come away with the title belt. Sabillo, like De La Rosa, has generally faced limited opposition though he has scored noteworthy wins over the likes of Jonathan Refugio to defend the OPBF Minimumweight title and Jetly Purisima for the Filipino title. Sure they aren't world names but they are decent enough fighters to test a fighters ability against.
From the footage of Sabillo he looks a very big guy for Minimumweight (he stands around 5'4") and looks very good fighting from a southpaw stance with a nice array of punches and a patient style despite often coming forward.
If the fight was in a neutral venue I'd have gone with Sabillo, though with it being in Colombia you need to favour the home fighter. Expect the fight to be close and go to a decision before the home fighter claims a close and probably controversial decision.
Prediction-De La Rosa via decision
Friday, 1 March 2013
Donnie Nietes v Moises Funetes
Filipino Donnie Nietes (31-1-3, 17) has long been one of the most forgotten men in the sport of boxing. He's unbeaten in over 8 years, he's claimed WBO title at both Minimumweight and Flyweight and he's won his last 18 bouts, including 7 world title bouts and yet he's rarely, if ever mentioned online even when fans are talking about under-rated fighters. It's likely however that if Nietes successfully defends his WBO Light Flyweight title this coming Saturday against Mexican Moises Fuentes (16-1, 8) the boxing world may finally start to give him the attention he deserves.
Nietes, 30, has been a professional since 2003 and since then has only suffered a solitary (and highly debatable loss) to Angky Angkotta in Angkotta's native Indonesia. Not only did Angkotta struggle to gain a split decision in front of his own fans but he also failed to make the agreed weight for the fight, coming some 6 lbs over weight.
Since his loss to Angkotta, Nietes has been exceptional defeating the likes of Pornsawan Porpramook, Manuel Vargas, Jesus Silvestre, Mario Rodriguez and Ramon Garcia Hirales using his excellent skills and speed. Despite these notable victories Nietes has remained almost an enigma to many boxing fans who either don't know about, or don't care about the activity in the lower divisions where fighters like Nietes ply their trade.
Whilst he may be overlooked by many fans that really doesn't take away from the huge level of talent Nietes has. He's not a hugely exciting fighter, due to his defensive skill and lack of power, though he is a hugely talented fighter who knows his way around the ring and know how to get rounds in the bag, even if he doesn't tend to dominate fights in the way that perhaps he should. His work in the pocket is beautiful as he ducks and dodges whilst landing hurtful counters and his boxing is hugely under-rated by many. Saying that however the fact he rarely manages to put opponents away is a worry especially when you consider he now has over 230 professional rounds under his belt.
If Neites is to be seen as a masterful boxer then on the other hand we have the wild and somewhat reckless looking slugger from Mexico in Moises Fuentes. Fuentes, who defended his WBO Minimumweight title last time out by stopping Ivan Calderon (who retired from boxing following the loss) is like Neites in only a handful of ways, the most notable is that he's often over looked by boxing fans despite forging a successful career.
Another similarity that Nietes and Fuentes share is that they have only been beaten once, in fact rather oddly their losses both came by controversial split decision to fighters who came in over weight with Fuentes losing to fellow Mexican Juan Hernandez back in 2011. Since the loss to Hernandez however Fuentes has really come in to his own scoring notable wins over Raul Garcia, Julio Cesar Felix and most famously Ivan Calderon in what are by far his biggest wins.
Whilst Fuentes has made his name at Minimumweight he's always been a huge guy at the 105lb limit and standing at 5'7" he's actually taller than Lucas Matthysse. His size advantage has made him very dangerous at Minimumweight though should also easily allow him to make the move up to Light Flyweight for this bout with Nietes. In fact Fuentes should look like the noticeably bigger man in the ring despite being the fighter who's coming up a division.
If you look at Fuentes' record you don't see that of a puncher, though he is a hurtful fighter and if you allow him to catch you, you will know about it. He's hurtful to both the head and body and whilst he can be made to look very clumsy he can also leave fighters wincing in agony at his clubbing shots. If he manages to catch Nietes getting too cute he could genuinely shake up the Filipino, though I think the champion knows how to take care of himself in such a way that he should be able to take a clear decision over Fuentes.
Prediction-Nietes decision.
