Showtime Undercard Preview: Santa Cruz-Mijares, Molina-Charlo, Linares-Arakawa & more

By Peter Wells:

Leo Santa Cruz (left) & Cristian Mijares (right)

A Pay-Per-View event is never as worthy without a packed undercard, and to compliment the main event between Saul Alvarez and Alfredo Angulo are multiple enticing match-ups that will cater for all the boxing fans needs.

In the co-feature Leo Santa Cruz 26-0-1(15) defends his WBC Super Bantamweight title for the 2nd time against the experienced former world champion Cristian Mijares 49-7-2(24).

For Santa Cruz he will be fighting a man that he has almost certainly looked up to over the years. After a tricky start to his career which saw him at 11-3-1(3), he went on to rule the Super Flyweight division. Katsushige Kawashima (SD 12 & TKO 10), Jorge Arce (UD 12), Jose Navarro (SD 12), Alexander Munoz (SD 12) and Chatchai Sasakul (TKO 3) where just a handful of names that were beaten by a prime Mijares.

That was all before he ran into Vic Darchinyan, who dominated and stopped Mijares in 9 rounds which was followed by back-to-back loses against unbeaten Nehomar Cermeno (SD 12 & UD 12). Since then Mijares regained world honours at Super Flyweight before jumping up to Super Bantamweight where last year he was unsuccessful in his bid for the WBC title against Victor Terrazas (L SD 12). Two stoppage wins later and Mijares gets a second shot at that title.

Santa Cruz's high energy style has earned him quite the reputation in the boxing world and he'll be looking to further enhance that as he chases future super fights with Guillermo Rigondeaux and Abner Mares, as well as others.

Prior to his world championship bow, Cruz had impressed with a crunching win over Stephane Jamoye (KO 6). Cruz went on to dominate Vusi Malinga (UD 12) for the vacant IBF Bantamweight title before defending 3 times against Eric Morel (TKO 5), Victor Zaleta (TKO 9) and Alberto Guevara (UD 12). Then with a step up in weight Cruz destroyed Victor Terrazas (KO 3) for the WBC belt followed by a tougher than expected win against Cesar Seda (UD 12).

Both are exciting fighters and both have shown lapses in defence. Cruz is far the fresher man and he does have the edge in power. But it is Mijares who carries with him over a decade of experience, and the solid boxer can cause Cruz a lot of problems over the 12 rounds.



Carlos Molina (left) dethroning Ishe Smith (right)

In his last contest against Seda, Cruz never seemed to have his opponent in any trouble and with only 1 stoppage defeat to his name it seems unlikely that Cruz can end this inside the distance. But it is hard to go against Cruz wining, as he struggles at times with Mijares but his greater energy will help him towards a clear if not comfortable points win.

In an IBF Light Middleweight title fight, Carlos Molina 22-5(6) defends against Jermall Charlo 17-0(13) in a fight that has come into jeopardy this week. Molina was arrested earlier this week for obstruction and failing to register as a sex offender for a crime that happened in 2001, but as of the time of writing the fight was still set to go ahead.

Charlo, the twin brother of Jermell Charlo (also a Light Middleweight), has been showcasing his punching power in recent performances against mediocre opposition. This fight with Molina highlights a large step up in class for the 23 year old. But many will consider Charlo's chances due to Molina's unattractive and often negative style.



Jermall Charlo (left) with trainer Ronnie Shields (right)

Molina is a decent boxer, but it is his spoiling tactics that make him such an awkward customer, one that many world class fighters have failed to solve. After four early defeats in his career and a draw including against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (D 6 & L MD 6) and Mike Alvarado (L MD 8), Molina has come on to beat Kermit Cintron (UD 10), Cory Spinks (UD 12) and Ishe Smith (SD 12) - for the IBF title - while considering himself unfortunate against both Erislandy Lara (D 10) and James Kirkland (L DQ 10).

