This weekend sees unbeaten Argentinian Diego Gabriel Chaves (21-0, 17) make the first defense of his WBA "interim" Welterweight title as he faces the somewhat uninspiring Jose Miranda (12-11-3, 8) in what appears to be a mismatch from the off.
The hard hitting Chaves claimed the title earlier this year when he stopped Frenchman Ismael El Massoudi in 3 rounds and made his first major mark on the boxing world. Although unknown by many in Europe and even North America, the hard core fans had been been following him for a while, with fans in his homeland dubbing him "La Joya" -The Jewel.
Chaves turned professional in 2008 after a credible amateur career and debuted in July '08. Within a year of being a professional he had swiftly raced out to 10-0 (9) with 8 victories in the first 2 rounds as he simply blew opponents away with hurtful nasty shots. It would take much longer for him to add his first professional title as he claimed the WBO Latino Light Middleweight title just a fight later.
After defending the WBO Latino Light Middleweight title once, Chaves dropped down to the Welterweight division and swiftly claimed the WBO Latino Welterweight title. He defend this second title 5 times as he moved his record to 20-0 (16) and defeated veterans Omar Gabriel Weis and Jorge Daniel Miranda.
Following the 5 WBO Latino Welterweight title defenses Chaves would then go on to defeat El Massoudi for the WBA "interim" Welterweight title.
Whilst he's a noted puncher Chaves does have some solid skills there to rely on if needed. He's never going to become a true slickster but he will make enjoyable fights with his aggressiveness and power which is deadly to both the head and body. This does often leave him there to be hit, and he can be hurt, in fact he's been down several times so far in his career, however he appears to be able to regroup and get back to work with out too many issues.
Sadly for Chaves' first defense he will be facing the very limited Panamanian Jose Miranda who's career so far has been really unspectacular in terms of results and performances.
Miranda made his professional debut way back in 2000 as a Super Bantamweight and despite starting with 4 wins it didn't take long for his record to become somewhat patchy as he swiftly fell to 4-2-2 (2).
Despite scoring 3 successive wins between September 2002 and August 2003 it didn't take long for Miranda's record to really falter as he scored only 2 wins in his next 12 bouts as he fell to 9-11-3 (6). Whilst some of those losses came to decent fighters, including the likes of Darley Perez, Alberto Mosquera, Johan Perez and former world champion Vicente Mosquera they were still career damaging losses.
Surprisingly Miranda has won his last 3 fights, including scoring a notable victory over William Gonzalez. Despite scoring those 3 victories they were, at best, a level or two below world title level (yes, even some interim titles).
Going in to this bout it's almost impossible to see how Miranda can win. With some 6 stoppage losses to his name we know that Miranda isn't that tough and having started his career way down at Super Bantamweight we also know that Miranda is naturally the smaller man. Perhaps most tellingly, at least from the footage that I've seen, is that Miranda is quite easy to hit and Darley Perez had no issue at all in dropping him twice. Whilst Perez hits hard Chaves hits much harder.
Whilst Miranda has been given a bit of a "Rocky" type chance here it's hard to see him lasting more than a round or two against a fearsome hard hitter like Chaves. Expect this one to be over early.
Prediction-Chaves TKO3
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Yoan Pablo Hernandez v Troy Ross
The Cruiserweight division has almost always been one of the most maligned divisions in the sport of boxing, despite this the division has had some absolutely brilliant fights and fantastic fighters. I'm hoping that this coming weekend gives us yet another Cruiserweight cracker as German based Cuban Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1, 13) defends his IBF title against Guyana born Canadian Troy Ross (25-2, 16).
At 37 years old Ross will feel that this is his final chance at really making a name for himself having had a frustrating career though he will know that he's a big under-dog needing to go Germany for this fight. Sadly the frustration hasn't all been Ross' own doing but instead he's been part of the unfortunate "who needs him?" club.
Ross first made his name in the amateurs where he twice competed at the Olympics (1996, 2000) and also claimed medals at both the 1998 Commonwealth Games (Silver) and the 1999 Pan Am Games (Bronze). In total Ross fought in a record 91 amateur bouts, winning 81 of them with losses to David Haye, Vassiliy Jirov and Humberto Savigne amongst others.
Ross finally turned professional in 2001 as a Light Heavyweight and on his debut he out pointed the defensively minded Roger Bowden over 4 rounds. Over the following few years Ross would score a series of wins and advance to 12-0 (8) and would appear to be one of the most promising prospects in the Cruiserweight division then his world crashed down as he controversially suffered his first loss, a split decision to Willie Herring.
Despite suffering the loss to Herring, Ross bounced back quickly and in his very next fight he won his first professional title claiming the Canada Cruiserweight title by defeating Claudio Rasco in 8 rounds. Sadly rather than building on this success Troy, for whatever reason over a year inactive not fighting at all in 2006. Thankfully after returning to the ring in 2007 Troy swiftly won the Commonwealth Cruiserweight title and it seemed as if things were looking on the up and up.
Sadly after 3 fights in just a few months in 2007 Ross was again inactive fighting just once in 2008 as his career momentum was killed off again. Thankfully however Ross's career was given a shot in the arm in 2009 when he was one of 16 fighters selected to be part of the 4th series of "The Contender". In "The Contender" Ross really made a name for himself not only winning the tournament but winning it with relative ease beating Lawrence Tauasa (TKO2), Felix Cora Jr (TKO1), Akinyemi Laleye (UD5) and in the final Ehinomen Ehikhamenor (TKO4). It was hoped that this would move Ross' career on swiftly but sadly his next 2 bouts seemed to be more about staying active than capitalising on his success.
It wasn't until 2010 that Ross finally got his big break as he fought for the IBF title against Steve Cunningham, sadly however Ross was to be controversially stopped on a cut accidentally caused by Cunningham's glove. Despite the controversial nature of the loss many felt that Ross had been impressive dropping Cunningham in round 4, with many suspecting he'd done enough to deserve a rematch. Sadly for Ross he was overlooked and fought just twice in the following 2 years as he moved to 25-2 (16).
In terms of his style Ross is tricky not only due to his southpaw stance but also his fast feet which sees him using a lot of movement and the fact he has heavy hands. He's very tough and can either fight on the counter or fight in short bursts of hard and heavy shots. However at 37 it's fair to say that his natural speed and stamina will be questionable, especially considering his inactivity in recent years which will have done him any favours.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 27 will be looking for the second defense of his IBF Cruiserweight title, a title he won from Steve Cunningham almost a year ago. Like Ross, Hernandez was a solid amateur winning the 2001 Cuban Junior Championships and The 2002 World Junior championships, a Pan Am Games Silver medal in 2003 and a Cuban national title in 2005. Rather than continuing on as an amateur in Cuba, Hernandez defected to Germany when he was just 20 years old.
