Hassan Mwakinyo deserves a big fight and more opportunities.

Almost two years ago Hassan Mwakinyo pulled off one of the biggest upsets of 2018 by knocking out Sam Eggington in 2 rounds. He’d taken the fight on a weeks notice and was given no chance of winning especially as the fight was happening in Eggington’s home town of Birmingham. He did what promoters and fans always tell lesser known fighters to do and ripped up the script as a B-side that no one knew and yet he hasn’t got the rewards that B-side fighters are promised if they upset the odds. He hasn’t had any real significant fights since and his name is only brought up when people try to discredit Sam Eggington

You would think if you got a big win like this then a promoter would take a chance on you as this is what promoters and fans say all the time. They tell the fighters taking the short end of the stick that if they win against all odds they’ll get opportunities and the backing of a promoter because they’ve proved their worth. This hasn’t been the case for Mwakinyo who hasn’t had any opportunities or big fights since.

Sam Eggington the man he beat has had two big fights since losing and on Saturday will have his third big fight since losing to Mwakinyo who has had zero big fights since beating Eggington. This is completely unfair but also shows how the promoters feel about the fans. We saw Eggington get destroyed by Mwakinyo yet we still have too see him get big fights where it’s unlikely he’ll perform well.

I know boxing is a business but its frustrating too see how hard it is for fighters from Africa to get opportunities especially when they beat guys from the UK etc and then those fighters they beat get given multiple big fights before they can get even one. It feels like it could have been easy for Hearn to Market Mwakinyo as the Tanzanian Terror or something similar and build him in the UK.

Sam Eggington versus Ted Cheeseman breakdown

This should be a highly entertaining fight where the winner will look towards fights with Scott Fitzgerald or people on the world level while the loser will have to go down a level and will unlikely to be on TV again. Both normally have come forward styles and like to get into wars so this should be fireworks.

Ted Cheeseman has had a really bad 2019 and really needs a win here to stay on televised cards as he hasn’t got a win since 2018. He normally has a come forward style where he’ll try and wing in hooks and straight shots. He doesn’t really do head movement and is very easy to hit. He did try to box more in his last fight but got tired during the last four or so rounds and ultimately lost the fight. I don’t think he’ll try and outbox Eggington in this fight and it’ll be a slug fest between the two of them. Cheeseman has shown he has a solid chin so far and I think it should hold up in this fight as well.

Sam Eggington is tough and has a decent amount of power though he was much more imposing at Welterweight. He unfortunately has horrible defense and effectively just blocks punches with his head. I don’t see him changing his style so he’ll come forward and throw as many punches as possible and try to get Cheeseman out of there. He has a decent chin but he has shown he can be knocked out and can be knocked out by fighters that aren’t perceived to be very good. He won’t quit and has much more experience than Ted Cheeseman.

I think Ted Cheeseman should be able to win this as hes the less worn fighter and has better technical and defensive skills than Eggington. I like Eggington and I want him to win but I really think his complete lack of defense will lead to him losing this fight.

Caoimhin Agyarko versus Jez Smith breakdown.

Caoimhin Agyarko was a very good amateur who won multiple national titles and competed in tournaments around Europe as well as taking part in the World series of boxing. He’s made a good start to his pro career and looks to be progressing quickly as this is just his 7th fight and its a significant step up in competition.

Jez Smith is coming into this fight off the only loss of his career down at Welterweight where he was stopped in eight rounds versus Samuel Antwi. He’s decided to move all the way up to middleweight so I presume he was really struggling to make 147 pounds. Smith has mixed it at a higher level with varying results as out of his three step up fights hes 1-1-1.

Caoimhin Agyarko has good hand speed and foot work and uses both well especially when hes counter punching. He’s been on the front foot for his fights so far but I think he does some of his best work when he slips a shot and then throws back with a two or three punch combination. He doesn’t use the jab all that much in the footage I’ve watched and seems to love both left and right hooks. I think he throws a very good right hook to the body and altogether punches to the body well. He might be a bit hook happy but he does throw straight shots as well and these are normally very accurate so I’d like to see him throw a few more. I like that he punches in combination and his head movement has been solid so far. Overall there’s a lot to like about him and I think he has a very high ceiling as hes fundamentally sound already and hes only 23 so he’ll keep on improving.

