When we talk about pure boxers two men really stand out right now. One is Floyd Mayweather Jr, one of the greatest in recent memory, the other is Cuban sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux (12-0, 8, the current WBA "super" and WBO Super Bantamweight champion.
Unfortunately pure boxing, as George Foreman once observed, "The better it is, the less people appreciate it". This seems to be the case with Rigondeaux who at times makes boxing look so effortless and easy. Unfortunately however when he makes it look so simple it's easy to see why people don't appreciate it. What's the point in dominating if you can't also put on a show. Boxing whether we like it or not is a business and if you bore fans you can expect to be forgotten.
Following his fight with Nonito Donaire many felt it could be a very long time before saw Rigondeaux back in action. It's been a while I'll admit, some 8 months almost, since that fight but this weekend sees Rigondeaux returning to action as he attempts to defend both of his belts against Ghana's Joseph Agbeko (29-4, 22), a former 2-time IBF Bantamweight champion himself.
When it comes to Rigondeaux he can do everything. He makes fights, like I said, look simple. He slows down the pace when he wants, he lands every punch in the book, he makes other fighters look stupid and is a complete in the ring. Like all geniuses however he can get bored easily and as a result he can get tagged. His negativity can cause even the great man himself to get bored of things and it often seems that either Rigondeaux will destroy an opponent or get get bored of putting on a masterclass.
Agbeko doesn't have those same tricks as Rigondeaux. He's much less a skillster and more of a rough and tough type of fighter. That's not to say he lacks skills but he's more about strength and toughness than the sweet science.
Sadly for Agbeko the toughness and strength he had at 118lbs is unlikely to carry up that well at 122lbs, especially considering he's almost 34 years old and has fought just once the last 24 months. In all honesty the toughness and drive of Agbeko seemed to be leaving him in his most recent notable bout, a clear decision loss to Abner Mares.
With Rigondeaux's power, speed and technique it's hard not to see him landing crisp, clean shots on to the chin of Agbeko, eventually forcing a stoppage of the brave Ghanian who will be left chasing shadows prior to the stoppage. Rigondeaux will know that this is a fight that he needs to make an impression in and that's exactly what he will do.
Prediction-Rigondeaux TKO6
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Darren Barker v Felix Sturm
If you ask me I'd say one of the luckiest men to win a world title this year has been Britain's "Dazzling" Darren Barker (26-1, 16) who took a very debatable decision over Daniel Geale to claim the IBF title a few months back. The obvious move after that was an immediate rematch between the two though unfortunately that never happened and instead Barker's first defense will come against Germany's Felix Sturm (38-3-2-1, 17).
For years Sturm was criticised for taking easy defenses, claiming controversial victories and generally derided by the boxing public. Over the past two years however he has suffered a loss to Daniel Geale and a loss (later over-turned to a no contest) against Sam Soliman. This suggests that even the German fans are bored of him and the judges are no longer "in his pocket" as some have suggest.
At his beat Sturm was a jabbing machine. He was never be a big puncher, he'd never knock fighters clean out but he did have the uncanny ability to land his exceptional jab at will almost dismantling opponents with the crisp clean jab. It was this jab that helped him hold the WBA Middleweight hostage in Germany for years though unfortunately for him he ran into a determined and busy Geale who did enough to force the judges to give him the win.
Sturm is no longer able to keep up the busy jab like he did in his prime. It's still an excellent jab but his work rate has dropped off and a busy fighter like Geale has been able to make him look awful. In fact Geale, Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray have all made Sturm look second rate.
With that in mind I need to favour Barker to retain his title here. The Englishman might be going over the Germany but he's a younger fighter who can dig deep, has shown an improved ability to go 12 rounds and looks to be fighting at his best. Sure I felt he came second to Geale but that was genuinely close, this however won't be.
In terms of the jabbing game Barker will be able to hold his own with Sturm who turns 35 next month, in terms of the inside game I favour Barker and whilst he certainly won't dominate the fight he'll do enough to take a clear but competitive decision by around 8 rounds to 4.
