Cover Photo Credit- SN
Sources: Miller, set to face Joshua, fails drug test https://es.pn/2VPNdBQ
via @ESPN App http://es.pn/app
Tag: Jarrell Miller
Sweet Science Snippets
It’s been awhile, April of 2018 to be exact, since I last posted Sweet Science Snippets, formerly known as…Snippets On Arguably The Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science This Week.
I’m looking to get back to posting this feature regularly. For those that do read it, thank you and enjoy!
Check out some past Weekly Snippets and then scroll down for this week’s edition…..
Past Snippets…..
Snippets On Arguably The Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science This Week
This week’s Snippets….
Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite……
Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. (20-1-1, 12 KOs) brings a pillow to press conferences and in the ring that reads, “ZZZ Night Night”. The pillow is a prop to signify what he will do to his opponents….put them to sleep.
On Friday night, his past pillow actions almost went the way of a cautionary tale. He was dropped by challenger Giovanni Escaner (19-4, 12 KOs) at the end of the third round. It was a shot right on the nose that was more of a surprise and wake up call than anything else.
Greer went on to recover and stop Escaner by a wicked body shot in the eighth to extended his knockout streak to seven.
Vote Mikaela For Mayer!!!…Of The Ring
Mikaela Mayer (10-0 4 KO) did what she does best on Friday night….box beautifully and win. In a workmanlike effort, she took a unanimous decision over Yareli Larios,79-73, 78-74, and 80-72.
Larios was scrappy and just skilled enough to get under Mayer’s length early looking to land counter shots. Mayer is too skilled though and adjusted her approach after a few rounds and then began to impose her will en route to the win.
You know what you will get with Mayer, an excellent active jab which sets up everything, a powerful left hook, a disciplined body attack, overhand and straight rights, and a killer instinct. Ya, pretty much the whole package. Very well schooled.
If there was one area that she could benefit from, it would be to use her size and fight tall. There were many times in this fight where she fought small, allowing her shorter opponent to have some success.
One things for sure….can’t wait to see her again.
Look for her soon in Standing-8’s sequel to March 2017’s article- Million Dollar Ladies, The Resurgence of Women’s Boxing. https://standing-8.com/2017/03/27/million-dollar-ladies-the-resurgence-of-womens-boxing/
How’s The Weather Up There? En Fuego….
At 6’7, Sebastian “Towering Inferno” Fundora (12-0 8 KO) is not your typical super welterweight. In watching him Saturday night, I observed qualities rarely seen by a tall fighter. He covers his midsection well. The belly would be an area for a shorter fighter to exploit but Fundora uses his elbows well in protecting his core. As soon as he throws his punches, his arms move back defensively. No doubt, instinct that was ingrained in him early.
On Saturday night, he dusted Donnie Marshall (10-1 6 KO) in less than three rounds. He dropped Marshall with an uppercut and then unloaded a barrage of punches to force the stoppage after Marshall returned to his feet.
Does Fundora have things to work on? yes, but again he’s young and he can learn the things that will make him better. The positive here is that he already knows the things that are hard to learn. So, in that sense, he is well ahead at this point in his career.
A few more observations that jumped out at me.
- His ability to take a punch. Because of his height, most fighters will have to punch upwards which will take a bit of sting off of their assault as opposed to a fighter throwing shots at parallel or just above parallel rage.
- Bad intentions. He appears to have a mean streak and knows what to do with a hurt opponent.
Byrd Box
Channeling their inner Byrd scoring system, the judges for Omar Figueroa (28-0-1, 19 KOs) v. John Molina Jr. (30-8, 24 KOs) must have been told this before the fight….. “Under no circumstance are you allowed to take off your blindfold. If I find that you have, I will hurt you. Do you understand?”
Molina Jr. fought his ass off. His body of work clearly won the majority of the rounds. Figueroa did well in spots but it was clear that his layoff and ring rust were his demise.
Standing-8 had it 2-2 after 4, 3-3 after 6 and 6-4 Molina at the end. Yes, you can make a case for a draw if you gave the swing/close rounds to Figueroa or even a one or two point edge for him; however, the fact that the three judges gave Molina only 1, 2 and 3 rounds respectively is an outrage.
Molina clearly won more than 1-3 rounds. It took forever for the cards to be tallied and read and we all know what that means…. and they didn’t disappoint.