Charlo will be the aggressor in this fight which should suit him best, as he can feed off the success he has had already in his career on the front foot. The harder hitting of the Charlo twins will need to find something special to halt Molina, but his activity and positivity can sway the judges in a tough to score fight.

In what could be the fight of the night, Jorge Linares 35-3(23) takes on Nihito Arakawa 24-3-1(16) over 10 rounds.

Linares has been in rebuilding mode since successive defeats to Antonio DeMarco (TKO 11) and Sergio Thompson (TKO 2). His only other reverse came by way of stoppage as well when he was stunned by Juan Carlos Salgado (TKO 1).

The 28 year old has been through a lot over his career thus far, but none of his punishing loses can compare to the one in which Arakawa suffered in his last outing. Omar Figueroa (L UD 12) dominated Arakawa in one of the fights of the year as Arakawa took severe punishment throughout. Arakawa fought on, earning tons of new fans but possibly at the expense of a lengthy career. Another beating tomorrow night will be hard to come back from for the 32 year old who was beaten by Daniel Estrada (TD 10) back in 2012.


Jorge Linares (left) & Nihito Arakawa (right)

Linares boasts a solid list of victims; Oscar Larios (TKO 10), Gamaliel Diaz (KO 8), Whyber Garcia (TKO 5) and Rocky Juarez (UD 10), but those aforementioned loses highlight a problem in Linares' game.

Arakawa, while being as tough as they come is unlikely to exploit those problems, with Linares exposing the floors in Arakawa instead. Linares can take a clear points win, in another extremely entertaining and action-packed affair.

Currently not featured on the PPV show - which could change if Molina-Charlo is cancelled - is a potentially explosive fight between banger Sergio Thompson 28-3(26) and aggressive boxer Ricardo Alvarez 23-2-3(14).

Alvarez was left disappointed when Omar Figueroa pulled out of their fight for the vacant WBC Lightweight title, which means that Alvarez and Thompson fight over 10 rounds with no title on the line.

These two Mexican fighters will go to war at some point in this fight, but Alvarez would be wise to steer clear of Thompson's bombs early on. If Alvarez can find a comfort zone, then the shorter Thompson will become frustrated. But the tentative pick is for Thompson to find his range and break Alvarez down for a stoppage around the 8th.



Sergio Thompson (left) destroys Jorge Linares (right)

Elsewhere on the untelevised undercard, Will Tomlinson 21-0-1(12) takes on Jerry Belmontes 18-3(5) while Francisco Vargas 18-0-1(13) faces Abner Cotto 17-1(8).

Australian Tomlinson can back up his convincing win over faded Malcolm Klassen (UD 12) with another points win.

Vargas who shut-out Belmontes (UD 10) last time out may not join Omar Figueroa in stopping Cotto but he can take a clear victory on the cards, further pushing forward a potential clash between Vargas and Tomlinson in the near future as they each edge towards their world title aspirations.



Saul Alvarez vs Alfredo Angulo Preview

By Peter Wells:


Alvarez (left) & Angulo (right)

On Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez 42-1-1(30) returns from the humbling he received at the hands of Floyd Mayweather as he faces a far different proposition in Alfredo 'El Perro' Angulo 22-3(18).

Both fighters are heading in off the back of tough losses, Alvarez was severely dominated by the aforementioned 'Money' Mayweather over 12 one-sided rounds, while Angulo lost a dog-fight (often his speciality) with the slick Erislandy Lara, Angulo had scored two knockdowns but in the 10th round, Angulo's orbital bone ballooned up. Angulo in large discomfort turned his back on the action forcing the referee to wave the contest off.

The Lara loss wasn't the first time that Angulo had come out second best in an all-out war, as 2 years earlier he was on the wrong end of a violent beating, as the 'Mandingo Warrior' James Kirkland stopped him in 6. This leaves one to wonder just how much more this pit-bull fighter can take.

A native son of Mexico himself, Alvarez will likely be looking to test the resilience of Angulo's in a 12 rounder that many expect to be a showcase for an Alvarez looking ahead to more super fights in the near future.



