After a well-deserved break, I am proud to announce the return of PureBoxingPress. On to the business of pre-fight analysis:
MATCH: Timothy Bradley (24-0-0, 11 KOs) vs. Nate Campbell (33-5-1, 25 KOs).
DATE: Saturday, August 1, 2009.
WEIGHT CLASS: Light welterweight, 140 lbs.
TITLES: Bradley's WBO belt.
LOCATION: Agua Caliente Casino, California.
TV INFO: Showtime ((live) 9PM ET / (delayed) 9PM PT)
UNDERCARD: Junior Witter vs. Devon Alexander (for vacant WBC light welterweight title).
Bradley's Advantages:
If Bradley is to hold on to his title, he will have to make full use of his speed, athleticism and conditioning. "Desert Storm" is a naturally gifted boxer, who has been blessed with exceptional hand speed and a body that is made for boxing by virtue of strong musculature and flexible joints, as well as a penchant for very thorough training that leaves no depths of the sweet science unplumbed.
His punches pack a reasonable amount of heat, even though he has never knocked out world-class opposition, and he is physically capable of roughing it up on the inside, or tying up if need be (a great weapon to use against an aggressive pugilist such as Campbell).
Bradley is also a varied, unpredictable fighter, who can combine power shots with good jab-work to win rounds - especially in the tiring latter-stages of a fight. He possesses a good chin and textbook fundamentals which will help him out in his impending scrap with an experienced man like Campbell.
Bradley's Disadvantages:
Although a solid world champion, Bradley has never faced as experienced an opponent as Campbell; he is thus liable to get caught with something huge if he treats his adversary with the aggressive, hands-down, forward-charging style he sometimes favors.
The Palm Springs, Cali native is also lacking in the footwork department, where Campbell excels and can hence negate the younger champion's superior speed and conditioning.
Campbell's Advantages:
"The Galaxy Warrior" is a powerful and veeeery-complete boxer, who has no weaknesses that are easily exploited, and a lot of tools for fighting inside and out in a smooth, aggressive style. He holds notable wins over Kid Diamond and (in his last two fights) then-undefeated Juan Diaz and highly-capable Ali Funeka. Campbell has a solid defense that makes flush shots improbable, as well as a good set of whiskers for shaking them off when they do find their way.
The Floridan also has one of the best cornermen that money can buy - defensive wizard John David Jackson, who has a useful knack for understanding other fighters' styles and helping his man adjust inside the ring.
Furthermore, Campbell boasts the reputation of an accomplished body-puncher and a versatile aggressor - meaning that he is creative with his combinations, and somehow always winds up doing damage to head and midsection alike. This is going to be crucial against a man like Bradley, whose considerable speed may be reduced as the damage to his liver and spleen stacks up.
Campbell's Disadvantages:
Someone has to do it, so it may as well be me: the man's 37 years old! His opponent is 25. 'Nuff said.
Campbell has looked average in losses to Robbie Peden (KO'd, twice) and Joel Casamayor, and should have done more against Francisco Lorenzo and Isaac Hlatshwayo, where he dropped close, split-decisions. True, he is undefeated in four years and five fights, but the end is looming for Campbell, and many are thinking that Bradley is the enforcing agent from this standpoint.
Outcome Prediction:
The press is picking Bradley for his youth and speed. The underdog is the more experienced and ever-so-slightly-more-skillful Campbell. There are some strange factors at play: Bradley is facing a steep challenge in the wily, old Galaxy Warrior - perhaps even more daunting than Junior Witter. Yet, Campbell has oscillated between greatness and mediocrity with alarming frequency (not to mention his recent difficulties in making weight, which prompted his move up to light welter). Everyone can agree on one thing: it's a difficult one to call, folks.
But I think that the time is ripe for me to go against the established boxing press, and pick Nate Campbell for the upset. Here's why:
Galaxy Warrior is motivated and wants to raid the 140-pound division for titles. I think he has it in him to make one last, great stand against the onslaught of young fighters. In a Mosley or Hopkins-esque twist, experience will trump youth and send the up-and-comers back to the drawing table one more time before the new era dawns. So here's my slight variation on an old Mayweather tune:
I'm tellin' you just so you know,
The old-man Campbell, by K.O.!
Undercard Analysis:
If ever you decide to take an extra hour or so out of your schedule in order to watch an undercard - this one's a great option! The Alexander-Witter fight will provide good value: it's basically two highly entertaining and somewhat-unpredictable pugilists going at each other for a chance at a world title. Congrats to everyone involved in making this fight!
Devon Alexander (18-0-0, 11 KOs)
Alexander is a young (only 22!) and exciting fighter, a decorated amateur and a solid technician who has power in both hands and a style that was designed to give opponents fits. But in challenging for a vacant world title, and facing a man like Witter, he may have been pushed ahead a little too soon; he has no significant victories (although he did outpoint faded former titlist DeMarcus Corley) and will have to dig very deep in order to stop his British counterpart.
Junior Witter (37-2-2, 22 KOs)
News flash: Witter has only ever lost to Zab Judah and Tim Bradley, both of whom are elite-fighters. He has beaten Andreas Kotelnik (recently dethroned WBA champ) and a whole host of contenders throughout his twelve-year career - which pretty much makes him a consistent, high-level boxer.
