Boxing Fulcrum

Sam Noakes versus Shaun Cooper breakdown

This is a slight step for Sam Noakes who I think is a solid prospect in the lightweight division. Shaun Cooper is tough but limited and wasn’t able to do much against another prospect in Mark Chamberlain recently.

I think Sam Noakes should have to much power for Cooper who isn’t much of a puncher and shouldn’t be as technically good as Noakes. I predict Sam Noakes will get a stoppage in the 4th or 5th round after breaking Cooper down with body shots. I think Noakes could pick up a British title late next year if he keeps his current pace up.

Lyndon Arthur versus Anthony Yarde 2 breakdown

This should be a solid fight though one where I didn’t feel a rematch was needed as Arthur clearly won the fight and as the fight wasn’t for a world title I didn’t see the need for a rematch clause. This fight should be better than the first as both fighters have had a year to improve and Yarde especially seems to be in a better head space than he was last year.

In the last fight Lyndon Arthur won the fight with his jab and I can see him doing that again as Yarde has showed he doesn’t deal with opponents jabbing him very well. Kovalev jabbed him all night and I expect Arthur to do the same thing in this second fight as well.

I expect Lyndon Arthur to use his jab to control the fight and win on points after twelve rounds. If Yarde can catch him after putting on some pressure it wouldn’t surprise me based on the last fight I can’t pick Yarde.

Gervonta Davis versus Isaac Cruz breakdown

Gervonta Davis, one of boxing’s brightest young stars, makes his return to the ring on Sunday the 5th of December versus fast rising contender Isaac Cruz. The original fight was supposed to be Gervonta Davis versus Rolando Romero but Romero had a slue of sexual assault accusations made against him and Showtime wisely pulled him out of the fight. I’m glad they made that decision because unfortunately boxing has made a habit of allowing fighters who abuse Women especially to still fight and seemingly have no consequences to their careers. Isaac Cruz stepped up and accepted the fight on relatively short notice but the young Mexican was in training already so the short notice shouldn’t be a problem come fight night. I think this fight is an upgrade over Rolando Romero as I don’t rate Romero very highly and it felt like a way of cashing Romero out after hes looked mediocre in recent fights.

Gervonta Davis is a massive puncher and places his shots well. Over the course of a fight he’ll find his timing and start to up the pressure as the fight goes on until he eventually KO’s whoever his opponent is. In this fight his major weapons will be his left uppercut and his jab which have both been solid tools hes used throughout his career. Isaac Cruz has a bad habit of coming into range with no jab or feints which will make it easy for Tank to counter him with left uppercuts or keep him at range behind a jab. Isaac Cruz also likes to load up on his left and right hooks which he’ll often throw in combination, he puts everything behind the hooks which leaves him very vulnerable to counters. Doing this versus a skilled boxer with power who’s been shown to be a decent counter puncher seems like a recipe for disaster.

Isaac Cruz does have some things going for him in this fight even though I’ve been fairly negative about his chances of victory. He’s the first pure pressure that Gervonta Davis has ever faced which could make things interesting if Davis doesn’t handle Cruz being in his face constantly well. He throws in combination and understands that if you miss with the first punch you’ll likely land with the second or third. He’s got no real pressure on him in this fight as few people expect him to win and a loss doesn’t hurt his stock at all while a victory propels him into stardom.

I think Gervonta Davis will stop Isaac Cruz in five or six rounds after landing numerous counter left uppercuts when Cruz attempts to force his way into range. I can envision Tank landing that punch and hurting Cruz but it’s hard too see Cruz having as much success with his own offence when he doesn’t set it up behind a jab or any sort of feints. Davis can control this fight with his jab and make Cruz reset again and again as he tries to get into range as he’s the smaller man in this match up. I think stylistically this fight suits Gervonta Davis as Cruz will come at him and won’t be hard to find with his power punches which will lead to an early stoppage for Davis as hes simply to big of a puncher for Cruz to take his punches for any length of time.

Campbell Hatton versus Attila Csereklye breakdown

This should be a solid learning fight for Hatton but not one where hes likely to look bad like his last fight. Csereklye is a durable journeyman from the European circuit with a lot of experience but has never used that experience to pull off an upset.

