Neither of these fighters are ever likely to be the best in the division. I have a lower opinion of Gonzalez than a lot of people and against anything great i’d back him to lose comfortably.
Miguel Marriaga isn’t a great fighter but hes solid and proven. He has a lot of power and doesn’t seem to let big occasions get the better of him. Joet Gonzalez just got schooled when he stepped up in levels and hes struggled with other opponents as well. I don’t think hes a massive puncher either.
Joet Gonzalez
Without overthinking it i’m going to say Marriaga by decision after scoring a knockdown or two because other than the power difference I can’t split the two.
This is a really interesting 50/50 match up between two of Britains best up and coming middleweights. This is the first big test for Bentley while Heffron has beat a few decent names and most notably lost to Liam Williams.
Both have a lot of power though I think Bentley probably has a bit more due to how much he puts into every shot. Heffron was a bit hesitant after he felt Williams power but I presume he’ll have learn’t from that and Bentley doesn’t hit as hard anyway. I think Heffron is technically a bit better and paces himself more. I think Bentley uses a lot of energy early on and can swing pretty wildly with his awkward style which I think will mean he’ll slow down late in the fight.
Mark Heffron
I predict Mark Heffron is going to win by late stoppage after weathering an early storm from Bentley. After 6 or 7 rounds he’ll start to take over as Bentley starts to get tired due to loading up on punches. Both have a lot of power so if they clip each other early and one gets stopped it wouldn’t surprise me.
This is seen as a bit of a tune up fight for Yarde after being out the ring for so long. Spelman will certainly come to win though hes matched very hard here.
Dec Spelman
I think Spelman is stylistically perfect for Yarde as he comes forward with limited head movement and is very open to uppercuts. Yarde should be able to land at will and with his power should finish the fight relatively early as long as he doesn’t want to get rounds in. Spelman went 12 hard rounds with Lyndon Arthur only 7 or so weeks ago which won’t help him here against a massive puncher who’s well rested.
Canelo Alvarez has started suing Dazn and Golden Boy over them not being willing to pay him what hes contracted to be paid. Its highly likely with this going on that he won’t fight until at least next year if not 2022. Its a real shame as hes one of the biggest names in boxing and was really starting to create a great legacy. The pandemic plus the legal situation will lead to him missing out on some of his prime years and up to 4 fights at a minimum.
This is a fight that I never expected to happen but now its been arranged I think it’ll be a good fight. Chudinov is close to a world title shot and is looking to continue his decent run of form here. Umar Sadiq was very active in 2019 and in 2020 picked up the best win of his career versus Kody Davies who has undefeated at the time.
Fedor Chudinov fights on the front foot and has a decent jab which he uses to get close before throwing combinations and being relatively physical. His defence mostly consists of a high guard and while hes very tough hes not very hard to hit. He has decent power but I wouldn’t say hes a big puncher and he is quite small for a Super Middleweight.
Umar Sadiq is a big middleweight and can use that size effectively and keep his opponents at range. He throws good combinations and has decent power himself. He has a decent jab himself though I think Chudinov’s is a bit better though with the height advantage he may struggle. I don’t think Sadiq or Chudinov have great foot work though Sadiq can box and move around the ring. I think Sadiq leaves his chin a little in the air when he’s pulling back or throwing a big right hand counter off the ropes.
Umar Sadiq
I want Umar Sadiq to win as I think hes a good fighter that takes risks and it would be great too see him pull off the upset in Russia. Unfortunately I think he’ll likely lose a decision as both fighters will be hitting each other plenty but Chudinov has a lot more experience and that might be the telling factor in him squeaking out a very close decision.
At this stage of Danny Williams career this should be a bit of a mismatch in Kharitonov’s favour. Sergey Kharitonov is an MMA fighter who is making his professional boxing debut. Hes 40 now but that won’t be a problem in this fight as Danny Williams is 47 himself and well past his best.