Just months prior to turning 21 Hernandez made his professional debut in Germany where he stopped David Vicena in 2 rounds. Over the following months Hernandez was kept active and within just 4 months he was 4-0 (2). The following year Hernandez was again kept busy and recorded 5 more victories as he moved his record to 9-0 (5) against a low level of opponent.
In 2007 Hernandez won his first professional title as he claimed the WBA Fedelatin Cruiserweight title by defeating Daniel Bispo in just 61 seconds. Before the end of the year Hernandez had added the WBC Latino Cruiserweight title to his collection by stopping Mohamed Azzaoui in 128 seconds as he proved to have genuinely nasty power in his shots. By the end of the year he had moved impressively to 14-0 (8) scoring 6 opening round stoppages.
Having looked impressive in his first 14 bouts Hernandez's handlers decided to set him up and put him in with hard hitting former WBC champion Wayne Braithwaite. The bout started brilliantly with both men landing solid shots on each other in the opening round with Hernandez dropping Braithwaite. In the second round the pace dropped though Hernandez seemed to just knick it with his cleaner punching, however Braithwaite wasn't done and in round 3 he dropped Hernandez three times to force the stoppage. It was this fight that really started a change in Hernandez who became less active and less offensive as a result of being so badly hurt by Braithwaite.
Hernandez bounced back well from the loss to Braithwaite by scoring 2 wins over low level opponents before struggling to victory over journeyman Michael Simms who managed to drop Hernandez in the 7th round of an 8 round contest. Although he managed to score the win he had been lucky, and didn't look like the once impressive prospect that had tore through his earlier opponents.
Since the lucky victory over Simms, Hernandez has been fighting like a boxer with a point to prove. In 2009 and 2010 Hernandez scored notable victories over Aaron Williams, Enad Licina and Cesar David Crenz as he completely rebuilt not only his confidence but also his style. He was no longer trying to take fighters out early but instead using his boxing ability and size to control fights. Whilst he still had power to hurt opponents he seemed more content on winning safe than winning stylish and is appeared to have been working as his record moved to 23-1 (12), scoring just 4 T/KO's in his 9 bouts after facing Braithwaite.
Hernandez would finally prove he was worthy of the early hype 2011 as he stopped Frenchman Steve Herelius (KO7) to claim the interim WBA World Cruiserweight title before controversially out pointing Steve Cunningham for the IBF world title via a 6th round Technical Decision. Hernandez would then rematch Cunningham, just a few months ago, and take a clear cut decision over the American, dropping Cunningham hard twice in the 4th round.
Whilst Hernandez's record may not represent that of a hard puncher he does hit incredibly hard, especially when he lets his hands go, which are very fast in combinations. Sadly however Hernandez seems to have become apprehensive since both the Briathwaite and Simms fight and instead of letting his hands go he often seems happier to box at a slower pace, often fighting as counter puncher. Whilst still very talented he's not the exciting destructive force he once was, which is probably a good thing as I do question whether or not his stamina can hold out at a high work rate.
So, finally, on to the actual fight. Whilst Ross is capable of frustrating Hernandez with his movement and jab I just can't see Ross getting a decision in Germany, and I think he knows that. For Ross to win he will have to do what Braithwaite did back in 2008. Yes Ross has the power to do that but he's giving away around 5" and will seriously struggle to get inside Hernandez. Instead I see this being a pretty easy fight for Hernandez who may not have the same foot speed as Ross but has the reach and hand speed to keep him at range. Ross's inactivity, age and size disadvantages as well as the fight being in Germany will count against him and unless he goes for broke and lands the Hail Mary I just don't see him winning.
Prediction-Hernandez Unanimous Decision
At 37 years old Ross will feel that this is his final chance at really making a name for himself having had a frustrating career though he will know that he's a big under-dog needing to go Germany for this fight. Sadly the frustration hasn't all been Ross' own doing but instead he's been part of the unfortunate "who needs him?" club.
Ross first made his name in the amateurs where he twice competed at the Olympics (1996, 2000) and also claimed medals at both the 1998 Commonwealth Games (Silver) and the 1999 Pan Am Games (Bronze). In total Ross fought in a record 91 amateur bouts, winning 81 of them with losses to David Haye, Vassiliy Jirov and Humberto Savigne amongst others.
Ross finally turned professional in 2001 as a Light Heavyweight and on his debut he out pointed the defensively minded Roger Bowden over 4 rounds. Over the following few years Ross would score a series of wins and advance to 12-0 (8) and would appear to be one of the most promising prospects in the Cruiserweight division then his world crashed down as he controversially suffered his first loss, a split decision to Willie Herring.
Despite suffering the loss to Herring, Ross bounced back quickly and in his very next fight he won his first professional title claiming the Canada Cruiserweight title by defeating Claudio Rasco in 8 rounds. Sadly rather than building on this success Troy, for whatever reason over a year inactive not fighting at all in 2006. Thankfully after returning to the ring in 2007 Troy swiftly won the Commonwealth Cruiserweight title and it seemed as if things were looking on the up and up.
Sadly after 3 fights in just a few months in 2007 Ross was again inactive fighting just once in 2008 as his career momentum was killed off again. Thankfully however Ross's career was given a shot in the arm in 2009 when he was one of 16 fighters selected to be part of the 4th series of "The Contender". In "The Contender" Ross really made a name for himself not only winning the tournament but winning it with relative ease beating Lawrence Tauasa (TKO2), Felix Cora Jr (TKO1), Akinyemi Laleye (UD5) and in the final Ehinomen Ehikhamenor (TKO4). It was hoped that this would move Ross' career on swiftly but sadly his next 2 bouts seemed to be more about staying active than capitalising on his success.
It wasn't until 2010 that Ross finally got his big break as he fought for the IBF title against Steve Cunningham, sadly however Ross was to be controversially stopped on a cut accidentally caused by Cunningham's glove. Despite the controversial nature of the loss many felt that Ross had been impressive dropping Cunningham in round 4, with many suspecting he'd done enough to deserve a rematch. Sadly for Ross he was overlooked and fought just twice in the following 2 years as he moved to 25-2 (16).
In terms of his style Ross is tricky not only due to his southpaw stance but also his fast feet which sees him using a lot of movement and the fact he has heavy hands. He's very tough and can either fight on the counter or fight in short bursts of hard and heavy shots. However at 37 it's fair to say that his natural speed and stamina will be questionable, especially considering his inactivity in recent years which will have done him any favours.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 27 will be looking for the second defense of his IBF Cruiserweight title, a title he won from Steve Cunningham almost a year ago. Like Ross, Hernandez was a solid amateur winning the 2001 Cuban Junior Championships and The 2002 World Junior championships, a Pan Am Games Silver medal in 2003 and a Cuban national title in 2005. Rather than continuing on as an amateur in Cuba, Hernandez defected to Germany when he was just 20 years old.
Just months prior to turning 21 Hernandez made his professional debut in Germany where he stopped David Vicena in 2 rounds. Over the following months Hernandez was kept active and within just 4 months he was 4-0 (2). The following year Hernandez was again kept busy and recorded 5 more victories as he moved his record to 9-0 (5) against a low level of opponent.