Hatton didn’t look good in his last fight and shouldn’t have got the decision though should have learn’t a lot from that fight. I said in my preview of that fight that Sonni Martinez would cause Hatton problems if he came to win and he did just that.

I don’t think Csereklye will come to win and will likely just shell up for six rounds and lose a wide decision. Hatton will need to be moved slowly and carefully for a few years while he learns his craft.

Kerman Lejarraga versus Jack Flatley breakdown

This should be a fun fight between two come forward fighters who like to let it all go in the ring. Lejarraga is an action fighter who can at any moment stop his opponent or be stopped himself. Jack Flatley is an underrated boxer-puncher who is taking a massive step up in this fight but has the boxing ability to handle himself in the ring.

Kerman Lejarraga is a two weight European champion and is currently on a solid run at European level since he moved up to super welterweight. Similarly to a lot of big punchers he doesn’t have the best chin and is liable to hit the deck in a fight before fighting back and getting the stoppage himself. He’s got power and works to the body well which slows his opponents down as the fights wear on. I think hes both a fighter that looks vulnerable but is also fairly hard to beat in the ring because you either have to clip him early or be prepared to endure twelve rounds looking down the barrel of Kerman “Revolver” Lejarrago as he walks you down.

Jack Flatley has good technical boxing skills and is a bigger puncher than his record suggests. He’s not as big of a puncher as Lejarraga but if he gets the timing on a punch right he should still be able to put Lejarraga down. He’s consistent with his left hook to the body and throws a good amount per round. Something I was particularly impressed with was his jab and how much he uses it. It’s the most basic punch in boxing but also one that can be used in so many different ways and often a neglected punch. I think his defence is decent enough in that Lejarraga will have to work to hit him but he’s also not a slick fighter who preferences defence over offence. Flatley has been dropped before but there’s no shame in getting dropped by Troy Williamson who just showed how much power he has by stopping Ted Cheeseman for the British title. The biggest difficulty for Flatley in this fight is the massive jump in class from the English title level to a European championship in the champions hometown. Some fighters can handle the jump well, Jez Smith is a good example, while others seem out of place and unprepared.

I think Lejarraga’s experience and power will end up being to much for Jack Flatley who is taking a massive step up and has only had six rounds in the last two years. Flatley is a good fighter and will have some success early but if he can’t discourage Lejarraga and Blizt him out early then I think he’ll get broken down and stopped in the second half of the fight. The interesting part of this fight is if Flatley can take Lejarraga’s punches due to being the bigger man who has at times weighed in at 170 pounds. If he can do that then I could see him boxing his way to a decision victory though whether he would get the decision out in Spain is another matter entirely.

Abass Baraou versus Meriton Karaxha breakdown

While I don’t necessarily think this fight will be competitive I do think it’s good that Abass Baraou is getting active again. Baraou is in my opinion the best active German fighter and one of the most talented prospects in the super welterweight division. He had a great fight with Jack Culcay last year which he lost by split decision however I felt he clearly won that fight and should really be looking at a final eliminator with the IBF right now rather than building back up after the loss. Meriton Karaxha has a huge opportunity in this fight to break onto the world stage after a long career fighting on the fringe European level circuit.

Abass Baraou has good footwork and is generally light on his feet compared to Karaxha who is a bit more flat footed. Baraou works to the body well and is consistent with his activity in rounds rather than fighting in bursts. I think Baraou has respectable power especially at this level and with Karaxha moving up in weight I expect Baraou to be able to hurt him.