Jez Smith also doesn’t jab a whole lot and seems like he burns a lot of nervous energy early on in fights where hes very twitchy. Hes a fighter that relies on his reaction speed as he normally keeps his hands quite low and tries to counter when his opponents go for his exposed chin. He is successful with this to an extent as he did land some big punches on Samuel Antwi and clearly hurt him early on. The hands down style does lead to him getting hit more than he needs to however and its questionable whether his power will travel up to middleweight. He does seem to have some power in his right hand though he can be very wild when he throws hooks and regularly throws wide looping hooks that leave him open to counters. I like how he avoids a shot by pulling back and then throwing a massive right hand right back. Hes relatively accurate with it though even when he connected cleanly he didn’t knock Samuel Antwi down. He’s got a decent chin but nothing special.

I think Caoimhin Agyarko will win this fight due to Smith leaving openings when he throws his wide shots. Smith is game and will throw back when he gets pushed up against the ropes but I think his hands down style will leave him very open to Agyarko. I also think this being his first fight at middleweight isn’t a good sign for him as he was being hurt at Welterweight and you’d have to think getting punched by a Middleweight would hurt him a lot more. I think Agyarko is the better technical boxer as well as the harder puncher so unless he gets clipped by one of Smiths pull counters which he puts everything on then I see him winning a wide decision or a stoppage in the mid rounds depending on how well Smith can take his punches. This is Agyarko’s first real step up so he could potentially freeze up but with his amateur background I don’t see that happening.

Lyndon Arthur versus Dec Spelman breakdown.

This is an excellent domestic match up between two top 10 British Light Heavyweights. Arthur took a big step up in class in his last fight and pushed through some hard moments to pick up the Commonwealth title. Dec Spelman has operated around British level for his last few fights and has been competitive in his losses to good operators such as Shakan Pitters.

Lyndon Arthur has a jab that isn’t especially fast and doesn’t normally have much of a snap to it. This has led to him getting countered by right hands over the top especially in his last fight versus Emmanuel Aleem. He’s big for a Light Heavyweight but also not particularly fast though I don’t think hes slow for the weight class. He’s normally a fighter that fights on the front foot but in his first real test he was consistently pushed back so it will be interesting to see if that was because of his opponent (who was very aggressive) or if thats what he prefers to do in competitive match ups. He seems to lack an inside game at the moment and when an opponent gets on the inside he goes to clinch immediately. He has a powerful right hand though he doesn’t throw it nearly enough for my liking. If he wants to beat Spelman he should put a bit more power into his jab and whenever Spelman tries to get in close take a step back and unleash his right hand. If he does this enough Spelman will hesitate to get close and Arthur should take over in the fight. I don’t like how when Arthur starts to get hit he doesn’t punch back and just waits for his opponent to stop, this is normally a sign that a guy won’t make it to world level.

Dec Spelman has faster feet and hands than Arthur but doesn’t seem to have the same power. He’s a come forward fighter that generally takes one to give one though he does try and implement head movement especially early on. He fights at a high pace but has tired down the stretch a good example being his fight versus Shakan Pitters. While he’s a come forward fighter I wouldn’t say hes an inside fighter as he prefers to stay in range and unload hooks rather than rough people up on the inside.

Spelman has a decent jab which he doubles up on to get in range when hes fought taller opponents and he does generally put something behind it as well. He can sometimes be guilty of throwing singe punches but normally throws two or three hooks when he gets into range and will often throw lead hooks to try and get into range to land more. He’s surprisingly accurate with these hooks and I think this could give him a lot of success against the slower footed Arthur. His defense isn’t great and it gets worse as the fight goes on but if he can be more active than Arthur then his best defense will be his offense.

I’m really conflicted on this one and honestly don’t know who’s going to win. If Arthur has learnt from his last fight and puts some power behind his jab then I can see him boxing his way to a victory or a stoppage if he can draw Spelman onto a big right hand. I can also see Spelmans quicker feet giving him success early and he could easily catch Arthur with one of his lead hooks or whatever punch he puts behind his double jab. While Spelman had some difficulty getting to grips with Pitters I don’t think that will be a problem in this fight as Arthur is shorter and also not as active with his jab or any punches really.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say the underdog Spelman (by the bookies at least) will win due to his activity and how Arthur goes into a sort of shell when he gets put under pressure. I can see both guys winning though and I do think an improved Arthur could show hes learned from his last fight and win this one in impressive fashion.