This is almost certainly his last chance at a world strap and good exposure in the US (a treat to which he was never privy, for some odd reason). As such, you can expect him to bring his notoriously-complicated game on Saturday night. Trust me - he won't disappoint.
Undercard Outcome Prediction:
Once again, experience will overcome youth - for now. Witter by mid-round KO.
Soooo - this is it for another preview! Do keep an eye out for the post-fight analysis and don't forget to say a prayer for the late Vernon Forrest (I'll be doing a piece to coincide with his funeral on Monday).
If you're so inclined, I'd be delighted to have you follow me on Twitter!
Or, you can send me any boxing-related banter at pureboxingpress@gmail.com!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor - Impending Resurgence?
Jermain Taylor’s recent record (1-3) inspires a pugilistic desperation generally associated with diminishing skills and impending retirement. So why is he involved in Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Classic, where he will be fighting the likes of Arthur Abraham, Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward?
Well, boxing fans, difficult thought it may be to believe in mid-2009, there was a time, not too long ago, when “Bad Intentions” was undisputed middleweight champion of the world. There was a certain eighteen-month span during which the proud Little Rock, AR native beat Bernard Hopkins (who at the time was undefeated in twelve years) twice and boxed defensive-wizard Winky Wright to a standstill to retain his four titles.
In late 2006, Taylor was on top of the world. The former amateur standout, who had won a Bronze at the Sydney games in 2000, was an undefeated world champion whose major concern in life revolved around paying sanctioning fees to the many alphabet organizations whose belts he held.
Enter Kelly Pavlik, underdog extraordinaire (at the time).
Taylor boxed his ears off for seven rounds, knocking him down in the second. Then came a masterful feint, a sharp right cross and a flurry of punches from the Ohio native that sent the champ to the canvas and gave ref Steve Smoger a mandate to (correctly) stop the fight. And so Bad Intentions was champ no more and Kelly Pavlik became an instant superstar.
A rematch clause was, of course, exercised, but to no avail. Pavlik beat Taylor by unanimous decision, further confirming the doctrine that rematches will provide the same result as the first fight, only with a more substantial point-gap.
Since then, Taylor has moved up to 168 lbs in the hope of winning more titles. He beat Jeff Lacy to become mandatory challenger to the WBC belt. He was beating WBC-champ Carl Froch by a couple of points on two of the scorecards, until the Brit unexpectedly knocked a spent Taylor out in the twelfth round, apparently ending his bid to become a titlist once again.
But then Showtime (read: deus ex machina) called, offering him a place in this tournament they were putting together. It cannot have been hard for Bad Intentions to ponder this one: three matches, two titles on the line. A contract was (of course) signed, and now Taylor is up against a daunting challenge, in the form of unbeaten former-middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham.
It is tempting to write him off. But let’s think on this for a second or three…
Is it that hard to envisage Taylor schooling Abraham? After all, who has King Arthur fought that makes him look so good? Edison Miranda, Khoren Gevor and Raul Marquez? No disrespect intended to the aforementioned, but Hopkins and Wright possess boxing skills and defensive moves that these three (along with Abraham, incidentally) can only fantasize about.
The real question is this: how much does Taylor have left in the tank? At 31 years of age, after ten grueling fights against eight world champions, one does earn the right to feel drained.
Make no mistake about it: a prime Jermain Taylor would give Abraham and Kessler apoplectic fits with his skill. A prime Jermain Taylor would beat Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch on the same day. And spend the evening with his wife. A prime Jermain Taylor would be a heavy favorite to win Super Six World Boxing Classic. But this isn’t about Taylor, or his prime. It’s about the next year and a half.
May Bad Intentions find his form once more during his last chance to add to his legacy.
Well, boxing fans, difficult thought it may be to believe in mid-2009, there was a time, not too long ago, when “Bad Intentions” was undisputed middleweight champion of the world. There was a certain eighteen-month span during which the proud Little Rock, AR native beat Bernard Hopkins (who at the time was undefeated in twelve years) twice and boxed defensive-wizard Winky Wright to a standstill to retain his four titles.
In late 2006, Taylor was on top of the world. The former amateur standout, who had won a Bronze at the Sydney games in 2000, was an undefeated world champion whose major concern in life revolved around paying sanctioning fees to the many alphabet organizations whose belts he held.
Enter Kelly Pavlik, underdog extraordinaire (at the time).
Taylor boxed his ears off for seven rounds, knocking him down in the second. Then came a masterful feint, a sharp right cross and a flurry of punches from the Ohio native that sent the champ to the canvas and gave ref Steve Smoger a mandate to (correctly) stop the fight. And so Bad Intentions was champ no more and Kelly Pavlik became an instant superstar.
A rematch clause was, of course, exercised, but to no avail. Pavlik beat Taylor by unanimous decision, further confirming the doctrine that rematches will provide the same result as the first fight, only with a more substantial point-gap.
Since then, Taylor has moved up to 168 lbs in the hope of winning more titles. He beat Jeff Lacy to become mandatory challenger to the WBC belt. He was beating WBC-champ Carl Froch by a couple of points on two of the scorecards, until the Brit unexpectedly knocked a spent Taylor out in the twelfth round, apparently ending his bid to become a titlist once again.