Meriton Karaxha is a boxer-puncher who likes to come forward and throw wide looping hooks, often in three or four punch combinations. His defence consists of him holding his gloves up in an ineffective guard around his face and from footage he seems very susceptible to left hooks, or anything thrown from the left hand. He’s not a big puncher at welterweight so I don’t expect his power to travel up to super welterweight which puts him in a hard situation. He’s highly unlikely to out-box Baraou and he can’t outfight him either so his only path to victory is to outwork him and fight the fight of his life against a perhaps unmotivated Baraou. I’d be surprised if he could do this as everything is stacked against him and Baraou doesn’t seem like the type of fighter to be lazy and unfocused but I’ve seen stranger things in boxing. Michael Hunter being held to a draw by Jerry Forrest recently after seemingly coming in unmotivated and unfit is a great example of why underdogs have to give it their all because you never know when you can catch the favorite unprepared. For the record I thought Forrest clearly beat Hunter and was unlucky to not get the decision, one that would have changed the direction of his career and got him big opportunities in the future.

I think Abass Baraou will use his compact combinations to the body and head to pick Karaxha apart and win by stoppage in the 4th or 5th round. Baraou should have too many tools for Karaxha to deal with especially considering hes moving up a weight class and isn’t a big enough puncher to make up for the difference in skill. If Baraou wins this fight I hope he steps up in competition again and attempts to win the EBU title versus Jama Saidi or steps up to fringe world level.

Michael Hunter versus Jerry Forrest 2 breakdown

This could be an interesting fight if Hunter underestimates Forrest and thinks this will be an easy nights work. Hunter is the more skilled fighter and already possesses a one sided win over Forrest but that was in 2014. Forrest showed a lot of heart and desire in his last fight and if he can fight at his best versus an unmotivated Michael Hunter then he could win this fight. I don’t think Hunter is the type of fighter to not train properly for fights so I can’t see him being unprepared for this bout.

This will likely look like a repeat of their first fight in 2014 with Hunter taking a wide decision due to his boxing ability and fast hands. A late stoppage is possible but I think Forrest is tough and should win at least one or two rounds so a stoppage for Hunter would be fairly impressive.

If Hunter wins this fight and looks good doing so then I hope he can step up his competition and get a title shot in 2022. He’s 33 and his style isn’t one which translates well as fighters get older in my opinion. The heavyweight division is clogged up and getting a title shot requires either pure luck of being picked out or consistently fighting top competition so that the champions can’t not give you a shot.

Israil Madrimov versus Michel Soro announced for December 17th in Uzbekistan

This fight has been talked about for a while and it finally has a set date and location. The winner will be the mandatory challenger to the WBA super welterweight world title which means they’d get a title shot versus the winner of Jermell Charlo versus Brian Castano 2. I like this fight a lot though would have liked to have seen Soro get a tune up fight in first as he hasn’t fought since 2019 and is likely to be rusty. Madrimov is only 7-0 but has the aim of becoming a world champion in under ten fights.

My early thoughts are that Soro’s experience and power will be too much for Madrimov and I’d be confident of him winning if he wasn’t so inactive and the fight wasn’t in Madrimov’s home country of Uzbekistan.

The under card features a host of talented Uzbek’s including Bektemir Melikuziev and Shakhram Giyasov. I think Giyasov has a lot of potential but has flown under the radar compared to other prospects from Uzbekistan. Hasanboy Dusmatov who will be campaigning at light flyweight could be a fighter to watch out for as long as he hasn’t left his prime in the amateurs. Dilshodbek Ruzmetov will make his pro debut after a successful amateur career which saw him compete in the 2020 Olympics. I was impressed with him in the amateurs and think he’ll have a good pro career.

Thoughts on Stephen Fulton versus Brandon Figueroa and the weekends boxing

This was a great weekend of boxing where we saw two fights that can be added to the short list for the fight of the year. We also saw a massive upset which in my opinion will likely end up being the upset of the year.

Stephen Fulton versus Brandon Figueroa was a terrific fight that was fought at a frantic pace for all twelve rounds. The majority of the fight took pace on the inside ,Brandon Figueroa’s preferred territory, with both fighters exhanging hellacious punches. Figueroa threw excellent shots to the body but was caught cleanly by the crisper punches of Fulton on the inside and when he was coming in trying to get inside. Figueroa had a lot of success and in my eyes hurt Fulton a few times during the fight but in the end Fulton’s cleaner work which regularly snapped Figueroa’s head back won him the fight. I thought Fulton won 7-5 but it was a fight where a draw or Figueroa win wouldn’t have been bad results. A few swing rounds where Fulton did good work but looked slightly hurt late with Figueroa putting the pressure on is what made the fight one difficult to score. I really think its one of the better fights I’ve seen this year and should be in contention for fight of the year.