Danny Williams used to be a good fighter with a lot of power and heart to go along with a decent bit of skill. Unfortunately the majority of that is gone now and hes spent the last decade losing around the world to prospects and other former contenders. In recent years his punch resistance has crumbled and while he still has some power he rarely tries to use it versus the prospects hes brought in to face.
Danny Williams
Sergey Kharitonov is an MMA fighter who is known for knocking people out rather than winning by submission. Hes got decent boxing skills and clearly has power in MMA gloves though its yet to be seen if that is the case with boxing gloves. He doesn’t seem nearly as past his best as Danny Williams and still comes to win which is the major difference between the two.
I think Kharitonov will likely win by 4th or 5th round stoppage as long as he can keep the pressure up as Williams isn’t especially motivated to take extra punishment at this stage of his long career.
It was announced today that Kyoguchi will be defending his world title against Thanongsak Simsri who is from Thailand.
Simsri holds a record of 14-0 with 12 knockouts and is only 20 years old. I don’t think hes ready for this type of fight though the experience will be good for his career.
Thanongsak Simsri
Hopefully after this fight we can Kyoguchi (or Simsri) in a unification as the divisions champions are too good not to fight each other.
Lou Moret turned in one of the worst scorecards that boxing has ever seen in the Yordenis Ugas versus Abel Ramos fight. He scored the fight 117-111 to Ramos when it really should have been the other way round. At this point it is pure incompetence and at the age of 76 perhaps hes just not all there anymore.
We can’t just keep allowing judges to give in horrible scorecards without any repercussions. Like any job if someone messes up badly they should be held accountable however this doesn’t seem to apply to boxing judges.
I’d be surprised if anything happens to Moret as the commissions in boxing are an olds mans club where they all look out for their “pals” and don’t treat it like an actual profession or job. It really angers me the way boxing is run and how any fans who voice their criticism are called names and accused of doing nothing with their lives. Surprisingly enough things outside of boxing also have meaning and a few throwaway comments doesn’t mean the person is some basement dweller and of course inferior to the mighty boxing establishment.
This should be a good showcase fight for Cody Crowley who is a decent prospect in the Welterweight division and holds a record of 17-0. Josh Torres is 22-6-2 and is a domestic level fighter in the USA. The fight is scheduled to be 10 rounds and is on the undercard of Yordenis Ugas versus Abel Ramos.
Cody Crowley is relatively tall for a welterweight and is a southpaw. He throws both left and right hooks and will often throw one then the other immediately afterwards with both being quite wide punches. He doesn’t use his jab that often which is a shame as with his height he could use it effectively. His defence is decent and mostly consists of him taking a step back and then countering. He has respectable power but nothing on the level of the top guys. He seems to get stronger as the fight goes on and also ups the pressure as the fight continues.
Josh Torres throws a lot of jabs and is very active. His defence is decent but Crowley should be able to hit him regularly. His power is probably below average and he mostly stops people with combinations. He’s shorter than Crowley and has a shorter reach so may have to work his way inside to be effective.
I think Cody Crowley will win by decision because being a tall southpaw should frustrate Josh Torres who won’t be able to land with most of his punches.
I think this fight may be a bit more competitive than people think as Oquendo isn’t a bad fighter and Herring did have Covid-19 recently. Jamel Herring seems to be in the best form of his career as hes become a world champion and will be making the second defence of his title here. Jonathan Oquendo has never quite been able to beat the fighters at the top level but is a solid fighter himself.
Jamel Herring has a good jab and technical boxing skills. His stamina is good and he always comes in great shape to fights. His defence and chin are decent though he has been stopped and hurt in fights before. He’s with a great team right now and seems to be very focused on this fight as winning it gets him a big fight with Carl Frampton next.
Jonathan Oquendo will be on the front foot in this fight and will have to force the action as Herring is a much taller fighter than him. He has a decent right hand and good power but is much shorter than Herring and will have to really work to get into range.
I think Herring should be able to jab his way to victory while using his height and reach advantages. If Oquendo can get into range and land a perfectly clean shot I can see him knocking Herring out but I’d be quite surprised if he managed it.
Boxing Fulcrum 