Boxing Fulcrum

Ju Wu versus Xiao Tao Su breakdown

This should be a competitive ten round fight in China between two rising lightweight prospects. I think the winner of this fight will be the second best lightweight in China and arguably won’t be to far off the first position which is currently held by Yongqiang Yang who was building a lot of momentum before the global pandemic.

Ju Wu is 9-0-2 with zero knockouts which unfortunately speaks for how much power he has. He’s decent fundamentally though implementing a consistent jab would help him a lot. He mostly throws one or two punches at a time before getting out of range again. He’s not averse to throwing combinations but its certainly not his strong point. He has decent timing and seems to prefer counter punching which is clearly the thing hes best at. His defence isn’t horrible but neither is it good as he keeps his hands low a lot and will occasionally just look at his opponents as they wing punches at him.

Xiao Tao Su is 11-1 with six knockouts so clearly possesses the power advantage and from watching a few of his fights its noticeable that hes the bigger puncher of the two. He’s a stalking pressure fighter that doesn’t stop coming forward which can tire out opponents over time. His pressure is to an extent more mental than anything as he doesn’t throw a lot of punches as he comes forward and rather backs his opponents up until they go against the ropes and then unloads big hooks until they go down or move again. He’s the shorter man in this match up so may struggle to get on the inside and especially to stay on the inside. Due to him not setting his punches up hes open to counters when he does decide to punch. His defence is decent as he mostly holds a high guard and is defensively responsible, a skilled fighter may be able to open him up with uppercuts as he leans a bit to far forward in my opinion.

I think Ju Wu will be able to use his height and reach advantage to win a ten round decision after countering Su throughout the fight. While Su may have some success I think Wu has good enough footwork and timing to stop him getting on the inside very often. In this case Wu not being a big combination puncher is actually a good thing as it means hes not standing and trading as much so has less chance of being caught by the more powerful Su.

Pavel Silyagin versus Siarhei Khamitski breakdown

This is a better test for Silyagin than it looks on paper as while Khamitski has 19 losses he normally goes the distance and has beaten prospects hes faced in the past. Silyagin is a fighter who seems to be getting fast tracked to a world title shot in 15 or so fights.

Pavel Silyagin turned pro this year after a long amateur career which included international success and eleven fights in the world series of boxing. Silyagin has a real thudding jab which he throws to both the body and head. He has good fundamentals all round and appears to possess reasonable power. He doesn’t seem the most fluid fighter and could be called slightly robotic if you were to be critical.

Siarhei Khamitski used to be a decent fighter and has picked up a few solid results but now at the age of 46 hes not much more than a durable journeyman who can pass on a few old tricks to new professionals. I think his reactions, hand speed and feet have gotten slower and this isn’t a great sign when fighting a top prospect in his home country.

I think Pavel Silyagin will be able to get a late stoppage due to being much closer to his prime and also having a good jab which won’t allow Khamitski to rest.

Hasanboy Dusmatov versus Pavel Gunchenko breakdown

Hasanboy Dusmatov was a great amateur and won gold at the 2016 Olympics games. Pavel Gunchenko was a decent amateur himself but didn’t have the international success that Dusmatov had. Both are currently 1-0 and are taking step ups quickly in their pro careers by partaking in this fight.

Hasanboy Dusmatov is one of the most skilled fighters at the lower weights and if he can replicate his success in the amateurs in the pro’s I have no doubt he can be a world champion in seven or eight fights. I don’t think hes much of a puncher but at the weight class hes fighting at you don’t need to be a massive puncher.

Pavel Gunchenko is also good fundamentally but isn’t on the level of Dusmatov in really any way. The only chance he really has is to score an early knockdown or make it a war over six rounds where Dusmatov’s superior skill won’t come into play.

I think Hasanboy Dusmatov will win this fight by decision after six rounds due to his superior skill set and amateur background. This is a bit of a risky fight over six rounds however as a knockdown could be hard to overcome.

Valery Oganisyan versus Dmitry Mikhaylenko breakdown

This is a good test for Oganisyan who is only 3-0 but is clearly being progressed fast. Mikhaylenko is a journeyman at this point though holds a record of 23-7 with all seven of those losses coming in his last nine fights.