Nietes, 30, has been a professional since 2003 and since then has only suffered a solitary (and highly debatable loss) to Angky Angkotta in Angkotta's native Indonesia. Not only did Angkotta struggle to gain a split decision in front of his own fans but he also failed to make the agreed weight for the fight, coming some 6 lbs over weight.
Since his loss to Angkotta, Nietes has been exceptional defeating the likes of Pornsawan Porpramook, Manuel Vargas, Jesus Silvestre, Mario Rodriguez and Ramon Garcia Hirales using his excellent skills and speed. Despite these notable victories Nietes has remained almost an enigma to many boxing fans who either don't know about, or don't care about the activity in the lower divisions where fighters like Nietes ply their trade.
Whilst he may be overlooked by many fans that really doesn't take away from the huge level of talent Nietes has. He's not a hugely exciting fighter, due to his defensive skill and lack of power, though he is a hugely talented fighter who knows his way around the ring and know how to get rounds in the bag, even if he doesn't tend to dominate fights in the way that perhaps he should. His work in the pocket is beautiful as he ducks and dodges whilst landing hurtful counters and his boxing is hugely under-rated by many. Saying that however the fact he rarely manages to put opponents away is a worry especially when you consider he now has over 230 professional rounds under his belt.
If Neites is to be seen as a masterful boxer then on the other hand we have the wild and somewhat reckless looking slugger from Mexico in Moises Fuentes. Fuentes, who defended his WBO Minimumweight title last time out by stopping Ivan Calderon (who retired from boxing following the loss) is like Neites in only a handful of ways, the most notable is that he's often over looked by boxing fans despite forging a successful career.
Another similarity that Nietes and Fuentes share is that they have only been beaten once, in fact rather oddly their losses both came by controversial split decision to fighters who came in over weight with Fuentes losing to fellow Mexican Juan Hernandez back in 2011. Since the loss to Hernandez however Fuentes has really come in to his own scoring notable wins over Raul Garcia, Julio Cesar Felix and most famously Ivan Calderon in what are by far his biggest wins.
Whilst Fuentes has made his name at Minimumweight he's always been a huge guy at the 105lb limit and standing at 5'7" he's actually taller than Lucas Matthysse. His size advantage has made him very dangerous at Minimumweight though should also easily allow him to make the move up to Light Flyweight for this bout with Nietes. In fact Fuentes should look like the noticeably bigger man in the ring despite being the fighter who's coming up a division.
If you look at Fuentes' record you don't see that of a puncher, though he is a hurtful fighter and if you allow him to catch you, you will know about it. He's hurtful to both the head and body and whilst he can be made to look very clumsy he can also leave fighters wincing in agony at his clubbing shots. If he manages to catch Nietes getting too cute he could genuinely shake up the Filipino, though I think the champion knows how to take care of himself in such a way that he should be able to take a clear decision over Fuentes.
Prediction-Nietes decision.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Roberto Vasquez v John Mark Apolinario
This weekends most "overlooked" title fight is the WBA "interim" Bantamweight title bout between Panamanian Roberto Vasquez (32-5, 22) and Filipino John Mark Apolinario (17-2-1, 4), that is scheduled to take place in the Argentinian city of Colón. As with many "interim" title bouts, the fight really lacks too much to get excited about, however could it be a sleeper classic?
With the belt being a vacant one, both men are challenger, however one man has a bit more pedigree to than the other, in fact poor John Mark Apolinario is so unknown that...well I'd never heard of him (or most of his opponents) until I saw this bout listed. So lets look at him first.
Aged 22 the Filipino challenger John Mark Apolinario has been a professional for almost 6 years (making his debut on November 25th 2006) and since then has compiled a list of fights against very limited opposition.
Apolinario's career started well as he ran up 11 straight wins in the first 15 months of his career before suffering a loss to the novice Jessie Albaracin (who would later go on to claim the WBO Oriental Super Bantamweight title). Sadly for Apolinario this loss soon put the breaks on his rapid climb up the rankings and a year later his record fell to 12-2 as he suffered a stoppage loss to Marvin Tampus.
Since the loss to Tampus, Apolinario's career has recovered somewhat with a several wins, including a notable one in 2010 which saw him claiming his first professional title, the WBO Oriental Super Flyweight title. As well as the wins Apolinario also has a draw on his record, coming in November 2010 to the tough Armando Casa.