With Fulton now a unified champion he has a plethora of exciting fighters he could take on next to further cement his already impressive legacy at super bantamweight. Raeese Aleem (19-0 with 12 KO’s) would be my first choice for his next fight as Aleem is in my eyes a top 5 super bantamweight who possesses both a lot of skill and power. Aleem has been a pro for ten years but has only recently got the opportunities to prove himself on the world stage. Aleem won an entertaining fight versus the rising Eduardo Baez, who was fresh off a few upset wins versus undefeated prospects, on the undercard of Fulton this weekend so their names are linked and they are on the same schedule fight wise. I think the fight would be highly entertaining and very competitive, a win for Fulton would enhance his legacy as it would be another win over a dangerous unbeaten contender in their prime. With both on the same TV network i don’t see why this fight can’t happen.

Fulton has other options at super bantamweight such as Daniel Roman and Murodjon Akhmadaliev which would still be great fights. I like the Daniel Roman fight but would prefer the Aleem fight because i’m a bit worried that Roman is starting to slide as a fighter due to a hard career. I don’t think he’s close to being washed but I do think hes likely on the decline and I’d prefer to see a prime Fulton versus Aleem, a battle of unbeatens is also something hard to beat. Akhmadaliev is a fight I’d love to see for Fulton as the winner would be the undisputed champion but I don’t see it happening as Akhmadaliev is swarmed with mandatories and is also on another network, this time being Dazn. While Eddie Hearn says he’d be fine with having Akhmadaliev fight on another network I personally feel that won’t happen as he’ll offer more money for the undisputed fight but Fulton won’t take it because hes tied to another platform and Akhmadaliev won’t accept an offer from Fulton’s side due to Hearn offering more money on Dazn. Fulton has the potential to carve out an all time great run at super bantamweight in my opinion and could make the hall of fame if he keeps taking on this level of competiton.

For Figueroa the obvious choice is to move up to featherweight and attempt to get a world title shot. He won’t enjoy the size advantage he’s used to at super bantamweight but he will still have success in what is a fairly weak division in my opinion. A fight with the winner of Eduardo Ramirez versus Miguel Marriaga makes sense for his debut at the weight before moving into position to fight for a world title. Gary Russel Jr will be busy fighting back to back mandatories and the other champions are either busy or will be hard to get fights with so it may take a few fights for Figueroa to get a title shot.

On the undercard of Fulton versus Figueroa there was a good fight between Raeese Aleem and Eduardo Baez. Aleem fought a good fight and won a majority decision which I felt he deserved. I don’t think that was his best performance but I still want to see him fight Stephen Fulton next. Eduardo Baez proved hes around world level and a fight between him and Aaron Alameda, who also fought on the undercard, would be entertaining and a significant fight for both. Gary Antonio Russell won a majority decision over Alejandro Santiago who I felt deserved to win but the judges disagreed. Santiago has had a lot of bad luck with decisions throughout his career and it would be nice too see him get another opportunity off of a good performance like this. Russell is a competent fighter but admits himself he needs more fights before challenging the elite bantamweights such as Naoya Inoue. Kevin Johnson scored another upset win versus the previously unbeaten 17-0 Rock Dodler Myrthil. The towel was thrown in the 9th round by Myrthil’s corner which I think was a good decision. I expect and think Johnson deserves a bigger fight after beating two unbeaten fighters back to back. He’s rebounded well from his two losses and is another good addition to the super lightweight mix around world level.

