Japanese fighters fighting on New Years Eve is nothing new, in fact it's been a tradition over the last few years. This year however we end up with a potential FOTY of the year coming on new years eve as WBC Super Featherweight champion Takashi Miura (26-2-2, 19) takes on free swinging Mexican Danta Jardon (24-3, 20).
Fans who have followed either fighter over the last few years will know how entertaining they can be by themselves. When you put them together though, one must expect fireworks, one must expect a war and one anticipates nothing short of breathtaking back and forth action. If you've not seen either I'd advise giving both men a watch before New Year's Eve, especially Miura's last fight which saw him going to war with Sergio Thompson.
Of the two men Miura is the more established. He's not just the WBC world champion but was also a Japanese national champion earlier in his career and a man who is widely regarded as a really top tier Super Featherweight. His first world title fight may have saw him coming unstuck against Takashi Uchiyama but it was obvious from that fight that he had real potential to do something special himself.
Since the loss to Uchiyama in January 2011 we've seen Miura score 6 straight wins, including notable title fight victories over both Gamaliel Diaz and Sergio Thompson. It's those two fights in particular that have made Miura so well known with hard core fans. He's proven to be tough, hard working and an explosive puncher, despite the fact his record only makes him look like an above average hitter.
Jardon, at least on paper, is the bigger hitter though also the slightly less tough fighter. The Mexican challenger, dubbed "Crazy", has been known for being very fun to watch with a wild punching style and an aggressive mindset. It's not always worked for him but on the whole it's been successful with very few opponents managing to make him pay for his wild style.
At his best Jardon is a real threat, at his worst though he's just a single counter from going to sleep. Saying that I think for this fight, his first world title fight, he will tidy up what he does in the ring and fight a more intelligent fight than usual. He'll not manage to become Guillermo Rigondeaux over-night but he'll show a level of restraint that one wouldn't expect from seeing him.
Although I expect a slightly restrained Jardon I don't expect him to be able to curb his natural mindset and as a result this will become a war. A few slow, casual rounds might occur at the start but by the midway point this will become a real, all out war. Who ever can take the more damage will win the war and personally I favour Miura to be that man.
Prediction-Miura TKO11
Showing posts with label WBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WBC. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Leo Santa Cruz v Cesar Seda
If someone wanted to know who my favourite US based boxer is right now I'd have to go with Leo Santa Cruz (25-0-1, 15), a destructive and hard working fighting machine who goes in to the ring with the intention of breaking down every opponent he faces. Santa Cruz is one of those truly exciting fighters who you just feel the need to watch. He can look unskilled at times but he's defensively smart and a well oiled offensive machine who cuts the distance and breaks down fighters with work to the head and body. There really is little to dislike about him.
This weekend sees Santa Cruz defending his WBC Super Bantamweight title for the first time as he takes on former Super Flyweight title challenger Cesar Seda (25-1, 17) from Puerto Rico. This bout, another in the long standing Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry has been tipped by some as potentially the most exciting fight of the weekend.
Although some are tipping this to be exciting I can't help but think this is a complete mismatch. Whilst Seda is a decent fighter his limitations were shown up when he faced Omar Andres Narvaez who out maneuvered and out worked Seda. Sure that was a few years ago but since then he hasn't beaten any one of any real note with victories over Miguel Tamayo and Lorenzo Trejo not really being the sort of things that would prepare anyone for facing Santa Cruz.
Seda's good, but Leo is amazing.
I expect Seda to know how good Leo is. Seda will have to try and create distance but Santa Cruz is so startlingly impressive at cutting off the ring that Seda will be walked down, broken down with vicious uppercuts up close and will eventually fold.
Expect this to be action packed but far too short to be a classic.
Prediction-Leo Santa Cruz TKO4
This weekend sees Santa Cruz defending his WBC Super Bantamweight title for the first time as he takes on former Super Flyweight title challenger Cesar Seda (25-1, 17) from Puerto Rico. This bout, another in the long standing Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry has been tipped by some as potentially the most exciting fight of the weekend.
Although some are tipping this to be exciting I can't help but think this is a complete mismatch. Whilst Seda is a decent fighter his limitations were shown up when he faced Omar Andres Narvaez who out maneuvered and out worked Seda. Sure that was a few years ago but since then he hasn't beaten any one of any real note with victories over Miguel Tamayo and Lorenzo Trejo not really being the sort of things that would prepare anyone for facing Santa Cruz.
Seda's good, but Leo is amazing.
I expect Seda to know how good Leo is. Seda will have to try and create distance but Santa Cruz is so startlingly impressive at cutting off the ring that Seda will be walked down, broken down with vicious uppercuts up close and will eventually fold.
Expect this to be action packed but far too short to be a classic.
Prediction-Leo Santa Cruz TKO4
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Sakio Bika v Anthony Dirrell
The Super Middleweight division is one that features big names, big fighters and a complete cross section of styles. You have the pure boxing of Andre Ward, the warriors of Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler, the explosiveness of Georgre Groves and the crude toughness of Sakio Bika (32-5-2, 21).
Bike, the current WBC champion may not be everyone's cup of tea but he is a fighter who will give everyone a hard night. Tough as old boots, crude, unpredictable and generally rough Bika is throw back fighter to when the fight game was really the fight game. Boxing wise he's horrible, but with a fighters mentality, and head, he is type of caveman who can make life oddly difficult.
Watching Bika would lead one to believe that he was easy to out box. He does almost everything wrong. He walks in straight lines, he throws round house punches on a regular basis and even his jab, when he uses it, seems seems to go the long way round to the target. Yet for some reason he's been able to make even the best boxers in the world, such as Ward, struggle with him as he bores in swings wildly and gives people headaches.
It may be the way Bika uses his head as a third weapon, it may be his unrefined style but he's genuinely a pain in the ass to share a ring with.
The next man to find out just how frustrating Bika is will be the unbeaten Anthony Dirrell (26-0, 22) The brother of one time contender Andre Dirrell, Anthony is a man who was tipped for success though flattered to deceive so far into his career.
With speed, good skills and solid amateur fundamentals Dirrell does, at times, look the real deal. Unfortunately at others he looks a cheap imitation of a good fighter. His record would indicate a deadly puncher but in reality his KO rate has been blown up by fighting a lot of poor foes and his most notable victory has come against Renan St Juste, who injured his arm.
The limitations of Dirrell were clearly on show just 2 fights back when he struggled to a decision over Don Mouton. Mouton took the best that Dirrell had to offer but kept coming forward and genuinely gave Dirrell hell for 8 rounds. If Mouton can do that then there is no doubting that Bika can do the same.
With the trouble Mouton gave Dirrell I can see Bika doing just as well in what will turn out to be a very messy and rough bout
Prediction-Bika SD12
Bike, the current WBC champion may not be everyone's cup of tea but he is a fighter who will give everyone a hard night. Tough as old boots, crude, unpredictable and generally rough Bika is throw back fighter to when the fight game was really the fight game. Boxing wise he's horrible, but with a fighters mentality, and head, he is type of caveman who can make life oddly difficult.
Watching Bika would lead one to believe that he was easy to out box. He does almost everything wrong. He walks in straight lines, he throws round house punches on a regular basis and even his jab, when he uses it, seems seems to go the long way round to the target. Yet for some reason he's been able to make even the best boxers in the world, such as Ward, struggle with him as he bores in swings wildly and gives people headaches.
It may be the way Bika uses his head as a third weapon, it may be his unrefined style but he's genuinely a pain in the ass to share a ring with.
The next man to find out just how frustrating Bika is will be the unbeaten Anthony Dirrell (26-0, 22) The brother of one time contender Andre Dirrell, Anthony is a man who was tipped for success though flattered to deceive so far into his career.
With speed, good skills and solid amateur fundamentals Dirrell does, at times, look the real deal. Unfortunately at others he looks a cheap imitation of a good fighter. His record would indicate a deadly puncher but in reality his KO rate has been blown up by fighting a lot of poor foes and his most notable victory has come against Renan St Juste, who injured his arm.
The limitations of Dirrell were clearly on show just 2 fights back when he struggled to a decision over Don Mouton. Mouton took the best that Dirrell had to offer but kept coming forward and genuinely gave Dirrell hell for 8 rounds. If Mouton can do that then there is no doubting that Bika can do the same.
With the trouble Mouton gave Dirrell I can see Bika doing just as well in what will turn out to be a very messy and rough bout
Prediction-Bika SD12
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk v Giacobbe Fragomeni III
Over the past few years the Cruiserweight division has become a show stealer. No longer is it merely the bastard division between Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight but it's now it's own, highly established and amazingly entertaining division which brings us more action pound-for-pound than almost any other division in the sport. In fact for me it's the second division in the sport right now behind the red hot Flyweight division.
One problem with the Cruiserweight division however is that over the past few years it has been European centric with very little action coming stateside. That changes a little this Friday as Poland's Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (48-2-1, 24) takes his WBC title over to Chicago to defend it against Italian veteran Giacobbe Fragomeni (31-3-2, 12). This, the third meeting between the two men, will see Fragomeni seeking to tie the scoreline between the two men which currently sees Wloadrczyk leading 1-0 with 1 fight scored a draw.
At 44 years old Fragomeni is a bit of a freak of a freak. He's been one of the top Cruiserweights on the plant from around 2006 and despite a loss to David Haye that year it was obvious that Fragomeni had the talent to one day be a world champion.
Fragomeni would later become a title holder. In 2008 he beat Rudolph Kraj by 8th round technical decision to claim the WBC title, a title he would successfully defend once, scoring a draw with Wlodarczyk in that defense. Unfortunately he reign was curtailed by Hungarian Zsolt Erdei one fight later before a Wlodarczyk rematch saw Fragomeni being stopped in 8 rounds.
Since the loss to Wlodarczyk in 2010 Fragomeni has gone 5-0-1, claiming the WBC silver title in the process with a split decision over fellow Italian veteran Silvio Branco. It's that silver title that has helped Fragomeni getting a third fight with Wlodarczyk.
A warrior at heart Fragomeni's inclusion in a bout tends to leave us with an exciting action. Not often much in terms of "sweet science" but plenty of action all the same.
Much like the challenger Wlodarczyk, a 32 year who has previously held the IBF title, is a warrior. He's slightly better technically than Fragomeni but is mainly a tough and gutsy fighter who excellent engine and sheer bloody mindedness.
One of the weaknesses of Wlodarczyk is that he is a slow starter and he can be put over. Problem with knocking him over however is that he has the uncanny ability to just get up and fight back. This is what saved him last time out when he was dropped and dominated early on by Rakhim Chakhkiev.
When he's got his engine going and everything clicks however Wlodarczyk is a monster to defeat. He's got a great work rate, fantastic punch selection, good combinations and really hurtful power. He's not going to knock world level fighters out with one shot too often but every shot looks hurtful, every shot is grinding and every shot does damage. When he lets them go they have the capability of breaking down almost anyone in the division.
It's the grinding effect of Wlodarczyk that I think will take it's effect here as he breaks down Fragomeni and stops him around round 7 or 8 with the Italian veteran looking his age for a round or two before the stoppage. Thankfully for the first 5 or 6 rounds we should get some genuinely enthralling action that will hopefully make the US audience want to see more of this generation of brilliant Cruiserweights.
