Sadriddin Akhmedov versus Stephen Danyo breakdown

This is a solid step up fight for Akhmedov who is regarded as being one of the best prospects in the Super Welterweight division. Stephen Danyo is a very underrated fighter who has only lost three times too good fighters and in his third loss I felt he was robbed badly.

Sadriddin Akhmedov was a good amateur who had success at the international level though didn’t have a huge amount of bouts past the age of 18 so his pro career so far has consisted of him getting used to fighting grown men. He has a good jab and fundamentals when he wants to use them but versus lower level competition he’ll often jump in with big right hooks or over extend with 1-2’s. He fights on the front foot but does his best work when his opponents open up and he is able to counter them. His quick reflexes enable him to punish foes after they miss their punches which has led to him winning by knockout in ten of his eleven victory’s. His defence seems solid to me though it is based on reaction speed as his hands are often a little low in the hopes of baiting the other boxers in.

Stephen Danyo is a solid fighter however doesn’t have the fundamentals that Akhmedov has. His jab doesn’t have much on it and rather than using it to set his punches up he mostly uses it too keep his opponents at range. He’ll throw a lot of wild shots including overhand rights before going back on the back foot and circling the ring. He can fight toe to toe but I don’t think hes fully comfortable doing that. His defence isn’t great but is serviceable enough that he won’t just eat every punch thrown at him. He doesn’t do anything especially well but he also doesn’t do anything especially bad.

Stephen Danyo

I think Sadriddin Akhmedov will be able to win a decision due to his better fundamentals and the ample opportunity’s he’ll have to counter Danyo’s wild punches. Once Danyo feels the power behind some of the counter punches he’ll likely stop throwing as much which will make it very hard to win against Akhmedov who has a decent output and looks to win rounds decisively with big punches.

Steven Butler versus Jose de Jesus Macias breakdown

This is a good comeback fight for Butler who was unsuccessful in his first world title fight versus Japan’s Ryota Murata last time out. Jose De Jesus Macias is a tough journeyman at this stage of his career who is used to give rounds to aspiring prospects and contenders who need a comeback opponent.

Steven Butler has decent fundamentals which he uses to box his way around the ring as he isn’t generally a come forward brawler. Unlike many fighters that fight off the back foot and counter Butler does possess fight ending power which he uses to full effect as shown by 24 of his 28 wins being by knockout. When he gets his opponents hurt he goes for the finish instead of letting them off the hook which is good too see from someone that spends a lot of time attempting to be the counter puncher. His defence needs work however its competent for this level of fight and he shouldn’t get hit all that much.

Jose de Jesus Macias isn’t as bad of a fighter as his record might suggest however he is still a gatekeeper for good prospects and fighters looking to get a win after losing at world level. He’s very tough but doesn’t throw many punches which is partly why he can cover up well enough to make the distance versus prospects that people think will make it to world level. When he uses his jab its accurate and snaps the head back of his opponents however he just doesn’t throw enough.

Jose de Jesus Macias

I think Steven Butler will win this fight by late stoppage due to being technically more proficient and that he just simply throws more punches and is willing to take risks to win. While Macias is tough I think once Butler realizes he can punch almost at will without much coming back at him he’ll gun for the stoppage and likely overwhelm him in the latter half of the fight when Macias gets tired.

Daisuke Watanabe versus Yosuke Kawano breakdown

This should be a solid fight between two Japanese featherweights who are looking to challenge for a domestic title if they win this fight. Both have a few losses but are coming into this on good runs of form and seem like rejuvenated fighters.

Daisuke Watanabe has a come forward action style with some decent power though not as much as you’d expect considering his style. His defence isn’t the best but its solid enough for this level of fight. He’s also shown good form in his recent fights and his record is deceiving as hes beaten a few good fighters recently despite having four losses. His last loss was in 2018 where he lost a decision too Reiya Abe in a competitive fight.

Yosuke Kawana isn’t the most skilled fighter but makes up for it with toughness and grit. He won’t be afraid to stand and trade with Watanable which should make for a exciting fight. He isn’t quite as skilled as Watanabe and while hes been competitive with almost everyone hes lost too he doesn’t quite manage to do enough to get the win. He has a bit of an awkward style but I don’t think it’ll provide enough problems for Watanable for Kawana to win.

I think Daisuke Watanabe will win a decision after eight rounds due to his come forward fan friendly style combined with having the better skill set while Kawana mostly has to rely on his toughness.

Stephen Fulton versus Raeese Aleem is the fight to make

This seems like a logical fight to make as both featured on the same card on Saturday and put in great performances. Aleem proved hes ready for a world title shot and Fulton won his first world title versus Angelo Leo in a very impressive performance.

Raeese Aleem

I think if they do get matched up it creates a good narrative as they were on the same card and it creates a winners meet story line which you could also do on whatever card they fight on. The winner would hopefully fight the winner of Luis Nery versus Brandon Figueroa which is supposed to be happening soon. All these fighters are under the PBC umbrella and can be matched up again and again in great fights. If they can sign Murodjon Akhmadaliev then they can make an undisputed champion with the next two years.