But then Showtime (read: deus ex machina) called, offering him a place in this tournament they were putting together. It cannot have been hard for Bad Intentions to ponder this one: three matches, two titles on the line. A contract was (of course) signed, and now Taylor is up against a daunting challenge, in the form of unbeaten former-middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham.
It is tempting to write him off. But let’s think on this for a second or three…
Is it that hard to envisage Taylor schooling Abraham? After all, who has King Arthur fought that makes him look so good? Edison Miranda, Khoren Gevor and Raul Marquez? No disrespect intended to the aforementioned, but Hopkins and Wright possess boxing skills and defensive moves that these three (along with Abraham, incidentally) can only fantasize about.
The real question is this: how much does Taylor have left in the tank? At 31 years of age, after ten grueling fights against eight world champions, one does earn the right to feel drained.
Make no mistake about it: a prime Jermain Taylor would give Abraham and Kessler apoplectic fits with his skill. A prime Jermain Taylor would beat Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch on the same day. And spend the evening with his wife. A prime Jermain Taylor would be a heavy favorite to win Super Six World Boxing Classic. But this isn’t about Taylor, or his prime. It’s about the next year and a half.
May Bad Intentions find his form once more during his last chance to add to his legacy.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Pacquiao Agrees to Cotto Fight - Bob Arum Wins in Advance!
Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotions has pulled off the coup of the decade after wrapping up the paperwork for a fight between two of his most prized boxers – pound for pound sensation Manny Pacquiao and highly-rated welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto.
The stablemates (who are both promoted by Arum) have agreed to face each other on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at a catchweight of 145 pounds. In so doing, Top Rank has put together a fight whose gate receipts will border the ten million dollar mark, and which will hope to sell well north of half a million pay-per-views. Since the bout is only for one title and involves only one promotions company, Arum has just scored a major victory in securing what is almost certain to be the biggest PPV event of the fall.
The reason I will focus on economics in this particular piece (rest assured there will be numerous follow-ups of the boxing variety) is the scenario I will put forth for your reading pleasure:
Let’s say that gate receipts total 9 million dollars (as most sell-out fights at the MGM Grand do). And that, as per Bob Arum’s estimate, PPV numbers match the Hatton-Pacman fight at circa 900’000. The calculation is thus:
(54.99 * 900’000) + 9’000’000 = $ 58’491’000
For those of us who aren’t all that great with numbers, that borders sixty million dollars, of which Arum, being the sole promoter here, keeps somewhere between a quarter to a third. Let’s call it a decent 30%. That means roughly seventeen million, all for Top Rank Promotions!
Arum has yet to announce the exact purse split, but I’m willing to bet that it’s in the ballpark of 60:40 in favor of Pacman. That means that Pacquiao, whose career earnings are close to $50 million, will make close to 25 million, regardless of the result.
Notably, the fight will be for the WBO welterweight title, which means that 3% of the purse goes to the World Boxing Organization as a sanctioning fee. This, however, still leaves Cotto with about 15 million dollars – by far the biggest payday of his career!
A number of boxing enthusiasts and journalists will blast Pacman for turning his back on “Sugar” Shane Mosley and his offer to split the purse 60:40 and fight at 140 lbs. Not I – if only for the reason that both Pacman and Arum would have been worse off, from an economic standpoint, as well as a boxing one.
First and foremost, Mosley is not as great a draw as Cotto. The latter has a huge following in New York and is idolized by Puerto Ricans all over the world. “Sugar” is popular in L.A. but was never a major PPV attraction. Pacquiao – Mosley would not have sold more than three quarters of a million pay-per-views, and as such would only have yielded about fifty million dollars, of which Bob Arum would have kept 30% of 60% (the rest would have gone to Mosley and Golden Boy Promotions, who handles the fighter’s business). By the same calculation as above, Arum would have made ten million dollars – forty percent less than by throwing Cotto into the mix.
Additionally, Pacman’s belt would have been at risk, as would his pound-for-pound status against a highly dangerous and seemingly-ageless Mosley (who, admittedly, lost to Cotto but beat Margarito after the Tijuana Tornado had pummeled the Puerto-Rican star into submission).
Of all permutations, Arum could not have come out looking any better. Whether the same can be said for both of his fighters, we will not know until after November 14.
The stablemates (who are both promoted by Arum) have agreed to face each other on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at a catchweight of 145 pounds. In so doing, Top Rank has put together a fight whose gate receipts will border the ten million dollar mark, and which will hope to sell well north of half a million pay-per-views. Since the bout is only for one title and involves only one promotions company, Arum has just scored a major victory in securing what is almost certain to be the biggest PPV event of the fall.
The reason I will focus on economics in this particular piece (rest assured there will be numerous follow-ups of the boxing variety) is the scenario I will put forth for your reading pleasure:
Let’s say that gate receipts total 9 million dollars (as most sell-out fights at the MGM Grand do). And that, as per Bob Arum’s estimate, PPV numbers match the Hatton-Pacman fight at circa 900’000. The calculation is thus:
(54.99 * 900’000) + 9’000’000 = $ 58’491’000
For those of us who aren’t all that great with numbers, that borders sixty million dollars, of which Arum, being the sole promoter here, keeps somewhere between a quarter to a third. Let’s call it a decent 30%. That means roughly seventeen million, all for Top Rank Promotions!