Frustrated: Alvarez never figured out Mayweather in his 1st loss

At just 23, Alvarez is the much fresher fighter, despite having fought 19 more times, but the manner of those fights have taken little toll of the young golden boy. Outside of his stoppage defeats to Lara and Kirkland, Angulo has been tested thoroughly against opponents including; Joel Julio (W KO 11) and Kermit Cintron (L UD 12) while also showing his ability to dish out punishment in quick and brutal fashion against Joachim Alcine (TKO 1), Harry Joe Yorgey (KO 3) and Gabriel Rosado (TKO 2).

Alvarez's first major test at world level came last April when he took on WBA Light Middleweight champion Austin Trout. Alvarez won the fight, but the result was disputed by a number of boxing fans, Alvarez was on the front foot throughout, while often doing the bare minimum to snatch rounds, relying on the straight right hand and some kind judging to win him the fight, it was an extremely close fight that wasn't represented by 2 of the scorecards.

Prior to that Alvarez had recorded fairly comfortable wins against respectable opposition; Carlos Baldomir (KO 6), Alfonso Gomez (TKO 6), Kermit Cintron (TKO 5), Shane Mosley (UD 12) and Josesito Lopez (TKO 5).



Tough loss: Angulo put a lot into his defeat to Lara

Angulo is a hard working fighter, and he'll look to punish Alvarez if he doesn't up his work rate from his last two contests. But one feels that Angulo's here-to-be-hit type style will allow Alvarez to fire punches in bunches without the worry of being made to miss.

Alvarez can bang and his accuracy will prove a big problem for Angulo to deal with, but it's hard to see Angulo being taken out by one Alvarez punch, leaving this to look very much like a distance fight. Angulo can take a few early rounds as Alvarez attempts to find a good rhythm, but once he does it will be hard for Angulo to sustain effective attacks enough to take many rounds after the 5th. Alvarez can pull away to earn a wide decision win, with a potential blockbuster fight with the winner of Sergio Martinez-Miguel Cotto looming at the end of the year.

Miguel Vazquez vs Denis Shafikov Preview

By Peter Wells:



Miguel Vazquez (left) & Denis Shafikov (right)


Not many fighters will share the ring with Canelo Alvarez and Timothy Bradley and remain an unknown quantity outside of hardcore boxing fans. But for Mexico's Miguel Vazquez, that is exactly the case as the reigning IBF Lightweight champion gears up for his 6th and possibly toughest defence.

On his pro debut he was placed in with then 2-0 Alvarez - clearly showing no one expected Vazquez to go far in the boxing world - whom he lost to on a split decision. Then after a run of 18 wins he faced 20-0 Timothy Bradley, losing a near shut-out decision over 10 rounds. 7 months later and he lost again to Alvarez, this time via a unanimous decision.

Now as a legitimate world champion - and rated by many as the best 135lb fighter in the world - Vazquez 33-3(13) still seems to carry around the tag of a fighter who is meant to lose. One has the feeling that his last opponent, Mercito Gesta, was set up to dethrone the man whose style is often unattractive for most viewers. Instead the unbeaten Filipino did little to discourage Vazquez's boxing rhythm, losing on points by wide margins.

After over a year out of the ring Vazquez returns to face another undefeated fighter in Russian Denis Shafikov 33-0-1(18). The 5ft 5in southpaw is an aggressive boxer, who enjoys swarming his opponents with fast and powerful combinations. The 28 year old has received a valuable education on the way to his first world title shot beating the likes of Albert Mensah (UD 12), Lee McAllister (RTD 8), Giuseppe Lauri (RTD 8) while drawing with and beating Brunet Zamora (D 12 & W UD 12).


Vazquez dominates an uninspiring Gesta

That initial draw with Zamora may well highlight limitations in Shafikov's game, but a victory in the rematch showed he was ready for the next step.

That next step will be a tough one as it will prove difficult to locate the 5ft 10in Vazquez, who loves to box at a safe distance while side-stepping quickly around the ring when not in punching range. Shafikov will have to cut the ring off, but that sounds a whole lot easier to say than do.