Zaur Abdullaev versus Pavel Malikov announced for August 22nd in Russia.

This fight was announced by RCC boxing promotions today and its certainly one too look forward too. It’s a risky fight for Abdullaev coming off the loss to Devin Haney as Malikov is arguably the second best lightweight in Russia.

I like the match making here as the winner isn’t too far off a title shot and it should be a 50/50 fight. I need to rewatch both of their fights to make a truly accurate prediction however I am leaning towards Abdullaev by decision or late stoppage right now.

5 Realistic fights for Vergil Ortiz Jr (26/7/2020)

As Vergil Ortiz Jr continues to climb in the stacked Welterweight division he’ll need bigger and bigger tests. Baring that in mind I’ve had a look through the rankings and found five fighters that he could realistically fight next that would also help progress him in his career.

The first fighter I thought of is Ray Robinson a fighter that has established himself as a gatekeeper to the division with his two draws versus top prospects Josh Kelly and Egidijus Kavaliauskas. He also gave Yordenis Ugas a tough fight and I rate Ugas as a top 5 welterweight due to in my eyes him beating Shawn Porter. Robinson is a relatively slick fighter who has shown that he can make it an awkwards nights work for prospects due to his style. This would be a good test for Ortiz too see how he deals with someone that isn’t willing to just stand in front of him and exchange blows. If he could KO or at least beat him convincingly then he would prove hes ready for one of the top guys at Welterweight.

The second fighter on this list is Omar Figueroa Jr. He comes in with an impressive record of 28-1-1 with his only loss coming to Ugas in what was a very one sided fight. Figueroa is a former champion at Lightweight but after struggling with the weight has moved all the way up to Welterweight. He would be a good name on Ortiz’s resume and is proven to be able to take a shot so could potentially take Ortiz late and test his stamina. If Ortiz could stop him that would make a statement to the division and again show hes ready for someone in the top 10.

The third fighter I thought of is Luis Collazo a veteran of the sport who has been competing at the highest level for over 15 years. While Vergil would be heavily favored in this fight Collazo could show him some veteran tricks and would also be a good name on Vergil’s resume. When a new prospect comes into the division its normally a good sign if they start adding all of the older guys to their resume as it gives them experience and also transfers the popularity from the old fighters to the new.

My fourth pick is Egidijus Kavaliauskas a two time Olympian who recently challenged Terence Crawford and performed well even though he eventually lost. I think this would be a significant step up for Ortiz but its one that hes capable of winning and at some point every prospect has to gamble. Kavaliauskas is a good fighter but hes shown when hes put under consistent accurate pressure he can be stopped and Ortiz fits that bill perfectly. Beating a recent opponent of one of the pound for pound best fighters in the world is a good look and could potentially set up an Ortiz Jr – Terence Crawford fight.

The fifth pick is a bit of a different one as no one in the USA will know who Sebastian Formella is. The reason I’ve picked Formella is firstly because he’s a decent fighter but not a top 10 or even top 15 guy in the division. Secondly is that he has the IBO Welterweight title and while no one really acknowledges it as a real title it would still be Ortiz’s first major belt and could entice some fringe contenders to fight him. I think Ortiz wouldn’t struggle too much with Formella and while he may go into the late rounds this could be used as a sort of stay busy fight before fighting the other names on this list (Apart from Collazo who I also think Ortiz deals with comfortably.)

Those are my picks for who Vergil Ortiz Jr’s next opponent should be and while I could name a dozen fighters I want him to fight I tried to stay realistic as wishful thinking is painful for us boxing fans. I personally see him winning a world title in two or three years and I’m excited too see who he fights next.

Joe Joyce versus Michael Wallisch breakdown

This should be a relatively easy fight for Joyce as when Wallisch steps up to the highest level he loses and he loses quickly.

Joyce may be slow but he is unrelenting and relatively heavy handed. His defense isn’t great but that won’t be a problem in this fight

Wallisch doesn’t have a good defense either and hasn’t shown he has any real power against top level competition. He should be slightly faster than Joyce and if Joyce is very rust due to having a year off he may have a chance early on.