Arum has yet to announce the exact purse split, but I’m willing to bet that it’s in the ballpark of 60:40 in favor of Pacman. That means that Pacquiao, whose career earnings are close to $50 million, will make close to 25 million, regardless of the result.
Notably, the fight will be for the WBO welterweight title, which means that 3% of the purse goes to the World Boxing Organization as a sanctioning fee. This, however, still leaves Cotto with about 15 million dollars – by far the biggest payday of his career!
A number of boxing enthusiasts and journalists will blast Pacman for turning his back on “Sugar” Shane Mosley and his offer to split the purse 60:40 and fight at 140 lbs. Not I – if only for the reason that both Pacman and Arum would have been worse off, from an economic standpoint, as well as a boxing one.
First and foremost, Mosley is not as great a draw as Cotto. The latter has a huge following in New York and is idolized by Puerto Ricans all over the world. “Sugar” is popular in L.A. but was never a major PPV attraction. Pacquiao – Mosley would not have sold more than three quarters of a million pay-per-views, and as such would only have yielded about fifty million dollars, of which Bob Arum would have kept 30% of 60% (the rest would have gone to Mosley and Golden Boy Promotions, who handles the fighter’s business). By the same calculation as above, Arum would have made ten million dollars – forty percent less than by throwing Cotto into the mix.
Additionally, Pacman’s belt would have been at risk, as would his pound-for-pound status against a highly dangerous and seemingly-ageless Mosley (who, admittedly, lost to Cotto but beat Margarito after the Tijuana Tornado had pummeled the Puerto-Rican star into submission).
Of all permutations, Arum could not have come out looking any better. Whether the same can be said for both of his fighters, we will not know until after November 14.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Amir Khan - a mere con no longer!
Amir Khan overcame the odds that threatened to derail his career ten months ago and made good on his promise to win a world title by outpointing Andreas Kotelnik over 12 rounds by scores of 118-111 (twice) and 120-108.
Khan emerged victorious by making good use of his fantastic hand speed, consistently firing off three-and-four-punch combinations through the guard of Kotelnik. The Brit also exhibited good footwork and lateral movement, frustrating the more experienced fighter and finding good angles from which to throw his own barrages.
Kotelnik attempted to stage a comeback in the later rounds, when Khan apparently began to run out of steam, but by then it was too little too late, as the Bolton-based fighter stuck to the high guard that has served him so well in the past three bouts, and shook off whatever shots managed to land through it.
The scorecards correctly indicate the British bomber's dominance; but credit also goes to Freddie Roach, who has masterminded the resurgence of Amir Khan by virtue of a totally revamped defence and a style that does not employ the overt aggressiveness that defined the 22-year-old early in his career.
The newly crowned WBA light welterweight champion, Khan, said that he will decide on his course of action over the coming weeks - although speculation is already rife that he is set to face Ricky Hatton in an all-British showdown, or else fight the un-retired Erik Morales. Certain bloggers (myself included) have been screaming for a Zab Judah match, provided that the latter gets by Matthew Hatton (Ricky's younger brother) this September.
On the undercard, Olympic middleweight gold-medallist James "Chunky" DeGale pummeled Ciaran Healey to a first-round stoppage en route to a third consecutive win to start his career, whilst former Olympian Billy Joe Saunders stopped Matt Scriven in two and Frankie Gavin beat Graham Fearn, also in tow rounds. All three youngsters are 3-0 and are tipped to become top contenders in their respective divisions.
Also on the undercard, Anthony Small pulled off an upset to beat Matthew Hall by eighth round KO for the vacant Commonwealth light middleweight title in an entertaining scrap. Anthony Small turned in the performance of his career, and will now be looking for fights on the international stage.
Whilst Small was celebrating, former cruiserweight world champion Enzo Maccarinelli was left to concede that his career may have come to an end, after getting comprehensively beaten for three rounds by unknown Denis Lebedev, before the ref mercifully called off the fight. Macca has now been KO'd in three of his last four fights, and the former WBO titleholder admits that he "doesn't have it anymore."
Khan emerged victorious by making good use of his fantastic hand speed, consistently firing off three-and-four-punch combinations through the guard of Kotelnik. The Brit also exhibited good footwork and lateral movement, frustrating the more experienced fighter and finding good angles from which to throw his own barrages.
Kotelnik attempted to stage a comeback in the later rounds, when Khan apparently began to run out of steam, but by then it was too little too late, as the Bolton-based fighter stuck to the high guard that has served him so well in the past three bouts, and shook off whatever shots managed to land through it.
The scorecards correctly indicate the British bomber's dominance; but credit also goes to Freddie Roach, who has masterminded the resurgence of Amir Khan by virtue of a totally revamped defence and a style that does not employ the overt aggressiveness that defined the 22-year-old early in his career.
