Category: Preview + Prediction

Linares vs Cambell – Preview and Prediction

This weekend any fan of the technical side of boxing will be in for a real treat as Jorge Linares takes on Luke Campbell for the WBA Lightweight , WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine titles in California which will be shown on Sky Sports .

Now any fan of the page will know I am a massive fan of Jorge Linares as Linares is an absolute joy to watch . His speed , quick footwork , volume of punches and power makes him one of the best offensive boxers in the sport today . Linares in his last two fights took Anthony Crolla apart , and everybody knows how tough an opponent Crolla is  . In those fights you seen what Linares does best , using his lighting quick speed and reflexes ,he took Crolla to Skool . I first became aware of Linares when he got up off the canvas to put in a fantastic performance against Kevin Mitchell ,stopping the Englishman after a slow start . As I said Linares is one of the best Offensive boxers in the world , but their are flaws in his game . Anytime we have seen Linares look unsettled and pick L’s is when things get a bit rough and dirty , its also claimed Linares is a bleeder which I don’t really agree with but what I would say is anytime he has bled he doesn’t handle it well .


Luke Campbell is a Gold Medal Olympian who had a very good amateur career , but as is so often the case with good ameaturs I feel he has struggled to utilise his skill set to become a top pro . That being said Luke Campbell is a very compitient boxer , who does move well and has a decent jab to work behind . Since Campbell lost to Mendy the hype behind  him has slowed down a bit , as Mendy took Campbell to a place he never been and Campbell did not handle it well at all . Slowly Luke Cambell has been working back from that loss which has seen Campbell earn this shot at Linares through merit , who knows maybe putting Campbell in with Linares will finally see Campbell step up and fulfil his potential .

prediction :

As you probably already know from reading the above , i can only see this going one way . Jorge Linares is just to good for Luke Cambell and come fight night it will show . I’m not saying Linares is unbeatable what I am saying is Cambell just doesn’t have the skill set to beat him . Campbell’s only hope is to drag Linares into a dog fight and anybody who knows Cambell knows that’s not the kind of fighter he is . I think Linares will stop Cambell anytime after the sixth , the way in which Cambell fights is made for Linares . My advice to anyone who hasn’t seen Jorge Linares box before is to make sure you set a reminder on your TV , it really is a joy to watch this technician at work .

Steven Donnell

 

 

 

Sweet and Sour ….GGG vs Canelo Review

So what a weekend of action and  controversy , yet again it was things outside the ring that stole the show in Las Vegas .

GGG vs Canelo at T-Mobile Arena ,LV

This was the fight that all boxing fans have been dreaming about for the past 2 years and my god it delivered . From the very get go in this fight you could see that these two had styles that would put together and make a fight . Early doors you could feel the tension, and for the first couple of rounds at least the underdog Canelo just looked to be that bit quicker on his feet and to the punch but without landing anything to significant . Canelo definitely looked the more fluent of the two but in the third round that changed , GGG started upping the pace and although i thought Canelo won the round he wasn’t getting a break between exchanges , GGG was certainly making Canelo throw more and testing that gas tank . Into the fourth i had it 2-1 Canelo (scoring on my fourth time watching it due to excessive alcohol consumption) but GGG really started to get the jab going, he also cut the ring off very well stopping Canelo moving ,trapping him on the ropes but instead of opening up , GGG was patient , not giving Canelo a chance to counter any big shots, instead choosing to keep Canelo on the of his jab .

The story was pretty much the same for the next couple of rounds . Now anybody that follows me twitter will see i have a go at Abel Sanchez quite lot , but on Saturday night Sanchez was fantastic, When he was telling GGG to fight for  the full 3 min of a round and to stop letting Canelo have a break on the ropes, his advice was to get Canelo on the ropes and keep him there making him work every second . Going into the seventh round i had it all square, Canelo showing superb work and skill off the ropes in the Sixth but it really was a hard round to score and GGG’s work rate was really starting to have an affect on Canelo . For the next two rounds GGG’s jab just took him to another level , what a weapon to have your disposal and it was making the Mexican have to think constantly .As Canelo was starting to slow down , GGG was finding the mark a lot  more regular with his jab. Canelo on the other hand was looking to load up in rounds seven and eight and apart from a lovely uppercut ,he just didnt have an answer to that GGG jab .

