SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland, May 18
TV: DAZN
By Peter Lim
On paper, Taylor vs. Baranchyk looks to be a 50/50 matchup; Taylor has a slight edge in speed and Baranchyk a slight edge in power. But Taylor’s style will be more of a mystery to Baranchyk than vice versa and that will tip the balance of the fight.
Baranchyk's hard-charging right handed style is something Taylor has dealt with all his life. Taylor on the other hand, is not only a southpaw, but a southpaw who fires the right hook in doubles and triples upstairs and down. It will throw Baranchyk off and deny him the opportunity to establish any kind of momentum all night.
Taylor is faster on the trigger with his right jab, which sets up sharp combinations to the head and body from the outset. Baranchyk is befuddled by the incoming fire coming at him from angles and sequences he has never seen before, rendering him unable to connect with more than one punch at a time.
Baranchyk finds a measure of success in the middle rounds by fighting from a shell, catching Taylor's punches on his gloves and arms before returning fire. But Taylor quickly makes the right adjustments to avoid Baranchyk's most damaging shots, resumes dominating the exchanges and cruises to a clear-cut victory in the 117-111 to 118-110 range.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Friday, May 10, 2019
Naoya Inoue vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez
SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland, May 18
TV: DAZN
By Peter Lim
The suspense and intrigue in this fight stems not from who will win but from how fast and how brutally the fight will conclude. Rodriguez might be a rugged talented and cagey fighter but Inoue’s devastating one-punch knockout power will negate anything Rodriguez brings to the table. The Japanese phenom has the capacity to end a fight with either hand from any angle to the head or body.
Rodriguez finds a measure of success by crowding and bullying Inoue with his superior size in the first two rounds. But that success is short lived. In the third round, Inoue delivers a crackling left hook to the liver that folds Rodriguez and sinks him to his knees. Rodriguez survives the round but never completely recovers from the debilitating body blow.
Rodriguez is reduced to fighting on survival mode with his elbows glued to his rib cage as Inoue continues to zero in on the torso in the fourth round. But just when it seems Inoue will stop his opponent with an accumulation of punches downstairs, he explodes with a one-two to the chin that sends Rodriguez down and out for the full count.
TV: DAZN
By Peter Lim
The suspense and intrigue in this fight stems not from who will win but from how fast and how brutally the fight will conclude. Rodriguez might be a rugged talented and cagey fighter but Inoue’s devastating one-punch knockout power will negate anything Rodriguez brings to the table. The Japanese phenom has the capacity to end a fight with either hand from any angle to the head or body.
Rodriguez finds a measure of success by crowding and bullying Inoue with his superior size in the first two rounds. But that success is short lived. In the third round, Inoue delivers a crackling left hook to the liver that folds Rodriguez and sinks him to his knees. Rodriguez survives the round but never completely recovers from the debilitating body blow.
Rodriguez is reduced to fighting on survival mode with his elbows glued to his rib cage as Inoue continues to zero in on the torso in the fourth round. But just when it seems Inoue will stop his opponent with an accumulation of punches downstairs, he explodes with a one-two to the chin that sends Rodriguez down and out for the full count.
Friday, May 3, 2019
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Danny Jacobs
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV, May 4
TV: DAZN
By Peter Lim
Many fans and pundits have pegged Jacobs as past his prime based on his recent track record - two close struggles against obscure and unheralded fighters with difficult-to-pronounce names. But few realize that Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Maciej Sulecki are two talented and tough world-class fighters who have gone under the radar. Going 24 rounds with these two underratedEast European fighters has only sharpened Jacobs‘ skills and upped his game.
Still, Canelo is a notch above Derevyanchenko and Sulecki and leaps and bounds ahead in terms of championship-level experience. Arguably among the top-notch fighters in the world today, Canelo has faced a parade of fellow pound-for-pounders in his career, losing just once to a boxer named Mayweather. Love him or hate him, it’s undeniable that, at age 28, Canelo has already accomplished hall-of-fame credentials. Guess what? The guy might not have reached his peak yet.
Canelo and Jacobs engage in an evenly-contested chess match in the early rounds with both fighters trying to figure each other out. But Canelo begins putting his foot on the accelerometer in the fourth round and gradually gains control. Forcing Jacobs into retreat mode, Canelo mixes his attack to the head and body with equal ferocity. Jacobs manages to catch Canelo coming in with sharp one-twos but they ar too few and far between to stymie Canelo’s momentum.
Aware that he is behind on the scorecards, Jacobs ups his punch volume in the ninth and tenth rounds, finding a measure of success by beating Canelo to the draw with double jab-straight right combinations. But just as he seems to be getting back into the fight, he is dropped by an overhand right-left hook combo in the eleventh round.
Canelo refuses to allow Jacobs to shake it off by going after him with a reinvigorated intensity but Jacobs survives the round by covering, clinching and switching to southpaw. Canelo continues to apply controlled pressure in the final round and Jacobs seems content to just survive the fight rather than go for broke. The judges award the fight to Canelo in the 117-110 to 116-111 range.
TV: DAZN
By Peter Lim
Many fans and pundits have pegged Jacobs as past his prime based on his recent track record - two close struggles against obscure and unheralded fighters with difficult-to-pronounce names. But few realize that Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Maciej Sulecki are two talented and tough world-class fighters who have gone under the radar. Going 24 rounds with these two underratedEast European fighters has only sharpened Jacobs‘ skills and upped his game.
Still, Canelo is a notch above Derevyanchenko and Sulecki and leaps and bounds ahead in terms of championship-level experience. Arguably among the top-notch fighters in the world today, Canelo has faced a parade of fellow pound-for-pounders in his career, losing just once to a boxer named Mayweather. Love him or hate him, it’s undeniable that, at age 28, Canelo has already accomplished hall-of-fame credentials. Guess what? The guy might not have reached his peak yet.
Canelo and Jacobs engage in an evenly-contested chess match in the early rounds with both fighters trying to figure each other out. But Canelo begins putting his foot on the accelerometer in the fourth round and gradually gains control. Forcing Jacobs into retreat mode, Canelo mixes his attack to the head and body with equal ferocity. Jacobs manages to catch Canelo coming in with sharp one-twos but they ar too few and far between to stymie Canelo’s momentum.
Aware that he is behind on the scorecards, Jacobs ups his punch volume in the ninth and tenth rounds, finding a measure of success by beating Canelo to the draw with double jab-straight right combinations. But just as he seems to be getting back into the fight, he is dropped by an overhand right-left hook combo in the eleventh round.
Canelo refuses to allow Jacobs to shake it off by going after him with a reinvigorated intensity but Jacobs survives the round by covering, clinching and switching to southpaw. Canelo continues to apply controlled pressure in the final round and Jacobs seems content to just survive the fight rather than go for broke. The judges award the fight to Canelo in the 117-110 to 116-111 range.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)