Prediction-Wlodarczyk TKO8
One problem with the Cruiserweight division however is that over the past few years it has been European centric with very little action coming stateside. That changes a little this Friday as Poland's Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (48-2-1, 24) takes his WBC title over to Chicago to defend it against Italian veteran Giacobbe Fragomeni (31-3-2, 12). This, the third meeting between the two men, will see Fragomeni seeking to tie the scoreline between the two men which currently sees Wloadrczyk leading 1-0 with 1 fight scored a draw.
At 44 years old Fragomeni is a bit of a freak of a freak. He's been one of the top Cruiserweights on the plant from around 2006 and despite a loss to David Haye that year it was obvious that Fragomeni had the talent to one day be a world champion.
Fragomeni would later become a title holder. In 2008 he beat Rudolph Kraj by 8th round technical decision to claim the WBC title, a title he would successfully defend once, scoring a draw with Wlodarczyk in that defense. Unfortunately he reign was curtailed by Hungarian Zsolt Erdei one fight later before a Wlodarczyk rematch saw Fragomeni being stopped in 8 rounds.
Since the loss to Wlodarczyk in 2010 Fragomeni has gone 5-0-1, claiming the WBC silver title in the process with a split decision over fellow Italian veteran Silvio Branco. It's that silver title that has helped Fragomeni getting a third fight with Wlodarczyk.
A warrior at heart Fragomeni's inclusion in a bout tends to leave us with an exciting action. Not often much in terms of "sweet science" but plenty of action all the same.
Much like the challenger Wlodarczyk, a 32 year who has previously held the IBF title, is a warrior. He's slightly better technically than Fragomeni but is mainly a tough and gutsy fighter who excellent engine and sheer bloody mindedness.
One of the weaknesses of Wlodarczyk is that he is a slow starter and he can be put over. Problem with knocking him over however is that he has the uncanny ability to just get up and fight back. This is what saved him last time out when he was dropped and dominated early on by Rakhim Chakhkiev.
When he's got his engine going and everything clicks however Wlodarczyk is a monster to defeat. He's got a great work rate, fantastic punch selection, good combinations and really hurtful power. He's not going to knock world level fighters out with one shot too often but every shot looks hurtful, every shot is grinding and every shot does damage. When he lets them go they have the capability of breaking down almost anyone in the division.
It's the grinding effect of Wlodarczyk that I think will take it's effect here as he breaks down Fragomeni and stops him around round 7 or 8 with the Italian veteran looking his age for a round or two before the stoppage. Thankfully for the first 5 or 6 rounds we should get some genuinely enthralling action that will hopefully make the US audience want to see more of this generation of brilliant Cruiserweights.
Prediction-Wlodarczyk TKO8
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Akira Yaegashi v Edgar Sosa
This weekend is awash with major fights across the world but the one that stands out for me is in Japan on Friday as WBC Flyweight champion Akira Yaegashi (18-3, 9) defends his title for the second time. Yaegashi, a former Minimumweight champion and current Flyweight champion, takes on Mexican Edgar Sosa (49-7, 29) a man who was a former stand out at Light Flyweight.
Yaegashi has quickly become one of my favourite fighters. He's a certified warrior who goes to war on a regular basis and seems unhappy when fights don't result in both men landing bombs on each other. Thankfully Sosa, at his best, is a similar sort of fighter. Sosa is more rounded as a boxer with better straight shots, but on the flip side Yeagashi seems to have a way to turn fights into wars.
Sosa, at his best was a phenomenal Light Flyweight who boxed excellently, could hold his own in a war and at one point was on the verges of the pound-for-pound lists. That came to an end when Sosa was beaten in a highly controversial bout with Rodel Mayol, a bout saw Mayol headbutting Sosa and breaking his nose before stopping him.
Following the loss to Mayol we've seen Sosa moving to Flyweight. At 112lbs we've seen him fall short against Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, though that was 2 years ago and since then he has scored notable victories over Ulises Solis and Giovani Segura. Those two victories have seen Sosa working his way to this world title fight and really have a year to remember, just as many were about to write him off.
Going in to this fight I think if Sosa loses it's the end of his career. He's had 46 fights already, he's 34, has 415 rounds and has been a professional for over 13 years. That type of career takes a lot out of a fighter and Sosa isn't the fighter he once was. He may well have some of the traits that made him so good but he's not that fighter.
The biggest problem for Yaegashi will be getting around the reach of Sosa. Sosa holds a major reach advantage and if he can use that to establish his jab then Yaegashi will really struggle. Saying that however I think Yaegashi will manage to get inside and turn this into a toe-to-toe brawl and if he can then this has FOTY contender written all over it.
If Yaegashi can't cut the range then this will be a long night for the champion and the title will be changing hands, saying that though I do think Yaegashi will be able to inside and we'll have a fight that no fan should miss.
Prediction-Yaegashi UD12 (Close)
Yaegashi has quickly become one of my favourite fighters. He's a certified warrior who goes to war on a regular basis and seems unhappy when fights don't result in both men landing bombs on each other. Thankfully Sosa, at his best, is a similar sort of fighter. Sosa is more rounded as a boxer with better straight shots, but on the flip side Yeagashi seems to have a way to turn fights into wars.
Sosa, at his best was a phenomenal Light Flyweight who boxed excellently, could hold his own in a war and at one point was on the verges of the pound-for-pound lists. That came to an end when Sosa was beaten in a highly controversial bout with Rodel Mayol, a bout saw Mayol headbutting Sosa and breaking his nose before stopping him.
Following the loss to Mayol we've seen Sosa moving to Flyweight. At 112lbs we've seen him fall short against Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, though that was 2 years ago and since then he has scored notable victories over Ulises Solis and Giovani Segura. Those two victories have seen Sosa working his way to this world title fight and really have a year to remember, just as many were about to write him off.
Going in to this fight I think if Sosa loses it's the end of his career. He's had 46 fights already, he's 34, has 415 rounds and has been a professional for over 13 years. That type of career takes a lot out of a fighter and Sosa isn't the fighter he once was. He may well have some of the traits that made him so good but he's not that fighter.
The biggest problem for Yaegashi will be getting around the reach of Sosa. Sosa holds a major reach advantage and if he can use that to establish his jab then Yaegashi will really struggle. Saying that however I think Yaegashi will manage to get inside and turn this into a toe-to-toe brawl and if he can then this has FOTY contender written all over it.
If Yaegashi can't cut the range then this will be a long night for the champion and the title will be changing hands, saying that though I do think Yaegashi will be able to inside and we'll have a fight that no fan should miss.
Prediction-Yaegashi UD12 (Close)
Friday, 29 November 2013
Xiong Zhao Zhong v Lookrak Kiatmungmee
This weekend's most over-looked, though rightfully so, world title fight is in China as Xiong Zhao Zhong (21-4-1, 11) looks to make the second defense of his WBC Minimumweight title. Originally Zhong was listed to fight Omari Kimweri though unfortunately Kimweri has had issues with his passport and instead been replaced by inactive Thai Lookrak Kiatmungmee (7-4, 4) who is one of the weakest and least qualified world title challengers in recent memory.
Unfortunately for Zhong this was supposed to be his chance to defend in front of his people against a credible, though somewhat obscure, opponent. Instead Zhong will be facing a man who has been inactive for around 2 years and was far from a world beater when he was active.
Zhong, a strong, powerful, tough and bullish fighter is a real beast at 105lbs. He is far from "boxer" but is a fighter and very tough to discourage. Against Kiatmungmee it's difficult to see anything but a Zhong victory via stoppage as he walks through the limited Thai.
For Kiatmungmee he's really not got a chance, however it's great that he's filled in to allow Zhong his chance at history.
Prediction-Zhong TKO5
Unfortunately for Zhong this was supposed to be his chance to defend in front of his people against a credible, though somewhat obscure, opponent. Instead Zhong will be facing a man who has been inactive for around 2 years and was far from a world beater when he was active.
Zhong, a strong, powerful, tough and bullish fighter is a real beast at 105lbs. He is far from "boxer" but is a fighter and very tough to discourage. Against Kiatmungmee it's difficult to see anything but a Zhong victory via stoppage as he walks through the limited Thai.
For Kiatmungmee he's really not got a chance, however it's great that he's filled in to allow Zhong his chance at history.
Prediction-Zhong TKO5
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Adonis Stevenson v Tony Bellew
Right now British boxing is clearly under a dark cloud due to the controversial ending to the recent Carl Froch/George Groves bout that ended with one of the worst stoppages of the year. It's unlikely that British boxing will immediately recover but one man attempting to re-affirm how good it can be is Scouser Tony Bellew (20-1-1, 12) who this week travels to Canada and battles Canadian based Haitian Adonis Stevenson (22-1, 19) for the WBC and Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight titles.
Bellew, who was once regarded as a big puncher himself, will be fighting in his second world title fight after fighting to a majority decision loss to Welshman Nathan Cleverly a little over 2 years ago. Since that loss Bellew has been a man who has been fighting for a second world title opportunity and has been through Danny McIntosh, Edison Miranda, Roberto Feliciano Bolonti and Isaac Chilemba, who he has also drawn against.
In his first first 15 fights Bellew had scored 10 stoppages and seemed to have belief in his power. Once suggesting that if he connects on anyone in the division he'd destroy them. Since then however he has managed 2 stoppages in 7 fights proving that his belief in his own power is very much over-stated and in all honesty his nickname of "Bomber" seems less apt after ever fight.
As well as the over-rated power Bellew also appears to have a some what shaky chin having been down against the likes of Bob Ajisafe and Ovill McKenzie. Of course those fights were 3 years ago but it still needs to be a worry to the Brit, especially when you consider who he is facing.
Those flaws of Bellew has forced him to use his boxing skills and although he's no longer taking people out he is showing some great in-ring traits such as using his jab properly, controlling the distance well with his fantastic reach and showing a lot more maturity from the man who had a large mouth early in his career. Unfortunately however that mature head can blow and he can do some very stupid things, as he did several times in the first bout with Chilemba. When he keeps his cool he's a threat to anybody but when frustrated he's only a threat to himself.
Unfortunately for Bellew he's up against one of the most destructive men in world boxing. Adonis "Superman" Stevenson is one of those rare fighters blesesd with fight changing power in both hands, a jab feels like a straight and a straight feels like a ramrod. What's makes things worse for his opponents is that he's added more and more boxing to his game.
As shown in Stevenson's victory over Tavoris Cloud he can box as well as bang and his movement, shot selection and over-all gameplan is very much that of a world level fighter. When you have Stevenson's power it can be easy to ignore the basics but thankfully for Stevenson he was built up by the late Manny Steward and those boxing fundamentals have started to be utilised to their best.
Going in to this fight we can actually have two things. We could have a boxing contest, which would give Bellew a slight chance as long as he starts faster than Stevenson, or we could have a tear up. I'd imagine the fight will start with a bit of boxing, both men trying to establish their jabs. The one who can't get the jab going will be the first to change their plan and this will likely determine the next 2 or 3 rounds. Unfortunately however it's only a matter of time before Stevenson connects with a straight that sends Bellew crumpling to the canvas.