“If you hear something in the ring, you tell me. But you never ever take off your blindfold. If you look, you will die. Do you understand?”
It’s clear they did.
Leo The Lion
Featherweight champ Leo Santa Cruz (36-1-1 19 KO) did what he was supposed to do to a three week late replacement for the injured Miguel Flores, he dominated.
With his trademark body punching, Santa Cruz softened his game, tough opponent, Rafael Rivera (26-3-2 17 KO), early and often. He popped his straight right solidly and his defense was a bit sharper than I remember seeing from him in the past.
His trademark uppercuts were on full display and he backed up Rivera constantly, who clearly has an inability to work off his back foot. He was tailor-made for the champ.
Standing-8 scored the fight 119-109. Official cards, 119-109 X3.
Nuff said…
Back To the Gypsy That I Was….
Tyson Fury (27-0-1 19 KO) signed a co-promotional deal with Top Rank/ESPN on Monday under the watchful eye of promoter Frank Warren, Queensberry Promotions. Deal is contingent upon two fights a year.
Unclear now is the rematch with Deontay Wilder (40-0-1 39 KO). Wilder advisory, Al Haymon, the guy everyone wants to thank but is about as common a sighting as a Yeti, is a servant leader who would flourish in any business. He prefers to leave the spotlight to those that he leads.
It has been said that Haymon and other promotional companies have reportedly not played nice in the sandbox. Hopefully not another cold war….just when boxing, more specifically the heavies were heating up….say it isn’t so…
Playing the Dozens….AJ Dislikes Oxymorons
Anthony Joshua (22-0 21 KO) and Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (23-0-1 20 KO) will face each other on June 1 at Madison Square Garden. If the build up and the fight match today’s opening news conference, we are in for a wild ride.
Joshua and Miller did their best of “playing the dozens”.
You had “the push”, “your mama jokes”, bitch references, drug references, knockout threats, etc…
Good times…Keep is Classy San Die….uh, New York….
Sweet Science Snippets
GGG Sleeping Well, Not Having Nightmares
Inside the wrapper of a recently purchased chocolate bar, Vanes Martirosyan (36-3-1 21 KO) found a golden ticket. The ticket represents the opportunity of a lifetime for Martirosyan as this Saturday night he faces Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1 33 KO). Filling in on less than a month’s notice for the recently suspended Canelo Alvarez, Martirosyan is considered to be the sacrificial lamb that ensures the coveted Cinco De Mayo date was filled. Most do not believe that the Armenian born California-based Martirosyan has a chance and for good reason.
For starters, although Martirosyan has decent pop, he’s not a huge puncher and you had better be able to keep Golovkin honest or at least give him something to think about. Secondly, he is trained by Edmond Tarverdyan of Rhonda Rousey/MMA fame and when Rousey fought Holly Holm, a highly skilled former boxing champion, it was Holm’s boxing that set the tone for the KO of Rousey. Tarverdyan’s tutelage of Rousey in the sweet science for the Holm fight was not good. The same for Rousey’s fight with Amanda Nunes. It was said that Tarverdyan had trained with her to box more in the Nunes fight but Rousey was stopped in the first and had no answer for Nunes’ boxing.
Lastly, it will be a few weeks short of two years since Martirosyan last fought. He is a professional and a gym rat so no doubt he will be ready to go but we should expect a certain amount of ring rust. In the past, Martirosyan has shown fatigue during the second half of fights which may not bode well for him here.
Martirosyan has never been stopped and has only been down a few times during fights, coming back to win both. Kassim Ouma was one of the Martirosyan opponents who dropped him, the same Ouma who gave Golovkin pockets of difficulty before he was stopped.
If there is a silver lining here it is that Martirosyan can box. He is one of the most complete boxers in the game and very underrated , layoff notwithstanding. He had competitive distance fights with Erislandy Lara one loss, one draw, Jermell Charlo UD loss which some thought was much closer, and a Demetrius Andrade SD loss. The kid can flat-out box and gives his opponents trouble at random times throughout the fight.
Again, it is his lack of firepower that will be the difference. Martirosyan has a warrior’s mentality and will engage but unless he catches Golovkin with something significant, he will be in deep. Golovkin is adept at cutting off the ring and uses his jab well which should at least negate some of the boxing that the challenger will utilize. Once Golovkin figures out the timing of the slick Martirosyan, he will begin to land his power to the body and head and begin to systematically break down the underdog.