Whilst the highlight of Apolinario's career so far may have been the WBO Oriental Super Flyweight title fight, the most interesting thing about his record was actually his last fight. Last time out Apolinario scored a 2nd round TKO over Menard Zaragosa...who had to run off to the toilet forcing the referee to end the bout whilst Zaragosa, relieved himself. Worryingly however this means Apolinario has only fought 2 rounds in the last year and in fact Apolinario has only fought 12 rounds (2 bouts) in the past 24 months!
From what I can see with Apolinario we have an inactive fighter, who lacks any power and has only really been beating very low level domestic opponents. It's with good reason that Boxrec.com rate him as the 71st Bantamweight on the planet (the 12th in his homeland!) and whilst I'll admit I've not seen footage of him, it's fair to say that he's not fought the competition with which to really create a true opinion of just how good he actually is. The lost to Tampus, his most notable opponent so far is perhaps the most telling result with Tampus himself losing 7 of 13 since then.
With the Filipino being pretty unknown it's fair to admit that the co-challenger Roberto Vasquez is much more known and well respected. The 29 year old Panamanian has been a professional for over 11 years and despite starting his career with a loss (a controversial one to Angelo Dottin) he has really forged a solid record.
After losing his debut on points, Vasquez would go 6 years before suffering his next loss. In that time he would record 23 straight victories including 16 by T/KO. Vasquez wasn't just beating scrubs though, he was quickly rising through the rankings and stopping the likes of Beibis Mendoza to claim the WBA World Light Flyweight title, a title he would defend 3 times before moving up to Flyweight.
After moving up to Flyweight in 2006 Vasquez swiftly moved on to the title scene and claimed the interim WBA World Flyweight title thanks to a victory over Japanese fighter Takefumi Sakata. Sadly a rematch the following year saw Sakata earn some measure of revenge by defeating Vasquez to end the Panamanian's long unbeaten run.
Since losing to Sakata, Vasquez has had mixed fortune winning 8 of his subsequent 11 bouts. Whilst his wins have come at a "lesser" level two of his losses have come at the highest level thanks to Hugo Fidel Cazares and Drian Francisco, however his most recent loss, to Oscar Gonzalez is highly debatable.
Vasquez is currently on a 2 fight winning streak, including a notable victory over Mario Briones, however both of those fights too place well above the Bantamweight limit. It's fair to assume that that if Vasquez has any real problem with this bout, it may well be in making the 118lbs limit as I don't think Apolinario will have anything to worry Vasquez.
In terms of Vasquez as a fighter, the southpaw is a hard hitting fighter who despite having been down a number of times in his career is durable with only the monstrously hard hitting Drian Francisco managing to stop him. It's fair to say that Vasquez will bring the pressure here and look to take Apolinario out within 6 rounds, he certainly has the power to do it and certainly has the experience to know that Apolinario isn't going to be able to throw anything new at him.
Prediction-Vasquez TKO5
With the belt being a vacant one, both men are challenger, however one man has a bit more pedigree to than the other, in fact poor John Mark Apolinario is so unknown that...well I'd never heard of him (or most of his opponents) until I saw this bout listed. So lets look at him first.
Aged 22 the Filipino challenger John Mark Apolinario has been a professional for almost 6 years (making his debut on November 25th 2006) and since then has compiled a list of fights against very limited opposition.
Apolinario's career started well as he ran up 11 straight wins in the first 15 months of his career before suffering a loss to the novice Jessie Albaracin (who would later go on to claim the WBO Oriental Super Bantamweight title). Sadly for Apolinario this loss soon put the breaks on his rapid climb up the rankings and a year later his record fell to 12-2 as he suffered a stoppage loss to Marvin Tampus.
Since the loss to Tampus, Apolinario's career has recovered somewhat with a several wins, including a notable one in 2010 which saw him claiming his first professional title, the WBO Oriental Super Flyweight title. As well as the wins Apolinario also has a draw on his record, coming in November 2010 to the tough Armando Casa.
