USC Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 10
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim
Both young, undefeated combatants face their sternest tests to date against each other. Charlo (24-0, 18 KOs) and Williams (22-0-1, 14 KOs), both 26, share similar attributes and styles; both are proficient boxer-punchers with decent power in either hand, who match up pretty evenly in speed, defense and ring generalship.
Charlo is the more stationary and confrontational fighter while Williams is more fleet-footed and agile, but not by much. In Williams, Charlo faces an opponent for the first time in his career against whom he does not have a significant size advantage. Neither fighter's chin has been severely tested at this juncture of their careers.
Charlo won his belt by dethroning someone who can be best described as a caretaker titleholder in Cornelius Bundrage and successfully defended it against someone who can best be described as a fringe contender in Wilky Campfort last year. Earlier this year, he adapted and adjusted to methodically outpoint wily veteran southpaw Austin Trout.
While Charlo's level of competition has been decent but far from stellar, Williams has gotten this far by defeating a garden variety of gatekeepers and unproven prospects. His best opponents to date were Hugo Centeno Jr. whom he was dominating before it ended in a butt-induced no contest and faded former titlist Joachim Alcine, whom he outpointed over eight rounds.
Given Charlo's slight edge in quality of opposition and better knockout percentage, he should, on paper at least, enter the ring as about a 55-45 favorite. But fights are not contested on spread sheets and statistical analysis can only go so far in predicting the outcomes. Mathematical calculations can, and have been, be derailed by a randomness of intangibles when two equally-endowed pugilists violently collide in a 20X20 square foot ring for 36 minutes.
In this instance, though, Charlo's slight edge on paper will play out in the squared circle.
Williams' mobility and spunk might trouble Charlo in the early rounds. But as the fight progresses, Charlo makes the right adjustments to neutralize Williams' speed and stymie his rhythm much like Vernon Forrest did against Shane Mosley in 2002. Charlo offsets Williams by timing him with his stiff jab to get the better of the exchanges and win a close by clear-cut decision in the 116-112 to 115-113 range.
Afterthoughts:
Charlo's momentary lapse of sportsmanship should not detract from the masterful maneuver he executed to win the fight. The level of difficulty of the catch-and-counter Charlo used to separate Williams from his senses cannot be overstated.
It is hard enough to pull off the catch-and-counter with the same fist, let alone score a knockout with it. And the uppercut is probably the hardest punch to set up, let alone deploy as a split-second reaction counter. But it seemed almost second nature to Charlo when he blocked an incoming right cross with his right glove and instantaneously returned fire using the same hand with pinpoint accuracy to seal his victory.
The maneuver was not just brilliant, it might well be unprecedented in the history of championship-level boxing. If anyone knows of a similar catch-and-counter sequence that resulted in a knockout in a major fight, please post a comment and tell us about it.
Charlo's latest victory also unveiled some other interesting qualities about the fighter:
-- When a fighter drops his opponents with a mere jab in three out of four title fights, it is the real deal. Not since Mark Breland has a fighter been able to not just stun, but seriously hurt other men of equal size with the most basic punch in boxing. Pound for pound, Charlo might have the best jab in the sport today.
-- With his latest win, Charlo has scored knockdowns and knockouts with every punch in the book - left jab, left hook, left uppercut, right cross and right uppercut. The only thing that has yet to emerge in his arsenal is body punching.
-- He has a pretty decent set of whiskers. Charlo's punch resistance was a question mark before the Williams fight but he absorbed everything Williams landed with aplomb, unflinchingly returning fire with composure each time he was nailed by a clean shot.
-- In the process of passing the chin test, the fact that Williams was able to connect with flush punches throughout the encounter exposed the holes in Charlo's defense. Slicker, more experienced fighters the likes of Canelo, Triple G and Danny Jacobs might be able to exploit the chinks in Charlo's armor more effectively than Williams.
-- Charlo appears overly concerned about his public persona and what his opponents, the media and fans say about him. Against Williams, he was able to contain his emotions until after the fight was over but as he advances to bigger fights, he might find it harder to keep his psyche in check.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
NicholasWalters vs.Vasyl Lomachenko
The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 26
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim
What an excellent and intriguing matchup between the top two super featherweights, which on paper appears to be a complete mismatch. Despite Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs) having almost four itmes as many pro bouts as Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs), this fight appears to be a virtual 50-50 tossup.
