Toyota Arena, Ontario, CA, Dec. 21
TV: Fox Sports
By Peter Lim
Charlo won the first encounter in most observers' eyes but was robbed by the judges. Still, he allowed Harrison to have sufficient success to leave enough room for doubt to mute the public outrage. The main adjustment Charlo makes in the rematch is letting his punches go in fluid combinations instead of loading up on power punches as he did in the first fight.
But Harrison too will come in with a markedly different game plan. At the back of his mind he probably knows he was lucky to get away with the win in the first fight so he has reinvented himself for the rematch. Expect him to try and frustrate Charlo by moving, counter punching and clinching when the going gets tough.
Punch resistance will ultimately determine the outcome of the fight. In his two losses, Harrison crumpled the minute he got nailed by a direct hit. It might take Charlo a while to get there but he eventually does. A left-right-left hook combo drops Harrison to the canvass in the eighth round. He beats the count on spaghetti legs and Charlo’s follow-up assault sends him careening around the ring prompting his corner to intervene with the towel toss.
Friday, December 6, 2019
Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua II
Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 7
TV: DAZN
By Peter Lim
Ruiz tipped the scales at a whopping 283 pounds, 15 pounds heavier than he did in the the first encounter six months ago. It's safe to say Ruiz did not put on muscle. Joshua, on the other hand, came in at 237, 10 pounds lighter than he was in the first fight.
Granted, boxing is not a body building contest and the more sculpted fighter does not always come out on top. But this is the heaviest Ruiz has weighed in over eight years and a good 20-30 pounds over what he has weighed in his best outings. It is a patent giveaway that he under-trained and over-ate in the weeks leading up to the rematch.
The fight unfolds the way most people predicted for the first encounter. Joshua beats Ruiz to the punch with his long thudding jab and gradually finds the range for his power punches. The flabbier, slower Ruiz is a split second off the trigger to do what worked for him in the first fight - counter punch in bunches.
A sense of deja vu fills the air when Joshua drops Ruiz heavily in the fourth round. But instead of going in for the kill with reckless abandon, Joshua remains guarded and tactically measures Ruiz with jabs before unloading the heavier artillery. The gambit works to perfection as he drops Ruiz twice more prompting the referee to step in and call a halt to the one-sided affair.
TV: DAZN
By Peter Lim
Ruiz tipped the scales at a whopping 283 pounds, 15 pounds heavier than he did in the the first encounter six months ago. It's safe to say Ruiz did not put on muscle. Joshua, on the other hand, came in at 237, 10 pounds lighter than he was in the first fight.
Granted, boxing is not a body building contest and the more sculpted fighter does not always come out on top. But this is the heaviest Ruiz has weighed in over eight years and a good 20-30 pounds over what he has weighed in his best outings. It is a patent giveaway that he under-trained and over-ate in the weeks leading up to the rematch.
The fight unfolds the way most people predicted for the first encounter. Joshua beats Ruiz to the punch with his long thudding jab and gradually finds the range for his power punches. The flabbier, slower Ruiz is a split second off the trigger to do what worked for him in the first fight - counter punch in bunches.
A sense of deja vu fills the air when Joshua drops Ruiz heavily in the fourth round. But instead of going in for the kill with reckless abandon, Joshua remains guarded and tactically measures Ruiz with jabs before unloading the heavier artillery. The gambit works to perfection as he drops Ruiz twice more prompting the referee to step in and call a halt to the one-sided affair.
Jermall Charlo vs. Dennis Hogan
Barclay's Center, Brookly, NY, Dec. 7
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim
Hogan earned this title shot with a spirited effort against Jaime Munguia at 154 pounds in April in Mexico. Hogan appeared to do enough to win the fight but the decision went Munguia's way via majority decision. Against Charlo, he faces a full-fledged middleweight with better defense, possesses a more multi-dimensional skill set and has equal if not more punching power than Munguia.
While Munguia's brawling style negates his height and reach advantage, Charlo fully utilizes his 6-foot-1 frame. With Hogan standing at just 5-foot-8, Charlo will have an ample size advantage.
Charlo seizes control of the fight as soon as he establishes his long, piston-like jab. Controlling distance and tempo, Charlo gradually breaks down the determined but outgunned Irishman with his arsenal of artillery. A one-two drops Hogan at the end of the seventh round and his corner refuses to let him answer the bell for the eighth.
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim
Hogan earned this title shot with a spirited effort against Jaime Munguia at 154 pounds in April in Mexico. Hogan appeared to do enough to win the fight but the decision went Munguia's way via majority decision. Against Charlo, he faces a full-fledged middleweight with better defense, possesses a more multi-dimensional skill set and has equal if not more punching power than Munguia.
While Munguia's brawling style negates his height and reach advantage, Charlo fully utilizes his 6-foot-1 frame. With Hogan standing at just 5-foot-8, Charlo will have an ample size advantage.
Charlo seizes control of the fight as soon as he establishes his long, piston-like jab. Controlling distance and tempo, Charlo gradually breaks down the determined but outgunned Irishman with his arsenal of artillery. A one-two drops Hogan at the end of the seventh round and his corner refuses to let him answer the bell for the eighth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)