One thing’s for sure, Saturday nights venue, The StubHub Center never disappoints. That said, it should be good while it lasts. Golovkin by 7th Round TKO.
Gender Equality-This First Lady Is P4P Royalty, Gender Be Damned
Undefeated Unified Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (32-0 9 KO) has made twenty-two consecutive title defenses since capturing her first title in 2009. Kind of Mayweather like in her approach, Braekhus uses her jab extremely well to set up straight rights and her movement is some of the best I’ve seen. Her opponent this Saturday night is Providence Rhode Island’s Kali Reis (13-6-1 4 KO). Reis, a former campion enters having won six of seven, her only loss to highly touted champion Christina Hammer by UD.
Braekhus, the Columbian born Norwegian has longed for a defining fight in the US, as all but one of her fights have been abroad. Although the fight against Reis is not career defining, we know we are very excited to see her on HBO as part of the Golovkin-Martirosyan card.
Kudos to HBO for following Showtime’s recent move to make an effort to air coverage of women’s boxing. Understood that both have done so in the past but let’s hope it is sustainable this time around.
Speaking of women’s boxing, here is a link to Standing-8’s featured piece from last year on the topic- https://standing-8.com/2017/03/27/million-dollar-ladies-the-resurgence-of-womens-boxing/
Gender Equality-Gender Be Damned P4P Part 2-
Ireland’s Katie Taylor (9-0) achieved her goal of being a unified champion with a UD (99-91 98-92 and 99-91) over Victoria Burgos (18-5). She now holds both the WBA and IBF lightweight world titles.
Taylor used excellent movement and combination punching to bank rounds early but changed directions and began to exchange more in the later rounds.
Taylor is highly skilled and it is beautiful to watch her work her craft. Arguably the fastest hands with a killer left hook. We have not seen the best Taylor yet and as her opposition increases we will be in for a show.
HBO and Showtime- get Taylor on a card soon. Thank you.
Brownsville In The Hous….Brooklyn In The House
Danny Jacobs (34-2 29 KO) defeated Maciej Sulecki (26-1 10 KO) by UD (117-110, 116-111 and 115-112) in a tough, tough fight. Sulecki had some moments but Jacobs was more effective throughout culminating with his knockdown of Sulecki in the final round.
Jacobs is a throwback fighter in his approach and style. Every time I watch him, I want to put the broadcast in black and white, don a “Press” derby, light a cigar and start banging away on a Smith Corona.
After the fight, Jacobs stated, ”If Brooklyn wants Charlo, then Charlo it will be”, more specifically Jermall of the #LionsOnly twin siblings.
That would make for one hell of a fight.
For The Love Of The Game
On Saturday night, WBO World Junior Featherweight champion Jesse Magdelano, (25-1 18KO, and mandatory/interim WBO champion Isaac Dogboe, (19-0 13 KO) showed us again why we love this game.
A tough fight with both warriors showing incredible heart throughout. Although Dogboe stopped Magdelano in the eleventh and we saw the title change hands, there were no losers.
True warriors giving it all for the love of the game.
Bye-Bye A-Side, Bye Bye B-Side
Bryant Jennings (23-2, 13 KOs) has had opportunities in his career only to underachieve when the lights are the brightest, most notably the Klitschko and Ortiz fights. If he ever wants to reach that level again, he has to dispatch lower tier opponents. Even though he beat Joey Dawejko (19-5-4, 11 KOs), by UD 98-92 X3, he was unspectacular in doing so considering the opponent. I know Dawejko is a tough dude, but I need to see heavies making statements.
Anwser..An Oxymoron Or Paradox Nickname??
Question- What is Big Baby?
Jarrell Miller (21-0-1, 18 KOs) beat Johann Duhaupas (37-5, 24 KOs) by UD in a WBA world heavyweight title eliminator on Saturday night. Duhaupas is a gatekeeper nobody likes to face but they do it because they have to. After doing so, you’ll know you were in a fight. That said, I won’t go all Jennings on Miller but he should have gotten Duhaupas out of there.
For all the big man skills Miller has, he is technically flawed and when the quality of his opponents increase, the likelihood of them being exposed does as well. I can’t help but think he would be tailor-made for the tall heavies with the long reach. A stiff jab followed by power would be trouble for him.
Yo Riverside….I Did It…
Josesito Lopez (36-7, 19 KOs) turned back the clock and had one of his best wins in sometime beating Miguel Cruz’ (17-1, 11 KOs) by UD.
