Friday, April 29, 2016

Badou Jack vs. Lucian Bute

The Armory, Washington, DC, April 30
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

In Bute's prime, Jack's style would be tailor-made for Romanian-Canadian's lethal southpaw pull-and-counter maneuvers. The big question is, how much of his former confident self has Bute rekindled since his dismantling against Carl Froch in 2012? Bute initially seemed gun shy following his loss to Froch but has gradually inched his way back to a comfort level where he is willing to take risks and let his fists fly.

Bute (32-3, 23 KOs) lost gallantly in his last fight to James DeGale, a thriller of a slugfest that was far more competitive than the scorecards indicated, proving he has regained much of his mojo. At age 36, he might not be quite the fighter he was pre-Froch, but it will still be enough to dethrone Jack. Utilizing his superior experience and punching power, Bute scores a knockdown or two to eke out a close but but unanimous decision against a determined but out-classed Jack (20-1-1, 12 KOs). 

Afterthoughts:
My initial reaction was that the two judges who scored the fight 114-114 should be permanently disbarred. But someone pointed out that they might have taken into account what everyone except the referee saw - that half of Jack's body punches strayed below the score zone.




James DeGale vs. Rogelio Medina

The Armory, Washington, DC, April 30
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

Let's not kid ourselves into believing that this is anything more than a stay-busy bout for DeGale against a handpicked journeyman opponent with a deceivingly decent record as he awaits more lucrative fights. A 2012 Olympic gold medalist, DeGale is simply a notch or three above Medina in ring IQ. In a glorified sparring session, DeGale out-boxes, out-slugs and toys with Medina before stopping him in the seventh round.

Afterthoughts:
DeGale might be one of those guys who fights up or down to the level of his opposition. It's always a tough, life-and-death struggle every time.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto II

StubHub Center, Carson, CA, April 30
TV: Fox
By Peter Lim

Both Ortiz and Berto hit rough patches since their action-packed encounter in 2011 and enter the rematch more diminished than they were the in their first fight. Ortiz is 2-3 and Berto is 3-3 since they last fought. Stakes are high in this bout, with the winner regaining some relevance on the world stage while the loser is relegated to the status of name opponent.

The winner of the rematch ultimately boils down to the less damaged of the two, and that will be Berto (30-4, 23 KOs). Following his victory over Berto the five years ago, Ortiz (31-5-2, 24 KOs) suffered three consecutive knockout losses and a broken jaw. Berto's only knockout loss was more the result of a shoulder injury rather than a lack of punch resistance.

The fight will be competitive until Berto lands his first clean shot, after which Ortiz begins to unravel. Wary of Ortiz's formidable power, Berto resists the temptation to attack with reckless abandon. He calculatingly bides his time with precision counters before stopping Ortiz in the seventh round. 

Afterthoughts:
Ortiz doesn't have the hunger, not to mention the chin, to compete on the world stage anymore. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Edwin Rodriguez vs. Thomas Williams Jr.

StubHub Center, Carson, CA, April 30
TV: Fox
By Peter Lim

Usually a cerebral boxer-puncher, Rodriguez (28-1, 19 KOs) went punch crazy in his last fight against Michael Seals and was almost knocked out as a result. Rodriguez's sparring partner Cornelius White went punch crazy after trading knockdowns with Williams in 2014 and was subsequently kayoed in a  rollercoaster first round. It's safe to say Rodriguez won't make the same mistake against Williams (19-1, 13 KOs), especially since he hasn't ventured into southpaw territory since 2010. 

In his only loss, Williams' fragile psyche was exposed when he unraveled after suffering cut against a faded Gabriel Campillo in 2014. That failed gut check will not be lost on Rodriguez and his camp. Rodriguez patiently and methodically breaks Williams down both mentally and physically and stops him in the sixth round.

Afterthoughts:
How foolish was it for Rodriguez to attack a hard-hitting southpaw with reckless abandon. He paid the ultimate price. The ref should have given him a chance to recover in between rounds, though, since he beat the count.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Roman Gonzalez vs. McWilliams Arroyo

The Forum, Inglewood, CA, April 23
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

This will be as much of a mismatch in the ring as it is on paper. Gonzalez (44-0, 38 KOs)  has more knockouts than Arroyo (16-2, 14 KOs) has fights, and he has fought the cream of the crop in three divisions. Arroyo's preference is to engage his opponents up close and personal, and if he does that against Gonzalez, it is tantamount to an alley cat walking into a lion's den. Gonzalez effortlessly obliterates Arroyo in the second round with a multi-punch flurry punctuated with a left hook to the jaw.

Afterthoughts:
Arroyo might have written the blueprint on how to ride out Gonzalez's relentless onslaughts; even if he beats you to the punch don't allow him to land his second, third, fourth and fifth shots. He'll still dominate but you might actually hear the final bell.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Gennady Golovkin vs. Dominic Wade

The Forum, Inglewood, CA, April 23
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim

This mismatch really amounts to a two-star general going into battle against a second lieutenant. Has Golovkin (34-0, 31 KOs) already run the entire gamut of challengers that he has to fight a rookie? Wade (18-0, 12 KOs) might be undefeated but he has not shown any exceptional qualities against a crop of very ordinary opponents. Golovkin lands at will from the opening bell but opts to carry his out-gunned opponent for a few rounds before finishing him with a left hook-straight right combo in the fifth round.