Although a rematch in the UK has been signed in to the contract I'd imagine if Barker wins here we won't be seeing the rematch here, instead the Geale rematch is more likely and certainly makes for a more competitive bout than a do-over of this one.
Prediction-Barker UD12
For years Sturm was criticised for taking easy defenses, claiming controversial victories and generally derided by the boxing public. Over the past two years however he has suffered a loss to Daniel Geale and a loss (later over-turned to a no contest) against Sam Soliman. This suggests that even the German fans are bored of him and the judges are no longer "in his pocket" as some have suggest.
At his beat Sturm was a jabbing machine. He was never be a big puncher, he'd never knock fighters clean out but he did have the uncanny ability to land his exceptional jab at will almost dismantling opponents with the crisp clean jab. It was this jab that helped him hold the WBA Middleweight hostage in Germany for years though unfortunately for him he ran into a determined and busy Geale who did enough to force the judges to give him the win.
Sturm is no longer able to keep up the busy jab like he did in his prime. It's still an excellent jab but his work rate has dropped off and a busy fighter like Geale has been able to make him look awful. In fact Geale, Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray have all made Sturm look second rate.
With that in mind I need to favour Barker to retain his title here. The Englishman might be going over the Germany but he's a younger fighter who can dig deep, has shown an improved ability to go 12 rounds and looks to be fighting at his best. Sure I felt he came second to Geale but that was genuinely close, this however won't be.
In terms of the jabbing game Barker will be able to hold his own with Sturm who turns 35 next month, in terms of the inside game I favour Barker and whilst he certainly won't dominate the fight he'll do enough to take a clear but competitive decision by around 8 rounds to 4.
Although a rematch in the UK has been signed in to the contract I'd imagine if Barker wins here we won't be seeing the rematch here, instead the Geale rematch is more likely and certainly makes for a more competitive bout than a do-over of this one.
Prediction-Barker UD12
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
Chris John v Simpiwe Vetyeka
This past Saturday saw Psaul Spadafora eventually suffering the first defeat of his career. The "Pittsburgh Kid" simply fought on too long and fought someone too good to only be a shadow of their former self.
On man hoping to avoid the same fate as Spadafora will be Indonesia's Chris John (48-0-3, 22) who looks to defend his "Super" WBA Featherweight title this Friday in Australia. The long time unbeaten Indonesian, who has been accused of fighting poor challengers throughout his career, will this week be facing premier level challenger in the form of Simpiwe Vetyeka (25-2, 15).
John, the holder of one of the most impressive records in the sport and one of the longest title reigns, is a fighter who at his best sensational. He had great handspeed, every punch in the book, fantastic movement and the ability to unload some lovely combinations. As he's aged he's slowed however and his speed has gone, the legs have slowed and he's been forced to fight more in the pocket.
Against fighters like Shoji Kimura, Stanyslav Merdov and Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo we've seen John get away with fighting in the pocket due to his superior skill-set and ability. Against Satoshi Hosono however John was being dragged into a fight he didn't want, prior the the unsatisfying conclusion to the bout.
I feel that if the Hosono fight had reached a natural conclusion we'd have seen John needing to dig as deep as he's ever dug to have kept a hold of his title. That might be because I rate Hosono highly, but I'm not sure if that's all it is.
If I can be accused of rating Hosono highly then the same accusation can also be sent to me regarding Simpiwe Vetyeka. The South African has impressed me in both of his profile bouts, both of which were in Asia.
The first major bout for Vetyeka saw him dropping a narrow decision to the WBC Bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa. He pushed Hasegawa hard, took the best shots of the Japanese fighter and really give him hell. Vetyeka built on that result earlier this year when he stopped the teak tough Daud Cino Yordan, John's countryman.
Vetyeka has proven that he's tough, skilled, fast and technically very solid all round. He moves excellently, has a hard stiff and yet quick jab, the ability to fire his jab off whilst moving and really he's a very, very accomplished fighter. Not the sort of fighter John should be viewing as a patsy.