Teofimo Lopez versus George Kambosos Jnr was a great fight which surprised me as before the fight I thought that Lopez would stop Kambosos in six or seven rounds. Kambosos upset the script by knocking Lopez down in the first round and then out-boxing him to win a split decision and become a unified world champion. Kambosos showed a huge amount of guts to survive the 10th round where he was dropped and more importantly to then dominantly win the 11th round when many fighters would have just tried to survive to the end of the fight rather than dig deep and roll the dice. I enjoyed seeing Kambosos win as he and his father seem like nice people and the win means everything to them. Teofimo will move up in weight now but should also get rid of his dad in the corner and take this as a humbling experience. He didn’t respect Kambosos and payed the price for rushing in with no game plan. He can rebuild at super lightweight where Top Rank his promoters have lots of options for him. George Kambosos can fight whoever he wants whether that ends up being a homecoming fight in Australia or huge fights against Devin Haney or Gervonta Davis. As he said on fight night, hes the emperor and the man to beat at lightweight.

On the undercard Azinga Fuzile and Kenichi Ogawa faced off for the vacant IBF super featherweight world title. Fuzile started off well and controlled the pace on the back foot but after getting caught and put down with a right hand in the 5th didn’t seem willing to engage. Ogawa was fairly dominant from that point onwards and stalked Fuzile with intelligent pressure, not allowing him any opportunities to land the one big counter he was looking for. Ogawa dropped Fuzile twice in the 12th round to secure a victory on the scorecards and become champion. He was emotional afterwards saying he wanted to bring the belt back to his children in Japan. I was disappointed in Fuzile as I think he’s a good fighter but he couldn’t get much going in this fight and credit has to go to Ogawa for that who put on the best performance of his career. Ogawa seems like a big puncher but I expect a lot of super featherweights will be confident of beating him. Hearn who now promotes Ogawa has said that he’ll make fights with Joe Cordina and Zelfa Barrett next. Both would be good fights but Barrett has to get through his hard final eliminator fight first. For Fuzile I think he should take a break for a few months and assess what went wrong, he’s only young so a few confidence building fights versus faded gatekeepers or respected journeymen would be fine.

Raymond Ford stopped Felix Caraballo in the 8th round and successfully defended his WBA continental featherweight title. Ford picked Caraballo with fast hands and combinations to the head and body. Caraballo landed a few right hands and pressured Ford on the ropes occasionally but Ford never seemed bothered. A body shot hurt Caraballo in the 8th and after Ford followed up with a flurry of punches the ref stepped in. If the fight hadn’t been so one sided and Caraballo hadn’t taken so many punches then I doubt the ref would have stopped the fight. I think it was the correct decision as Caraballo is to tough for his own good. Ford should keep active and keep improving as he’s still only eleven fights into his career. Four fights against a raised level of competition next year would be great before a big 2023. I think he has a lot of potential if moved correctly and is also entertaining to watch.

Zhilei Zhang remained unbeaten by stopping the overmatched Craig Lewis in the second round. I’m glad Zhang is healthy after he suffered Kidney failure in his last fight and i certainly don’t begrudge him a soft touch for his comeback fight. At 23-0-1 and 38 years of age it’s beyond time he stepped up and fought better competition. He called out Filip Hrgovic post fight which is a good sign and I think its likely we see that fight next.

I think this weekend reminded me of why I love boxing and how good the sport can be when it’s at it’s best. Boxing is on a great run at the moment and has reignited the passion which I lost for a while due to all the cancellations of fights. I should be back to consistent writing now that i’m no longer as busy as the last few months and you can expect more interviews with fighters as opposed to just breakdowns of fights

Teofimo Lopez versus George Kambosos Jr breakdown

This isn’t a bad fight but its also one that might be uncompetitive due to how good Teofimo Lopez is. George Kambosos is a worthy title challenger but hasn’t shown anything to suggest, atleast to me, that he’s on Teofimo’s level.

Teofimo Lopez is an athletic boxer-puncher with notable power. He has the boxing skills to out-box opponents but uses them to get stoppages versus a variety of good opposition.

George Kambosos Jr is a come forward fighter who throws a lot of punches but hasn’t shown all that much power at world level. I personally feel his punches are less crisp than Lopez’s and he’s not nearly as athletic or big at the weight class.

I think Teofimo Lopez will win by knockout within seven rounds and remind the world why hes seen as one of the upcoming stars of the sport. He’s got the power, skill and track record of good performances compared to Kambosos who has a disadvantage in all of those departments.