Fighting for the first time a few weeks over a year with new trainer Robert Garcia, Lopez used a relentless attack with excellent combination punching and committed body work.
Lopez is always in exciting fights and this performance should garner some attention.
MIKEY GARCIA OUTPOINTS ADRIEN BRONER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION IN SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN EVENTSATURDAY
MIKEY GARCIA OUTPOINTS ADRIEN BRONER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION IN SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME® FROM BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN
Jermall Charlo KO’s Jorge Sebastian Heiland in Four Rounds In SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Co-Feature
Catch The Replay Monday At 10:30 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME®
Click HERE for
Photos; Credit Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
Click HERE for Photos: Credit Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
BROOKLYN (July 30, 2017) – Three-division world champion Mikey Garcia kept his undefeated record intact with a dominant 12-round performance against four division world champion Adrien Broner in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, Saturday
on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.
In what could be considered one of the best performances of his career, Garcia (37-0, 30 KO’s) won a unanimous decision by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 twice.
“We trained for 10 weeks, we had a great training camp and great sparring, we knew it was going to be a tough fight,” Garcia said.
Garcia took the lead early on, showcasing fundamentally sound technique and backing Broner into the ropes midway through the second frame. A flurry of body shots put Broner in trouble in the second round. While Broner was able to stay on his feet, Garcia emerged with another round in his favor.
“I think I controlled the fight in the early rounds and I kept the activity up,” Garcia said. “Broner is a great fighter and he has great skills but I was the superior fighter tonight.”
Garcia showed a combination of jabs, power punches and body shots all night long. He cornered Broner on the ropes with a huge left hook halfway through the third frame, and backed him in to the ropes again with 39 seconds remaining in the round. While Broner showed some movement in the fourth round and hit Garcia with a succession of 1-2 combinations, Garcia’s bodywork kept Broner at bay.
“It was part of the strategy to be a little busier in this fight than in the fights I have previously had,” Garcia said.
Broner (33-3, 24 KOs) looked to get back in the fight as he started the eighth round with a succession of sharp combinations, however his lack of consistency couldn’t withstand Garcia’s phenomenal body shots and overall punch output. Through eight rounds, Garcia had thrown a total of 500 punches, while Broner had just thrown 291.
“It was a good fight at the end of the day, I come to fight I come to win and I put my heart on the line,” Broner said. “But
it was Tom & Jerry; I had to catch the mouse.”
Although Garcia had amassed an early lead from the first three-quarters of the fight, Broner continued to walk through heavy fire from Garcia in an attempt to connect with a big punch and change the tide of the fight. While he was able to ignite the crowd and land several big punches over the final three rounds, none of it proved to be enough to slow down Garcia.
“It was my timing, I’ve always said I have very good timing,” said Garcia. “It is underestimated when you are outside the ring but once you get inside the ring with me, I’m a step ahead.”
Undefeated Jermall Charlo (26-0, 20 KOs) made his debut at 160-pounds with a stoppage of Argentine contender
Jorge Sebastian Heiland (29-5-2, 16 KOs) in the co-featured event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING. The stoppage came at 2:13 of the fourth round after Charlo delivered a devastating left hook followed by a big right to end the fight.
Charlo, of Houston, Texas, dominated the pace from the beginning. He landed the sharper and more accurate punches throughout the fight, especially in the first round where he landed 50 percent
of his power shots to Heiland’s 13 percent. Charlo’s straight right was his power weapon throughout the contest.
“I felt good at this weight. I was in good shape all camp,” said Charlo. “I just had to keep my composure in the ring. That’s always something I have to work on and I was able to do it.
“After I dropped him the first time they said he fell on top of his ankle. That’s just part of the boxing game. I had to just stay consistent and get the work done.”
Heiland, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, had issues with his left leg after injuring his knee in the first round. His discomfort was clear in his awkward footwork and lack of power behind his punches. Referee Benjy Esteves had the doctor examine him twice throughout the fight, once before the third round and then again before the fourth.
“I turned my left knee in the first round, but I did not want to give up,” said Heiland. “I tried to give it my all, but it was not my night. I had bad luck but I am going to work harder than ever to get back and get another opportunity to achieve my dream and win a world title.”