The only stumper in this equation is Lomachenko's chin. We know from previous fights that both fighters can proficiently box and explosively bang; Walters might be the better puncher by a tad and Lomachenko the more cerebral tactician by a little more than tad. But while Walters has stoically absorbed clean shots from some of the hardest-hitting featherweights, Lomachenko's punch resistance has remained largely untested in his seven pro fights.
Given Walters' crafty ring generalship, he will catch Lomachenko with direct hits at various points in the fight, but should Lomachenko be able to withstand and shake off those power punches, his superior versatility and punch volume will rule the day in this showdown. While Walters' boxing IQ might be borderline genius, Lomachenko's is pure Mensa.
The Ukrainian's whiskers will ultimately prove sturdy enough to withstand Walters' bombs. He makes the better adjustments to deftly out-box and out-hustle the Jamaican for a close but unanimous decision victory in the 115-113 to 116-112 range in a suspenseful and action-packed encounter.
Afterthoughts:
Every attribute of both fighters - power, speed, IQ, chin and experience - was taken into consideration in predicting the outcome of this fight except one - heart. Walters sure didn't handle adversity too well, did he?He failed the ultimate gut check.
TV: HBO
By Peter Lim
What an excellent and intriguing matchup between the top two super featherweights, which on paper appears to be a complete mismatch. Despite Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs) having almost four itmes as many pro bouts as Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs), this fight appears to be a virtual 50-50 tossup.
The only stumper in this equation is Lomachenko's chin. We know from previous fights that both fighters can proficiently box and explosively bang; Walters might be the better puncher by a tad and Lomachenko the more cerebral tactician by a little more than tad. But while Walters has stoically absorbed clean shots from some of the hardest-hitting featherweights, Lomachenko's punch resistance has remained largely untested in his seven pro fights.
Given Walters' crafty ring generalship, he will catch Lomachenko with direct hits at various points in the fight, but should Lomachenko be able to withstand and shake off those power punches, his superior versatility and punch volume will rule the day in this showdown. While Walters' boxing IQ might be borderline genius, Lomachenko's is pure Mensa.
The Ukrainian's whiskers will ultimately prove sturdy enough to withstand Walters' bombs. He makes the better adjustments to deftly out-box and out-hustle the Jamaican for a close but unanimous decision victory in the 115-113 to 116-112 range in a suspenseful and action-packed encounter.
Afterthoughts:
Every attribute of both fighters - power, speed, IQ, chin and experience - was taken into consideration in predicting the outcome of this fight except one - heart. Walters sure didn't handle adversity too well, did he?He failed the ultimate gut check.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Sergei Kovalev vs. Andre Ward
T-Mobile Center, Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 19
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim
This prediction is based on how each fighter's performances against previous opponents with styles close or similar to the other's.
Sergei Kovalev faced tricky, elusive, shoulder-rolling fighters in his two fights with Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins. In both cases, Kovalev had little trouble penetrating their defenses and delivering punches from difficult angles. He dominated both fighters, stopping Pascal twice and pitching a virtual shutout against Hopkins.
The closest opponent to Kovalev style-wise that Andre Ward has faced is a composite of Carl Froch Mikkel Kessler. While Ward pretty much had his way against Kessler, he had a harder time with Froch. He allowed Froch to sporadically be first to the punch, get inside and back him up.
Kovalev will not be able to hit Ward as easily and relentlessly as he did Hopkins and Pascal, but his punches will get there nonetheless. Feeling the Russian's power, Ward attempts to kill his rhythm by smothering and clinching with a measure of success. But Kovalev is steadfast in his attack and finds enough openings to win a decision in the 116-112 range.
Afterthoughts
Great fight, horrible decision and atrociously biased commentary by Max Kellerman and Roy Jones. The fight unfolded exactly as predicted except for the terrible verdict.
Equally horrendous decision in the Darleys Perez-Maurice Hooker undercard.
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim
This prediction is based on how each fighter's performances against previous opponents with styles close or similar to the other's.