Whilst the highlight of Apolinario's career so far may have been the WBO Oriental Super Flyweight title fight, the most interesting thing about his record was actually his last fight. Last time out Apolinario scored a 2nd round TKO over Menard Zaragosa...who had to run off to the toilet forcing the referee to end the bout whilst Zaragosa, relieved himself. Worryingly however this means Apolinario has only fought 2 rounds in the last year and in fact Apolinario has only fought 12 rounds (2 bouts) in the past 24 months!
From what I can see with Apolinario we have an inactive fighter, who lacks any power and has only really been beating very low level domestic opponents. It's with good reason that Boxrec.com rate him as the 71st Bantamweight on the planet (the 12th in his homeland!) and whilst I'll admit I've not seen footage of him, it's fair to say that he's not fought the competition with which to really create a true opinion of just how good he actually is. The lost to Tampus, his most notable opponent so far is perhaps the most telling result with Tampus himself losing 7 of 13 since then.
With the Filipino being pretty unknown it's fair to admit that the co-challenger Roberto Vasquez is much more known and well respected. The 29 year old Panamanian has been a professional for over 11 years and despite starting his career with a loss (a controversial one to Angelo Dottin) he has really forged a solid record.
After losing his debut on points, Vasquez would go 6 years before suffering his next loss. In that time he would record 23 straight victories including 16 by T/KO. Vasquez wasn't just beating scrubs though, he was quickly rising through the rankings and stopping the likes of Beibis Mendoza to claim the WBA World Light Flyweight title, a title he would defend 3 times before moving up to Flyweight.
After moving up to Flyweight in 2006 Vasquez swiftly moved on to the title scene and claimed the interim WBA World Flyweight title thanks to a victory over Japanese fighter Takefumi Sakata. Sadly a rematch the following year saw Sakata earn some measure of revenge by defeating Vasquez to end the Panamanian's long unbeaten run.
Since losing to Sakata, Vasquez has had mixed fortune winning 8 of his subsequent 11 bouts. Whilst his wins have come at a "lesser" level two of his losses have come at the highest level thanks to Hugo Fidel Cazares and Drian Francisco, however his most recent loss, to Oscar Gonzalez is highly debatable.
Vasquez is currently on a 2 fight winning streak, including a notable victory over Mario Briones, however both of those fights too place well above the Bantamweight limit. It's fair to assume that that if Vasquez has any real problem with this bout, it may well be in making the 118lbs limit as I don't think Apolinario will have anything to worry Vasquez.
In terms of Vasquez as a fighter, the southpaw is a hard hitting fighter who despite having been down a number of times in his career is durable with only the monstrously hard hitting Drian Francisco managing to stop him. It's fair to say that Vasquez will bring the pressure here and look to take Apolinario out within 6 rounds, he certainly has the power to do it and certainly has the experience to know that Apolinario isn't going to be able to throw anything new at him.
Prediction-Vasquez TKO5
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
AJ Banal v Pungluang Sor Singyu
The weekends most obscure world title fight takes place in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines as Filipino youngster AJ Banal (28-1-1, 20) attempts to claim the vacant WBO Bantamweight title as he faces Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu (42-1, 27).
Despite the fact neither fighter is very well known this still promises to be a very good fight as not only do we have two skilled fighters, but we have two young fighters looking to make a name for themselves and we also have nationalistic pride as boxers from two Asian countries battle out.
The highly ranked AJ Banal (WBO #1) has been one of the Philippines' best kept boxing secrets since he debuted way back in 2005 as just a 16 year old. Since his debut he has developed very well and become a very talented young fighter who many with a knowledge of Filipino boxing have tipped as one of their brightest young stars.
Banal's professional career didn't start brilliantly as he suffered a technical draw on his debut, however it didn't take long for him to get things back on track as he rattled off a series of 17 straight wins. Amongst those 17 wins were victories over Juan Alberto Rosas (who would later go on to claim the IBF Super Flyweight title) and the then 25-0 Caril Herrera in an IBF Super Flyweight world title eliminator.
Sadly however for Banal his winning run came to an end in 2008 as he was stopped by the hard punching Rafael Concepcion. Following the loss to Concepcion, Banal moved from Super Flyweight to Bantamweight, accommodating his growing body. Since moving to 118lbs Banal has been unbeaten and scored 11 wins (some of which have been above the Bantamweight limit) including a notable victory over former 2-weight world champion Luis Alberto Perez.