I predict Joyce breaks Wallisch down in 5 rounds after looking rusty in the first two rounds.

Seniesa Estrada versus Miranda Adkins breakdown

Miranda Adkins is coming in at short notice and I don’t think this will help her at all. This should be a bit of a tune up for Estrada who notched her career best win last time out.

Seniesa Estrada is an aggressive fighter who has excellent boxing skills and decent power for her weight class. She’s just an overall better fighter than Miranda Adkins and thats not being disrespectful to Adkins.

Adkins comes from a kickboxing background and her boxing skills reflect that. Shes not a terrible fighter but she hasn’t faced anyone with a win yet and at the age of 42 is clearly slowing down and that will show at the highest level.

I think Estrada will win this fight by KO in the first 4-6 rounds as shes just better overall as well as being the younger and taller fighter.

Shane Mosley Jr versus Jeremy Ramos breakdown

This should be a tune up fight for Mosley before he gets into bigger fights later this year or next year. He just signed a contract with Golden Boy and this is his first fight with them. It’ll be interesting too see how they build him as he’s 29 and will presumably want as many big fights as possible especially considering hes lost 3 times so protecting his 0 won’t be a problem. Ramos has been matched hard in his career and thats why he sports a record of 11-8. He does sometimes beat prospects but for the most part he loses a decision though he has been stopped a few times.

Mosley Jr fights very tall and honestly lacks a defense. If your at least a semi-competent boxer you should be able to land on him without much trouble. He does have a decent chin which makes up for this flaw to an extent but its not good to lack defense especially if you want a long career. He’s quite wild and seems unsure what hes going to throw himself next which can make him hard to predict. He’s not especially fast so a boxer with decent timing can time his looping shots and counter him easily. He has decent power and as he gets more experience will be able to inflict more knockouts due to improved technique.

Jeremy Ramos has a decent jab though he does sometimes abandon it and in this match up he is the smaller man so he may struggle to establish it at all. He has a good right hand and punches well in combination. He can get caught when coming in and while I think his defense is better than Mosley’s I don’t believe its that good either. Hes also moving up a weight division and wasn’t a big puncher at 154 so I can’t see him knocking Mosley Jr out. He likely has better technical skills but Mosley Jr has been improving so I don’t think there will be a huge difference between them. You also have to question Ramos’s motivation at this point as hes become a journeyman and even if he beats Mosley he won’t get any big opportunity because Mosley isn’t highly thought of or ranked in the sanctioning bodies.

I think Shane Mosley Jr likely wins by decision or late stoppage due to the size and power difference. I also think motivation might play a part in this fight where Jr will be able to dig deeper because he knows its his first fight with Golden Boy and wants to impress.

Vergil Ortiz Jr versus Samuel Vargas breakdown

This is a really good step up for Vergil Ortiz as Samuel Vargas has fought some of the best fighters in the Welterweight division such as Errol Spence and Danny Garcia. For Samuel Vargas this fight provides him a chance at a title shot if he wins. I do think this is probably the last real chance for Vargas to get a title shot so he should be highly motivated.

Vergil Ortiz is one of the best prospects in boxing and looks to be trying to get a title shot in the next year or so. Ortiz has an excellent jab which he uses often to set up his hooks. He works both the body and head well with crunching hooks that seem to really hurt his opponents. He has a real killer instinct combined with natural power which has seen him KO all 15 of his opponents so far. I think hes very good offensively all round and has better defense than hes given credit for. His defense still needs improvement but I don’t think it will be a problem in this fight.

Vargas has a weird defense where he will often duck down and away from his opponents but not move his feet. He does occasionally try to use a shoulder roll but is largely ineffective with it. His jab is relatively average and I doubt he’ll be able to get it going versus Ortiz. He does nice work to the body and it’ll be interesting too see how well he does when he goes at it with Ortiz on the inside. He has a little power in his right hand but nothing that rivals Ortiz. He has timed people with it so Ortiz needs to not switch off like Amir Khan did.

I think Ortiz should be able to dominate this fight due to his superior power and jab which will lead to him landing clean shots again and again. Vargas is tough but he has been dropped and stopped before. I see Ortiz winning by knockout within 6 rounds as Vargas’s leaky defense won’t be able to stand up to a sustained assault from the powerful fists of Vergil Ortiz Jr