Sergei Kovalev faced tricky, elusive, shoulder-rolling fighters in his two fights with Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins. In both cases, Kovalev had little trouble penetrating their defenses and delivering punches from difficult angles. He dominated both fighters, stopping Pascal twice and pitching a virtual shutout against Hopkins.
The closest opponent to Kovalev style-wise that Andre Ward has faced is a composite of Carl Froch Mikkel Kessler. While Ward pretty much had his way against Kessler, he had a harder time with Froch. He allowed Froch to sporadically be first to the punch, get inside and back him up.
Kovalev will not be able to hit Ward as easily and relentlessly as he did Hopkins and Pascal, but his punches will get there nonetheless. Feeling the Russian's power, Ward attempts to kill his rhythm by smothering and clinching with a measure of success. But Kovalev is steadfast in his attack and finds enough openings to win a decision in the 116-112 range.
Afterthoughts
Great fight, horrible decision and atrociously biased commentary by Max Kellerman and Roy Jones. The fight unfolded exactly as predicted except for the terrible verdict.
Equally horrendous decision in the Darleys Perez-Maurice Hooker undercard.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Liam Smith
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, Sept. 17
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim
Despite being the challenger, Alvarez's superior experience cannot be overstated in this fight. At age 26, Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) has already taken on the cream of the crop of the 154-pound division. With the exception of Floyd Mayweather Jr., he has defeated an impressive list of opponents - a handful of future Hall-of-Famers included - with an equally impressive array of styles.
Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs), on the other hand, has built his record in relatively obscurity against a parade of equally obscure opponents. He won the vacant alphabet belt against a 17-1 fighter and defended it twice against opponents with deceptively-decent resumes. Style-wise, at this juncture of his career at least, Smith, 28, appears to be a one-dimensional bully who chugs forward behind a high peekaboo guard while shooting a long, thumping jab to set up more debilitating punches. His modus operandi basically boils down to landing first, landing harder and breaking his opponents down in a war of attrition.
The multi-faceted Alvarez might require two or three rounds to figure out Smith's aggressive approach, but once he does, the fight becomes a one-sided affair. The red-headed, Irish-looking Mexican will effortlessly sidestep Smith's charges and deliver pinpoint head-snapping and rib-rattling counters from both fists with a vengeance. Despite absorbing a sustained and brutal beating, the tough but overmatched Brit stubbornly refuses to wilt, forcing Alvarez to settle for an academic, lope-sided victory on the scorecards.
Afterthoughts:
As long as Canelo can make 154 pounds, the much anticipated showdown with 3G seems unlikely. If he can sell 51,000 tickets against a guy like Smith, he doesn't need to move up before he is ready to guarantee himself a handsome payday. In the meantime, while waiting for him to grow into a full-fledged middleweight, a fight with one of the Charlo twins wouldn't be a shabby option. As for Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs, a fighter who has a better knockout percent than him, represents an equally intriguing if less marketable matchup than Canelo.
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
By Peter Lim
Despite being the challenger, Alvarez's superior experience cannot be overstated in this fight. At age 26, Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) has already taken on the cream of the crop of the 154-pound division. With the exception of Floyd Mayweather Jr., he has defeated an impressive list of opponents - a handful of future Hall-of-Famers included - with an equally impressive array of styles.
Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs), on the other hand, has built his record in relatively obscurity against a parade of equally obscure opponents. He won the vacant alphabet belt against a 17-1 fighter and defended it twice against opponents with deceptively-decent resumes. Style-wise, at this juncture of his career at least, Smith, 28, appears to be a one-dimensional bully who chugs forward behind a high peekaboo guard while shooting a long, thumping jab to set up more debilitating punches. His modus operandi basically boils down to landing first, landing harder and breaking his opponents down in a war of attrition.
The multi-faceted Alvarez might require two or three rounds to figure out Smith's aggressive approach, but once he does, the fight becomes a one-sided affair. The red-headed, Irish-looking Mexican will effortlessly sidestep Smith's charges and deliver pinpoint head-snapping and rib-rattling counters from both fists with a vengeance. Despite absorbing a sustained and brutal beating, the tough but overmatched Brit stubbornly refuses to wilt, forcing Alvarez to settle for an academic, lope-sided victory on the scorecards.