Charlo stayed focused on his game plan despite seeing his opponent injured. “Sometimes the injury can be a decoy, you never want to just jump in and think it’s part of his game plan,” Charlo said.
“My coach told me to stay behind my jab like I did; continue to work and it’s going to come.”
With this win, Charlo becomes a mandatory challenger for the WBC Middleweight World Championship.
“I’m ready for anyone. I’m ready for whoever wants to fight me,” Charlo added. “Bring on the biggest names at 160. I’m the real Tommy Hearns. I feel it’s my turn and I’m going to go get it.”
Headlining the “SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Prelims,” heavyweight Jarrell Miller (19-0-1, 17 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., stopped former world title challenger Gerald Washington (18-2-1, 12 KOs) after eight-rounds.
Miller used his significant size advantage and effective power-punching to break down the former collegiate football player. Washington had some success early with his jab and body attack, but was not able to stay out of punching range of Miller
Washington surged in the sixth round with a series of power shots that staggered Miller, however the Brooklynite countered and further broke down Washington, who landed just 20% of his jabs overall.
Miller, who landed almost half of his power punches, continued the onslaught in the seventh and eight rounds, and while Washington was able to stay on his feet, he took enough punishment that his corner called the fight after the eighth round.
“I definitely felt the ring rust,” said Miller, who was making his third appearance on SHOWTIME. “Gerald was very tough. It was a very good fight that had me thinking. My power was there, but
I couldn’t put it together the way I wanted to today.
“I took the hard way back coming in off of a layoff. Gerald definitely pushed me and motivated me. I had to rely on my brain and my power.
“I knew there would be a give and take in this fight. It’s one thing to fight when you have stamina, it’s another to fight when you’re tired. I was trying to outthink him.”
In the opening bout of “SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Prelims” on Facebook Live, Irish sensation Katie Taylor (6-0, 4 KOs) stopped Jasmine Clarkson (4-9) after three rounds of action in the latter fighter’s U.S. debut.
The Olympic Gold medalist was dominant from the outset, stalking her opponent around the ring and consistently trapping her in the corner. Taylor was effective with both hands and did most of her work to the head of Clarkson. After three rounds of damage, Clarkson’s corner stopped the bout and gave Taylor her first stateside win as a pro.
“It was a fantastic experience being my first time competing here in the U.S,” said Taylor. “There were definitely some nerves before the fight. It was great to go in there and get a stoppage.
“I hope that I made some fans tonight. I loved hearing the Irish fans in the crowd. I hope that there will be even more next time I fight here. The more fights I have here in the U.S. the better.
“I thought I performed pretty well. I definitely got caught with a few silly shots. I could have been cleaner but overall it was a good performance. I felt good and strong. I’ll be ready to get back in there as soon as possible.”
Additional action saw former world champion Rau’shee Warren (15-2, 4 KOs) earn a unanimous decision victory over former champion McJoe Arroyo (17-2, 8 KOs) and became the mandatory challenger for the IBF Junior Bantamweight World Title.
Warren attacked the body throughout the bout and landed the cleaner, more effective punches over the 12-round contest. The judges concurred and gave him the decision by scores of 118-10 and 117-111 twice.
“I would give myself a B+ for that performance,” said Warren. “I wanted to make sure to use my jab and I felt like it really helped me win the fight.
“I feel really good at this weight. Now it’s time for me to go get a strap. I haven’t been at this weight since the Olympics. I want to get these titles and then go down to 112 pounds for another title. First I want to take care of Jerwin Ancajas.”
Saturday’s fights will replay on Sunday, July 30 at 8:35 a.m. ET on SHOWTIME and on Monday, July 31 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME on DEMAND® and SHOWTIME
ANYTIME®
Intriguing Matchups, Rising Stars, Debuts and Returns, All On Tap This Weekend
I am intrigued………
Mikey Garcia v. Adrien Broner
This will be Garcia’s (36-0 30 KO) first fight at 140 but I’m more intrigued by the matchup than his debut. Broner is a four-time world champion in four different weight classes, Garcia a three-time world champion in three weight classes.
Garcia and Broner (33-2 24 KO) should be boxing at its best. Two highly skilled warriors in a chess match, one looking for the other to make a mistake. I favor Broner’s speed and boxing here; however, he can be countered and that is the one area that Garcia will look to exploit.
In their last fights, Garcia dispatched the highly regarded Dejan Zlaticanin in three rounds, while an injured Broner (Hand injury in Round 1) won a split decision over the tough as nails Adrian Granados.