The newly crowned WBA light welterweight champion, Khan, said that he will decide on his course of action over the coming weeks - although speculation is already rife that he is set to face Ricky Hatton in an all-British showdown, or else fight the un-retired Erik Morales. Certain bloggers (myself included) have been screaming for a Zab Judah match, provided that the latter gets by Matthew Hatton (Ricky's younger brother) this September.
On the undercard, Olympic middleweight gold-medallist James "Chunky" DeGale pummeled Ciaran Healey to a first-round stoppage en route to a third consecutive win to start his career, whilst former Olympian Billy Joe Saunders stopped Matt Scriven in two and Frankie Gavin beat Graham Fearn, also in tow rounds. All three youngsters are 3-0 and are tipped to become top contenders in their respective divisions.
Also on the undercard, Anthony Small pulled off an upset to beat Matthew Hall by eighth round KO for the vacant Commonwealth light middleweight title in an entertaining scrap. Anthony Small turned in the performance of his career, and will now be looking for fights on the international stage.
Whilst Small was celebrating, former cruiserweight world champion Enzo Maccarinelli was left to concede that his career may have come to an end, after getting comprehensively beaten for three rounds by unknown Denis Lebedev, before the ref mercifully called off the fight. Macca has now been KO'd in three of his last four fights, and the former WBO titleholder admits that he "doesn't have it anymore."
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Khan wins Kotelnik's WBA belt!
So - Amir Khan won a clear-cut unanimous decision - 120-108 and 118-112 (twice) and thus receives Kotelnik's WBA belt. It was a fairly easy night for the lad from Bolton, who used outstanding lateral movement, along with fluid combinations and a superior workrate to consistently frustrate the more experienced Ukrainian fighter.
Full analysis of the fight, as well as the undercard, coming soon!
Full analysis of the fight, as well as the undercard, coming soon!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Kotelnik vs. Khan - Preview
MATCH: Andreas Kotelnik (31-2-1, 13 KOs) vs. Amir Khan (20-1-0, 15 KOs).
DATE: Saturday, July 18 2009.
WEIGHT CLASS: Light welterweight, 140 lbs.
TITLES: Kotelnik's WBA belt.
LOCATION: M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK
TV INFO: Not televised in the USA, SkySports in the UK.
UNDERCARD:
Enzo Maccarinelli vs. Denis Lebedev
James DeGale vs. Ciaran Healey
Kotelnik's Advantages:
Kotelnik simply outdoes Khan in every department pertaining to experience and ring awareness. The Ukrainian-native has boxed 244 rounds in his career, compared to Khan's 82. Kotelnik holds notable wins over Marcos Maidana (an impressive feat, looking back on the Argentinian's defeat of highly-touted Victor Ortiz), talented William Gonzalez and then-undefeated Gavin Rees. He has a good set of whiskers, having never been KO'd, or even knocked down, in his career.
Whilst not heavy-handed, Kotelnik is accustomed to fighting 12 rounds, having done so nine times in his career, and has consistent force from beginning to end - increasing the probability that Khan will get caught by something at some point.
Arguably the greatest advantage that the Hamburg-based fighter will invoke on Saturday was best describbed by Junior Witter - who holds a unanimous decision win over Kotelnik - in an interview with ringtv.com last week: "Kotelnik is a very decepive fighter. He's easy to underestimate because there's nothing flashy about what he does, but ... he's solid all the way through!"
The type of grit that the Ukrainian displays is a potent weapon against any young, talented but inexperienced boxer - and, having been angered by his "underdog" status and the Brit's forward-looking nature, Kotelnik has promised to punish Khan severely come Saturday night. In truth, it wouldn't be a major upset if he did!
Kotelnik's Disadvantages:
A more cynical, glass-half-empty approach to Kotelnik's style and career is that he is neither strong, nor fast, nor particularly difficult to deal with. As orthodox a boxer as ever there was, the Ukrainian can be labeled as predictable and repetitive. He fails to pull the proverbial bunny out of the hat, which is almost always required when fighting champions.
Although well-rounded as a fighter, Kotelnik does not excel in any one area of the sport and can hence hold no significant advantage over Khan in any single area. Oh - and somebody's gotta mention it - the champ postponed the fight for three weeks due to suffering from toothache. As anyone who has ever had trouble in that area knows, a decent punch will hurt waaaaaay more if there's still any lingering effects. Let's hope - for Kotelnik's sake - that he has recovered fully.
Khan's Advantages:
Nobody can doubt that Khan is extremely talented. I think that he is considerably more advanced than either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Zab Judah were at his age - and that's saying something! The speed and accuracy of Khan's punches is awe-inspiring, and it has been on display every single time he has stepped in the ring - making it a virtual certainty that we will see it again on Saturday!
Also a powerful puncher, the Brit can inflict heavy damage on his opponents and make them even more vulnerable to his quick hands. Khan will have an advantage in both height and reach - three inches - and be the more nimble on his feet. Additionally, Khan's straight-up style is excellent from a defensive standpoint - I see Kotelnik having a hard time catching Khan with anything.
Besides the boxing factors, the Olympic silver-medalist will also have a vocal crowd cheering him forth and the best trainer that money can buy - Freddie Roach, who transformed Khan from a gifted-but-vulnerable contender into a solid fighter who is now widely tipped to win his first world title at the M.E.N. tomorrow night.