Afterthoughts:
As long as Canelo can make 154 pounds, the much anticipated showdown with 3G seems unlikely. If he can sell 51,000 tickets against a guy like Smith, he doesn't need to move up before he is ready to guarantee himself a handsome payday. In the meantime, while waiting for him to grow into a full-fledged middleweight, a fight with one of the Charlo twins wouldn't be a shabby option. As for Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs, a fighter who has a better knockout percent than him, represents an equally intriguing if less marketable matchup than Canelo.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Gennady Golovkin vs. Kell Brook
02 Arena, London, England, Sept. 10
TV: HBO, Sky Box Office
By Peter Lim
Discounting the obvious and often over-hyped size difference between the two, Golovkin will still be a solid favorite against Brook, given the Kazakh's superior knockout percentage and level of opposition. Even if Brook were a natural middleweight, he would still be facing an opponent with the punching power of a light heavyweight who has effortlessly dismantled a spectrum of opponents with a diaspora of styles.
Executioners, in today's era of capital punishment, exists in two polar extremes. In the Middle East, there are the sword-wielding butchers who decapitate with brute muscle power, and, in the supposedly more civilized United States, clinicians deliver their lethal blows with a scientifically calculated series of lethal injections. From a pugilistic analogy, Golovkin is an eclectic version of both.
He has beaten slick, speedier southpaws (Willie Monroe) to the punch, overpowered bonified brawlers ( Marco Antonio Rubio) and clinically dissected power punchers (David Lemieux) almost exclusively with his jab and boxing skills. Versatile as he is, he has demonstrated the propensity to drop and stop opponents from imaginative punch angles to the head and body with either fist.
Brook, on the other hand, has won virtually all of his fights as the badass playground bully. He has just been that much stronger, tougher and more alpha than everyone he's faced, Shawn Porter included. Granted, he has pretty decent boxing ability, but that's merely complimentary, incidental almost, to his success thus far.
Brook has stated that, should he beat Golovkin, it would represent a bigger upset than Sugar Ray Leonard's 1987 monumental victory over Marvin Hagler. But it is Roberto Duran, the fighter who also climbed two divisions to upset Leonard in 1980, that Brook must emulate if he wants to unseat Golovkin. Leonard was faster, broader framed and had better technical skills, yet Duran was able to taunt, lure and out-macho Leonard into the only territory where he had the advantage – the phone booth.
The lone longshot Brook has against Golovkin is to force him into chest-to-chest range and keep him there for the entire fight, the way Duran did against Leonard in their first encounter. Golovkin might have superior boxing skills and versatility but he has never been dragged into prolonged, frenetic trench warfare.
But Golovkin's exceptional firepower will ultimately be the deciding factor of this fight. Brook might start off strong and feisty but even if he outlands Golovkin by two punches to one, the sledgehammers Golovkin disguises as fists will inflict far more damage on Brook than anything the Brit can detonate on the Kazakh. Brook becomes more and more of a stationary target as the fight progresses and eventually succumbs to Golovkin's heavy hands in the seventh round.
Afterthoughts:
Brook's corner might have jumped the gun in tossing n the towel but the writing was on the wall. As Golovkin stated, Brook, as tough and talented as he is, is no middleweight.
TV: HBO, Sky Box Office
By Peter Lim
Discounting the obvious and often over-hyped size difference between the two, Golovkin will still be a solid favorite against Brook, given the Kazakh's superior knockout percentage and level of opposition. Even if Brook were a natural middleweight, he would still be facing an opponent with the punching power of a light heavyweight who has effortlessly dismantled a spectrum of opponents with a diaspora of styles.
Executioners, in today's era of capital punishment, exists in two polar extremes. In the Middle East, there are the sword-wielding butchers who decapitate with brute muscle power, and, in the supposedly more civilized United States, clinicians deliver their lethal blows with a scientifically calculated series of lethal injections. From a pugilistic analogy, Golovkin is an eclectic version of both.
He has beaten slick, speedier southpaws (Willie Monroe) to the punch, overpowered bonified brawlers ( Marco Antonio Rubio) and clinically dissected power punchers (David Lemieux) almost exclusively with his jab and boxing skills. Versatile as he is, he has demonstrated the propensity to drop and stop opponents from imaginative punch angles to the head and body with either fist.