Rolando Romero versus Avery Sparrow breakdown

This will be an interesting fight between two lightweights who are more towards the domestic USA level. Romero won a robbery last time out and was exposed as struggling with people that can box. Sparrow is a talented fighter but has shot himself in the foot multiple times with his decision making out the ring. He gets an opportunity short notice for this fight however he seems to be in shape.

Avery Sparrow

I think this fight will be competitive and if Sparrow was going with the game plan of boxing and moving then i’d back him to win but get robbed on the cards however he’s said hes gonna come forward and trade which is in Romero’s favour. Romero might not be a great boxer but hes certainly a solid puncher and a toe to toe battle suits him perfectly especially when he feels he has something to prove after his last fight. I predict Romero will win by late knockout or a 8-2 decision.

Vic Pasillas versus Raeese Aleem breakdown

This is the fight i’m most looking forward to this weekend as its between two unbeaten contenders at Super Bantamweight and Vic Pasillas is someone i’m personally very high on. Pasillas is currently 16-0 and Raeese Aleem is 17-0. Neither have faced stunning competition however both had good fights and opponents last time out though Pasillas certainly faced the tougher opponent.

Vic Pasillas is probably one of the most underrated fighters in the sport and if he hadn’t had personal issues involving drugs he’d most likely already be a world champion and an established name. Hes got excellent technical skills, is very hard to hit clean and puts his combinations together with ease. The thing that impressed me most was in his last fight instead of just out boxing his opponent which he could have done the whole fight he went for the finish after breaking him down through the first five rounds. To get to the top that killer instinct is needed and he proved he has it. From what I’ve watched I don’t see many weaknesses at all as I don’t think getting into exchanges when your ahead on the scorecards is a weakness as its just part of being a successful boxer perhaps doing that against a massive puncher wouldn’t be advisable though.

Vic Pasillas

Raeese Aleem is a solid boxer who likes to come forward in most of his fights. He doesn’t do anything flashy but hes consistent with his work rate and has shown hes a level above a lot of domestic fighters in the USA. His defence isn’t the best and while he stopped Marcus Bates in his last fight he was getting tagged coming in sometimes though that could be because he didn’t respect the smaller Bate’s power at all. I think hes a good fighter who’s solid fundamentally but doesn’t quite have the talent or power of Pasillas.

Raeese Aleem

I think Vic Pasillas will win by knockout in the second half of the fight due to being better technically and having more tools to win the fight with. Aleem has to win by coming forward and hoping Pasillas gets tired or stands still while Pasillas can win by boxing from the outside or most likely a mix of outside and inside work using angles.

Angelo Leo versus Stephen Fulton breakdown

This is an excellent match up to start the boxing year off. It features two undefeated American fighters who are competing for Leo’s WBO Super Bantamweight title. They were supposed to face off for the vacant title last year however Fulton came down with Covid-19 and so Tremaine Williams stepped in and fought Leo with Leo coming out on top and winning the title.

Angelo Leo has a relentless work rate and showed good inside fighting skills in his last fight. He can be out boxed but you need a decent amount of power and strength to keep him off you or hes just going to walk you down the entire fight with no respect for what’s coming back to him. He isn’t that hard to hit but that comes with his style of fighting and so far hes shown a good chin so its not a massive issue.

Stephen Fulton is a good technically and is much more of a hit and don’t get hit sort of boxer than Leo is. He’s relatively hard to hit and will shuffle in and out of range while consistently jabbing to set his punches up. He has good power and enough physical strength to hold or push opponents off when they try to get on the inside and take away his technical advantages. So far hes been able to keep his style going over twelve rounds which is something Williams wasn’t able to do against Leo.

I think stylistically this is a classic match up of an evasive hit and don’t get hit boxer versus the come forward educated pressure inside fighter. I wouldn’t be all that surprised at any outcome but I think Fulton has the tools to outbox Leo from the outside and frustrate him by holding whenever he gets close enough to get his own effective offense off. Leo can be a little lazy walking in so Fulton will have opportunity’s to counter him cleanly throughout the fight but especially early on when Leo hasn’t adjusted to Fulton’s style. Towards the end of the fight Fulton may tire a little due to the pressure but I think he’ll have done enough by then to win a decision.

Kosuke Saka versus Takuya Watanabe breakdown

This should be an exciting match up between two Japanese Super Featherweights who are both on the domestic scene in Japan. Saka won the Japanese title in his most recent fight where he scored an impressive KO. Watanabe scored a good win in 2019 which has set him up for this title shot.

Kosuke Saka

I think this fight could go either way however I lean more towards Watanabe because hes never been knocked out and his recent losses have come to good competition while Saka has also lost to good competition but has been knocked out early in those fights. I think Watanable will win a decision after taking the brunt of Saka’s power over the first few rounds.

Josh Warrington vacates IBF world title

Josh Warrington has decided to vacate his IBF world title after the organisation didn’t sanction his upcoming unification and instead ordered him to fight Kid Galahad again. Warrington has said he doesn’t want to fight Galahad again and just wants the biggest fights at this stage of his career. I don’t blame him for vacating the title as the first fight with Galahad was horrible to watch and a second one does nothing for his career while a fight with Can Xu would be incredibly entertaining and also more significant.

It’s likely that Kid Galahad will fight James “Jazza” Dickens for the vacant title now in a fight where I expect Galahad to win.