Despite having notable victories against both Rosas and Perez (as mentioned above) Banal is still pretty unknown by all but either hardcore fans or Filipino fans. This is a shame as he's actually fought in the US 3 times (with the most recent of those bouts coming in 2009) and has an eye pleasing style that should really have helped made him a US TV mainstay. Banal has fast, heavy hands and when he has his man hurt he really likes to unleash, as he did against Raul Hidalgo. Despite his aggressive mindset however, he has got decent boxing fundamentals and in his only loss to date, he was actually ahead on the score cards prior to be stopped.
Like Banal, the co-challenger Pungluang Sor Singyu is also highly ranked (WBO #2) and despite having had over 40 fights is also surprisingly young at just 24 years old. In fact the comparisons between the two men are numerous. Not only are both surprisingly young and very experienced for their age, but both men made their professional debuts at just 16 with Sor Singyu debuting back in 2004.
Sor Singyu started his career in excellent fashion and won his first 23 fights as well as the WBC Youth World Bantamweight title. Impressively he remained unbeaten until 2009 when he was controversially beaten by the talented Belgian Stephane Jamoye, in Jamoye's home city of Liege.
Since being beaten by Jamoye, Sor Singyu has run up 19 more successful victories, however they have all been at home and often against nondescript opponents with the best of them being against the likes of Marvin Tampus and Danilo Pena (both of whom are Filipino journeyman).
Sadly for fans wanting to see something of Sor Singyu it's hard to find footage of him in a decent fight, however the footage I have seen has shown him to be an "in your face" type of fighter with a solid guard and powerful looking right hands. His style looks like he'll be hard to force back and that if you remain in front of him, he will happily guide you to the ropes to bounce straight right hands off your hands. The fact he's only been in with poor opponents (Jamoye aside) however doesn't fill me with much confidence as to just how good he really is.
Whilst I do, genuinely like what I've seen of Sor Singyu I can't help but question his opponents and this leads me to feel that Banal will come out victorious, especially with this fight being held in the Philippines. I have to go with Banal by decision in what could genuinely turn out to be the fight of the weekend. I have a feeling that their styles will just play off on each other other as each man takes his turn to land their hardest shots on the other.
Prediction-Banal UD.
Despite the fact neither fighter is very well known this still promises to be a very good fight as not only do we have two skilled fighters, but we have two young fighters looking to make a name for themselves and we also have nationalistic pride as boxers from two Asian countries battle out.
The highly ranked AJ Banal (WBO #1) has been one of the Philippines' best kept boxing secrets since he debuted way back in 2005 as just a 16 year old. Since his debut he has developed very well and become a very talented young fighter who many with a knowledge of Filipino boxing have tipped as one of their brightest young stars.
Banal's professional career didn't start brilliantly as he suffered a technical draw on his debut, however it didn't take long for him to get things back on track as he rattled off a series of 17 straight wins. Amongst those 17 wins were victories over Juan Alberto Rosas (who would later go on to claim the IBF Super Flyweight title) and the then 25-0 Caril Herrera in an IBF Super Flyweight world title eliminator.
Sadly however for Banal his winning run came to an end in 2008 as he was stopped by the hard punching Rafael Concepcion. Following the loss to Concepcion, Banal moved from Super Flyweight to Bantamweight, accommodating his growing body. Since moving to 118lbs Banal has been unbeaten and scored 11 wins (some of which have been above the Bantamweight limit) including a notable victory over former 2-weight world champion Luis Alberto Perez.
Despite having notable victories against both Rosas and Perez (as mentioned above) Banal is still pretty unknown by all but either hardcore fans or Filipino fans. This is a shame as he's actually fought in the US 3 times (with the most recent of those bouts coming in 2009) and has an eye pleasing style that should really have helped made him a US TV mainstay. Banal has fast, heavy hands and when he has his man hurt he really likes to unleash, as he did against Raul Hidalgo. Despite his aggressive mindset however, he has got decent boxing fundamentals and in his only loss to date, he was actually ahead on the score cards prior to be stopped.
Like Banal, the co-challenger Pungluang Sor Singyu is also highly ranked (WBO #2) and despite having had over 40 fights is also surprisingly young at just 24 years old. In fact the comparisons between the two men are numerous. Not only are both surprisingly young and very experienced for their age, but both men made their professional debuts at just 16 with Sor Singyu debuting back in 2004.