Brook, on the other hand, has won virtually all of his fights as the badass playground bully. He has just been that much stronger, tougher and more alpha than everyone he's faced, Shawn Porter included. Granted, he has pretty decent boxing ability, but that's merely complimentary, incidental almost, to his success thus far.
Brook has stated that, should he beat Golovkin, it would represent a bigger upset than Sugar Ray Leonard's 1987 monumental victory over Marvin Hagler. But it is Roberto Duran, the fighter who also climbed two divisions to upset Leonard in 1980, that Brook must emulate if he wants to unseat Golovkin. Leonard was faster, broader framed and had better technical skills, yet Duran was able to taunt, lure and out-macho Leonard into the only territory where he had the advantage – the phone booth.
The lone longshot Brook has against Golovkin is to force him into chest-to-chest range and keep him there for the entire fight, the way Duran did against Leonard in their first encounter. Golovkin might have superior boxing skills and versatility but he has never been dragged into prolonged, frenetic trench warfare.
But Golovkin's exceptional firepower will ultimately be the deciding factor of this fight. Brook might start off strong and feisty but even if he outlands Golovkin by two punches to one, the sledgehammers Golovkin disguises as fists will inflict far more damage on Brook than anything the Brit can detonate on the Kazakh. Brook becomes more and more of a stationary target as the fight progresses and eventually succumbs to Golovkin's heavy hands in the seventh round.
Afterthoughts:
Brook's corner might have jumped the gun in tossing n the towel but the writing was on the wall. As Golovkin stated, Brook, as tough and talented as he is, is no middleweight.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Miguel Flores vs. Ryan Keilczewski
Turning Stone Casino, Verona, NY, Aug. 12
TV: ESPN
By Peter Lim
There couldn't be a more dead-even matchup - style wise, statistically and in actuality - between these two lanky five-foot-eight featherweights. Flores (20-0, 9 KOs) is a boxer-puncher who can fight effectively from the outside but prefers to slug it out in the trenches where he loves to unleash his favorite weapon - the left hook to the body. Kielczweski (25-1, 7 KOs), is the more cerebral stick-and-move tactician, but when forced to brawl, also favors the left hook to inflict the most damage up close and personal. Neither combatant, as their respective below 50-percent knockout rates suggest, has significant fight-ending power.
Ultimately, though, Flores' slight edge in brawling ability trumps Kielczweski's slight edge in boxing ability. Both combatants box on even terms from long range in the early goings, but when the action moves into toe-to-toe territory in the later rounds, Flores lands the snappier, more picturesque punches. At the end of the night, the Texan is rewarded for his fan-friendlier style, eking out a majority decision by scores of 96-94 (twice) and 95-95.
TV: ESPN
By Peter Lim
There couldn't be a more dead-even matchup - style wise, statistically and in actuality - between these two lanky five-foot-eight featherweights. Flores (20-0, 9 KOs) is a boxer-puncher who can fight effectively from the outside but prefers to slug it out in the trenches where he loves to unleash his favorite weapon - the left hook to the body. Kielczweski (25-1, 7 KOs), is the more cerebral stick-and-move tactician, but when forced to brawl, also favors the left hook to inflict the most damage up close and personal. Neither combatant, as their respective below 50-percent knockout rates suggest, has significant fight-ending power.
Ultimately, though, Flores' slight edge in brawling ability trumps Kielczweski's slight edge in boxing ability. Both combatants box on even terms from long range in the early goings, but when the action moves into toe-to-toe territory in the later rounds, Flores lands the snappier, more picturesque punches. At the end of the night, the Texan is rewarded for his fan-friendlier style, eking out a majority decision by scores of 96-94 (twice) and 95-95.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Leo Santa Cruz vs. Carl Frampton
Barclay's Center, Brookly, NY, July 30
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim
It may sound cliched, but all things being equal, the good big man always defeats the good little man. Given that the slightly bigger Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KOs) also has an edge over Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs) in power, quality of opposition and punch resistance, the outcome of this fight seems like a no-brainer.
Nothing can be taken for granted in the sport of boxing, though, and there have been exceptions to the rule in the big-man-versus-small-man department. Davids have defeated equally or more accomplished Goliaths in the past, although the cases have been few and far between.