I imagine the heart of Bellew will help him to his feet but he'll only get tagged again until the referee has seen enough. The stoppage will be legit but yet Bellew will try to make out that he was fine and rather than taking the defeat graciously I think we may see the immaturity come out in the end and further the dark cloud over British boxing after putting up a brave effort.
Prediction-Stevenson TKO6
Bellew, who was once regarded as a big puncher himself, will be fighting in his second world title fight after fighting to a majority decision loss to Welshman Nathan Cleverly a little over 2 years ago. Since that loss Bellew has been a man who has been fighting for a second world title opportunity and has been through Danny McIntosh, Edison Miranda, Roberto Feliciano Bolonti and Isaac Chilemba, who he has also drawn against.
In his first first 15 fights Bellew had scored 10 stoppages and seemed to have belief in his power. Once suggesting that if he connects on anyone in the division he'd destroy them. Since then however he has managed 2 stoppages in 7 fights proving that his belief in his own power is very much over-stated and in all honesty his nickname of "Bomber" seems less apt after ever fight.
As well as the over-rated power Bellew also appears to have a some what shaky chin having been down against the likes of Bob Ajisafe and Ovill McKenzie. Of course those fights were 3 years ago but it still needs to be a worry to the Brit, especially when you consider who he is facing.
Those flaws of Bellew has forced him to use his boxing skills and although he's no longer taking people out he is showing some great in-ring traits such as using his jab properly, controlling the distance well with his fantastic reach and showing a lot more maturity from the man who had a large mouth early in his career. Unfortunately however that mature head can blow and he can do some very stupid things, as he did several times in the first bout with Chilemba. When he keeps his cool he's a threat to anybody but when frustrated he's only a threat to himself.
Unfortunately for Bellew he's up against one of the most destructive men in world boxing. Adonis "Superman" Stevenson is one of those rare fighters blesesd with fight changing power in both hands, a jab feels like a straight and a straight feels like a ramrod. What's makes things worse for his opponents is that he's added more and more boxing to his game.
As shown in Stevenson's victory over Tavoris Cloud he can box as well as bang and his movement, shot selection and over-all gameplan is very much that of a world level fighter. When you have Stevenson's power it can be easy to ignore the basics but thankfully for Stevenson he was built up by the late Manny Steward and those boxing fundamentals have started to be utilised to their best.
Going in to this fight we can actually have two things. We could have a boxing contest, which would give Bellew a slight chance as long as he starts faster than Stevenson, or we could have a tear up. I'd imagine the fight will start with a bit of boxing, both men trying to establish their jabs. The one who can't get the jab going will be the first to change their plan and this will likely determine the next 2 or 3 rounds. Unfortunately however it's only a matter of time before Stevenson connects with a straight that sends Bellew crumpling to the canvas.
I imagine the heart of Bellew will help him to his feet but he'll only get tagged again until the referee has seen enough. The stoppage will be legit but yet Bellew will try to make out that he was fine and rather than taking the defeat graciously I think we may see the immaturity come out in the end and further the dark cloud over British boxing after putting up a brave effort.
Prediction-Stevenson TKO6
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai v Hirofumi Mukai
The first world title fight this week is in Thailand as WBC Super
Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (22-3-1, 20) makes the first
defense of a title he won in stunning fashion earlier this year.
Srisaket, who was all but an unknown in April of this year burst on to the scene in a big way back in May when he didn't just beat Yota Sato but totally destroyed him and sending him in to retirement courtesy of a destructive 8th round TKO. Unlike many champions however Srisaket hasn't just sat waiting for a challenger but has instead piled up a trio of none title victories keeping the ring rust off and his bank balance looking moderately healthy in the process.
For his first defense Srisaket will be facing Japanese southpaw Hirofumi Mukai (9-2-1, 1), a man who promised much when he first turned professional back in 2009 though has failed to deliver with losses to Rocky Fuentes and Mark Anthony Geraldo two solid but unspectacular fighters.
Mukai is a pure boxer. He's talented for sure and holds a very notable victory over Sonny Boy Jaro though in all honesty that's his most notable victory and came before his loss to Fuentes and technical draw with Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Unfortunately since beating Jaro it's been hard to be impressed by what Mukai has actually achieved. He has gone 4-2-1 since then with his most notable victory following Jaro being a decision over Saenmuangloei Kokietgym.
If we call Mukai a boxer then we need to call Srisaket a bulldozer. The guy is as strong as an ox and when he gets in the ring he is nothing short of destructive with every punch thrown with bad intentions. Against a fighter like Mukai, who was stopped just 2 fights ago, this power is simply going to be too much to handle.
Mukai may last longer here than he did with Geraldo but it's hard to view this as anything more than an easy and quick first defense for a champion who may be very, very hard to dethrone, as long as he can make the weight comfortably enough.
Prediction-Srisaket TKO 4
Srisaket, who was all but an unknown in April of this year burst on to the scene in a big way back in May when he didn't just beat Yota Sato but totally destroyed him and sending him in to retirement courtesy of a destructive 8th round TKO. Unlike many champions however Srisaket hasn't just sat waiting for a challenger but has instead piled up a trio of none title victories keeping the ring rust off and his bank balance looking moderately healthy in the process.
For his first defense Srisaket will be facing Japanese southpaw Hirofumi Mukai (9-2-1, 1), a man who promised much when he first turned professional back in 2009 though has failed to deliver with losses to Rocky Fuentes and Mark Anthony Geraldo two solid but unspectacular fighters.
Mukai is a pure boxer. He's talented for sure and holds a very notable victory over Sonny Boy Jaro though in all honesty that's his most notable victory and came before his loss to Fuentes and technical draw with Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Unfortunately since beating Jaro it's been hard to be impressed by what Mukai has actually achieved. He has gone 4-2-1 since then with his most notable victory following Jaro being a decision over Saenmuangloei Kokietgym.
If we call Mukai a boxer then we need to call Srisaket a bulldozer. The guy is as strong as an ox and when he gets in the ring he is nothing short of destructive with every punch thrown with bad intentions. Against a fighter like Mukai, who was stopped just 2 fights ago, this power is simply going to be too much to handle.
Mukai may last longer here than he did with Geraldo but it's hard to view this as anything more than an easy and quick first defense for a champion who may be very, very hard to dethrone, as long as he can make the weight comfortably enough.
Prediction-Srisaket TKO 4
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Shinsuke Yamanaka v Alberto Guevara
Whilst we have several world title fights on Saturday across the world it's also worth remembering that this weekend also has a world title fight on Sunday as the attention of the hardcore boxing world turns to Japan.
Although originally the Teiken promoted super-card at the Kokugikan in Tokyo was supposed to have two world title fights the pull out of Cuban Abril has left us with just one as the popular Shinsuke Yamanaka (19-0-2, 14) fights the teak tough Alberto Guevara (18-1, 6) in a defense of the WBC Bantamweight title.
Yamanaka has become one of Japan's most notable boxers of the last few years due to a series of high quality wins. Like Toshiaki Nishioka before him Yamanaka has become of the of the Japanese fighters who has been facing notable opponents that are known by international fans. Not only as Yamanaka beaten fellow Asian's such Malcolm Tunacao but also international opponents such as Vic Darchinyan, Tomas Rojas, Christian Esquivel and Jose Nieves.
The key to Yamanaka's success is his over-all skill. He can be made to struggle, as he did against Tunacao, Darchinyan and Esquivel, but he refuses to be beaten and when required to go to the well he does it. He combines this refusal to lose with genuine KO power, a tricky southpaw stance, solid boxing fundamentals and very impressive defense for a Japanese fighter.
Although generally happy to box and wait for an opportunity Yamanaka can steamroll opponents when he feels like it, as he did against Nieves. This poses three problems to opponents. Will Yamanaka box their head off, go to war with them in a brawl-as he did with compatriot Ryosuke Iwasa or will he just try to get them out of there as he did with Nieves?
American fans should be aware Guevara who gave the insanely talented Leo Santa Cruz one of his toughest bouts late last year. Against Santa Cruz we saw Guevara move excellently and give Santa Cruz real problems in pinning him down for 5 or 6 rounds. Although lacking genuine power Guevara has developed a style, like Miguel Vazquez, which makes him difficult to punch.
Talented as a counter puncher or as a stick-and-move pure boxer Guevara is a tough test for anyone. He's not the best pure boxer in the division, that's a title certainly held by Anselmo Moreno, but he's well inside the top 10 and he could actually be a better pure boxer than Yamanaka, unlike many of the champions recent opponents.
Although I expect Guevara to really test the Japanese fighter it's difficult to see the upset here. Guevara probably has the toughness to see out the final bell, but not take the decision in what is a very interesting contest.
Prediction-Yamanaka UD12
Although originally the Teiken promoted super-card at the Kokugikan in Tokyo was supposed to have two world title fights the pull out of Cuban Abril has left us with just one as the popular Shinsuke Yamanaka (19-0-2, 14) fights the teak tough Alberto Guevara (18-1, 6) in a defense of the WBC Bantamweight title.
Yamanaka has become one of Japan's most notable boxers of the last few years due to a series of high quality wins. Like Toshiaki Nishioka before him Yamanaka has become of the of the Japanese fighters who has been facing notable opponents that are known by international fans. Not only as Yamanaka beaten fellow Asian's such Malcolm Tunacao but also international opponents such as Vic Darchinyan, Tomas Rojas, Christian Esquivel and Jose Nieves.
The key to Yamanaka's success is his over-all skill. He can be made to struggle, as he did against Tunacao, Darchinyan and Esquivel, but he refuses to be beaten and when required to go to the well he does it. He combines this refusal to lose with genuine KO power, a tricky southpaw stance, solid boxing fundamentals and very impressive defense for a Japanese fighter.
Although generally happy to box and wait for an opportunity Yamanaka can steamroll opponents when he feels like it, as he did against Nieves. This poses three problems to opponents. Will Yamanaka box their head off, go to war with them in a brawl-as he did with compatriot Ryosuke Iwasa or will he just try to get them out of there as he did with Nieves?
American fans should be aware Guevara who gave the insanely talented Leo Santa Cruz one of his toughest bouts late last year. Against Santa Cruz we saw Guevara move excellently and give Santa Cruz real problems in pinning him down for 5 or 6 rounds. Although lacking genuine power Guevara has developed a style, like Miguel Vazquez, which makes him difficult to punch.
Talented as a counter puncher or as a stick-and-move pure boxer Guevara is a tough test for anyone. He's not the best pure boxer in the division, that's a title certainly held by Anselmo Moreno, but he's well inside the top 10 and he could actually be a better pure boxer than Yamanaka, unlike many of the champions recent opponents.
Although I expect Guevara to really test the Japanese fighter it's difficult to see the upset here. Guevara probably has the toughness to see out the final bell, but not take the decision in what is a very interesting contest.
Prediction-Yamanaka UD12
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Adonis Stevenson v Tavoris Cloud
"Explosive" is a word we love to hear in boxing. "Explosive fight" or "explosive puncher" are two of the greatest terms to a boxing fans ears. This Saturday night in Quebec, Canada we have a fight that promises to be "explosive" with one big time explosive puncher against a tough fighter who himself contains a bit of TNT in his gloves.