Now the Ninth for me was the most interesting round ,it was like Canelo could see the fight getting away from him and decided to try and turn up it . Coming out at the start Canelo was doing a lot of shoe shinning but again that GGG jab was grinding him down, that was until Canelo timed GGG coming in and caught him with a monster of a overhand right, and to GGG credit he didn’t even blink before charging forward again . This round for me stopped the rot for Canelo but it was very close as GGG jab was a constant factor, so i can see an argument for both winning this round . The tenth was more of the same, Canelo maybe landing flashier shots but that GGG jab was constant throughout the fight .

In the eleventh round Canelo really surprised everyone, he came out like a guy knowing he needed these last two rounds to keep it close, and for the first time in 5 rounds he was outworking GGG , maybe not catching clean but definetly catching the eye . The twelth round was pretty much the same with Canelo knowing he needed the round he came out to take it . What we must say is that Canelo was throwing what he had left at the older GGG , yet GGG looked like he could do another twelve rounds , this man is a machine .

As the fight ends i have GGG winning 7-5 (canelo rounds 2,3,5(sr),11,12)(GGG rounds 1(sr),4,6,7,8,9,10(sr) , this fight was superb, the skill on show was unreal , both showed they are made of something special but GGG’s work rate was Canelos undoing and the diffrence between the two …….So then comes the first scorecard “Byrd scores it 118-110 Canelo” ……Oh my fucking god , the biggest fight in years by two warriors and this happens AGAIN . The other two judges cards (Moretti 115-113 and Trella 114-114 )i don’t really have a problem with , but that Byrd card is down right corruption , there is no other word for it , its an embressment to the sport .

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Due to the way this battle ended the fight itself has been forgotten , i think Canelo proved a lot of people wrong as did GGG . I thought maybe age would have caught up with GGG , and in some ways it has but anybody who can fight with that intensity and have that jab can still do great things in this sport . As for Canelo his defence and counter punching was a thing of beauty, also he managed his gas tank well to have enough left for a late flurry , we just didn’t see enough over the twelve rounds for me to give Canelo the win . That 118-110 score card has robbed Canelo of any credit in this fight, it has also robbed the fans who’s paid a lot of money out of any legitmacy in this result . This result will damage Canelo’s reputation and if he doesn’t get back in the ring soon for the rematch i don’t think it will ever recover .

Steven Donnell

GGG vs Canelo – Preview and Prediction

This weekend we have the biggest fight in years when GGG takes on Canelo Alvarez to see who is “The King of the Middleweights” . This fight has been what the promoters call “marinating” for 2 years to long now ,but hey lets not get hung up on that now and just enjoy these two superstars putting on a show which i think is guaranteed to deliver .

What can be said about GGG that hasn’t already been said over the years. Here is a guy who has the best jab in boxing for me, and if HBO are to be believed it is also the most accurate jab in boxing . GGG’s high KO ratio means very rarely do people actually comment on his jab, but come Saturday night this weapon could be the tool that see’s Canelo come unstuck . Another of GGG’s best talents hidden away behind that KO ratio is the way he can cut off the ring, manoeuvring his opponents into a corner until there is nowhere to run ,leaving him free to open you up with his power shots . Galovkin does have flaws tho, as we seen against Danny Jacobs he is willing to let opponents land taking advantage of that granite chin, but eventually that will give out . It also looked against Jacobs as if GGG was that half a step slower, and maybe his hunger and intensity not what it was a couple of years ago .

Saul Canelo Alvarez is the Mexican poster boy and pretty much the biggest star in world boxing . After turning pro at just 16 years old he has alway been tipped for superstardom , but after taking the Vacant WBC Middleweight title by beating Cotto at a catchweight a few years ago ,this GGG fight has been a thorn in his side , aswell as a stain on his legacy up until now . Now Canelo is up at Middleweight , and looks to have filled out in all the right places . Canelo’s main strength is his counter punching, which could very well be tailor made for GGG . The way in which Canelo covers up teams up perfectly with his well timed counters, which could see GGG frustrated and see his cool facade tested .