Mensah had his short moments behind the jab against Shafikov but the tough African fighter spent far too much time leaning against the ropes, allowing the Russian to control the contest. And while Mensah was down twice, the Ghanaian took a lot of punishment, yet never looked like being a stoppage victim. When caught in the past, Vazquez has proven to have a solid chin, further enhanced by sharing 14 rounds with the much bigger and stronger Alvarez.



Shafikov gets inside against McAllister

Shafikov can snatch a few of the early rounds as judges will lean to the aggression of the challenger, but by round 5 the champion will up his work rate, leaving Shafikov to eat several long jabs. As the contest wears into the 2nd half, Shafikov may start to tire having used a lot of energy just trying to catch up with Vazquez and attempting to make the most of the occasional bursts he is able to get off when inside. This is when Vazquez can begin to sit down on his shots, especially the trailing left hand against the southpaw.

It would be nice to see Vazquez close the show but I see him coasting to the finish line. In some close rounds Shafikov may get the nod which could leave the scorecards looking closer than the fight actually was, but Vazquez can take his 34th victory with a decision win.

In the feature bout is an extremely interesting match-up between Akifumi Shimoda 28-3-2(12) and Marvin Sonsona 17-1-1(14).

Shimoda has been in rebuilding mode since a one-punch KO defeat to Rico Ramos when he was ahead on the scorecards. Sonsona has been doing relatively the same since his 4th round defeat to Wilfredo Vazuqez Jr. Since that contest in 2010, the Filipino has fought three times - once in each year.

That inactivity could prove crucial but while Shimoda is the favourite, I feel that Sonsona can spring an upset, stopping the Japanese fighter in the latter stages of this 12 rounder.

Collazo crushes Ortiz; Gomez & Arnett make big impressions

By Peter Wells:


Once in a lifetime: Collazo (left) lands a devastating right hand

While many fighters fulfil the potential bestowed on their shoulders, their are still those few that fail to live up to the hype. Mistakes are made, complacency sets in and loses mount up. Victor Ortiz hoped that last night he would not be a victim again, but that is exactly what he was, as the man many considered as the next "Golden Boy" was the recipient of a knockout reel right hand - in NBA terms, Victor Ortiz was posterized.

As for Luis Collazo, the Brooklyn native is finally seeing the grass on the other side, and it seems to be a lot greener as Collazo finally won a contest labelled as a "big fight". A wild but wonderful right hand swung Ortiz's way, landing flush on the point of Ortiz's chin - a one in a million punch - leaving referee Benjy Esteves Jr to count the favourite out.

Collazo 35-5(18) will now be in line for a few more handy pay checks, he may possibly be lined up as Danny Garcia's opponent when the Light Welterweight ruler moves up to 147lbs. A rematch with Andre Berto also makes sense as a crowd pleasing spectacle.

One must wonder where Ortiz 29-5-2(22) can go from here, so much was riding on a fight he was expected to win, and win big. Instead he lost, and lost big. Ortiz is still a big name fighter and will likely still be in line for big paydays if he decides to carry on in the cruellest of industries. But ultimately this defeat leaves promoters Golden Boy in a tough situation, Ortiz seems too big of a name to become a stepping stone for prospects on the brink of world titles, but how can they justify concentrating on rebuilding Ortiz when they have so many other fighters on their books.

Two of those fighters featured in the headliner as Eddie Gomez outscored Daquan Arnett in a battle of young unbeaten prospects.

The defeat Arnett 11-1(7) suffered will likely effect him, but only in a positive way as he showed his own potential in a fantastically enjoyable tactical 10 rounder.


Future stars: Both at 21, Gomez (left) & Arnett (right) have bright futures

Gomez 16-0(10) won the contest with explosive bursts of punches that Arnett couldn't compete with, but at range the two engaged in the type of tactical warfare expected from much more experienced combatants. To say I was impressed with these two would be an understatement as they both showed a maturity that simply cannot be taught.