Sor Singyu started his career in excellent fashion and won his first 23 fights as well as the WBC Youth World Bantamweight title. Impressively he remained unbeaten until 2009 when he was controversially beaten by the talented Belgian Stephane Jamoye, in Jamoye's home city of Liege.
Since being beaten by Jamoye, Sor Singyu has run up 19 more successful victories, however they have all been at home and often against nondescript opponents with the best of them being against the likes of Marvin Tampus and Danilo Pena (both of whom are Filipino journeyman).
Sadly for fans wanting to see something of Sor Singyu it's hard to find footage of him in a decent fight, however the footage I have seen has shown him to be an "in your face" type of fighter with a solid guard and powerful looking right hands. His style looks like he'll be hard to force back and that if you remain in front of him, he will happily guide you to the ropes to bounce straight right hands off your hands. The fact he's only been in with poor opponents (Jamoye aside) however doesn't fill me with much confidence as to just how good he really is.
Whilst I do, genuinely like what I've seen of Sor Singyu I can't help but question his opponents and this leads me to feel that Banal will come out victorious, especially with this fight being held in the Philippines. I have to go with Banal by decision in what could genuinely turn out to be the fight of the weekend. I have a feeling that their styles will just play off on each other other as each man takes his turn to land their hardest shots on the other.
Prediction-Banal UD.
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr v Rodel Mayol
Earlier this year the young Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr (14-1-1, 7) claimed his first world title by defeating the more experienced Rodrigo Guerrero for the IBF Super Flyweight title. Sanchez Jr has defended that title once, by defeating former champion Juan Alberto Rosas and this week end will be looking to defeat another former world champion in a defense of his own title as he faces Rodel Mayol (31-5-2, 22).
At just 21 years old Sanchez is one of, if not the, youngest world champion out there at the moment, and is also one of the least experienced. Despite this he's not being given the softly softly treatment of so many young fighters out there who refuse to face a decent test until they've milked their world title for a year or two.
Sanchez has been a professional since 2008, when he was just 17. He would start his career with 7 straight victories with 6 of those coming by T/KO. His winning run however ended abruptly with an opening round technical decision with journeyman Felipe Acosta. Following the Acosta bout, Sanchez suffered his first (and so far only) loss as he was stopped in 2 rounds by Daniel Rosas (who later went on to fight for a world title himself).
Since suffering the loss to Rosas, Sanchez has rebuilt his career brilliantly with 7 straight wins. Not only has he scored notable wins over Guerrero and Rosas (as mentioned in the paragraph) but he has also beaten the then 18-0 Juan Francisco Estrada (who has recently stopped former world title challenger Ardin Diale). These victories have proven that Sanchez at least deserves his place amongst the top men at 115lbs even if he's not the top dog himself.
In terms of Sanchez the fighter, he is a huge southpaw who is not only difficult due to his stance but also his freaky frame. He manages to make 115lbs despite standing over 5'8". This freakish size sees him towering almost everyone else at the weight and although he may not be the most powerful guy at the weight (in fact he's only scored 1 T/KO in his last 9 fights) he does hit hard enough to hurt guys.
Unlike the champion, the challenge is an experienced veteran. Not only has Mayol been in more than twice as many bouts but he's been in the ring with some true top talent in a career that spans over a decade.
Mayol debuted as a professional 2000 when he was just 18 and he started his career with an excellent 22 fight winning streak before fighting for his first world title. In his first title tilt, he faced Japanese based Thai Eagle Den Junlaphan and despite putting up a spirited effort Mayol was out pointed.
Ever since his first world title bout, Mayol has been in the title picture with a number of world title fights against some of the best fighters out there. Over the past few years Mayol has faced Ulises Solis, Adrian Hernandez, Ivan Calderon (twice), Edgar Sosa, Omar Nino Romero (twice) and Julio Cesar Miranda. Whilst he suffered losses in a number of those bouts (Solis, Hernandez, Calderon and Romero) he also picked up some credible wins, including stopping Sosa and out pointing the tough Julio Cesar Miranda.
Whilst he's an experienced fighter and a tough fighter, Mayol does have a reputation for being dirty. Not only has he got 2 technical decisions with Ivan Calderon due to head clashes but his victory over Sosa was also marred by a nasty headbutt that Sosa never recovered from.