Haitian born Canadian Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (21-1, 18) lived up to his "Superman" moniker earlier this year when he upset, in spectacular fashion, Chad Dawson to claim the WBC Light Heavyweight title. Entering that bout as the under-dog Stevenson needed just 76 seconds to stop Dawson and claim the title in an impressive performance that put him on the boxing map.
Whilst Stevenson scored his highest profile victory in his most recent contest, his opponent here, Tavoris Cloud (24-1, 19) suffered his first loss, being out pointed by Bernard Hopkins. Going into his bout with Hopkins, Cloud was the IBF champion and was actually defending that belt for the fifth time before being given a bit of a schooling by Hopkins.
For Cloud this is a bout that gives him a chance at rebuilding his reputation. In all honesty he should have lost his last two bouts, though both of those came against "boxers". Cloud isn't made to beat boxers. He's a guy with a high work rate and hard punches though very slow feet that need to be set before he punches. He wants an opponent to trade with him and if he's forced to box with an opponent on their toes he's always going to struggle due to his feet and style.
In Stevenson, Cloud has an stylistically opponent made for him. Stevenson isn't going to run from a fight and will instead try to prove that he's more of a man than the guy he's sharing the ring with. This can cost him, as it did in his sole loss to Darnell, though it tends to favour Stevenson who's punch is thunderous.
Sadly for Cloud, Stevenson's punch is destructive. If Cloud wants to trade with him there is every chance that Stevenson will connect with his murderous straight left which could see the usually tough Cloud buzzed, big time. If Cloud is buzzed at any point expect Stevenson to jump on him and unload.
Whilst Cloud could win if it's a close brawl he cannot afford to let Stevenson have full extension on his straight punches. If he does then he'll be, well, in the clouds.
Another problem for Cloud however is the fact Stevenson can actually box a bit. He's not master boxer like Hopkins or Campillo but he can boxing, use his reach and move. If he does that in the early rounds and lets Cloud chase him we could end up being fooled into thinking that Stevenson has become a boxer. Cloud would make Stevenson look a better boxer than he is, though it would allow Stevenson a chance to pick a hole and find a place for his left. Just because he bombed out Dawson with a perfect counter doesn't mean he'll be looking to do the same here, this time the pressure is on him, whilst last time he was the under-dog.
Yes Cloud "could" win, but personally I just don't see it.
Prediction-Stevenson TKO6
Haitian born Canadian Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (21-1, 18) lived up to his "Superman" moniker earlier this year when he upset, in spectacular fashion, Chad Dawson to claim the WBC Light Heavyweight title. Entering that bout as the under-dog Stevenson needed just 76 seconds to stop Dawson and claim the title in an impressive performance that put him on the boxing map.
Whilst Stevenson scored his highest profile victory in his most recent contest, his opponent here, Tavoris Cloud (24-1, 19) suffered his first loss, being out pointed by Bernard Hopkins. Going into his bout with Hopkins, Cloud was the IBF champion and was actually defending that belt for the fifth time before being given a bit of a schooling by Hopkins.
For Cloud this is a bout that gives him a chance at rebuilding his reputation. In all honesty he should have lost his last two bouts, though both of those came against "boxers". Cloud isn't made to beat boxers. He's a guy with a high work rate and hard punches though very slow feet that need to be set before he punches. He wants an opponent to trade with him and if he's forced to box with an opponent on their toes he's always going to struggle due to his feet and style.
In Stevenson, Cloud has an stylistically opponent made for him. Stevenson isn't going to run from a fight and will instead try to prove that he's more of a man than the guy he's sharing the ring with. This can cost him, as it did in his sole loss to Darnell, though it tends to favour Stevenson who's punch is thunderous.
Sadly for Cloud, Stevenson's punch is destructive. If Cloud wants to trade with him there is every chance that Stevenson will connect with his murderous straight left which could see the usually tough Cloud buzzed, big time. If Cloud is buzzed at any point expect Stevenson to jump on him and unload.
Whilst Cloud could win if it's a close brawl he cannot afford to let Stevenson have full extension on his straight punches. If he does then he'll be, well, in the clouds.
Another problem for Cloud however is the fact Stevenson can actually box a bit. He's not master boxer like Hopkins or Campillo but he can boxing, use his reach and move. If he does that in the early rounds and lets Cloud chase him we could end up being fooled into thinking that Stevenson has become a boxer. Cloud would make Stevenson look a better boxer than he is, though it would allow Stevenson a chance to pick a hole and find a place for his left. Just because he bombed out Dawson with a perfect counter doesn't mean he'll be looking to do the same here, this time the pressure is on him, whilst last time he was the under-dog.
Yes Cloud "could" win, but personally I just don't see it.
Prediction-Stevenson TKO6
Friday, 13 September 2013
Floyd Mayweather Jr v Saul Alvarez
In boxing some fights seem bigger than the actual sport, fights like Louis v Schmelling II, Johnson v Jeffries and even Ali v Fraizer I. Whilst no one will describe this weekend's bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr (44-0, 26) and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (42-0-1, 30) as being that big, it's undeniably one of the biggest possible fights in the sport today (I'd argue a Klitschko v Klitschko fight would be bigger, though has about 0% chance of ever happening).
With the WBA "Super" and WBC "Regular" titles both on the line the bout is something special. Easily the biggest fight of the year, and maybe the biggest fight, in terms of revenue, ever. It's a fight that has surpassed the boxing media and even the sports media as it's climbed into the mainstream and given boxing a real shot in the arm.
Whilst it's a massive fight, don't get me wrong on that, is it really a fight that will live up to the hype or will it, like many Mayweather fights, become a case of a highly talented boxer totally out fighting an under-skilled and limited fighter who has as many dimensions to his game as a piece of paper?
Mayweather, at his best, combines the elusiveness of Nicolino Locche with the hand speed of Sugar Ray Leonard, the stamina of Pete Sanstol and the boxing brains of, well, a genius. The guy might be an unlikable, arrogant loud mouth outside of the squared circle but between those ropes the guy really is the modern version of "Nonpariel" and in fact you would need to find a time machine to find him an equal match.
Dream fights with Mayweather would of course feature the Fab 4, Sandy Saddler, Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong. The fact it's those men, the greatest fighters of all time, who are matched in mythical fights with Mayweather really should tell you something. This man is a special, once in a generation talent.
Sadly for Canelo he's not. Despite the Mexican's love for their ginger haired icon he's really moving up 3 levels here. He's no longer facing decent fighters, he's facing a elite talent. There is a huge leap from the likes of "Magic" Matthew Hatton, Josesito Lopez, Alfonso Gomez and Shane Mosley to Floyd Mayweather Jr. In fact the leap from Hatton, Lopez and Mosley to Austin Trout, the best win on Alvarez's record, is only a fraction of the leap up from Trout to Mayweather.
Unfortunately for "Canelo" not only is he taking a big step up in class but he'll be fighting in a very different environment to what he usually has. In his last fight he was the clear crowd favourite as he took on Austin Trout in Texas, with a crowd that was on his side from the start of the show. The crowd that night certainly helped him with the judges. This time however he's entering Mayweather's proverbial boxing home in the MGM Grand, the venue where "Money" has fought his past 7 bouts.
In the build up Mayweather may have received some boos from the Mexican's turning up for public appearances but at the MGM he'll not have the same negativity thrust his way.
Canelo is, for me, the hype that disgusts true boxing fans. Canelo is, at this moment ranked #3 pound-for-pound by Boxrec.com and #9 by Ring Magazine. What he did to achieve these accolades is frankly ridiculous and is insulting to fighters like Roman Gonzalez, Kazuto Ioka, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Mickey Garcia who are all more proven and have better fundamentals than Alvarez.
The worst limitations for Alvarez are things that Mayweather will know about all too well. For example Alvarez appears to have the stamina of 60 year old man, the boxing intelligence of a domestic level fighter and the inability to really think about both offense and defense at the same time. Asking Alvarez to show off his defense is fine, asking him to show off his offense is also fine but asking him to counter a fighter appears to be like asking a child to do calculus.
Against a fighter like Mayweather you need to be able to transition flawless between defense and offense to have any chance. You need to have an intelligent boxing brain and the ability to jab between Mayweather's own work.
Many reading this will be screaming at their screen saying "but Canelo is bigger!" Whilst this is true he's also slower, clumsier, and less skilled. A weight advantage won't really help when you're eating right hands like candy and with out trying to be to harsh Canelo will be punished for his boxing knowledge much like a red headed step child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.
Prediction-Mayweather UD12
With the WBA "Super" and WBC "Regular" titles both on the line the bout is something special. Easily the biggest fight of the year, and maybe the biggest fight, in terms of revenue, ever. It's a fight that has surpassed the boxing media and even the sports media as it's climbed into the mainstream and given boxing a real shot in the arm.
Whilst it's a massive fight, don't get me wrong on that, is it really a fight that will live up to the hype or will it, like many Mayweather fights, become a case of a highly talented boxer totally out fighting an under-skilled and limited fighter who has as many dimensions to his game as a piece of paper?
Mayweather, at his best, combines the elusiveness of Nicolino Locche with the hand speed of Sugar Ray Leonard, the stamina of Pete Sanstol and the boxing brains of, well, a genius. The guy might be an unlikable, arrogant loud mouth outside of the squared circle but between those ropes the guy really is the modern version of "Nonpariel" and in fact you would need to find a time machine to find him an equal match.
Dream fights with Mayweather would of course feature the Fab 4, Sandy Saddler, Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong. The fact it's those men, the greatest fighters of all time, who are matched in mythical fights with Mayweather really should tell you something. This man is a special, once in a generation talent.
Sadly for Canelo he's not. Despite the Mexican's love for their ginger haired icon he's really moving up 3 levels here. He's no longer facing decent fighters, he's facing a elite talent. There is a huge leap from the likes of "Magic" Matthew Hatton, Josesito Lopez, Alfonso Gomez and Shane Mosley to Floyd Mayweather Jr. In fact the leap from Hatton, Lopez and Mosley to Austin Trout, the best win on Alvarez's record, is only a fraction of the leap up from Trout to Mayweather.
Unfortunately for "Canelo" not only is he taking a big step up in class but he'll be fighting in a very different environment to what he usually has. In his last fight he was the clear crowd favourite as he took on Austin Trout in Texas, with a crowd that was on his side from the start of the show. The crowd that night certainly helped him with the judges. This time however he's entering Mayweather's proverbial boxing home in the MGM Grand, the venue where "Money" has fought his past 7 bouts.
In the build up Mayweather may have received some boos from the Mexican's turning up for public appearances but at the MGM he'll not have the same negativity thrust his way.
Canelo is, for me, the hype that disgusts true boxing fans. Canelo is, at this moment ranked #3 pound-for-pound by Boxrec.com and #9 by Ring Magazine. What he did to achieve these accolades is frankly ridiculous and is insulting to fighters like Roman Gonzalez, Kazuto Ioka, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Mickey Garcia who are all more proven and have better fundamentals than Alvarez.