Gomez and Arnett switched tactics several times throughout the fight, making adjustments to gain advantages in a contest with several close rounds that could have gone either way. Ultimately Gomez switching from a flat-footed approach to constantly bouncing on his toes allowed him to set up blistering combinations before retreating relatively unharmed.

Arnett had his moments though, when he was able to keep Gomez behind the jab he looked in control, but possibly the only downside to his performance was that he did not work enough when Gomez was at arms length.

In the 7th round Gomez looked as though he was on the verge of stopping Arnett when a pin-point left to the ribs sent the slightly younger - both are 21 - Arnett to the canvas. But Arnett rose from the deck and survived a final minute barrage, during which he took several huge right hands that highlighted how good his chin is.



League's above: Russell Jr (left) dominates Tamayo

Gomez carried the momentum for the remainder of the contest but Arnett was still very competitive as he made adjustments to his defence, switching to the 'Mayweather' stance which denied Gomez landing any more clean lefts to the body. The switch in stance also brought along the best punch of the fight for Arnett as he slipped an overhand right before returning fire with a peach of a straight right hand on the button.

Gomez took the contest by scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice, but it was both fighters that took the plaudits after showcasing their skills and giving fans a glimpse of the future at Light Middleweight.

Gary Russell Jr also came out with some air time as he improved to 24-0(14) scoring a 4th round knockout against a completely outclassed Miguel Tamayo 15-8-2(13). 2012 Olympian Marcus Browne also moved to 9-0(7) with a shutout win.

Rees vs Buckland & Selby vs Munroe Previews

By Peter Wells:
 



Gavin Rees (left) & Gary Buckland (right)

As one Welshman fights to keep his career above the line of relevance, another takes a further step in taking the throne in the lighter weight classes for Welsh boxing. Lee Selby will be hoping that a victory on Saturday night will edge him that little bit closer to every boxer’s dream, a world title, something that Gavin Rees held aloft 6 and a half years ago. 

Lee Selby tackles former world title challenger Rendall Munroe in a bid to capture the European Featherweight title, while defending his British title. But first we’ll focus on Gavin Rees 37-3-1(18) who will be looking to keep his career alive when he faces fellow Welshman, Gary Buckland at Cardiff’s Motorpoint arena.

‘The Rock’ will be looking to bounce back from successive defeats in 2013, firstly and unsurprisingly to Adrien Broner (TKO 5) but then against the odds Rees was stunned by Anthony Crolla (MD 12). Crolla’s height seemed to trouble Rees in a way that it had never done in his career before. At 5ft 4in and a career Light Welterweight – now fighting at Lightweight – Rees had become accustomed and thrived on fighting taller opponents but signs that his knack of bullying his foes and using his tireless energy to outwork them were starting to drift away in the rear-view mirror.

Saturday’s contest will be for a shot at the British Lightweight title, currently held by Martin Gethin – who after pulling out of his contest with Anthony Crolla with an injury is likely to have to take on the Manchester fighter before the winner of this all-Welsh clash gets their bite of the cherry.

So while the pressure to perform will be on Gavin Rees, Saturday night also comes around as a crucial night for Gary Buckland 27-3(9). The Cardiff fighter is moving back up to Lightweight having fought at Super Featherweight for the last few years. He reigned as the British Super Featherweight champion after upsetting Gary Sykes (UD 12) in a close contest. Like Rees he also carries a stoppage win over Derry Matthews (KO 2) – Rees has recorded a 4^th round technical draw and 9^th round TKO over Matthews. In his latest contest he was on the receiving end of one of the knockouts of the year when Stephen Smith landed a flush uppercut to leave Buckland out cold.

That latest fight for Buckland is why he comes in as the betting underdog, but at 27 years old he may well be another fighter to capitalise on a man who seems to be entering the twilight of his impressive career.