For me it's the movement and speed of Vetyeka which will actually see the upset occur. Vetyeka will refuse to trade in the pocket early rather sticking to his boxing and movement to allow him to rack up rounds with clever boxing. By round 8 or 9 he'll slow down and mix it on the inside though by then John will need a knockdown or two to retain. He'll not get any.
For the second successive week I think we'll see a long unbeaten run broken by a younger and fresher fighter.
Prediction-Vetyeka by Split Decision
On man hoping to avoid the same fate as Spadafora will be Indonesia's Chris John (48-0-3, 22) who looks to defend his "Super" WBA Featherweight title this Friday in Australia. The long time unbeaten Indonesian, who has been accused of fighting poor challengers throughout his career, will this week be facing premier level challenger in the form of Simpiwe Vetyeka (25-2, 15).
John, the holder of one of the most impressive records in the sport and one of the longest title reigns, is a fighter who at his best sensational. He had great handspeed, every punch in the book, fantastic movement and the ability to unload some lovely combinations. As he's aged he's slowed however and his speed has gone, the legs have slowed and he's been forced to fight more in the pocket.
Against fighters like Shoji Kimura, Stanyslav Merdov and Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo we've seen John get away with fighting in the pocket due to his superior skill-set and ability. Against Satoshi Hosono however John was being dragged into a fight he didn't want, prior the the unsatisfying conclusion to the bout.
I feel that if the Hosono fight had reached a natural conclusion we'd have seen John needing to dig as deep as he's ever dug to have kept a hold of his title. That might be because I rate Hosono highly, but I'm not sure if that's all it is.
If I can be accused of rating Hosono highly then the same accusation can also be sent to me regarding Simpiwe Vetyeka. The South African has impressed me in both of his profile bouts, both of which were in Asia.
The first major bout for Vetyeka saw him dropping a narrow decision to the WBC Bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa. He pushed Hasegawa hard, took the best shots of the Japanese fighter and really give him hell. Vetyeka built on that result earlier this year when he stopped the teak tough Daud Cino Yordan, John's countryman.
Vetyeka has proven that he's tough, skilled, fast and technically very solid all round. He moves excellently, has a hard stiff and yet quick jab, the ability to fire his jab off whilst moving and really he's a very, very accomplished fighter. Not the sort of fighter John should be viewing as a patsy.
For me it's the movement and speed of Vetyeka which will actually see the upset occur. Vetyeka will refuse to trade in the pocket early rather sticking to his boxing and movement to allow him to rack up rounds with clever boxing. By round 8 or 9 he'll slow down and mix it on the inside though by then John will need a knockdown or two to retain. He'll not get any.
For the second successive week I think we'll see a long unbeaten run broken by a younger and fresher fighter.
Prediction-Vetyeka by Split Decision
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)
Monday, 2 December 2013
Tomoki Kameda v Immanuel Naidjala
Earlier this year Tomoki Kameda (28-0, 18) became a very significant figure in Japanese and world boxing. When he claimed the WBO Bantamweight title with a victory over Paulus Moses he became Japan's first ever WBO champion and in the process became the third of the Kameda brothers to claim a world title, thus setting a world record.
Tomoki will look to defend his title for the first time this coming Tuesday when he takes on unbeaten Namibian challenger Immanuel Naidjala (17-0-1, 11).
On paper this looks like a great fight with men who's combined record reads 45-0-1 (29) in reality however I expect this to be little more than a boxing lesson by Tomoki over the short and crude, but tough, Naidjala.
From what footage of Naidjala is available he looks like the sort of fighter who can be beaten with just a jab and some movement. He's the epitome of crude and although he looks incredibly strong he does look like the sort of fighter who will be able to catch Kameda when the Japanese fighter is boxing off his jab.
I think this fight sees Kameda boxing early on and moving, making Naidjala chase him and swing at air. After 5 or 6 rounds of this however Tomoki will likely feel more confident in holding his feet and going to the midsection of the challenger. Although this is playing to Naidjala's strengths it's hard to envision Naidjala having the power, skill or speed to really hurt Tomoki who will grind down the challenger in the last half of the fight.