In 2007 Hernandez won his first professional title as he claimed the WBA Fedelatin Cruiserweight title by defeating Daniel Bispo in just 61 seconds. Before the end of the year Hernandez had added the WBC Latino Cruiserweight title to his collection by stopping Mohamed Azzaoui in 128 seconds as he proved to have genuinely nasty power in his shots. By the end of the year he had moved impressively to 14-0 (8) scoring 6 opening round stoppages.
Having looked impressive in his first 14 bouts Hernandez's handlers decided to set him up and put him in with hard hitting former WBC champion Wayne Braithwaite. The bout started brilliantly with both men landing solid shots on each other in the opening round with Hernandez dropping Braithwaite. In the second round the pace dropped though Hernandez seemed to just knick it with his cleaner punching, however Braithwaite wasn't done and in round 3 he dropped Hernandez three times to force the stoppage. It was this fight that really started a change in Hernandez who became less active and less offensive as a result of being so badly hurt by Braithwaite.
Hernandez bounced back well from the loss to Braithwaite by scoring 2 wins over low level opponents before struggling to victory over journeyman Michael Simms who managed to drop Hernandez in the 7th round of an 8 round contest. Although he managed to score the win he had been lucky, and didn't look like the once impressive prospect that had tore through his earlier opponents.
Since the lucky victory over Simms, Hernandez has been fighting like a boxer with a point to prove. In 2009 and 2010 Hernandez scored notable victories over Aaron Williams, Enad Licina and Cesar David Crenz as he completely rebuilt not only his confidence but also his style. He was no longer trying to take fighters out early but instead using his boxing ability and size to control fights. Whilst he still had power to hurt opponents he seemed more content on winning safe than winning stylish and is appeared to have been working as his record moved to 23-1 (12), scoring just 4 T/KO's in his 9 bouts after facing Braithwaite.
Hernandez would finally prove he was worthy of the early hype 2011 as he stopped Frenchman Steve Herelius (KO7) to claim the interim WBA World Cruiserweight title before controversially out pointing Steve Cunningham for the IBF world title via a 6th round Technical Decision. Hernandez would then rematch Cunningham, just a few months ago, and take a clear cut decision over the American, dropping Cunningham hard twice in the 4th round.
Whilst Hernandez's record may not represent that of a hard puncher he does hit incredibly hard, especially when he lets his hands go, which are very fast in combinations. Sadly however Hernandez seems to have become apprehensive since both the Briathwaite and Simms fight and instead of letting his hands go he often seems happier to box at a slower pace, often fighting as counter puncher. Whilst still very talented he's not the exciting destructive force he once was, which is probably a good thing as I do question whether or not his stamina can hold out at a high work rate.
So, finally, on to the actual fight. Whilst Ross is capable of frustrating Hernandez with his movement and jab I just can't see Ross getting a decision in Germany, and I think he knows that. For Ross to win he will have to do what Braithwaite did back in 2008. Yes Ross has the power to do that but he's giving away around 5" and will seriously struggle to get inside Hernandez. Instead I see this being a pretty easy fight for Hernandez who may not have the same foot speed as Ross but has the reach and hand speed to keep him at range. Ross's inactivity, age and size disadvantages as well as the fight being in Germany will count against him and unless he goes for broke and lands the Hail Mary I just don't see him winning.
Prediction-Hernandez Unanimous Decision
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr v Sergio Gabriel Martinez
Undeniably the biggest fight of this coming weekend is the WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight title bout between unbeaten Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (46-0-1-1, 32) and the very highly regarded Argentinian Sergio Gabriel Martinez (49-2-2, 28). A bout many thought would never happen.
Going into this fight Sergio Gabriel Martinez, 37, is seen as one of the sports premier fighters. He is widely regarded as being a top 10 pound-for-pound boxer and has been on a roll in recent years with victories over a list of highly respectable opponents, often by knockout, proving that he hits harder than his record indicates.
Despite the fact Martinez is an old fighter in terms of "years" he's not a fighter who shows his age. Not only does Martinez's face look unmarked but his natural speed and timing are also spot on, not something we expect from a fighter in their late 30's. In fact whilst I'm on the subject of Martinez's speed, this is probably his best trait, he's got incredibly fast hands for a Middleweight and also great foot movement allowing him to set up counters with his speed and control the distance and tempo of a bout.
Despite still looking like a "young" fighter Martinez has been around since late 1990's having turned professional in 1997. He started his career 16-0-1 (6) before facing the first recognisable name on his record, Antonio Margarito. Margarito would show his superior experience and manage to wear down Martinez forcing a TKO in round 7 to inflict the first loss on Martinez. Since this loss however Martinez has honed his trade excellently, having spent several years fighting in Europe.
It wasn't until the late 00's that Martinez first started to really get any attention from the boxing community as he defeated Alex Bunema for the interim WBC Light Middleweight title and then faced Kermit Cintron. The bout with Cintron really caught the public's eye with Martinez only getting a draw despite arguably beating Cintron twice. Despite being jobbed to Cintron the fight turned out to be a launch pad for Martinez who would subsequently fight (and controversially lose to) Paul Williams in a fight of the year type bout.
The bout with Williams was followed by a bout with the then Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Martinez showed exceptional boxing ability to defeat the naturally stronger Pavlik by decision before stopping Paul Williams in eye catching fashion to avenge his loss. Following the victory over Williams, Martinez has fought thrice stopping all 3 opponents: Serhiy Dzinziruk (TKO8), Darren Barker (KO11) and Matthew Macklin (TKO11) as he has defended the Ring Middleweight title.
In terms of his style Martinez is a talented outside fighter who fights from a southpaw stance. His KO punch is his thunderous left hook though his jab is also a key and was used to totally neutralise Dzinziruk. Whilst he's not the most defensively sound (often fighting with his hands down low) he is, as mentioned above, a quick fighter and a fighter who uses his feet well, he can however be dropped (as he was by Paul Williams, Kelly Pavlik and Matthew Macklin- though several were merely flash knockdowns).
Despite being the fact many view Sergio Gabriel Martinez as a clear favourite there is a sizable minority who feel that he may be upset by the much young Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, the current WBC Middleweight champion. At just just 26 years old Chavez is coming into his physical prime and it's his physicality that makes him such a live under-dog. Amazingly Chavez often rehydrates to around 180lbs, a huge physical advantage over many Middleweights who Chavez can simply walk through and break down.
Whilst Chavez Jr may be better known due to who his dad is (a former Mexican boxing legend) he is now actually carving out a genuinely respectable career in his own right, perhaps proving to be the best of the "Jr's" out there.