Valery Oganisyan has decent fundamentals and good power. He hasn’t been tested enough to see how good his chin or stamina is but so far there are no signs that either are weak. He has the momentum behind him going into this fight as well.

Dmitry Mikhaylenko was at one point a rising prospect but in recent years has taken on the role of being the opponent and its rare that he pulls off the upset. He has been knocked out in his previous two fights which in my opinion shows hes starting to fall apart as his previous five losses were all by decision. He has no momentum going into this fight and its questionable how much motivation he has left for the sport considering hes 34 and has four losses in a row.

I think Valery Oganisyan will win a ten round decision due to his technical skills and power combined with being in his prime. I don’t believe he’ll stop Mikhaylenko because he isn’t very experienced and this is a big step up for him.

Vitaly Petryakov versus Volodymyr Hordiienko breakdown

This is a good step up for Petryakov who looks to be one of the better Welterweight prospects coming out of Russia. Hordiienko had a great fight last time out where he lost narrowly but still fought well and on another night could have taken the decision win.

Vitaly Petryakov has good fundamentals with an aggressive style. He seems to have reasonable power though it hasn’t been shown at a high level yet. I don’t think he’s really been in with anyone good enough to test his defence or stamina yet.

Volodymr Hordiienko is also decent fundamentally but isn’t as aggressive and fights with much more patience. He has good counters which dropped his previous opponent and could help him in this fight. I don’t think his defence is great and i’m sure Petryakov will have plenty of opportunities to hit him.

I think Petryakov will win a decision due to his aggressive style and having a power advantage. It should be a fun fight though.

Moruti Mthalane title defence cancelled

Moruti Mthalane‘s recent title defence was cancelled by the commission in South Africa over issues with the promoter. Hopefully we see him back in the ring soon. He is in a stacked division full of potential great fights as long as they get made. Mthalane is 38 now and while hes still a world class fighter you have to question how the long lay off will effect him and at what point he starts to decline rapidly.

I’d love too see him in a fight with Julio Cesar Martinez who is another champion at the weight class. I think thats arguably a 1v2 fight in the division and could have the Ring magazine belt on the line as well.

Brandun Lee versus Dakota Linger breakdown

This should be a easy fight for Brandun Lee who is levels above Linger and really should be facing better competition at 20-0 with 18 knockouts. Linger is a decent club fighter and is clearly tough from the fights I’ve seen but i’m expecting an early knockout here due to Lee’s speed.

I think Brandun Lee will win by knockout within the first three rounds due to his power and speed advantages. He’s level above and this is a mismatch and a showcase fight for him.

Gary Antonio Russell versus Juan Carlos Payano breakdown

This is a good step up for Russell but one where I think he’ll struggle. Payano is a proven world level fighter who arguably beat Danny Roman in his last fight while Russell has fought no one of note and hasn’t been that impressive in doing so. While Russell is clearly skilled I think this is to much of a step up for him and that Payano will outbox him using his experience. He’s also a world class southpaw which will be even more frustrating for Russell to face.

I think Payano will be too experienced for Russell who hasn’t faced any real competition yet in his career.

Emmanuel Rodriguez versus Reymart Gaballo breakdown

This should be a very competitive fight as both are good fighters with skills and good power. Rodriguez is coming off a long lay off and a bad loss while Gaballo is undefeated but hasn’t faced the same level of competition that Rodriguez has. Gaballo has real fight ending power and is always looking for the knockout. I think its hard to pick a winner in this fight as both are evenly matched because of their advantages and disadvantages. Rodriguez hasn’t fought for a long time and has less power while Gaballo has more power but less experience at the top level.

I think Gaballo will win by knockout due to his power and the fact that Rodriguez hasn’t fought for a long time and his last fight was a knockout loss.

Jaron Ennis versus Chris van Heerden breakdown

This is a step up fight for Ennis however I personally don’t think he’ll struggle all that much as hes one of the best prospects in boxing and has a great skill set of technical skills combined with power and good finishing instincts. Chris van Heerden is a solid fighter but isn’t really on the same skill level as Ennis and hasn’t fought for over a year. He is also taking this fight on relatively short notice though he does seem to be prepared.

I think Jaron Ennis will win by knockout in the 7th or 8th round due to having the better overall skill set and especially having more power.