The worst limitations for Alvarez are things that Mayweather will know about all too well. For example Alvarez appears to have the stamina of 60 year old man, the boxing intelligence of a domestic level fighter and the inability to really think about both offense and defense at the same time. Asking Alvarez to show off his defense is fine, asking him to show off his offense is also fine but asking him to counter a fighter appears to be like asking a child to do calculus.
Against a fighter like Mayweather you need to be able to transition flawless between defense and offense to have any chance. You need to have an intelligent boxing brain and the ability to jab between Mayweather's own work.
Many reading this will be screaming at their screen saying "but Canelo is bigger!" Whilst this is true he's also slower, clumsier, and less skilled. A weight advantage won't really help when you're eating right hands like candy and with out trying to be to harsh Canelo will be punished for his boxing knowledge much like a red headed step child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.
Prediction-Mayweather UD12
Danny Garcia v Lucas Martin Matthysse
It's not often that the perceived "B" fight on a card looks more interesting than the "A" fight but this weekend's "B" side on "The One" card looks significantly better than the main fight as the unbeaten Danny Garcia (26-0, 16) defends his WBC and WBA world title against the destructive Lucas Martin Matthysse (34-2, 32).
Although Garcia enters the bout as an unbeaten double champion he also enters as the under-dog and in the eyes of many he is merely a lamb to the slaughter. Despite the general view of Garcia heading to the slaughter he's actually a fighter who appears to be getting very over-looked. He's proven to be tough, skilled, and despite being rather predictable, he has looked like he's got very solid basic skills. His left hook, especially as a counter, is a devastating punch, he's confident and is riding a high that many though his career would have.
Garcia of course isn't an under-dog for the first time in his career and he's repeatedly proven that th under-dog tag doesn't really offend him. In fact against Amir Khan, Garcia was so over-looked that many seemed to think Khan was going to ease past Garcia before becoming Floyd Mayweather's next opponent. One thing that Garcia actually seems to like is being the under-dog, it takes the pressure off his shoulders and allows him to fight his natural fight which is that of an intelligent counter puncher.
Sadly for Garcia he was made to look very predictable last time out. Sure he beat Zab Judah, though for the final 4 rounds he really struggled to look anything more than 1 paced and very easy to read. The lack of a plan B is likely to fall straight in to Matthysse's hands with the Argentinian only really needing to be aware of the champion's hook.
Matthysse is generally viewed as not only the favourite but also "the man" of the Light Welterweight division. His two losses have both been highly controversial with many viewing both losses as complete robberies and in fact if anything those losses seem to have made the hard hitting Argentinian even more determined to leave his opponents void of their senses.
The "new Matthysse" was seen in full flow last time out as he destroyed the generally tough Lamont Peterson. The destruction of Peterson may have been "expected" but it showed that Matthysse was no longer willing to just box world level opponents, instead he was willing to destroy them from the opening bell. Had he used the same mentality against Zab Judah and Devon Alexander it's fair to say he'd have stopped both.
Although not the most technically skilled or the the fastest Matthysse is an intelligent fighter. He may just be seen as a destructive puncher but he's also a clever fighter. He knows when to go downstairs and break opponents in the midsection, he knows how to bang upstairs and most worryingly of all every shot he throws is hurtful and spiteful.
Sadly whilst Garcia is tough it's unlikely that anyone at 140lbs is tough enough to see out the distance with Matthysse. If Garcia's left hook cannot shake Matthysse then this could well end up being a genuine beat down. Sadly for Garcia his toughness could end up being more of a curse than a blessing and Matthysse, whilst not likely to put him to sleep with a single shot, will beat the fight out of him.
We've seen Olusegun Ajose fighting once since Matthysse beat him, in Ajose's bout, a loss to Hank Lundy, he looked like a fighter who was pretty much done, I imagine Garcia could end up looking the same way following this one.
Prediction-Matthyse TKO8
Although Garcia enters the bout as an unbeaten double champion he also enters as the under-dog and in the eyes of many he is merely a lamb to the slaughter. Despite the general view of Garcia heading to the slaughter he's actually a fighter who appears to be getting very over-looked. He's proven to be tough, skilled, and despite being rather predictable, he has looked like he's got very solid basic skills. His left hook, especially as a counter, is a devastating punch, he's confident and is riding a high that many though his career would have.
Garcia of course isn't an under-dog for the first time in his career and he's repeatedly proven that th under-dog tag doesn't really offend him. In fact against Amir Khan, Garcia was so over-looked that many seemed to think Khan was going to ease past Garcia before becoming Floyd Mayweather's next opponent. One thing that Garcia actually seems to like is being the under-dog, it takes the pressure off his shoulders and allows him to fight his natural fight which is that of an intelligent counter puncher.
Sadly for Garcia he was made to look very predictable last time out. Sure he beat Zab Judah, though for the final 4 rounds he really struggled to look anything more than 1 paced and very easy to read. The lack of a plan B is likely to fall straight in to Matthysse's hands with the Argentinian only really needing to be aware of the champion's hook.
Matthysse is generally viewed as not only the favourite but also "the man" of the Light Welterweight division. His two losses have both been highly controversial with many viewing both losses as complete robberies and in fact if anything those losses seem to have made the hard hitting Argentinian even more determined to leave his opponents void of their senses.
The "new Matthysse" was seen in full flow last time out as he destroyed the generally tough Lamont Peterson. The destruction of Peterson may have been "expected" but it showed that Matthysse was no longer willing to just box world level opponents, instead he was willing to destroy them from the opening bell. Had he used the same mentality against Zab Judah and Devon Alexander it's fair to say he'd have stopped both.
Although not the most technically skilled or the the fastest Matthysse is an intelligent fighter. He may just be seen as a destructive puncher but he's also a clever fighter. He knows when to go downstairs and break opponents in the midsection, he knows how to bang upstairs and most worryingly of all every shot he throws is hurtful and spiteful.
Sadly whilst Garcia is tough it's unlikely that anyone at 140lbs is tough enough to see out the distance with Matthysse. If Garcia's left hook cannot shake Matthysse then this could well end up being a genuine beat down. Sadly for Garcia his toughness could end up being more of a curse than a blessing and Matthysse, whilst not likely to put him to sleep with a single shot, will beat the fight out of him.
We've seen Olusegun Ajose fighting once since Matthysse beat him, in Ajose's bout, a loss to Hank Lundy, he looked like a fighter who was pretty much done, I imagine Garcia could end up looking the same way following this one.
Prediction-Matthyse TKO8
Friday, 30 August 2013
Adrian Hernandez v Atsushi Kakutani
The only world title fight this weekend is a fight that could very easily go under the radar of the general boxing public as WBC Light Flyweight champion Adrian Hernandez (27-2-1, 16) faces little known Japanese challenger Atsushi Kakutani (13-3-1, 6) in what appears to be little more than a mismatch in favour of the Mexican champion.
Aged 28 the Japanese challenger is a fighter who appears to have been purposefully selected by the champion as a relatively easy defense. Whilst it's fair to say that Hernandez is staying active with this being his third defense of the year and his fourth fight in just 12 months it's seems like a distant memory since he was last in with a notable opponent in Kompayak Porpramook.
In the ring Hernandez is a talented boxer puncher who really does seem able to out box or out fight opponents depending on his mood. Although he's proven to be capable at the world level with victories over Porpramool, Gilberto Keb Baas and Rodel Mayol he has left many with question marks due to his struggles against some lesser fighters, including Yader Cardoza ina fight he clearly won but yet still seemed to struggle in.
I think, though I may be wrong, that the reason Hernandez has looked so sluggish in some fights, not all fights but some, is his sheer size. He stands around 5'8" which is huge for a light Flyweight and whilst he has made his name at 108lbs it seems likely that he'd be a very good sized fighter at 115lbs or even 118lbs, two weights where I actually think he'll be better suited.
At his best Hernandez is a sound fighter with a stinging jab that he works well off and a solid work rate. At his worst he's a fighter who gives up his size and gets dragged into the wrong type of fight, thankfully however he's tended to avoid those most of the time.
Kakutani himself has never proven to be even close to world class. In his most notable bouts he has been beaten by both Warlito Parrenas (LTKO1) and Teiru Kinoshita (LSD10) and his most notable victory has come against domestic rival Katsuya Matsuura. Not the the record of a championship contender that's for sure.
Not only does Kakutani lack any sort of pedigree but he also has a serious issue in terms of power. With Hernandez being a durable fighter, despite his two stoppage losses, a fighter will need to have power to keep him from doing as he pleases. Unfortunately Kakutani's lack of power is also combined with a relative lack of durability on his side with 2 of his 3 losses coming by stoppage and both coming very early in the bout.
In all honesty this would seem like a bout that Hernandez has in the bag. He can box Kakutani's socks off for 12 rounds or just go in and steam roll him, depending on the mood he's in and the impression he's looking to leave. Personally I'd assume it's going to be a quick job by Hernandez.
Prediction-Hernandez TKO2
Aged 28 the Japanese challenger is a fighter who appears to have been purposefully selected by the champion as a relatively easy defense. Whilst it's fair to say that Hernandez is staying active with this being his third defense of the year and his fourth fight in just 12 months it's seems like a distant memory since he was last in with a notable opponent in Kompayak Porpramook.
In the ring Hernandez is a talented boxer puncher who really does seem able to out box or out fight opponents depending on his mood. Although he's proven to be capable at the world level with victories over Porpramool, Gilberto Keb Baas and Rodel Mayol he has left many with question marks due to his struggles against some lesser fighters, including Yader Cardoza ina fight he clearly won but yet still seemed to struggle in.
I think, though I may be wrong, that the reason Hernandez has looked so sluggish in some fights, not all fights but some, is his sheer size. He stands around 5'8" which is huge for a light Flyweight and whilst he has made his name at 108lbs it seems likely that he'd be a very good sized fighter at 115lbs or even 118lbs, two weights where I actually think he'll be better suited.
At his best Hernandez is a sound fighter with a stinging jab that he works well off and a solid work rate. At his worst he's a fighter who gives up his size and gets dragged into the wrong type of fight, thankfully however he's tended to avoid those most of the time.
Kakutani himself has never proven to be even close to world class. In his most notable bouts he has been beaten by both Warlito Parrenas (LTKO1) and Teiru Kinoshita (LSD10) and his most notable victory has come against domestic rival Katsuya Matsuura. Not the the record of a championship contender that's for sure.
Not only does Kakutani lack any sort of pedigree but he also has a serious issue in terms of power. With Hernandez being a durable fighter, despite his two stoppage losses, a fighter will need to have power to keep him from doing as he pleases. Unfortunately Kakutani's lack of power is also combined with a relative lack of durability on his side with 2 of his 3 losses coming by stoppage and both coming very early in the bout.
In all honesty this would seem like a bout that Hernandez has in the bag. He can box Kakutani's socks off for 12 rounds or just go in and steam roll him, depending on the mood he's in and the impression he's looking to leave. Personally I'd assume it's going to be a quick job by Hernandez.
Prediction-Hernandez TKO2
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Abner Mares v Jhonny Gonzalez
Love him or hate him Abner Mares (26-0-1, 14), the current WBC Featherweight champion, is one of the sport's genuine emerging talents. He has shown himself to be fearless and happy to face anyone and although some of his victories have come with some somewhat dubious officiating he has always proven to be tough, fun watch and a fighter wanting to prove a point.