Despite only being 26 Chavez has been around a long time, having made his professional debut way back in 2003 when he was just 17. Early on many followed him due solely to his name and it wasn't until very recently that fans started to accept that Chavez was actually a decent fighter in his own right. For some that turning point was in 2010 when Chavez dominated the highly popular John Duddy over 12 rounds, for others however it was when Chavez managed to out point Sebastian Zbik for the WBC Middleweight title a year later.
As the WBC champion Chavez has defended his title 3 times defeating Peter Manfredo Jr (TKO5), veteran Marco Rubio (UD12) and Irishman Andy Lee (TKO7) looking better every time. Some however feel that the whole title reign of Chavez Jr is a fraud with the title having been stripped from Martinez prior to Chavez's bout with Zbik.
In terms of his style Chavez is a bully. He's not naturally gifted, he's not a massive puncher and he's not lighting quick but he's a big, strong, hard fighter who will happily take a shot to land his own. He can be out boxed but he is very hard to outwork, especially over 12 rounds where he can use his bulk to his advantage to wear opponents down both mentally and physically. Whilst not a KO puncher Chavez's shots have genuine weight behind them and are genuinely hurtful.
Whilst Chavez is tough I think the key to beating him is move and box him OR hitting him hard enough so that he respects you. I'm not certain that Martinez hits hard enough to make Chavez respect him however he moves well enough to keep Chavez at range and could well defeat Chavez in a similar manner to how he defeated Kelly Pavlik.
For Chavez to win he will not only need to take the hard shots of Martinez but also break the Argentinian down, something that hasn't been done since Margarito did it over a decade ago. Chavez will have to cut the ring down and go to the body of Martinez to slow him down, if he can manage this he does have a real chance of springing the upset.
The question of who controls the distance here, will likely determine who wins.
Prediction- Martinez UD
Going into this fight Sergio Gabriel Martinez, 37, is seen as one of the sports premier fighters. He is widely regarded as being a top 10 pound-for-pound boxer and has been on a roll in recent years with victories over a list of highly respectable opponents, often by knockout, proving that he hits harder than his record indicates.
Despite the fact Martinez is an old fighter in terms of "years" he's not a fighter who shows his age. Not only does Martinez's face look unmarked but his natural speed and timing are also spot on, not something we expect from a fighter in their late 30's. In fact whilst I'm on the subject of Martinez's speed, this is probably his best trait, he's got incredibly fast hands for a Middleweight and also great foot movement allowing him to set up counters with his speed and control the distance and tempo of a bout.
Despite still looking like a "young" fighter Martinez has been around since late 1990's having turned professional in 1997. He started his career 16-0-1 (6) before facing the first recognisable name on his record, Antonio Margarito. Margarito would show his superior experience and manage to wear down Martinez forcing a TKO in round 7 to inflict the first loss on Martinez. Since this loss however Martinez has honed his trade excellently, having spent several years fighting in Europe.
It wasn't until the late 00's that Martinez first started to really get any attention from the boxing community as he defeated Alex Bunema for the interim WBC Light Middleweight title and then faced Kermit Cintron. The bout with Cintron really caught the public's eye with Martinez only getting a draw despite arguably beating Cintron twice. Despite being jobbed to Cintron the fight turned out to be a launch pad for Martinez who would subsequently fight (and controversially lose to) Paul Williams in a fight of the year type bout.
The bout with Williams was followed by a bout with the then Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Martinez showed exceptional boxing ability to defeat the naturally stronger Pavlik by decision before stopping Paul Williams in eye catching fashion to avenge his loss. Following the victory over Williams, Martinez has fought thrice stopping all 3 opponents: Serhiy Dzinziruk (TKO8), Darren Barker (KO11) and Matthew Macklin (TKO11) as he has defended the Ring Middleweight title.
In terms of his style Martinez is a talented outside fighter who fights from a southpaw stance. His KO punch is his thunderous left hook though his jab is also a key and was used to totally neutralise Dzinziruk. Whilst he's not the most defensively sound (often fighting with his hands down low) he is, as mentioned above, a quick fighter and a fighter who uses his feet well, he can however be dropped (as he was by Paul Williams, Kelly Pavlik and Matthew Macklin- though several were merely flash knockdowns).
Despite being the fact many view Sergio Gabriel Martinez as a clear favourite there is a sizable minority who feel that he may be upset by the much young Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, the current WBC Middleweight champion. At just just 26 years old Chavez is coming into his physical prime and it's his physicality that makes him such a live under-dog. Amazingly Chavez often rehydrates to around 180lbs, a huge physical advantage over many Middleweights who Chavez can simply walk through and break down.
Whilst Chavez Jr may be better known due to who his dad is (a former Mexican boxing legend) he is now actually carving out a genuinely respectable career in his own right, perhaps proving to be the best of the "Jr's" out there.
Despite only being 26 Chavez has been around a long time, having made his professional debut way back in 2003 when he was just 17. Early on many followed him due solely to his name and it wasn't until very recently that fans started to accept that Chavez was actually a decent fighter in his own right. For some that turning point was in 2010 when Chavez dominated the highly popular John Duddy over 12 rounds, for others however it was when Chavez managed to out point Sebastian Zbik for the WBC Middleweight title a year later.
As the WBC champion Chavez has defended his title 3 times defeating Peter Manfredo Jr (TKO5), veteran Marco Rubio (UD12) and Irishman Andy Lee (TKO7) looking better every time. Some however feel that the whole title reign of Chavez Jr is a fraud with the title having been stripped from Martinez prior to Chavez's bout with Zbik.
In terms of his style Chavez is a bully. He's not naturally gifted, he's not a massive puncher and he's not lighting quick but he's a big, strong, hard fighter who will happily take a shot to land his own. He can be out boxed but he is very hard to outwork, especially over 12 rounds where he can use his bulk to his advantage to wear opponents down both mentally and physically. Whilst not a KO puncher Chavez's shots have genuine weight behind them and are genuinely hurtful.
Whilst Chavez is tough I think the key to beating him is move and box him OR hitting him hard enough so that he respects you. I'm not certain that Martinez hits hard enough to make Chavez respect him however he moves well enough to keep Chavez at range and could well defeat Chavez in a similar manner to how he defeated Kelly Pavlik.
For Chavez to win he will not only need to take the hard shots of Martinez but also break the Argentinian down, something that hasn't been done since Margarito did it over a decade ago. Chavez will have to cut the ring down and go to the body of Martinez to slow him down, if he can manage this he does have a real chance of springing the upset.
The question of who controls the distance here, will likely determine who wins.
Prediction- Martinez UD
Roman Martinez v Miguel Beltran Jr
Everyone who follows boxing knows about the huge rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico and this weekend we get two new chapters to that long and storied history. In the MGM Grand we have Leo Santa Cruz v Eric Morel (for the IBF Bantamweight title) and at the Thomas and Mack Centre we have a bout for the WBO Super Bantamweight title as Roman Martinez (25-1-1, 16) faces Miguel Beltran Jr (27-1-0-1, 17).