Broner had issues at 147 and has never lost at 140. Both men have good chins and can box or punch. If Broner comes in “About Boxing” and not “About Billions”, he can do the things that he does to control the fight. If not, Garcia will exploit his weaknesses to capture the win.
Prediction I’ve liked what I have seen from Broner in his training and the build up, thus a very slight edge to Broner in this one.
Jarrell Miller v. Gerald Washington
Jarrell Miller- Photo Credit-Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
An interesting one here in the bigs. Miller (18-0-1 16 KO) is a tank but will give up the height and reach to the gargantuan Washington (18-1-1 12 KO). I favor Miller’s skill set and believe he can chop down the tree but he can be hit as evident in his matchup with the undersized Donovan Dennis.
The question is, can Washington, who was stopped by Deontay Wilder in February, exploit his advantages? Against Wilder, Washington won a few rounds and did some good work before being stopped but couldn’t sustain his effort. If he can stay committed to popping his jab in Miller’s face to set up some power, he can be successful. If he continues to make Miller reset his attack, he can decrease the chances of being caught by the charging Miller.
We know what we will get from the pugilist with the oxymoronic nickname (Big Baby). Miller will look to move forward at all times and knock Washington’s block off. He’ll need to navigate Washington’s length to be successful.
Prediction As the adage goes, a good big man beats a good little man; however, in this instance, Miller isn’t exactly little. I’ve not seen enough from Washington in his fights to be convinced here. Miller by stoppage.
Rising Stars-
Katie Taylor v. Jasmine Clarkson
Katie Taylor- Photo Credit- Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
Taylor (5-0 3 KO) has plenty of intrigue surrounding her, will be fighting for the first time as a professional across the pond thus making her US debut, but we like her best as a rising star.
Taylor will face Clarkson (4-8) as she continues her rise in the sport. Taylor’s skill set is exceptional. She is a relentless come forward fighter who throws tight combinations, works the body, and has power in both hands.
We’re excited for women’s boxing and Taylor is a big reason why.
Prediction- Taylor by UD
Debut-
Jermall Charlo v. Jorge Sebastian Heiland
Jermall Charlo- Photo Credit-Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
Charlo (25-0 19 KO) moves up and makes his debut at 160 against Heiland (29-4-2 16 KO). Heiland does have a KO over Matthew Macklin on his resume and has stopped seven of eight opponents since 2013 but Charlo is unlike any opponent he has faced.
The Texas native is a relentless fighter with bad intentions. A junk yard dog that will hurt you if you make a mistake. If you chose to stay away from his assault, he will out box you while still looking for the fight ending blow.
Prediction- Charlo by stoppage.
Returns-
Carl Frampton v. Andres Gutierrez
The Jackal is back and this time he is facing a Jaguar. After splitting fights with Leo Santa Cruz, Frampton (23-1 14 KO) is back to face Gutierrez (35-1-1 25 KO).
Gutierrez is no gimme, this kid can box and he can punch. Frampton excels when working on the inside which will be key here if Frampton looks to offset Gutierrez’s 5″ reach.
It will be interesting to see how Frampton will respond entering the ring his first time coming off of a loss. He will surely be energized by fighting again in his beloved Ireland, his first time fighting there since 2015.
Prediction- Gutierrez is going to give Frampton hell and may even drop him but the battle tested warrior will win a hard-fought decision. Frampton by MD.
Victor Ortiz v. Saul Corral
Victor Ortiz- Photo Credit Andre Turner II/Ringstar Sports
We’ve been here before with Oritz. He says all the right things, he’s learned, he’s back, he’s committed this time, etc… Again for this fight he has done the same. We’ll find out on Sunday.
Corral (25-9 16 KO) has been very active in 2017 as he was in 2016. This will be Corral’s tenth fight since the begining of 2016. He is 6-3 in those fights, losing to very good competition in Josesito Lopez, Sadam Ali, and Mike Alvarado.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ortiz. Issues outside of the ring and a desire to continue in the sport have seen Ortiz only fight seven times in six years. His was stopped in his last fight by Andre Berto in April of 2016.
Prediction- There is a lot to be said about activity and inactivity in the ring. All the signs point to Ortiz here but we’ll go with the upset . Although Corral has lost when he steps up in competition, time looks to be different.
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Standing-8 