Khan's Disadvantages:
Breidis Prescott, anyone? The Columbian contender knocked Khan out in 54-seconds a mere ten months ago. True, Prescott could wobble a horse just by feigning a right, but accusations of a glass jaw have been haunting the Brit for a while. And they won't go away either - despite the fact that he took a couple of healthy shots from a bloodied Marco Antonio Barrera in his last outing; despite the fact that he reinvented his defense; despite the fact that he now tucks his chin in. Truth is, if Khan is nailed properly during the twelve-rounder we are likely to experience, he will lose.
Being inexperienced (remember those 82 pro rounds?) means that the Bolton-native will have a hard time adjusting, should he run into any difficulty. Roach will help, no doubt, but a question mark remains over Khan's versatility and courage in the face of adversity.
Outcome Prediction:
Call me crazy, or intuitive, or prophetic (not to be confused with pathetic). I think this one will go the distance, and I think it may be fairly close. Khan's speed and power will diminish slightly as the fight goes on, whilst Kotelnik will be fairly consistent, as has always been the case. The styles indicate that it will be a reasonably cautious fight, but I'm predicting that, between his God-given talent and top-notch corner, Khan will squeeze out a close decision, somewhere around 115-113.
Undercard Analysis:
As is almost always the case with Brits, they put on interesting undercards - often featuring popular up-and-comers, or already-accomplished fighters. This one, fortunately, includes both: the former in the form of James DeGale, Olympic gold-medalist, who is fighting professionally for only the third time, and the latter being Enzo Maccarinelli, former cruiserweight world champion, who is looking to rebound from a shock loss to Ola Afolabi earlier this year.
Enzo Maccarinelli (29-3-0, 22 KOs) vs. Denis Lebedev (17-0-0, 12 KOs)
Macca has shifted a lot of personal factors around since losing to Afolabi - he parted ways with Enzo Calzaghe and instead hired Karl Ince as his trainer, switching up a few things in his training camps in order to be better prepared to last the distance (he was ahead against Afolabi but ran out of steam). He is a former world champ, and is more experienced than his Russian counterpart.
Lebedev is not well-known, but apparently packs a huge punch. He has defeated a string of low-level competitors with ease, and is deemed ready to move up the ranks.
It is noteworthy that a defeat would set both men back a considerable distance - Maccarinelli may never recover from a third loss in four bouts, whilst Lebedev may be demoted from the "contender" ranks indefinitely, should he fail to dispatch the Welshman. Therefore, we should have an interesting scrap on our hands. My prediction is that Maccarinelli will emerge victorious in an easy unanimous decision.
James DeGale (2-0-0, 1 KO) vs. Ciaran Healey (10-10-1, 2 KOs):
Okay people - let's face it. DeGale isn't in for a tough test. It's odds-on that Healey couldn't knock me out, much less the middleweight Olympic-gold-medalist! DeGale faces a man with an even record in his second outing and is hoping to further polish his skills in front of a live audience. Despite my quip, Healey is actually a worthy gatekeeper, having fought many undefeated prospects in his time. He just won't have the answer to DeGale's mix of speed, power, and ring-smarts. DeGale by KO in round 2.
Yep - this marks the end of my second ever fight preview. I will, of course, be back with a post-fight analysis. In the meantime, I suggest you begin to follow the blog, or check me out on Twitter!
Boxing banter is always welcome at: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
DATE: Saturday, July 18 2009.
WEIGHT CLASS: Light welterweight, 140 lbs.
TITLES: Kotelnik's WBA belt.
LOCATION: M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK
TV INFO: Not televised in the USA, SkySports in the UK.
UNDERCARD:
Enzo Maccarinelli vs. Denis Lebedev
James DeGale vs. Ciaran Healey
Kotelnik's Advantages:
Kotelnik simply outdoes Khan in every department pertaining to experience and ring awareness. The Ukrainian-native has boxed 244 rounds in his career, compared to Khan's 82. Kotelnik holds notable wins over Marcos Maidana (an impressive feat, looking back on the Argentinian's defeat of highly-touted Victor Ortiz), talented William Gonzalez and then-undefeated Gavin Rees. He has a good set of whiskers, having never been KO'd, or even knocked down, in his career.
Whilst not heavy-handed, Kotelnik is accustomed to fighting 12 rounds, having done so nine times in his career, and has consistent force from beginning to end - increasing the probability that Khan will get caught by something at some point.
Arguably the greatest advantage that the Hamburg-based fighter will invoke on Saturday was best describbed by Junior Witter - who holds a unanimous decision win over Kotelnik - in an interview with ringtv.com last week: "Kotelnik is a very decepive fighter. He's easy to underestimate because there's nothing flashy about what he does, but ... he's solid all the way through!"
The type of grit that the Ukrainian displays is a potent weapon against any young, talented but inexperienced boxer - and, having been angered by his "underdog" status and the Brit's forward-looking nature, Kotelnik has promised to punish Khan severely come Saturday night. In truth, it wouldn't be a major upset if he did!