Mares is a Mexican who can both box or fight. At his best he's a combination throwing action fighter. Not a big hitter by any stretch of the imagination but a very clever fighter who can apply a lot of pressure and break opponents mentally as well as physically. He has sharp punches that are thrown in bunches, he has a fantastic body attack and a gritty determination to him.
Although many will try to complain that all of Mares's biggest wins have come with a fair amount of doubt from things like low blows, questionable calls and some rather nice refereeing he has proven to be able to instill his will on good fighters. Something he did in impressive fashion to Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon in his last 2 bouts.
With victories over not just Moreno and Ponce De Leon but also Joseph Agbeko, Vic Darchinyan, Eric Morel and Yonnhy Perez it's fair to that Mares has been going through strong competition and proving himself in a way that only he and Carl Froch having being doing so.
This coming weekend Mares attempts to make the first defense of his Featherweight title as he takes on former champion Jhonny Gonzalez (54-8, 46), a massively hard hitting Mexican who at his best has the power to rattle any fighters senses.
Gonzalez combines hard hitting power with solid boxing and decent size. At the fringe world level he's had great success with his ability to box or bomb, though he has been found to have issues that have plagued his career, notably a weaker than average chin.
Although talented Gonzalez has had mixed results at the top level beating the likes of Ratanachai Sor Vorapin, Marc Johnson, Fernando Montiel, Elios Rojas and Hozumi Hasegawa and losing to Israel Vazquez, Gerry Penalosa, Toshiaki Nishioka and Daniel Ponce De Leon. It's these mixed results that has made Gonzalez so difficult to read. Every time his career looks to be faltering he manages a big win and every time his career looks ready to take off he falters
If Gonzalez connects clean we will learn a lot about Mares's chin. He has been down in his career but has shown his toughness to get up and fight on though Gonzalez, at least on paper, the biggest puncher he'll have faced (or at least on an even keel with Ponce De Leon). Unfortunately I don't see see Gonzalez landing clean often enough to really give Mares any trouble and in fact I imagine Mares will be one step ahead of Gonzalez through out the fight using his speed advantage to neutralise the reach of Gonzalez.
With Mares likely to land to the body of Gonzalez early I think he'll eventually beat the power from Gonzalez before stopping him in the middle to late rounds.
Prediction- Mares TKO9
Mares is a Mexican who can both box or fight. At his best he's a combination throwing action fighter. Not a big hitter by any stretch of the imagination but a very clever fighter who can apply a lot of pressure and break opponents mentally as well as physically. He has sharp punches that are thrown in bunches, he has a fantastic body attack and a gritty determination to him.
Although many will try to complain that all of Mares's biggest wins have come with a fair amount of doubt from things like low blows, questionable calls and some rather nice refereeing he has proven to be able to instill his will on good fighters. Something he did in impressive fashion to Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon in his last 2 bouts.
With victories over not just Moreno and Ponce De Leon but also Joseph Agbeko, Vic Darchinyan, Eric Morel and Yonnhy Perez it's fair to that Mares has been going through strong competition and proving himself in a way that only he and Carl Froch having being doing so.
This coming weekend Mares attempts to make the first defense of his Featherweight title as he takes on former champion Jhonny Gonzalez (54-8, 46), a massively hard hitting Mexican who at his best has the power to rattle any fighters senses.
Gonzalez combines hard hitting power with solid boxing and decent size. At the fringe world level he's had great success with his ability to box or bomb, though he has been found to have issues that have plagued his career, notably a weaker than average chin.
Although talented Gonzalez has had mixed results at the top level beating the likes of Ratanachai Sor Vorapin, Marc Johnson, Fernando Montiel, Elios Rojas and Hozumi Hasegawa and losing to Israel Vazquez, Gerry Penalosa, Toshiaki Nishioka and Daniel Ponce De Leon. It's these mixed results that has made Gonzalez so difficult to read. Every time his career looks to be faltering he manages a big win and every time his career looks ready to take off he falters
If Gonzalez connects clean we will learn a lot about Mares's chin. He has been down in his career but has shown his toughness to get up and fight on though Gonzalez, at least on paper, the biggest puncher he'll have faced (or at least on an even keel with Ponce De Leon). Unfortunately I don't see see Gonzalez landing clean often enough to really give Mares any trouble and in fact I imagine Mares will be one step ahead of Gonzalez through out the fight using his speed advantage to neutralise the reach of Gonzalez.
With Mares likely to land to the body of Gonzalez early I think he'll eventually beat the power from Gonzalez before stopping him in the middle to late rounds.
Prediction- Mares TKO9
Thursday, 15 August 2013
Victor Terrazas v Leo Santa Cruz
When one talks about the most fun to watch fighters in world boxing it's hard not to including the name of Leo Santa Cruz (24-0-1, 14) a really fun to watch, all action fighter who is like a smaller and improved version of Antonio Margarito.
Santa Cruz, who made his name at Bantamweight, looks to step up to Super Bantamweight this week and claim the WBC title at 122lbs as he takes on fellow Mexican Victor Terrazas (37-2-1, 21) in an attempt to become a 2-weight world champion.
The lead story is of course that of Santa Cruz stepping up though for me the real story is that of the fight it's self, a story that is going to be a lot of fun as both men come to fight and both men tend to enjoy letting their hands go.
Terrazas won the title last time out taking a debated decision over the skilled Cristian Mijares, in a bout many felt Mijares had won. Although Terrazas was competitive through out it was a worry that he was dropped by Mijares and despite making a solid start Terrazas was looking like a tired fighter towards the end.
It's the stamina of Terrazas that really leaves me with questions. In his most recent loss, the only one that matters considering his first came on his debut, he started well against Rendall Munroe but tired out in the middle rounds and was stopped as must from exhaustion as anything else. It's fair to say that this is a big issue when when you fight someone who is busy, in your face and will grind you down mentally and physically.
Unfortunately for Terrazas, Santa Cruz is the type of fighter who get in your face from the opening bell, push you around with his strength and then beat you down with his relentless work rate that sees him going to the head and body in clusters. Although no single shot of Santa Cruz's is concussive the sheer number of them is draining and by the middle rounds most of his opponents have either been spent or are starting to think more about protecting themselves than trying to fight back.
Whilst it's true that Santa Cruz is going up a division he did appear to be massive at Bantamweight and aged just 25 he is certainly more of a natural Super Bantamweight now than a Bantamweight. In fact the move up a division may well see him not only maintaining his insane work rate but also have more force on every shot with the extra few pounds counting for a lot in these lower weights.
My view on this fight is that for 6 or 7 rounds we'll have some special. Both guys unloading shots on the other like rock-em-sock-em robots but in the second half of the fight the battle will slowly be beaten out of Terrazas who will be stopped in the later rounds, probably by his corner after a really bad round.
Prediction-Santa Cruz TKO10
Santa Cruz, who made his name at Bantamweight, looks to step up to Super Bantamweight this week and claim the WBC title at 122lbs as he takes on fellow Mexican Victor Terrazas (37-2-1, 21) in an attempt to become a 2-weight world champion.
The lead story is of course that of Santa Cruz stepping up though for me the real story is that of the fight it's self, a story that is going to be a lot of fun as both men come to fight and both men tend to enjoy letting their hands go.
Terrazas won the title last time out taking a debated decision over the skilled Cristian Mijares, in a bout many felt Mijares had won. Although Terrazas was competitive through out it was a worry that he was dropped by Mijares and despite making a solid start Terrazas was looking like a tired fighter towards the end.
It's the stamina of Terrazas that really leaves me with questions. In his most recent loss, the only one that matters considering his first came on his debut, he started well against Rendall Munroe but tired out in the middle rounds and was stopped as must from exhaustion as anything else. It's fair to say that this is a big issue when when you fight someone who is busy, in your face and will grind you down mentally and physically.
Unfortunately for Terrazas, Santa Cruz is the type of fighter who get in your face from the opening bell, push you around with his strength and then beat you down with his relentless work rate that sees him going to the head and body in clusters. Although no single shot of Santa Cruz's is concussive the sheer number of them is draining and by the middle rounds most of his opponents have either been spent or are starting to think more about protecting themselves than trying to fight back.
Whilst it's true that Santa Cruz is going up a division he did appear to be massive at Bantamweight and aged just 25 he is certainly more of a natural Super Bantamweight now than a Bantamweight. In fact the move up a division may well see him not only maintaining his insane work rate but also have more force on every shot with the extra few pounds counting for a lot in these lower weights.
My view on this fight is that for 6 or 7 rounds we'll have some special. Both guys unloading shots on the other like rock-em-sock-em robots but in the second half of the fight the battle will slowly be beaten out of Terrazas who will be stopped in the later rounds, probably by his corner after a really bad round.
Prediction-Santa Cruz TKO10
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Takashi Miura v Sergio Thompson
Just a few years ago the Super Featherweight division looked genuinely dead. Other than a bout between Takashi Uchiyama and Adrien Broner nothing there really interested me. Right now however the division appears to be heating up with a rumour of a Gamboa/Uchiyama in the pipeline and a very attractive looking bout in Mexico this coming weekend.
This weekend's bout sees WBC champion Takashi Miura (25-2-2, 19), an extremely hard hitting and tough Japanese fighter traveling to Mexico to take on the fun to watch though criminally under-rated Sergio Thompson (27-2, 15), a man best known for stopping Jorge Linares.
Miura won the title earlier this year stopping Thompson's countryman Gamaliel Diaz in destructive fashion. Whilst Diaz was little more than a journeyman champion the performance, or rather the result, was impressive with Miura really showing his power off.
Despite the stoppage of Diaz being the highlight of Miura's career so far his power was already well known following his all-Japanese bout with Uchiyama in which Miura managed to drop Uchiyama in eye catching fashion. Unfortunately for Miura he was later stopped by Uchiyama in what was his first world title fight.
Although not the busiest fighter in the ring Miura is, as mentioned, a hard hitter with a real toughness to him. He's a fighter who can be outboxed but always has the potential to end a fight with his destructive left hand which is something every fighter needs to be wary of.
Thompson, like Miura, is a fighter who is tough and hits hard. He's a fighter who despite having little, other than Linares victory on his record has the talent to defeat almost anyone at 130lbs and possibly even 135lbs, where he is probably a little less comfortable but still a very destructive force.
As Thompson's record indicates he rarely gets rounds under his belt, in fact his 29 fight career has only seen him in 118 rounds, that's not much more than 4 rounds a contest. This has seen him going 10 rounds once and 12 rounds once, incidentally losing both of those contests by decision. This of course leaves me wondering just what his stamina's like, especially in bouts. Sure he's as destructive as they come early but can he cope with a fighter who takes his power and pressure?
Although Thompson is the challenger what he going for him is home field advantage here. Japanese boxers are notoriously bad on the road and if Miura can't get into a groove from the off he's going to find it very hard to ever get going against Thompson. That's not to say he can't win but if he lets Thompson set the pace he will have to look for a single shot to turn the fight around and there is no saying that chance will come.
Whilst I do give Miura a chance, it is only a 20-30% chance and I really do favour Thompson, probably by mid round stoppage in what could well be a FOTY style war for as long as it lasts.