Despite being quick handed and aggressive Mayol doesn't have the power in his punches that he maybe needs against the best fighters at 115lbs. Whilst he did drop Miranda numerous times last time out in a bout made at the Super Flyweight limit it needs to be noted that Miranda himself was a career Flyweight going into that bout.
So now, to this bout. Whilst Mayol certainly has the experience and the craftiness to make life difficult for everyone in the lower divisions of the sport, I can't help but think that the size difference here will really show. Sanchez is longer, taller and not going to be easy to headbutt, he'll try to stay on the outside but even on the inside the Mexican should be stronger and able to almost push Mayol away with his shots. Mayol is tough and tenacious, having not been stopped in over 4 years and whilst I expect he will see the end, don't be shocked if he is down at some point.
Prediction-Sanchez UD12
At just 21 years old Sanchez is one of, if not the, youngest world champion out there at the moment, and is also one of the least experienced. Despite this he's not being given the softly softly treatment of so many young fighters out there who refuse to face a decent test until they've milked their world title for a year or two.
Sanchez has been a professional since 2008, when he was just 17. He would start his career with 7 straight victories with 6 of those coming by T/KO. His winning run however ended abruptly with an opening round technical decision with journeyman Felipe Acosta. Following the Acosta bout, Sanchez suffered his first (and so far only) loss as he was stopped in 2 rounds by Daniel Rosas (who later went on to fight for a world title himself).
Since suffering the loss to Rosas, Sanchez has rebuilt his career brilliantly with 7 straight wins. Not only has he scored notable wins over Guerrero and Rosas (as mentioned in the paragraph) but he has also beaten the then 18-0 Juan Francisco Estrada (who has recently stopped former world title challenger Ardin Diale). These victories have proven that Sanchez at least deserves his place amongst the top men at 115lbs even if he's not the top dog himself.
In terms of Sanchez the fighter, he is a huge southpaw who is not only difficult due to his stance but also his freaky frame. He manages to make 115lbs despite standing over 5'8". This freakish size sees him towering almost everyone else at the weight and although he may not be the most powerful guy at the weight (in fact he's only scored 1 T/KO in his last 9 fights) he does hit hard enough to hurt guys.
Unlike the champion, the challenge is an experienced veteran. Not only has Mayol been in more than twice as many bouts but he's been in the ring with some true top talent in a career that spans over a decade.
Mayol debuted as a professional 2000 when he was just 18 and he started his career with an excellent 22 fight winning streak before fighting for his first world title. In his first title tilt, he faced Japanese based Thai Eagle Den Junlaphan and despite putting up a spirited effort Mayol was out pointed.
Ever since his first world title bout, Mayol has been in the title picture with a number of world title fights against some of the best fighters out there. Over the past few years Mayol has faced Ulises Solis, Adrian Hernandez, Ivan Calderon (twice), Edgar Sosa, Omar Nino Romero (twice) and Julio Cesar Miranda. Whilst he suffered losses in a number of those bouts (Solis, Hernandez, Calderon and Romero) he also picked up some credible wins, including stopping Sosa and out pointing the tough Julio Cesar Miranda.
Whilst he's an experienced fighter and a tough fighter, Mayol does have a reputation for being dirty. Not only has he got 2 technical decisions with Ivan Calderon due to head clashes but his victory over Sosa was also marred by a nasty headbutt that Sosa never recovered from.
Despite being quick handed and aggressive Mayol doesn't have the power in his punches that he maybe needs against the best fighters at 115lbs. Whilst he did drop Miranda numerous times last time out in a bout made at the Super Flyweight limit it needs to be noted that Miranda himself was a career Flyweight going into that bout.
So now, to this bout. Whilst Mayol certainly has the experience and the craftiness to make life difficult for everyone in the lower divisions of the sport, I can't help but think that the size difference here will really show. Sanchez is longer, taller and not going to be easy to headbutt, he'll try to stay on the outside but even on the inside the Mexican should be stronger and able to almost push Mayol away with his shots. Mayol is tough and tenacious, having not been stopped in over 4 years and whilst I expect he will see the end, don't be shocked if he is down at some point.
Prediction-Sanchez UD12
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)