Whilst Miguel Beltran Jr will be going into this bout as the under-dog he will feel the pride of his homeland as he has a chance to Mexico proud on the huge holiday "Grito de Dolores" and when driven on a fighter can do great things. Despite the drive and national pride however Beltran is stepping up somewhat going into this bout having only had 2 rounds at world level so far in his career.
Aged 23 Beltran is still a baby in the boxing world though with 29 fights behind him (including 1 no contest) and over 5 years of experience he's a very experienced baby. Beltran started his career with a brilliant 22 fight winning streak, which saw him scoring notable wins over Eduardo Lazcano (who was then 15-0) and recent world title challenger Miguel Roman before suffering the sole loss of his career so far as he was stopped by Joksan Hernandez.
Following the loss to Hernandez (via 10th round KO) Beltran won his following 4 bouts at a lower level before getting his first world title fight, a bout with IBF Super Featherweight champion Juan Carlos Salgado. Sadly for everyone involved, the bout with Salgado lasted less than 2 rounds due to a clash of heads which resulted in a no contest.
Since the bout between Beltran and Salgado, we've only seen Beltran in the ring once, defeating the very low level Carlos Parra by decision over 6 rounds. Sadly this will likely be the key problem for Beltran-his level of competition simply hasn't been very good (Salgado aside) especially since his loss to Hernandez. This level of competition is fine in your first 15 or so fights but for someone with over 20 fights of experience I don't think Beltran will have learned that much and he has notably never been 12 rounds before. That's not to say he's not a good fighter (because he is) he's just a fighter that perhaps needs more development before he'll manage to win a big one. He's a solid fighter but lacks the power to really get a fighters attention and lacks the experience to know what to do when a good fighter turns up in front of him and doesn't go away.
Whilst Beltran is known somewhat by hardcore fans Roman Martinez is much more well known by the boxing community. He's been a professional for over a decade and has previously held the WBO Super Featherweight title as well as having faced a number of well known opponents.
Martinez first came to prominence around 2007 with victories over the likes of Francisco Lorenzo and Daniel Jimenez as he claimed various regional titles. He would build on his success the following year with victories over Santos Benavides and Walter Estrada before claiming his first world title in 2009 by stopping Britain's Nicky Cook.
As the WBO Super Featherweight champion Martinez defended his title twice stopping both Feider Viloria and Gonzalo Munguia before losing a close decision to current WBO Lightweight champion Ricky Burns (despite putting Burns down in the opening round).
Since losing to Burns, way back in 2010, Martinez has fought only once, stopping former world title contender Daniel Attah in 6 rounds to claim the WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title. Sadly this is the big worry about Martinez, his inactivity in recent years with just 1 fights in the last 24 months! He's a hugely talented fighter with respectable power (more so than his record indicates) and solid skills (though defensively he can be tagged), though how his time off will have effected him is a big question.
If this was the Martinez of 3 years ago this match would be an easy one to call with Martinez's proven class being the difference between the two men, however with the long lay off it's much harder to call. Despite this I still favour Martinez who is a much, much better opponent than anyone Beltran has ever faced (aside from Salgado). Martinez will almost certainly struggle to get going early on though I'd be shocked if he doesn't find his rhythm after 4 rounds and either take a clear decision or score a stoppage in the second half of the bout.
Prediction-Martinez TKO8
Whilst Miguel Beltran Jr will be going into this bout as the under-dog he will feel the pride of his homeland as he has a chance to Mexico proud on the huge holiday "Grito de Dolores" and when driven on a fighter can do great things. Despite the drive and national pride however Beltran is stepping up somewhat going into this bout having only had 2 rounds at world level so far in his career.
Aged 23 Beltran is still a baby in the boxing world though with 29 fights behind him (including 1 no contest) and over 5 years of experience he's a very experienced baby. Beltran started his career with a brilliant 22 fight winning streak, which saw him scoring notable wins over Eduardo Lazcano (who was then 15-0) and recent world title challenger Miguel Roman before suffering the sole loss of his career so far as he was stopped by Joksan Hernandez.
Following the loss to Hernandez (via 10th round KO) Beltran won his following 4 bouts at a lower level before getting his first world title fight, a bout with IBF Super Featherweight champion Juan Carlos Salgado. Sadly for everyone involved, the bout with Salgado lasted less than 2 rounds due to a clash of heads which resulted in a no contest.
Since the bout between Beltran and Salgado, we've only seen Beltran in the ring once, defeating the very low level Carlos Parra by decision over 6 rounds. Sadly this will likely be the key problem for Beltran-his level of competition simply hasn't been very good (Salgado aside) especially since his loss to Hernandez. This level of competition is fine in your first 15 or so fights but for someone with over 20 fights of experience I don't think Beltran will have learned that much and he has notably never been 12 rounds before. That's not to say he's not a good fighter (because he is) he's just a fighter that perhaps needs more development before he'll manage to win a big one. He's a solid fighter but lacks the power to really get a fighters attention and lacks the experience to know what to do when a good fighter turns up in front of him and doesn't go away.
Whilst Beltran is known somewhat by hardcore fans Roman Martinez is much more well known by the boxing community. He's been a professional for over a decade and has previously held the WBO Super Featherweight title as well as having faced a number of well known opponents.
Martinez first came to prominence around 2007 with victories over the likes of Francisco Lorenzo and Daniel Jimenez as he claimed various regional titles. He would build on his success the following year with victories over Santos Benavides and Walter Estrada before claiming his first world title in 2009 by stopping Britain's Nicky Cook.
As the WBO Super Featherweight champion Martinez defended his title twice stopping both Feider Viloria and Gonzalo Munguia before losing a close decision to current WBO Lightweight champion Ricky Burns (despite putting Burns down in the opening round).
Since losing to Burns, way back in 2010, Martinez has fought only once, stopping former world title contender Daniel Attah in 6 rounds to claim the WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title. Sadly this is the big worry about Martinez, his inactivity in recent years with just 1 fights in the last 24 months! He's a hugely talented fighter with respectable power (more so than his record indicates) and solid skills (though defensively he can be tagged), though how his time off will have effected him is a big question.
If this was the Martinez of 3 years ago this match would be an easy one to call with Martinez's proven class being the difference between the two men, however with the long lay off it's much harder to call. Despite this I still favour Martinez who is a much, much better opponent than anyone Beltran has ever faced (aside from Salgado). Martinez will almost certainly struggle to get going early on though I'd be shocked if he doesn't find his rhythm after 4 rounds and either take a clear decision or score a stoppage in the second half of the bout.
Prediction-Martinez TKO8
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Guillermo Rigondeaux v Robert Marroquin
Cuban former amateur standout Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8) may well be the most gifted fighter in world boxing today though sadly the current WBA Super Bantamweight champion isn't yet getting the sort of fights he deserves. This weekend Rigondeaux defends his world title against American youngster Robert Marroquin (22-1, 15) in what appears to be nothing more than a mismatch.