While one has the feeling that Buckland can have success against Rees, his lack of power and consistent movement will be his downfall as he becomes too easy a target for Rees. Having shipped a lot of punishment Buckland will be saved from himself somewhere around the 7^th round, but any chance of Rees returning to world level seems long gone.


Rendall Munroe & Lee Selby (either side of Eddie Hearn)



While Rees has always been a short Light Welterweight/Lightweight, Lee Selby is quite the opposite as a tall Featherweight. One has to wonder how much longer Barry’s Selby can stay at 126lbs when he stands around 5ft 8in and has a tendency to look 2 or 3 weight divisions above his opponents.

Selby 17-1(6) first turned stones when he stunned Stephen Smith in 8 rounds back in 2011, since then he has become one of the stars of Matchroom Promotions. Wins over John Simpson (TKO 5), Martin Lindsay (UD 12) and most recently Ryan Walsh (UD 12) have followed as he won the British title outright.

To begin 2014 he will face by far his toughest test to date when facing the come backing Rendall Munroe 27-3-1(11). The former ‘Boxing Bin man’ has failed to find his highest form after a valiant losing effort against former WBC Super Bantamweight ruler Toshiaki Nishioka (UD 12). His career best victory still lies in 2009 when he outpointed current IBF Super Bantamweight champion Kiko Martinez (UD 12).  

His attempts to return to former glories were scuppered when he was stopped in 6 by Scott Quigg in a rematch of their earlier technical draw. Three routine wins later and Munroe is in a last chance saloon, but unlike Rees, he comes in as a huge underdog.

While many are raving about the potential of Selby, I for one am still sceptical about how good he actually is. This fight with Munroe will answer many lingering questions.



Erick Ochieng can make a statement in his first fight at Welterweight

My initial pick was to go with the experience of Munroe and while one still believes this will be a tougher fight than the odds would suggest, I see Selby outworking and countering the older Munroe enough to take a close points victory.


The pick of the undercard fights is between Erick Ochieng and Dale Evans in an 8 round Welterweight contest.

Ochieng 14-2(4) is coming off the back of a loss to Liam Smith (UD 12) when fighting for the vacant British Light Middleweight title. The former English Light Middleweight champion is an awkward operator that can work at a tireless pace. While he prefers to box from range, Ochieng is more than adept at fighting in close.


Evans 7-1(3) is a career Welterweight and made a name for himself when losing in the final of a highly competitive Prizefighter last January. He beat both Sam Eggington and Mark Thompson on points before losing a split decision to Glenn Foot.

Evans holds home advantage but Ochieng’s size and strength may be too much for the Welshman. Evans can still push Ochieng close but the pick is for Kenyan born Erick ‘The Eagle’ to take the victory on the cards.



Back in action: Anthony Joshua returns on the undercard

In another exciting all-Welsh affair Jason Cook is looking to bounce back from a 7^th round stoppage defeat to Glenn Foot.


Tony Pace 4-6-1 is also coming off the back of a defeat against Lenny Daws (PTS 6) – whom Cook drew with over 12 rounds in 2010.

Former European Lightweight champion, Cook 29-5-1(15) has fought at a much higher level but he fights for only the 2^nd time since 2011. Still he should be able to retain his Welsh Area Light Welterweight title with a stoppage in 7 rounds.

Mikey Garcia vs Juan Carlos Burgos Preview

By Peter Wells:


Garcia (left) dominates Rocky Martinez

For the first time in 2014, Golden Boy and Top Rank will go head to head as their two shows clash on Saturday 25th January, with both featuring enjoyable fights. Lamont Peterson returns to defend his IBF Light Welterweight title against Dierry Jean on Showtime with Jermell Charlo facing his toughest challenge to date in former world title challenger Gabriel Rosado. On HBO Mikey Garcia continues to rise through the pound-for-pound rankings when taking on exciting Juan Carlos Burgos with an entertaining Heavyweight feature bout between Bryant Jennings and Artur Szpilka. Both cards will also display their respective rising stars.