Prediction: 

I am going to go agaisnt grain here and say Canelo is just going to sneak this fight on the cards . I think Team Canelo have stood there ground and let time take its toll on GGG ever so slightly . If GGG can work Canelo’s body early there is every chance Canelo might very well be stopped , but i think Canelo will counter those shots early and take them off the table . Earlier i said GGG has the best jab in boxing but what i didn’t mention is how Canelo pivots ready to pounce with power on any lazy jabs left out there, it really could be the Kryptonite to that fantastic jab . All in all this fight is going to be one for the history books and for any boxing fan worth there salt , this is a MUST SEE .

Steven Donnell

Preview + Prediction Huck/Usyk and Gonzalez/Rungvisai

What a way to get rid of the sour taste the McGregor/Mayweather fight left in our mouths  ,instead of having a freakshow forced down our throats , this Saturday night is a night all fight fans should be going crazy for . On both sides of the Atlantic boxing fans will be in for a night of action packed drama , and I’m even going to predict we will see “2017 Fight of The Year” .

Usyk vs Huck (WBSS Cruiserweight’s)

Lets start with the highly anticipated WBSS match up between Olaksander Usyk and Marco Huck in Berlin , a show which DJayBoxing will be attending. This tournament since it was announced had a special feel to it , and with some of the names on show i am confident we are going to have some special nights over the coming months .

Marco Huck is one of those boxers who doesn’t do any one thing brilliantly but does all things well , and when you team that with fact that he’s as hard as an old East German car ,the former world champion still has the ability to to cause anyone problems. His style of just walking opponents down, bullying them ,roughing them up and wearing them down has worked well for him over the years , making him very popular among fans as his fights are usually exciting .

What can be said about Usyk thats not already been said . Coming into the WBSS as favourite and No1 seed , Usyk has picked Huck for one reason ….to make a statement . Usyk has came to the pros from a very successful Ukrainian  team after being a top class amateur , a lot like Vayl Lomachenko , and like Lomachenko he has had no problem adapting to the pros . Although Usyk might not have that fearce one punch power, he has superb footwork and a work rate that Marco Huck will struggle to keep up with .

Prediction: I can only see one winner here and that is Oleksander Usyk, Usyk is getting Huck at the right time for me. Huck will no doubt have his successes in the fight early doors but he will fade fast. i think the safe money goes on Usyk by very wide UD , but to make that statement i spoke about we might see Usyk stop Huck late .

Roman Choclatito Gonzalez vsSor Rungvisai II

Back in March we seen the remarkable first instalment of this fight, a fight which seen P4P superstar Roman Choclatito Gonzalez 46 fight unbeaten run come to an end when he came up against this very tough Thai Sor Rungvisai . The fight itself was an amazing specticle which for me showed why Gonzalez really is elite level . Knocked down early and cut badly by repeated headbutts , Roman was really under the cosh but where so many would have struggled and failed ,Roman recomposed and really took the Rungvisai to skool at times in the second half of the fight , for me Gonzalez done enough to win but it really was to close call .

Now i have to admit Sor Rungvisai was totally unknown to me before this fight , but my god this guy can fight . Like most Thai’s this guy has heart with really heavy hands , early in the last fight i think Gonzalez was really shocked by his power . Rungvisai is also rough and proved in the last fight he is not shy useing his head , a tactic surly the ref will be looking to make sure is not a feature in this fight . Coming in as a deserved champion if Rungvisai can pull this off again, i dare anyone to leave him out there top 10 P4P list .

Prediction: My god this is a hard fight to pick, on one hand i think Roman had Rungvisi worked out in the second half of the first fight and will take that into this fight , on the other hand every fighters time comes to an end and Rungvasi might just be that bridge to far for Gonzalez……..On this occasion i am going to go with my heart and pick Roman Gonzalez , and although i can’t say that with to much confidence he will win , what i can say is that we are in for another classic battle .

Also watch out for Cudras/Estrada also on the Superfly Card , Which will be shown on Sky Sports 

Steven Donnell