The unbeaten Cuban was one of, if not the best, amateur of the early 00's claiming 2 Olympic gold medals (2000, 2004) and 2 World Amateur titles (2001, 2005) whilst compiling well over 300 wins to just 12 losses. He was sensational. Power, speed, skills, timing Rigondeaux really did have it all.
In 2007 Rigondeaux defected from Cuba though was later captured and brought back to the land of his birth. Just 2 years later however Rigondeaux defected again and was this time successful as he set up home in Miami and started his professional career, a career that has so far seen him swiftly rise to world level with the those same skills he honed in the amateurs rankings.
After making his debut in May 2009, Rigondeaux swiftly raced through the rankings before claiming the interim WBA World Super Bantamweight title in just his 7th bout as he out pointed former world champion Ricardo Cordoba. It had taken Rigondeaux just 18 months to go from his debut to "interim" world champion.
After defending the "interim" WBA title once Rigondeaux would claim the full version of the WBA title by stopping the champion Rico Ramos in 6 rounds via a devastating body shot. Since winning the full version of the title Rigondeaux has made just a solitary defense as he dominated the over-matched Teon Kennedy.
At almost 32 years old Rigondeaux is "getting on a bit" though he is still very fresh due to his short professional career. He is still lightning quick with his hands and even quicker with his brain able to out think opponents as he sets traps and land with devastating counters, though he's also more than capable of going forward and being an accurate aggressive fighter. He will however be seeking to make an impression.
Challenger Robert Marroquin may be significantly younger than the champion (at just 23) though surprisingly he has significantly more professional experience at 23 fights already (and 94 rounds, to Rigondeaux's 47). Sadly however the additional professional experience is unlikely to prevent him from being any more than a sacrificial lamb.
Marroquin himself debuted back in 2008 as just a teenager and won his first 19 fights (14 of those by KO) before suffering the solitary defeat of his career by the upset minded Francisco Leal who took the fight to Marroquin on route to claiming a split decision. Since that loss however Marroquin has bounced back well and recorded 3 successive wins over limited opposition.
In terms of talent Marroquin is "solid", he has respectable power and a solid defense, however the Leal fight proved that he can be marked up. Whilst he has been dropping guys like Eduardo Arcos with solid shots in fights he is sadly taking a massive step up in class to face Rigondeaux who, like Leal is a southpaw.
Whilst some may be giving Marroquin a chance based on his record and the way he has beaten low level opponents (and seriously they have been low level opponents) I really can't see it. I can really only see one winner and that's Rigondeaux, the big question however is "how"? In all honesty Marroquin has never been hit by someone like Rigondeaux and I imagine when he's hit by Rigondeaux he will really feel it and will, as most Rigondeaux opponents, think twice about letting his hands go in fear of being countered. He may survive the distance but I don't see it.
Prediction-Rigondeaux TKO5
The unbeaten Cuban was one of, if not the best, amateur of the early 00's claiming 2 Olympic gold medals (2000, 2004) and 2 World Amateur titles (2001, 2005) whilst compiling well over 300 wins to just 12 losses. He was sensational. Power, speed, skills, timing Rigondeaux really did have it all.
In 2007 Rigondeaux defected from Cuba though was later captured and brought back to the land of his birth. Just 2 years later however Rigondeaux defected again and was this time successful as he set up home in Miami and started his professional career, a career that has so far seen him swiftly rise to world level with the those same skills he honed in the amateurs rankings.
After making his debut in May 2009, Rigondeaux swiftly raced through the rankings before claiming the interim WBA World Super Bantamweight title in just his 7th bout as he out pointed former world champion Ricardo Cordoba. It had taken Rigondeaux just 18 months to go from his debut to "interim" world champion.
After defending the "interim" WBA title once Rigondeaux would claim the full version of the WBA title by stopping the champion Rico Ramos in 6 rounds via a devastating body shot. Since winning the full version of the title Rigondeaux has made just a solitary defense as he dominated the over-matched Teon Kennedy.
At almost 32 years old Rigondeaux is "getting on a bit" though he is still very fresh due to his short professional career. He is still lightning quick with his hands and even quicker with his brain able to out think opponents as he sets traps and land with devastating counters, though he's also more than capable of going forward and being an accurate aggressive fighter. He will however be seeking to make an impression.
Challenger Robert Marroquin may be significantly younger than the champion (at just 23) though surprisingly he has significantly more professional experience at 23 fights already (and 94 rounds, to Rigondeaux's 47). Sadly however the additional professional experience is unlikely to prevent him from being any more than a sacrificial lamb.
Marroquin himself debuted back in 2008 as just a teenager and won his first 19 fights (14 of those by KO) before suffering the solitary defeat of his career by the upset minded Francisco Leal who took the fight to Marroquin on route to claiming a split decision. Since that loss however Marroquin has bounced back well and recorded 3 successive wins over limited opposition.
In terms of talent Marroquin is "solid", he has respectable power and a solid defense, however the Leal fight proved that he can be marked up. Whilst he has been dropping guys like Eduardo Arcos with solid shots in fights he is sadly taking a massive step up in class to face Rigondeaux who, like Leal is a southpaw.
Whilst some may be giving Marroquin a chance based on his record and the way he has beaten low level opponents (and seriously they have been low level opponents) I really can't see it. I can really only see one winner and that's Rigondeaux, the big question however is "how"? In all honesty Marroquin has never been hit by someone like Rigondeaux and I imagine when he's hit by Rigondeaux he will really feel it and will, as most Rigondeaux opponents, think twice about letting his hands go in fear of being countered. He may survive the distance but I don't see it.
Prediction-Rigondeaux TKO5
Jhonny Gonzalez v Daniel Ponce De Leon
With the "Grito de Dolores" holiday ahead of us both Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions have set up cards aiming to appeal to the massive Mexican boxing community. Whilst Golden Boy have gotten Saul Alvarez v Josesito Lopez the most exciting bout on their card is actually the bout for the WBC Featherweight title between Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45) and challenger Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4, 35).
Whilst Saul "Canelo" Alvarez may be seen as the future of Mexican boxing, Ponce De Leon and Gonzalez are both veterans, but both are veterans who have power and and excitement running through their veins, which is why I, like many others, love this bout.
The champion, Jhonny Gonzalez, first fought professionally way back in 1999 and actually started his career with 2 losses. In fact early in his career the young Gonzalez wasn't really expected to achieve a whole lot suffering 4 losses in his first 18 professional bouts. Despite this Gonzalez continued to fight on and in 2005 he scored his big breakthrough by stopping Thai Ratanachai Sor Vorapin to claim the WBO Bantamweight title.
After winning the world title Gonzalez would begin to mix with genuine world level fighters on a regular basis and scored notable wins over Marc Johnson, Fernando Montiel and Irene Pacheco. Those wins were however marred somewhat with losses to Israel Vazquez (at Super Bantamweight) and Gerry Penalosa, both by TKO as Gonzalez showed real fragility.