Prediction-Thompson TKO6
This weekend's bout sees WBC champion Takashi Miura (25-2-2, 19), an extremely hard hitting and tough Japanese fighter traveling to Mexico to take on the fun to watch though criminally under-rated Sergio Thompson (27-2, 15), a man best known for stopping Jorge Linares.
Miura won the title earlier this year stopping Thompson's countryman Gamaliel Diaz in destructive fashion. Whilst Diaz was little more than a journeyman champion the performance, or rather the result, was impressive with Miura really showing his power off.
Despite the stoppage of Diaz being the highlight of Miura's career so far his power was already well known following his all-Japanese bout with Uchiyama in which Miura managed to drop Uchiyama in eye catching fashion. Unfortunately for Miura he was later stopped by Uchiyama in what was his first world title fight.
Although not the busiest fighter in the ring Miura is, as mentioned, a hard hitter with a real toughness to him. He's a fighter who can be outboxed but always has the potential to end a fight with his destructive left hand which is something every fighter needs to be wary of.
Thompson, like Miura, is a fighter who is tough and hits hard. He's a fighter who despite having little, other than Linares victory on his record has the talent to defeat almost anyone at 130lbs and possibly even 135lbs, where he is probably a little less comfortable but still a very destructive force.
As Thompson's record indicates he rarely gets rounds under his belt, in fact his 29 fight career has only seen him in 118 rounds, that's not much more than 4 rounds a contest. This has seen him going 10 rounds once and 12 rounds once, incidentally losing both of those contests by decision. This of course leaves me wondering just what his stamina's like, especially in bouts. Sure he's as destructive as they come early but can he cope with a fighter who takes his power and pressure?
Although Thompson is the challenger what he going for him is home field advantage here. Japanese boxers are notoriously bad on the road and if Miura can't get into a groove from the off he's going to find it very hard to ever get going against Thompson. That's not to say he can't win but if he lets Thompson set the pace he will have to look for a single shot to turn the fight around and there is no saying that chance will come.
Whilst I do give Miura a chance, it is only a 20-30% chance and I really do favour Thompson, probably by mid round stoppage in what could well be a FOTY style war for as long as it lasts.
Prediction-Thompson TKO6
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Akira Yaegashi v Oscar Blanquet
One of my favourite fighters right now is Akira Yaegashi (17-3, 9) who is with out a doubt one of the most fun to watch fighters in the sport. Yaegashi is not just fun to watch however but he is also incredibly talented ans is a former WBA Minimumweight champion and the reigning WBC and Linear Flyweight champion.
It's those Flyweight titles that Yegashi defends for the first time this coming week as he takes on Mexican challenger Oscar Blanquet (32-5-1, 23).
Yaegashi is a true warrior who gets in the ring and looks for a fight. He won't run if an opponent hits him, he won't try to avoid a tear up and although he can box he seems to know that his best weapons are his work rate, toughness and ability to turn almost any fight into a war.
It's the ability to have a war that has helped make Yaegashi such a cult fighter. His 2011 battle with Pornsawan Porpramook was arguably the fight of the year, his 2012 bout with Kazuto Ioka was absolutely breath taking and his 2013 fight with Toshiyuki Igarashi was again something special. Those 3 bouts have really turned Yaegashi into a lower-weight fan favourite.
Despite his ability to make a war with anyone Yaegashi doesn't have huge fire power. He's not going to knock anyone out with a single shot. In fact Yaegashi has only stopped 2 of his last 8 opponents. Though what he lacks in power he makes up for in heart and energy. He's relentless on offense, tough in defense and has an insatiable appetite for victory.
Not many "world champions" deserve an easy fight. Carl Froch is one, Abner Mares another and, in my mind, Akira Yaegashi is another considering the opponents he has fought in 3 of his last 4 bouts. It's fair to say that Blanquet, despite his record, is an easier opponent.
The 28 year old Mexican, who has been a professional for a little over 10 years is with out a genuine world class victory on his record. He has fought a real mixed bag of opponents though the one standout guy was Ricardo Nunez who stopped Blanquet in 7 rounds back in 2011. Aside from Nunez the best opponents are Wilbert Uicab, who defeated Blanquet in his last bout.
On the Mexican domestic scene Blanquet is a hard hitter, though above the Mexican domestic level it doesn't seem like he has any real power. Certainly not the sort of power than would make Yaegashi turn to plan B, or in fact discourage the Japanese fighter in anyway at all.
Against a fighter unable to hurt him or out maneuver him, Yaegashi is scary fighter. In this particular bout I can't imagine anything but a marauding Yaegashi steam rollering forward from the off with the intention to break Blanquet either physically or mentally.
Whether Blanquet sees the final bell or not is the only real question here. My guess is that he doesn't, he eventually wilts under the onslaught of the Japanese fighter and Yaegashi successfully makes the first defense of his Flyweight titles. He could survive, but I'm doubting it.
Prediction-Yaegashi TKO10
It's those Flyweight titles that Yegashi defends for the first time this coming week as he takes on Mexican challenger Oscar Blanquet (32-5-1, 23).
Yaegashi is a true warrior who gets in the ring and looks for a fight. He won't run if an opponent hits him, he won't try to avoid a tear up and although he can box he seems to know that his best weapons are his work rate, toughness and ability to turn almost any fight into a war.
It's the ability to have a war that has helped make Yaegashi such a cult fighter. His 2011 battle with Pornsawan Porpramook was arguably the fight of the year, his 2012 bout with Kazuto Ioka was absolutely breath taking and his 2013 fight with Toshiyuki Igarashi was again something special. Those 3 bouts have really turned Yaegashi into a lower-weight fan favourite.
Despite his ability to make a war with anyone Yaegashi doesn't have huge fire power. He's not going to knock anyone out with a single shot. In fact Yaegashi has only stopped 2 of his last 8 opponents. Though what he lacks in power he makes up for in heart and energy. He's relentless on offense, tough in defense and has an insatiable appetite for victory.
Not many "world champions" deserve an easy fight. Carl Froch is one, Abner Mares another and, in my mind, Akira Yaegashi is another considering the opponents he has fought in 3 of his last 4 bouts. It's fair to say that Blanquet, despite his record, is an easier opponent.
The 28 year old Mexican, who has been a professional for a little over 10 years is with out a genuine world class victory on his record. He has fought a real mixed bag of opponents though the one standout guy was Ricardo Nunez who stopped Blanquet in 7 rounds back in 2011. Aside from Nunez the best opponents are Wilbert Uicab, who defeated Blanquet in his last bout.
On the Mexican domestic scene Blanquet is a hard hitter, though above the Mexican domestic level it doesn't seem like he has any real power. Certainly not the sort of power than would make Yaegashi turn to plan B, or in fact discourage the Japanese fighter in anyway at all.
Against a fighter unable to hurt him or out maneuver him, Yaegashi is scary fighter. In this particular bout I can't imagine anything but a marauding Yaegashi steam rollering forward from the off with the intention to break Blanquet either physically or mentally.
Whether Blanquet sees the final bell or not is the only real question here. My guess is that he doesn't, he eventually wilts under the onslaught of the Japanese fighter and Yaegashi successfully makes the first defense of his Flyweight titles. He could survive, but I'm doubting it.
Prediction-Yaegashi TKO10
Shinsuke Yamanaka v Jose Nieves
The conversation as to who the best Bantamweight on the planet is is a conversation that has two answers. One may say the technically excellent and defensively amazing Anselmo Moreno of Panama, the other answer however is the hard hitting Japanese fighter Shinsuke Yamanaka (18-0-2, 13) who has been thoroughly impressive over the past few years.
Yamanaka jumped into the boxing consciousness back in 2011. First by defeating domestic rival Ryosuke Iwasa in a thrilling contest, then stopping Christian Esquivel in a hard fought contest for the WBC world title.
The following year Yamanaka added notable victories over Vic Darchninyan and a KO of the year contender over Tomas Rojas. Both of those men were former world champions and victories over both men helped to inflate the reputation of Yamanaka as a genuine top tier champion.
Earlier this year Yamanaka added his 3rd world title defense stopping former Flyweight champion Malcolm Tunacao in a hard fought bout that saw Tunacao being dropped several times.
In the ring Yamanaka combines a southpaw stance with solid boxing fundamentals. He can box off the jab if he so desires or he can wage war. He can use his jab to create space and control the tempo of the bout, or he can use his power, especially from his left hand, to render an opponent unconscious.
There are very few flaws that Yamanaka has. He's not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination but he'll always be difficult to beat because of everything he has, the power, the skills, the toughness, the fact he has several game plans and the fact that when the going gets tough he refuses to quit, as seen against Tunacao.
Yamanaka's challenger this time around is Puerto Rican Jose Nieves (22-2-3, 11), a man who is highly ranked by the WBC and WBO, despite the fact many won't really have seen too much of him.
Nieves is a 32 year old who has been a pro for more than 12 years. He started his career excellently with an 18 fight unbeaten run, 16-0-2, including victories over Angel Antonio Priolo and Tomas Rojas. Since then however Nieves has suffered defeats to Victor Fonseca and Chris Avalos, arguably his 2 most notable bouts.
Whilst Nieves has ran up a string of 5 victories, including 2 over Cuauhtemoc Vargas, he's not looked like a world champion in the making. In fact if anything he's looked fortunate and limited. He was very lucky to beat Vargas, both times and was dropped by Danny Flores in his most recent contest.
The knockdown by Nieves is really the biggest issue with him. It's not the first time he's been stopped and it won't be the last. So far he has been down in the bouts with Rojas, Fonseca, Avalos and Flores. None of those are feather-fisted but none hit like Yamanaka. If they can drop Nieves then Yamanaka can, and will.
For the first time in his career Nieves is fighting in the East and and for the first time he's facing a genuinely top fighter who can really bang. Those facts don't bode well for a man with a suspect chin and it's very hard to imagine Nieves seeing out more than 8 rounds with Yamanaka, in fact it's hard to see Nieves standing up to more than just a handful of straights from the Japanese fighter.
Prediction-Yamanaka TKO6
Yamanaka jumped into the boxing consciousness back in 2011. First by defeating domestic rival Ryosuke Iwasa in a thrilling contest, then stopping Christian Esquivel in a hard fought contest for the WBC world title.
The following year Yamanaka added notable victories over Vic Darchninyan and a KO of the year contender over Tomas Rojas. Both of those men were former world champions and victories over both men helped to inflate the reputation of Yamanaka as a genuine top tier champion.
Earlier this year Yamanaka added his 3rd world title defense stopping former Flyweight champion Malcolm Tunacao in a hard fought bout that saw Tunacao being dropped several times.
In the ring Yamanaka combines a southpaw stance with solid boxing fundamentals. He can box off the jab if he so desires or he can wage war. He can use his jab to create space and control the tempo of the bout, or he can use his power, especially from his left hand, to render an opponent unconscious.
There are very few flaws that Yamanaka has. He's not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination but he'll always be difficult to beat because of everything he has, the power, the skills, the toughness, the fact he has several game plans and the fact that when the going gets tough he refuses to quit, as seen against Tunacao.