Kotelnik's Disadvantages:
A more cynical, glass-half-empty approach to Kotelnik's style and career is that he is neither strong, nor fast, nor particularly difficult to deal with. As orthodox a boxer as ever there was, the Ukrainian can be labeled as predictable and repetitive. He fails to pull the proverbial bunny out of the hat, which is almost always required when fighting champions.
Although well-rounded as a fighter, Kotelnik does not excel in any one area of the sport and can hence hold no significant advantage over Khan in any single area. Oh - and somebody's gotta mention it - the champ postponed the fight for three weeks due to suffering from toothache. As anyone who has ever had trouble in that area knows, a decent punch will hurt waaaaaay more if there's still any lingering effects. Let's hope - for Kotelnik's sake - that he has recovered fully.
Khan's Advantages:
Nobody can doubt that Khan is extremely talented. I think that he is considerably more advanced than either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Zab Judah were at his age - and that's saying something! The speed and accuracy of Khan's punches is awe-inspiring, and it has been on display every single time he has stepped in the ring - making it a virtual certainty that we will see it again on Saturday!
Also a powerful puncher, the Brit can inflict heavy damage on his opponents and make them even more vulnerable to his quick hands. Khan will have an advantage in both height and reach - three inches - and be the more nimble on his feet. Additionally, Khan's straight-up style is excellent from a defensive standpoint - I see Kotelnik having a hard time catching Khan with anything.
Besides the boxing factors, the Olympic silver-medalist will also have a vocal crowd cheering him forth and the best trainer that money can buy - Freddie Roach, who transformed Khan from a gifted-but-vulnerable contender into a solid fighter who is now widely tipped to win his first world title at the M.E.N. tomorrow night.
Khan's Disadvantages:
Breidis Prescott, anyone? The Columbian contender knocked Khan out in 54-seconds a mere ten months ago. True, Prescott could wobble a horse just by feigning a right, but accusations of a glass jaw have been haunting the Brit for a while. And they won't go away either - despite the fact that he took a couple of healthy shots from a bloodied Marco Antonio Barrera in his last outing; despite the fact that he reinvented his defense; despite the fact that he now tucks his chin in. Truth is, if Khan is nailed properly during the twelve-rounder we are likely to experience, he will lose.
Being inexperienced (remember those 82 pro rounds?) means that the Bolton-native will have a hard time adjusting, should he run into any difficulty. Roach will help, no doubt, but a question mark remains over Khan's versatility and courage in the face of adversity.
Outcome Prediction:
Call me crazy, or intuitive, or prophetic (not to be confused with pathetic). I think this one will go the distance, and I think it may be fairly close. Khan's speed and power will diminish slightly as the fight goes on, whilst Kotelnik will be fairly consistent, as has always been the case. The styles indicate that it will be a reasonably cautious fight, but I'm predicting that, between his God-given talent and top-notch corner, Khan will squeeze out a close decision, somewhere around 115-113.
Undercard Analysis:
As is almost always the case with Brits, they put on interesting undercards - often featuring popular up-and-comers, or already-accomplished fighters. This one, fortunately, includes both: the former in the form of James DeGale, Olympic gold-medalist, who is fighting professionally for only the third time, and the latter being Enzo Maccarinelli, former cruiserweight world champion, who is looking to rebound from a shock loss to Ola Afolabi earlier this year.
Enzo Maccarinelli (29-3-0, 22 KOs) vs. Denis Lebedev (17-0-0, 12 KOs)
Macca has shifted a lot of personal factors around since losing to Afolabi - he parted ways with Enzo Calzaghe and instead hired Karl Ince as his trainer, switching up a few things in his training camps in order to be better prepared to last the distance (he was ahead against Afolabi but ran out of steam). He is a former world champ, and is more experienced than his Russian counterpart.
Lebedev is not well-known, but apparently packs a huge punch. He has defeated a string of low-level competitors with ease, and is deemed ready to move up the ranks.
It is noteworthy that a defeat would set both men back a considerable distance - Maccarinelli may never recover from a third loss in four bouts, whilst Lebedev may be demoted from the "contender" ranks indefinitely, should he fail to dispatch the Welshman. Therefore, we should have an interesting scrap on our hands. My prediction is that Maccarinelli will emerge victorious in an easy unanimous decision.
James DeGale (2-0-0, 1 KO) vs. Ciaran Healey (10-10-1, 2 KOs):
Okay people - let's face it. DeGale isn't in for a tough test. It's odds-on that Healey couldn't knock me out, much less the middleweight Olympic-gold-medalist! DeGale faces a man with an even record in his second outing and is hoping to further polish his skills in front of a live audience. Despite my quip, Healey is actually a worthy gatekeeper, having fought many undefeated prospects in his time. He just won't have the answer to DeGale's mix of speed, power, and ring-smarts. DeGale by KO in round 2.
Yep - this marks the end of my second ever fight preview. I will, of course, be back with a post-fight analysis. In the meantime, I suggest you begin to follow the blog, or check me out on Twitter!
Boxing banter is always welcome at: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Andre Ward - Emerging Superstar
In a tournament involving the likes of Froch, Kessler, Abraham and Taylor, it is easy to overlook soft-spoken, quietly confident Andre Ward, despite an extensive amateur background (that includes a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics) and a hugely promising start to his pro career.