It didn't take long for Gonzalez to bounce back from those losses an less than 2 years later he was again fighting for a world title as he took on the very talented Japanese fighter Toshiaki Nishioka for the WBC Super Bantamweight title. Despite dropping Nishioka in the opening round Gonzalez was eventually stopped himself in round 3. Gonzalez's drive and determination saw him refusing to give up on himself and 2 years later he completely revitalised his career by stopping Hozumi Hasegawa and claiming the WBC Featherweight title, finally becoming a 2-weight world champion.
Since claiming the WBC Featherweight in April 2011 Gonzalez has made 4 world title defenses including 3 by stoppage (With only Elio Rojas managing to survive the distance). Amazingly only 3 of Gonzalez's last 26 fights have gone the schedule.
Despite his reputation as a hard hitting but fragile fighter Gonzalez is actually a genuinely talented boxer who just so happens to have incredibly heavy hands. He can box well behind the jab and has started to use his experience more to make up for his perceived fragilities. When he lands he lands hard but don't let that confuse you into thinking he's just a raw banger because he's really much more.
The challenger, Daniel Ponce De Leon is the slightly older man at 32 years old though has "only" been boxing since 2001. Like Gonzalez he has made his name by being an incredibly hard puncher in fact Ponce De Leon actually started his career with an amazing 21 straight T/KO's all of which all but a handful came in the first 5 or so rounds.
After compiling an excellent record of 24-0 (23) Ponce De Leon would step up for the first time and face Panamanian "freak" Celestino Caballero (who despite being a Super Bantamweight at the time stood at an alarming 5'11). Caballero managed to not only survive the distance with Ponce De Leon but also become the first man to defeat the Mexican banger.
Ponce De Leon would bounce back from his first career loss by swiftly climbing back up the rankings and by the end of 2005 he had claimed his first world title, the WBO Super Bantamweight title by defeating Sod Kokietgym via decision. As the WBO world champion Ponce De Leon would make 6 successful title defenses with 4 of those coming by T/KO (including opening round KO's over Sod Kokietgym and Rey Bautista) before losing his title to the then emerging Purto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez inside a round.
Following the loss to Lopez, Ponce De Leon rebuilt his record with 7 straight wins before controversially losing to Adrian Broner, and subsequently losing to Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa. Since then however Ponce De Leon has won his last 2 bouts (admittedly against lower level fighters) as he's continued to stay busy.
Whilst Ponce De Leon punches like a horse he has often been criticized for being incredibly limited. A few years back one commentator actually said “Well, why would you want to bother to learn to box when you can punch like that?” following a monster punch by Ponce De Leon, however in recent bouts Ponce De Leon does seem to have developed some real boxing skills of his own, whilst he'll never be Pernell Whittaker he's no longer just a crude home run hitter.
On paper this looks like an out and out shoot out. Two huge punchers capable of disconnecting an opponent from their senses and it could well be a case of whoever lands first wins, it genuinely is a fight that promises to be "blink and you miss it". Whilst fights like this may tend to favour the tougher fighter (in this case Ponce De Leon) this is actually a really, really hard call. Ponce certainly seems to have rounded his skills off in recent years but no longer seems to be the monster puncher he once was (scoring only 5 T/KO's in his last 11 bouts) whilst Jhonny stills hurts his opponents with every single shot he lands. With this in mind I'm going with Gonzalez though wouldn't be surprised if Ponce De Leon scored an early stoppage. One thing is for sure, this will not go the distance.
Prediction-Gonzalez TKO4
Whilst Saul "Canelo" Alvarez may be seen as the future of Mexican boxing, Ponce De Leon and Gonzalez are both veterans, but both are veterans who have power and and excitement running through their veins, which is why I, like many others, love this bout.
The champion, Jhonny Gonzalez, first fought professionally way back in 1999 and actually started his career with 2 losses. In fact early in his career the young Gonzalez wasn't really expected to achieve a whole lot suffering 4 losses in his first 18 professional bouts. Despite this Gonzalez continued to fight on and in 2005 he scored his big breakthrough by stopping Thai Ratanachai Sor Vorapin to claim the WBO Bantamweight title.
After winning the world title Gonzalez would begin to mix with genuine world level fighters on a regular basis and scored notable wins over Marc Johnson, Fernando Montiel and Irene Pacheco. Those wins were however marred somewhat with losses to Israel Vazquez (at Super Bantamweight) and Gerry Penalosa, both by TKO as Gonzalez showed real fragility.
It didn't take long for Gonzalez to bounce back from those losses an less than 2 years later he was again fighting for a world title as he took on the very talented Japanese fighter Toshiaki Nishioka for the WBC Super Bantamweight title. Despite dropping Nishioka in the opening round Gonzalez was eventually stopped himself in round 3. Gonzalez's drive and determination saw him refusing to give up on himself and 2 years later he completely revitalised his career by stopping Hozumi Hasegawa and claiming the WBC Featherweight title, finally becoming a 2-weight world champion.
Since claiming the WBC Featherweight in April 2011 Gonzalez has made 4 world title defenses including 3 by stoppage (With only Elio Rojas managing to survive the distance). Amazingly only 3 of Gonzalez's last 26 fights have gone the schedule.
Despite his reputation as a hard hitting but fragile fighter Gonzalez is actually a genuinely talented boxer who just so happens to have incredibly heavy hands. He can box well behind the jab and has started to use his experience more to make up for his perceived fragilities. When he lands he lands hard but don't let that confuse you into thinking he's just a raw banger because he's really much more.
The challenger, Daniel Ponce De Leon is the slightly older man at 32 years old though has "only" been boxing since 2001. Like Gonzalez he has made his name by being an incredibly hard puncher in fact Ponce De Leon actually started his career with an amazing 21 straight T/KO's all of which all but a handful came in the first 5 or so rounds.
After compiling an excellent record of 24-0 (23) Ponce De Leon would step up for the first time and face Panamanian "freak" Celestino Caballero (who despite being a Super Bantamweight at the time stood at an alarming 5'11). Caballero managed to not only survive the distance with Ponce De Leon but also become the first man to defeat the Mexican banger.
Ponce De Leon would bounce back from his first career loss by swiftly climbing back up the rankings and by the end of 2005 he had claimed his first world title, the WBO Super Bantamweight title by defeating Sod Kokietgym via decision. As the WBO world champion Ponce De Leon would make 6 successful title defenses with 4 of those coming by T/KO (including opening round KO's over Sod Kokietgym and Rey Bautista) before losing his title to the then emerging Purto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez inside a round.
Following the loss to Lopez, Ponce De Leon rebuilt his record with 7 straight wins before controversially losing to Adrian Broner, and subsequently losing to Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa. Since then however Ponce De Leon has won his last 2 bouts (admittedly against lower level fighters) as he's continued to stay busy.