Prediction-Tomoki TKO11
Tomoki will look to defend his title for the first time this coming Tuesday when he takes on unbeaten Namibian challenger Immanuel Naidjala (17-0-1, 11).
On paper this looks like a great fight with men who's combined record reads 45-0-1 (29) in reality however I expect this to be little more than a boxing lesson by Tomoki over the short and crude, but tough, Naidjala.
From what footage of Naidjala is available he looks like the sort of fighter who can be beaten with just a jab and some movement. He's the epitome of crude and although he looks incredibly strong he does look like the sort of fighter who will be able to catch Kameda when the Japanese fighter is boxing off his jab.
I think this fight sees Kameda boxing early on and moving, making Naidjala chase him and swing at air. After 5 or 6 rounds of this however Tomoki will likely feel more confident in holding his feet and going to the midsection of the challenger. Although this is playing to Naidjala's strengths it's hard to envision Naidjala having the power, skill or speed to really hurt Tomoki who will grind down the challenger in the last half of the fight.
Prediction-Tomoki TKO11
Katsunari Takayama v Vergilio Silvano
Katsunari Takayama (25-6-0-1, 10) is, if you've never seen him, the embodiment of the lower weight classes. Hard working, gutsy, tough and a damned sight more talented and interesting then men twice his weight. Unfortunately the IBF Minimumweight champion is one of the most over-looked and forgotten fighters on the planet.
For the first time in since 2008 Takayama returns to fight Osaka, the place where he forged much of his early career. Sadly Takayama's journey to the IBF title saw him forced to become a hermit, traveling around the world for fights in the Philippines, South Africa and Mexico. Funnily however his first defense of the belt will be in Japan as he battles Filipino Vergilio Silvano (17-2-1, 10).
Takayama is a certified warrior. He's not a big puncher but he's tough, hard working, skilled and fast. He's a man who isn't afraid of losing, and seems to know that if he loses it's to a world class fighter as seen in losses to Eagle Den Junlaphan, Yutaka Niida, Roman Gonzalez and Nkosinathi Joyi, non of whom got out their contests with him without a fight.
In Silvano Takayama is taking on a man who is far less established but is looking to score a victory that will put him on the boxing map. The Filipino youngster is a confident fighter riding an 18 fight unbeaten streak and a 4-0 record in title fights. Unfortunately for Silvano however he's stepping up in a big way moving from fighting Jetly Purisima for the WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title to fighting Takayama for the IBF world title.
For me it's that step up that will decide the fight. Takayama will have seen everything Silvano has in his arsenal, on the flipside a lot of what Takayama has will be new to the challenger. The gulf in experience, skill and top fight ability will show through here, however I think Silvano will show enough to come again at another point somewhere down the line.
Prediction-Takayama UD12 (clear).
For the first time in since 2008 Takayama returns to fight Osaka, the place where he forged much of his early career. Sadly Takayama's journey to the IBF title saw him forced to become a hermit, traveling around the world for fights in the Philippines, South Africa and Mexico. Funnily however his first defense of the belt will be in Japan as he battles Filipino Vergilio Silvano (17-2-1, 10).
Takayama is a certified warrior. He's not a big puncher but he's tough, hard working, skilled and fast. He's a man who isn't afraid of losing, and seems to know that if he loses it's to a world class fighter as seen in losses to Eagle Den Junlaphan, Yutaka Niida, Roman Gonzalez and Nkosinathi Joyi, non of whom got out their contests with him without a fight.
In Silvano Takayama is taking on a man who is far less established but is looking to score a victory that will put him on the boxing map. The Filipino youngster is a confident fighter riding an 18 fight unbeaten streak and a 4-0 record in title fights. Unfortunately for Silvano however he's stepping up in a big way moving from fighting Jetly Purisima for the WBO Oriental Light Flyweight title to fighting Takayama for the IBF world title.
For me it's that step up that will decide the fight. Takayama will have seen everything Silvano has in his arsenal, on the flipside a lot of what Takayama has will be new to the challenger. The gulf in experience, skill and top fight ability will show through here, however I think Silvano will show enough to come again at another point somewhere down the line.
Prediction-Takayama UD12 (clear).
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