Dismissing him, however, is a grave mistake.
Going by the self-styled nickname of “Son of God” – S.O.G. for short – Ward has moved through the ranks at a brisk pace, following his decision to try his hand at professional boxing after his Olympic triumph.
In fact, in his first 19 fights, the Oakland native has only ever faced one boxer who did not boast a winning record. In his last seven bouts, five of which he won by KO/TKO, his opponents had a collective record of 147-14 – an impressive resume for the 25-year-old.
Despite all of this, Ward’s greatest weapon against the elite pugilists he will face is his work ethic; a recurring theme in all of the interviews that S.O.G. gives is his propensity to prepare diligently and to scrutinize every part of himself before he steps into the ring. Ward is likely to talk about being in the correct state of mind, in perfect physical shape and of possessing good knowledge of his opponent’s ways. He always says that the most important aspect of camp is to achieve a high level of stability that will enable him to perform on fight night.
I will gently remind you that we live in a world in which Chris Arreola does not fulfill his potential because he cannot control his weight, and James Kirkland throws away his career after being found in (illegal, parole-violating) possession of a gun – again. Ward’s stability spiel is more than a front he puts up: it’s the primary reason he has managed to cope well with fame, and make no significant mistakes in doing so.
Of course, this does not mean Ward is lacking in the technical department. He is prodigiously skilled and utilizes a deadly combination of speed and power to find and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He has outstanding ring generalship and is highly efficient in employing both established boxing fundamentals and an improvised, awkward-to-deal-with-style, as he proved to the world time and again in winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight category in Athens in 2004. To do so, he had to get past a collection of highly decorated opponents: reigning amateur world champ Evgeny Makarenko, former world champ Utkirbek Haydarov and future heavyweight Olympic medalist Clemente Russo.
The only challenge that Ward now has ahead of him is that of delivering the goods when it matters most and taking the necessary risks in order to win. Truth be told, Ward has never faced a significant challenge, nor has he had to cope with being an underdog or unforeseen adjustments during a fight. His first bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic will be against current WBA champ Mikkel Kessler – a perennial top-twenty pound-for-pound boxer. This calls for a versatility that Ward has not yet had a chance to exhibit, and may come to represent his first ever uphill battle. A win would give S.O.G. his first major belt and propel him to superstardom; a loss would not set him back considerably, but would provide a priceless learning experience.
The Oakland-native's promoter, Dan Goossen, head of Goossen-Tutor Promotions, insists that Andre Ward is the next big thing. We’ve seen he has the individual pieces needed to build himself into a dominating champ. Let’s see if he can put them together in his hour of need.
Dismissing him, however, is a grave mistake.
Going by the self-styled nickname of “Son of God” – S.O.G. for short – Ward has moved through the ranks at a brisk pace, following his decision to try his hand at professional boxing after his Olympic triumph.
In fact, in his first 19 fights, the Oakland native has only ever faced one boxer who did not boast a winning record. In his last seven bouts, five of which he won by KO/TKO, his opponents had a collective record of 147-14 – an impressive resume for the 25-year-old.
Despite all of this, Ward’s greatest weapon against the elite pugilists he will face is his work ethic; a recurring theme in all of the interviews that S.O.G. gives is his propensity to prepare diligently and to scrutinize every part of himself before he steps into the ring. Ward is likely to talk about being in the correct state of mind, in perfect physical shape and of possessing good knowledge of his opponent’s ways. He always says that the most important aspect of camp is to achieve a high level of stability that will enable him to perform on fight night.
I will gently remind you that we live in a world in which Chris Arreola does not fulfill his potential because he cannot control his weight, and James Kirkland throws away his career after being found in (illegal, parole-violating) possession of a gun – again. Ward’s stability spiel is more than a front he puts up: it’s the primary reason he has managed to cope well with fame, and make no significant mistakes in doing so.
Of course, this does not mean Ward is lacking in the technical department. He is prodigiously skilled and utilizes a deadly combination of speed and power to find and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He has outstanding ring generalship and is highly efficient in employing both established boxing fundamentals and an improvised, awkward-to-deal-with-style, as he proved to the world time and again in winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight category in Athens in 2004. To do so, he had to get past a collection of highly decorated opponents: reigning amateur world champ Evgeny Makarenko, former world champ Utkirbek Haydarov and future heavyweight Olympic medalist Clemente Russo.
The only challenge that Ward now has ahead of him is that of delivering the goods when it matters most and taking the necessary risks in order to win. Truth be told, Ward has never faced a significant challenge, nor has he had to cope with being an underdog or unforeseen adjustments during a fight. His first bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic will be against current WBA champ Mikkel Kessler – a perennial top-twenty pound-for-pound boxer. This calls for a versatility that Ward has not yet had a chance to exhibit, and may come to represent his first ever uphill battle. A win would give S.O.G. his first major belt and propel him to superstardom; a loss would not set him back considerably, but would provide a priceless learning experience.
The Oakland-native's promoter, Dan Goossen, head of Goossen-Tutor Promotions, insists that Andre Ward is the next big thing. We’ve seen he has the individual pieces needed to build himself into a dominating champ. Let’s see if he can put them together in his hour of need.
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