Whilst Ponce De Leon punches like a horse he has often been criticized for being incredibly limited. A few years back one commentator actually said “Well, why would you want to bother to learn to box when you can punch like that?” following a monster punch by Ponce De Leon, however in recent bouts Ponce De Leon does seem to have developed some real boxing skills of his own, whilst he'll never be Pernell Whittaker he's no longer just a crude home run hitter.
On paper this looks like an out and out shoot out. Two huge punchers capable of disconnecting an opponent from their senses and it could well be a case of whoever lands first wins, it genuinely is a fight that promises to be "blink and you miss it". Whilst fights like this may tend to favour the tougher fighter (in this case Ponce De Leon) this is actually a really, really hard call. Ponce certainly seems to have rounded his skills off in recent years but no longer seems to be the monster puncher he once was (scoring only 5 T/KO's in his last 11 bouts) whilst Jhonny stills hurts his opponents with every single shot he lands. With this in mind I'm going with Gonzalez though wouldn't be surprised if Ponce De Leon scored an early stoppage. One thing is for sure, this will not go the distance.
Prediction-Gonzalez TKO4
Saul Alvarez v Josesito Lopez
It's rare for me to genuinely hate a fight but the upcoming WBC Light Middleweight title fight between champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (40-0-1, 29) and challenger Josesito Lopez (30-4-0-1, 18) is one that I cannot stomach nor understand.
Ginger haired Saul Alvarez is seen by many in the sport as the emerging Mexican star of the future. He's got a massive fan base that seems to grow after every fight and he's got a pretty fun to watch style that combines heavy hands with some wonderful combinations. At just 21 years old it's fair to say that, if matched well, Alvarez really could be a star for the next 10 or so years, however this brings us to the big problem of Alvarez. Just how do you match a 21 year old world champion with the world looking at him? The answer seems to be softly.
Since his break out US performance against Jose Miguel Cotto back in May 2010 on the Floyd Mayweather Jr v Shane Mosley undercard there has been expectation on Alvarez. This expectation grew suddenly after Alvarez stopped the teak tough Argentinian Carlos Manuel Baldomir and then again when Alvarez claimed the WBC Light Middleweight title by out pointing Matthew Hatton in March 2011. Sadly however Alvarez's reign as world champion, in a solid division, has been less than note worthy with victories over a 35 year old Ryan Rhodes, a horribly undersized Alfonso Gomez, an undeserving Kermit Cintron and an ancient Shane Mosley. In a division that has talent like Floyd Mayweather Jr, Miguel Cotto, Austin Trout, James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Javier Maciel, Lukas Konecny and Zaurbek Baysangurov we really need to ask why Alvarez has been content on fighting second rate opponents.
That's not to say that his opponent this coming weekend, Josesito Lopez, is second rate, but he certainly isn't a Light Middleweight or an opponent that we should really be that excited about. Lopez is there as the sacrificial lamb as Golden Boy Promotions continue to develop Alvarez on hype rather than achievement, a risky strategy in this sport.
So why is Lopez not a solid opponent for Alvarez? Well to start this we need to look at Lopez. He may be taller than Alvarez but he's a naturally thin guy and not the thick set build of Alvarez. Just a year ago Lopez was fighting as a Light Welterweight in fact it's almost certain he could make Light Welterweight still if he wanted to. The highest Lopez has ever weighed was just 144¾lbs, over 9 lbs less than the Light Middleweight limit. Again, whilst he is a solid fighter he is no Light Middleweight.
Lopez got this fight after upsetting the Golden Boy Promotions apple cart by stunning Victor Ortiz in June, breaking Ortiz's jaw. The original idea was to put Ortiz in with Alvarez, though again it wasn't a match up I liked when we see the talent in the Light Middleweight division.
Sadly the size factor will never be overcome. Lopez may be able to survive 6 or 7 rounds but the sheer size and power difference is going to be far too much and take it's toll on the California native who I expect to be ground down in the middle rounds before being ultimately stopped. The biggest problem with this fight is sadly the Golden Boy hype train who will continue to declare Alvarez as one of the sports biggest stars despite the fact he'll have only beaten a Light Welterweight.
Prediction- Alvarez TKO 6
To sum this up in a word-Mismatch.
Ginger haired Saul Alvarez is seen by many in the sport as the emerging Mexican star of the future. He's got a massive fan base that seems to grow after every fight and he's got a pretty fun to watch style that combines heavy hands with some wonderful combinations. At just 21 years old it's fair to say that, if matched well, Alvarez really could be a star for the next 10 or so years, however this brings us to the big problem of Alvarez. Just how do you match a 21 year old world champion with the world looking at him? The answer seems to be softly.
Since his break out US performance against Jose Miguel Cotto back in May 2010 on the Floyd Mayweather Jr v Shane Mosley undercard there has been expectation on Alvarez. This expectation grew suddenly after Alvarez stopped the teak tough Argentinian Carlos Manuel Baldomir and then again when Alvarez claimed the WBC Light Middleweight title by out pointing Matthew Hatton in March 2011. Sadly however Alvarez's reign as world champion, in a solid division, has been less than note worthy with victories over a 35 year old Ryan Rhodes, a horribly undersized Alfonso Gomez, an undeserving Kermit Cintron and an ancient Shane Mosley. In a division that has talent like Floyd Mayweather Jr, Miguel Cotto, Austin Trout, James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Javier Maciel, Lukas Konecny and Zaurbek Baysangurov we really need to ask why Alvarez has been content on fighting second rate opponents.
That's not to say that his opponent this coming weekend, Josesito Lopez, is second rate, but he certainly isn't a Light Middleweight or an opponent that we should really be that excited about. Lopez is there as the sacrificial lamb as Golden Boy Promotions continue to develop Alvarez on hype rather than achievement, a risky strategy in this sport.
So why is Lopez not a solid opponent for Alvarez? Well to start this we need to look at Lopez. He may be taller than Alvarez but he's a naturally thin guy and not the thick set build of Alvarez. Just a year ago Lopez was fighting as a Light Welterweight in fact it's almost certain he could make Light Welterweight still if he wanted to. The highest Lopez has ever weighed was just 144¾lbs, over 9 lbs less than the Light Middleweight limit. Again, whilst he is a solid fighter he is no Light Middleweight.
Lopez got this fight after upsetting the Golden Boy Promotions apple cart by stunning Victor Ortiz in June, breaking Ortiz's jaw. The original idea was to put Ortiz in with Alvarez, though again it wasn't a match up I liked when we see the talent in the Light Middleweight division.
Sadly the size factor will never be overcome. Lopez may be able to survive 6 or 7 rounds but the sheer size and power difference is going to be far too much and take it's toll on the California native who I expect to be ground down in the middle rounds before being ultimately stopped. The biggest problem with this fight is sadly the Golden Boy hype train who will continue to declare Alvarez as one of the sports biggest stars despite the fact he'll have only beaten a Light Welterweight.
Prediction- Alvarez TKO 6
To sum this up in a word-Mismatch.
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