Yamanaka's challenger this time around is Puerto Rican Jose Nieves (22-2-3, 11), a man who is highly ranked by the WBC and WBO, despite the fact many won't really have seen too much of him.
Nieves is a 32 year old who has been a pro for more than 12 years. He started his career excellently with an 18 fight unbeaten run, 16-0-2, including victories over Angel Antonio Priolo and Tomas Rojas. Since then however Nieves has suffered defeats to Victor Fonseca and Chris Avalos, arguably his 2 most notable bouts.
Whilst Nieves has ran up a string of 5 victories, including 2 over Cuauhtemoc Vargas, he's not looked like a world champion in the making. In fact if anything he's looked fortunate and limited. He was very lucky to beat Vargas, both times and was dropped by Danny Flores in his most recent contest.
The knockdown by Nieves is really the biggest issue with him. It's not the first time he's been stopped and it won't be the last. So far he has been down in the bouts with Rojas, Fonseca, Avalos and Flores. None of those are feather-fisted but none hit like Yamanaka. If they can drop Nieves then Yamanaka can, and will.
For the first time in his career Nieves is fighting in the East and and for the first time he's facing a genuinely top fighter who can really bang. Those facts don't bode well for a man with a suspect chin and it's very hard to imagine Nieves seeing out more than 8 rounds with Yamanaka, in fact it's hard to see Nieves standing up to more than just a handful of straights from the Japanese fighter.
Prediction-Yamanaka TKO6
Friday, 26 July 2013
Omar Figueroa v Nihito Arakawa
Arguably the most over-looked bout of this coming weekend sees unbeaten power puncher Omar Figueroa (21-0-1, 17) taking on Japan's Nihito Arakawa (24-2-1, 16) in a bout for the WBC Lightweight title.
In the US Figueroa has been making a name for himself in recent bouts with his explosive and exciting style that combines determined offense with fast and powerful hands. Although yet to score a genuine world level victory he did look genuinely amazing last time out as he took out the previously unbeaten Abner Cotto in just 2 minutes 57 seconds.
Other than the victory over Cotto it's fair to say that Figueroa hasn't really beaten anyone else of note with his second best victory coming over Michael Perez.
Whilst Figueroa has yet to really prove himself against steady competition what everyone knows about him is that he's a very quick starter and will jump on an opponent almost form the off. The hot starts of Figueroa has seen him scoring 15 victories in the opening 2 rounds of his contests. On paper that is admittedly tremendous though having only been beyond 6 rounds twice in his career there are question marks about what he does when forced to go to plan B, what's his stamina like, what's he like mentally when he can't just bully a fighter with aggression?
With Figueroa having already appeared on American TV and having looked relatively sensational in all honesty many are backing him without really knowing anything about his opponent. This could well be a mistake as the Japanese fighter is one of the most durable men in the Lightweight division and combines his toughness with an under-rated defense and an intelligent, if somewhat lazy attack.
In his 27 fights to date southpaw Arakawa has yet to be stopped. He had been in with big punches punchers before such as Randy Suico, Mitsuya Omura, Jay Solmiano and Ryuji Migaki and only Solmiano has ever really seemed to have him hurt, sending Arakawa down to the canvas in the second round of their bout almost 2 years ago.
Although a mystery to those in the west Arakawa is a former OPBF and Japanese Lighweight champion who is actually unfortunate not to be the current holder of the WBC Silver Lightweight title after being controversially defeated, by technical decision by Daniel Estrada. In his bout with Estrada the Mexican was forced to retire due to an injury that was ruled to have come from an accidental foul though many felt it was a punch.
Although Arakawa has mixed in the better company and has more experience, especially over the distance, he is viewed as a clear under-dog. Many in the US have effectively written his death warrant already though I can't help but think that if he rides out the initial storm from Figueroa he has a very, very solid chance of the upset. He hits hard enough to test the chin of the unbeaten youngster and has the ability to drag the contest into the later rounds where he may find a tiring Figueroa looking somewhat out of energy and ideas.
Prediction-Arakawa TKO9
In the US Figueroa has been making a name for himself in recent bouts with his explosive and exciting style that combines determined offense with fast and powerful hands. Although yet to score a genuine world level victory he did look genuinely amazing last time out as he took out the previously unbeaten Abner Cotto in just 2 minutes 57 seconds.
Other than the victory over Cotto it's fair to say that Figueroa hasn't really beaten anyone else of note with his second best victory coming over Michael Perez.
Whilst Figueroa has yet to really prove himself against steady competition what everyone knows about him is that he's a very quick starter and will jump on an opponent almost form the off. The hot starts of Figueroa has seen him scoring 15 victories in the opening 2 rounds of his contests. On paper that is admittedly tremendous though having only been beyond 6 rounds twice in his career there are question marks about what he does when forced to go to plan B, what's his stamina like, what's he like mentally when he can't just bully a fighter with aggression?
With Figueroa having already appeared on American TV and having looked relatively sensational in all honesty many are backing him without really knowing anything about his opponent. This could well be a mistake as the Japanese fighter is one of the most durable men in the Lightweight division and combines his toughness with an under-rated defense and an intelligent, if somewhat lazy attack.
In his 27 fights to date southpaw Arakawa has yet to be stopped. He had been in with big punches punchers before such as Randy Suico, Mitsuya Omura, Jay Solmiano and Ryuji Migaki and only Solmiano has ever really seemed to have him hurt, sending Arakawa down to the canvas in the second round of their bout almost 2 years ago.
Although a mystery to those in the west Arakawa is a former OPBF and Japanese Lighweight champion who is actually unfortunate not to be the current holder of the WBC Silver Lightweight title after being controversially defeated, by technical decision by Daniel Estrada. In his bout with Estrada the Mexican was forced to retire due to an injury that was ruled to have come from an accidental foul though many felt it was a punch.
Although Arakawa has mixed in the better company and has more experience, especially over the distance, he is viewed as a clear under-dog. Many in the US have effectively written his death warrant already though I can't help but think that if he rides out the initial storm from Figueroa he has a very, very solid chance of the upset. He hits hard enough to test the chin of the unbeaten youngster and has the ability to drag the contest into the later rounds where he may find a tiring Figueroa looking somewhat out of energy and ideas.
Prediction-Arakawa TKO9
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Xiong Zhao Zhong v Denver Cuello
The first title fight of the coming weekend takes place in Dubai as the little known, but yet historic, Xiong Zhao Zhong (20-4-1, 11) defends his WBC Minimumweight title against the highly ranked Filipino Denver Cuello (33-4-6, 21) in what should be a highly enjoyable contests, even if it is in an unfavoured division.
The champion, the first male "world champion" from his native China is widely regarded as a paper champion, a man given a title to help raise the profile of boxing in the untapped Chinese market (something Bob Arum is now trying to tap in to with Zou Shiming). The WBC allowed Zhong, who had never previously fought at the 105lb division, to fight for the vacant belt late last year against the somewhat hopeless Javier Martinez Resendiz.
Zhong defeated Resendiz last year via decision for the belt in a relatively close contest after the WBC had paid a step aside fee to their mandatory contender, Filipino Denver Cuello (who of course, now fights for the belt some 7 months later).
Stylistically Zhong is pretty limited, he's tough and does have plenty of power on his shots, in fact he dropped the then WBC Flyweight champion Daisuke Naito back in 2009 but from a technical stand point he's "acceptable but limited". There is no great work from him and his victories to date don't belie some under-lying "extra gear" that he could move in to if push came to shove.
What Zhong does have going in his favour is the fact he is a naturally bigger man having competed at both Flyweight and Light Flyweight for much of his career. This should help him take the shots of Cuello and even allow him to bully the challenger a bit but at 30 years old he is certainly getting on a bit for a fighter in the lower divisions and he's also stepping in with his best opponent since Naito some 4 years ago.
In the Filipino challenger we have a fighter who has waited his turn for a world title fight, then had to wait a bit longer. More and more obstacles have been thrown in his way over the years and yet they've not prevented him from becoming one of the most exciting fighters in the lower division.
Fighting from the southpaw stance the 26 year old Cuello has become known as "Mr Excitement" due to his vicious power which has helped him become on of the top ranked Minimumweights on the planet and helped him stop 10 of his last 12 opponents.
Having started his career 3-2-4 Cuello has turned things around remarkably well and has lost just 1 of his last 27 fights (and even that was a highly controversial DQ in Mexico against a Mexican fighter). He has done things "the hard way" and developed as a fighter thanks to it. He is now a solid offensive fighter with a hurtful array of shots to the head and body and a fighter who will be a real nightmare for anyone in the division.
Going in to this bout it's obvious the WBC would rather see Zhong retain the title so they could push things in China (and hopefully "help" IK Yang and Zou Shiming to world title bouts). With this in mind I actually see Cuello more determined than ever to stop his opponent. This might back fire with the toughness of Zhong but the body shots that Cuello throws are bound to take an effect sooner or later.
Prediction-Cuello TKO7
The champion, the first male "world champion" from his native China is widely regarded as a paper champion, a man given a title to help raise the profile of boxing in the untapped Chinese market (something Bob Arum is now trying to tap in to with Zou Shiming). The WBC allowed Zhong, who had never previously fought at the 105lb division, to fight for the vacant belt late last year against the somewhat hopeless Javier Martinez Resendiz.
Zhong defeated Resendiz last year via decision for the belt in a relatively close contest after the WBC had paid a step aside fee to their mandatory contender, Filipino Denver Cuello (who of course, now fights for the belt some 7 months later).
Stylistically Zhong is pretty limited, he's tough and does have plenty of power on his shots, in fact he dropped the then WBC Flyweight champion Daisuke Naito back in 2009 but from a technical stand point he's "acceptable but limited". There is no great work from him and his victories to date don't belie some under-lying "extra gear" that he could move in to if push came to shove.
What Zhong does have going in his favour is the fact he is a naturally bigger man having competed at both Flyweight and Light Flyweight for much of his career. This should help him take the shots of Cuello and even allow him to bully the challenger a bit but at 30 years old he is certainly getting on a bit for a fighter in the lower divisions and he's also stepping in with his best opponent since Naito some 4 years ago.
In the Filipino challenger we have a fighter who has waited his turn for a world title fight, then had to wait a bit longer. More and more obstacles have been thrown in his way over the years and yet they've not prevented him from becoming one of the most exciting fighters in the lower division.
Fighting from the southpaw stance the 26 year old Cuello has become known as "Mr Excitement" due to his vicious power which has helped him become on of the top ranked Minimumweights on the planet and helped him stop 10 of his last 12 opponents.
Having started his career 3-2-4 Cuello has turned things around remarkably well and has lost just 1 of his last 27 fights (and even that was a highly controversial DQ in Mexico against a Mexican fighter). He has done things "the hard way" and developed as a fighter thanks to it. He is now a solid offensive fighter with a hurtful array of shots to the head and body and a fighter who will be a real nightmare for anyone in the division.
Going in to this bout it's obvious the WBC would rather see Zhong retain the title so they could push things in China (and hopefully "help" IK Yang and Zou Shiming to world title bouts). With this in mind I actually see Cuello more determined than ever to stop his opponent. This might back fire with the toughness of Zhong but the body shots that Cuello throws are bound to take an effect sooner or later.
Prediction-Cuello TKO7
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