Whichever card you choose to watch live, you are sure to be entertained, but also disappointed that you missed the other card, well thank goodness for recorders!

At the Madison Square Garden Theatre, home to the underperforming New York Knicks and a sacred home of boxing greats, Mikey Garcia 33-0(28) will put his unbeaten record and WBO Super Featherweight title on the line against Mexican Juan Carlos Burgos 30-1-2(20).


Burgos (right) feels unlucky to only draw against Rocky Martinez

While Burgos does not bring the name value to the table, the 26 year old is an experienced world title fighter. His only loss came on points in 2010 against Japanese star Hozumi Hasegawa when challenging for the vacant WBC Featherweight title. Having snatched Luis Cruz's unbeaten record via majority decision he survived a knockdown to defend his WBC Silver Super Featherweight title against Cristobal Cruz on points. Then an impressive 3rd round stoppage of rising star Cesar Vazquez afforded Burgos a 2nd world title crack, this time he was unlucky not to take the WBO Super Featherweight title from Rocky Martinez in an exciting 12 round draw. That was followed up by a far less impressive performance, drawing with unknown Yakubu Amidu.

Although his experience will count for something his offensive style which often leads to a sometimes leaky defence won't, especially against a solid counter-puncher with highly rated power. Garcia has proven such precise, hard punching against Bernabe Concepcion (TKO 7), Jonathan Victor Barros (TKO 8), Orlando Salido (TD 8), Juan Manuel Lopez (TKO 4) and Rocky Martinez (KO 8). It's no wonder that many are rating the 26 year old brother of trainer Robert Garcia so highly.



Jennings (right) uses his 84inch wingspan to full effect

Burgos will find it hard to find a rhythm throughout the fight, and while I'd love to envision a nip-and-tuck war, it's hard to see it going any other way apart from an enjoyable but one-sided affair. Garcia can stop Burgos in 10 rounds, further enhancing the talent at the disposal of this California boxer.

On a rich undercard, Bryant Jennings 17-0(9) will try to fight his way in line as the next American Heavyweight hope when he faces unbeaten Pole Artur Szpilka 16-0(12) over 10 rounds.

Szpilka was involved in 2 bloodbaths last year when twice cutting up and stopping tough American Mike Mollo in 6 and 5 rounds respectively. In his 11 rounds with Mollo, the 24 year old Szpilka hit the canvas 3 times, highlighting his defensive weaknesses.



Felix Verdejo is making waves across the boxing world

Jennings will also be taking a step-up in class but with an 84 inch reach the American can force Szpilka into many risky lunges that can be easily countered. Jennings' toughness will be tested to the brink, but if he passes in that department he can remain unbeaten with the cleaner work, but only narrowly against the hard working underdog.

Also featuring on the card is Light Heavyweight Sean Monaghan 19-0(12) vs warhorse Matt Vanda 45-15(25), exciting Puerto Rican prospect Felix Verdejo 9-0(6) vs Lauro Alcantar 8-0(1), while Jesse Hart 11-0(10) continues his climb against Derrick Findley 20-11-1(13).

Jean Pascal vs Lucian Bute Preview

By Peter Wells:


Lucian Bute (left) and Jean Pascal (right)

Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute will not just be fighting for bragging rights; they will also be squaring off to elevate their value in the Light Heavyweight division. Both former Super Middleweights – Bute most recently – have a lot to prove at 175lbs. 




Pascal’s stock went down when beaten by ageless wonder Bernard Hopkins, while Bute looks to re-invent himself having been obliterated by Carl Froch at 168. The stakes could not be much higher in an all Canadian clash – Bute was born in Romania but lives out of Canada.



While Pascal 28-2-1(17) is the shorter man, he will have the size advantage tomorrow night, having fought at Light Heavyweight since moving up in 2009, instantly winning the WBC title against unbeaten Adrian Diaconu (UD 12). Like Bute, Pascal moved up a weight division following defeat to Carl Froch (UD 12).