Michael Spinks became the first light heavyweight to win the heavyweight crown when he out-smarted Larry Holmes. Shane Mosley climbed two weight divisions to eke out a razor thin decision against Oscar De La Hoya. Roberto Duran, a natural lightweight, out-machoed the larger-framed Sugar Ray Leonard at welterweight in their first encounter. And Leonard came off a lengthy layoff, rose in weight and to the occasion to befuddle, bedazzle and dethrone long-reigning middleweight king Marvin Hagler.
While Frampton is not an all-time great like Spinks, Mosley, Duran or Leaonard, what he has going for him is his defense and ability to box from the outside. Mind you, Santa Cruz is no slouch when it comes to shooting punches from long range but it is almost a secondary skill set. Encoded in his Mexican DNA is the natural penchant to brawl; his boxing skills are merely a means to the further end of closing the distance and slugging it out in the trenches.
Santa Cruz's supposed size advantage becomes less significant when taking into account that he began his pro career as at 115 and rose to 126 just last year. Frampton, on the other hand, has campaigned at 122 for his entire career.
Given Santa Cruz's superior size, strength and versatility, Frampton's only chance to pull off an victory is to devise and execute the perfect fight plan. To do that, he should steal a page from the playbook of Winky Wright, one of the most under-recognized defensive technicians in the sport who excelled in defeating stronger, feistier opponents. Wright's upsets over Mosley (twice) and Felix Trinidad stemmed from his tricky, doublecrossing ability to feign a willingness to engage in an exchange only to pull away and sharp shoot his way to an academic albeit unspectacular victory.
Ultimately, though, Santa Cruz's big-fight experience and underrated ring IQ will tip the balance in this showdown. Frampton is no Winky Wright. He might give Santa Cruz fits initially with his movement and elusiveness but the Mexican makes the right adjustments to take control at the midway point and stop the Irishman in the ninth round.
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim
It may sound cliched, but all things being equal, the good big man always defeats the good little man. Given that the slightly bigger Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KOs) also has an edge over Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs) in power, quality of opposition and punch resistance, the outcome of this fight seems like a no-brainer.
Nothing can be taken for granted in the sport of boxing, though, and there have been exceptions to the rule in the big-man-versus-small-man department. Davids have defeated equally or more accomplished Goliaths in the past, although the cases have been few and far between.
Michael Spinks became the first light heavyweight to win the heavyweight crown when he out-smarted Larry Holmes. Shane Mosley climbed two weight divisions to eke out a razor thin decision against Oscar De La Hoya. Roberto Duran, a natural lightweight, out-machoed the larger-framed Sugar Ray Leonard at welterweight in their first encounter. And Leonard came off a lengthy layoff, rose in weight and to the occasion to befuddle, bedazzle and dethrone long-reigning middleweight king Marvin Hagler.
While Frampton is not an all-time great like Spinks, Mosley, Duran or Leaonard, what he has going for him is his defense and ability to box from the outside. Mind you, Santa Cruz is no slouch when it comes to shooting punches from long range but it is almost a secondary skill set. Encoded in his Mexican DNA is the natural penchant to brawl; his boxing skills are merely a means to the further end of closing the distance and slugging it out in the trenches.
Santa Cruz's supposed size advantage becomes less significant when taking into account that he began his pro career as at 115 and rose to 126 just last year. Frampton, on the other hand, has campaigned at 122 for his entire career.
Given Santa Cruz's superior size, strength and versatility, Frampton's only chance to pull off an victory is to devise and execute the perfect fight plan. To do that, he should steal a page from the playbook of Winky Wright, one of the most under-recognized defensive technicians in the sport who excelled in defeating stronger, feistier opponents. Wright's upsets over Mosley (twice) and Felix Trinidad stemmed from his tricky, doublecrossing ability to feign a willingness to engage in an exchange only to pull away and sharp shoot his way to an academic albeit unspectacular victory.
Ultimately, though, Santa Cruz's big-fight experience and underrated ring IQ will tip the balance in this showdown. Frampton is no Winky Wright. He might give Santa Cruz fits initially with his movement and elusiveness but the Mexican makes the right adjustments to take control at the midway point and stop the Irishman in the ninth round.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)