Afterthoughts:
Why hasn't Golovkin crossed over into mainstream? Perhaps too many Americans still can't help but see the evil hammer and sickle when it comes to fighters from the former Soviet Union.

Errol Spence Jr. vs Chris Algieri

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, NY, April 16
TV: NBC
By Peter Lim

Spence (19-0, 16 KOs) has the superior skill set, speed and power so there is little doubt as to who wins this one. The suspense in this fight stems from whether or not Spence will be the first fighter to stop the tough and determined Algieri (21-2, 8 KOs). Spence hits as hard as Pacquiao but is a more ferocious finisher. But if Algieri could weather the relentless offense of Provodnikov, he will survive Spence's onslaught as well en route to losing a lopsided decision.

Afterthoughts:
A head shot ended the fight but it was really the body shots that did the most damage.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Arthur Abraham vs. Gilberto Ramirez

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 9
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim

Just looking at Ramirez's stats, he could be the complete package; young, six-foot-two, southpaw and a pretty decent knockout percentage. But he has the right mix of flaws that a cagey veteran like Abraham (44-4, 29 KOs) can and will exploit.

Experience trumps youth in what turns out to be a riveting crossroads battle.

The 24-year-old Ramirez (33-0, 24 KOs) starts strong and wins most of the early rounds using his superior reach to land the first and last punch of each exchange. But as the fight wears on, machismo gets the better of him as he abandons the jab allowing Abraham, 36, to catch him coming in with the straight right.

Both fighters trade furiously with Abraham scoring more to the head and Ramirez landing the better body shots. Abraham scores a late round knockdown to steal the decision by three identical scores of 114-113.

Afterthoughts:
Every time I pick experience over youth, it blows up in my face. I've got to remind myself this is ultimately a young man's game.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley III

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV, April 9
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim

The general consensus is, since their last encounter, Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) has slipped downhill a notch or two, while Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs) has stayed the near the top of his game and perhaps even improved a tad under the guidance of new trainer Teddy Atlas. Also in Bradley's favor is Pacquiao's 11 months of ring rust and shoulder surgery that resulted in additional time away from the gym.

But Pacquiao won at least 20 of the 24 rounds they fought so he might have Bradley's number, Teddy Atlas notwithstanding. Pacquiao probably picked Bradley for precisely that reason in what will likely to be his swansong bout.

Although Pacquiao isn't as sharp as he was in his last fight with Bradley, he still manages to be first on the trigger and lands the harder punches in the exchanges. Should Bradley find enough success to force Pacquiao out of rhythm and fight more recklessly, it might ultimately be a disservice to him because he is more vulnerable to wild, looping punches than he is to straight, calculated shots. He was caught and badly hurt by Ruslan Provodnikov and Jessie Vargas who were fighting on desperation mode, and Pacquiao hits harder than both of them.

Pacquiao might not completely dominate Bradley as he did in their last two fights, but he still wins a clear-cut decision.   

Afterthoughts:
The 37-year-old Pacquiao may not be as fun to watch as the 27-year-old version but he still has the skills, if not the hunger, to compete at the highest level of the game. Bradley is no slouch.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Charles Martin vs. Anthony Joshua

02 Arena, London, England
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

Martin (23-0, 21 KOs) has more fights on his ledger but Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs) has fought a substantially better level of of opposition. Add Joshua's stellar amateur credentials, including an Olympic gold, to the equation and this looks to be a one-sided affair.

But that's just the lowdown on paper. These two behemoths have a combined 95 percent knockout percentage so anything can happen. Short of a lucky punch, though, the winner boils down to who can better elude the other one's punches.

At this juncture of their careers, Martin has shown more flaws in his game than Joshua. He is a plodding, one-dimensional lefty who relies on his size to overpower rather than outsmart his opponents. In Martin's last fight, a considerably smaller Vyacheslav Glazkov was outmaneuvering him and finding his targets, especially the straight right to the body, before the Ukrainian's knee caved in on him.

Joshua, on the other hand, seems to be as composite a fighter as they come. For such a big man, he deliver combinations with Ali-like speed, fights well on the inside and catches opponents from various angles. He was rocked in his last fight against Dillian Whyte but had the composure to not only ride out the storm but return fire.

It might take Joshua a few rounds to adjust to Martin's southpaw style but once he does, he has little trouble imposing his will. Rather than seeking a fight-ending bomb Joshua elects to bide his time and break Martin down with blistering combinations upstairs and down. Sensing the time is ripe, the big Englishman ends the fight in the sixth round with a straight right-left hook, and the Union Jack is raised over yet another heavyweight belt.

Afterthoughts:
It sure looked like Martin quit the fight by intentionally not beating the count by a split second. But that's not to say that Joshua isn't the complete package. The lingering question is how solid a chin he has on him.