Pascal went on to beat Diaconu again (UD 12) and Silvio Branco (TKO 10), before boxing superbly to defeat Chad Dawson (TD 11). But his reputation was badly hurt when he was fortunate to draw with B-Hop in their first encounter before justice was done when Hopkins won the rematch on points. After over a year out of the ring Pascal has returned to score victories over Aleksy Kuziemski (UD 10) and George Blades (TKO 5).



Since 2007 Bute 31-1(24) reigned as IBF Super Middleweight champion, beating the likes of Librado Andrade (UD 12 & KO 4), Fulgencio Zuniga (TKO 4) and Jean-Paul Mendy (KO 4), before his fateful night against ‘The Cobra’. Having struggled at times with Denis Grachev (UD 12) last time out, Bute has a big point to prove in the Bell Centre.

With identical wingspans, the speed of Pascal could become a huge factor, his in and out style, applied so effectively against Dawson, could prove just as fruitful once again. Bute will look to box methodically, while digging in hurtful shots, trying to slow Pascal down. But Jean proved how solid his chin was against Froch, and in his 17 stoppage wins, he has proved he can bang as well.

Pascal has indeed slowed slightly since beating Dawson, which will keep Bute in the fight throughout, but one has the feeling that Pascal’s strength and timing will keep him one step ahead at almost all times.



Carlos Takam (left) and Mike Perez (right)

To be victorious, Bute must remain tight in defence while picking his shots against a man whose defence has been called into question before. However the pick is for Pascal to constantly keep Bute on the back foot, dominating down the stretch for a close but unanimous decision win.

On the undercard Mike Perez 20-0(12) returns to the ring following his entertaining but ultimately tragic fight with Magomed Abdusalomov. Magomed was left in a coma following his point’s loss, but all signs are pointing to a positive recovery for the Russian who is now attending a Rehabilitation centre, and while there is still a long way to go, most importantly Abdusalomov is still alive.

Perez will be looking to continue his push up the Heavyweight ladder, having slipped off the radar in recent years. His opponent is yet another tough-as-they-come fighter in Cameroonian Carlos Takam 29-1(23). Takam, slightly taller than Perez, suffered his only defeat on points against Gregory Tony in 2009. Notable victories have come against Frans Botha (TKO 11) and Michael Grant (TKO 8).

While Perez is a clean boxer, Takam is a rugged come-forward fighter. Built like a body-builder, Takam comes forward in straight lines but possess mean power in his overhand right, and his compact style and constant lateral movement make him an elusive target at times.

Like Abdusalomov, Takam can pose plenty of problems for Perez, but so long as the Abdusalomov incident has not taken too much out of Perez mentally – like it has to so many fighters before him - the neater boxing of the Cuban can win him the contest on the cards.



Eleider Alvarez

Another promising Canadian Light Heavyweight Eleider Alvarez 13-0(8), who was set to fight South African Thomas Oosthuizen, before he pulled out injured, will now take on fellow Canadian Andrew Gardiner 10-0(6).

Alvarez boxes tall, and uses a sharp, rangy jab, while his quick feet ease him out of danger without taking too much punishment. Alvarez is active with the right hand, landing the uppercut through the middle when needed. Defensively Alvarez is adept, but is susceptible to the left hook when throwing the right hand.  He was been moved through the ranks quickly beating Shawn Hawk (UD 12) – who straight after losing to Alvarez fought Nathan Cleverly for the WBO Light Heavyweight title – Danny McIntosh (KO 8), Nicholson Poulard (TKO 3) and last time out Edison Miranda (UD 10).

Gardiner is surprisingly the same height as Alvarez, but instead of fighting tall, Gardiner applies a compact style, keeping his hands up high, before ripping away once on the inside. Gardiner could find success with his left hook which he throws with some venom, but ultimately this could be a step too far for the less experienced Gardiner.

Having only once been past round 5, Gardiner will struggle to find a groove in this contest. If Alvarez is to fulfil his potential then he should easily dispatch replacement Gardiner, stopping the brave but outclassed fighter in 8 rounds.