Oscar Leon – Stop me if you heard this one before… “He is a power-punching Colombian who magically loses all punching prowess outside of his native country’s borders.” That is being a bit rough on Leon, as he has knocked out three opponents outside of Colombia, but he has also suffered every one of his defeats on foreign soil. The 36-year-old has also lost eight of his last nine fights, seven of which have come via stoppage. Let’s give Leon credit for facing very good opposition in those nine bouts but the southpaw is certainly not holding his own on the defensive end. Last year, Leon scored a surprising decision win over prospect Ira Terry, knocking Terry down to win a majority decision. In his prime, Leon was a mover who had good power in either hand, setting up stoppages as much with thought as thunder. Even back then, he lost to good opposition and only a victory over hot-and-cold John Michael Johnson stands out as impressive. I have not seen recent footage of Leon, but fight reports cite a decline in speed and movement that was once his forte. Leon used to move his head and display some good upper body movement but lack of reflexes can no longer get him out of the way of faster opponents. On offense, his power is also gone since he was his best at featherweight and is now facing junior welters. You know the old boxing axiom that the last thing to go on a fighter is his power; well, Leon has not kayoed a foe since 2005.
Pablo Cano – Golden Boy Promotions has been making moves into Mexico, signing some of their talented prospects before they make a name for themselves on that tough boxing circuit. Cano might be the most obvious example of this and is a fighter people on both sides of the border are envisioning as a future lightweight champion. Has one pro fight for each of his 19 years of age, turning pro at age 16 and has still managed to score 15 stoppages against mostly grown men. Keep an eye on his right hand; it has a thrilling combination of natural power, straightness, and accuracy. Fights about five times a year to maintain that accuracy but the level of opposition starts to get better with Leon tonight. Cano showed a lot of grit when he traveled to Colombia and knocked down touted local boy Fabian Marimon, late in the fight to earn a split decision win. Cano still comes at opponents too straight but his power and underrated speed rip openings on foes who see it coming but do not have the strength or skills to deal with him. I would not say Cano is a “natural,” but he is doing things instinctually now that more seasoned pros work at perfecting. Should go to the body more but because only one stoppage has come past the third round, he has not had to set up most victories. Been eight rounds without stamina problems and the volume did not dip noticeably late. Defense has not been tested much to date but absorbed some good punches from Marimon without hesitating to throw back. I still want to see if his feet are up to fighting guys who can dance but, to date, Cano has delivered what has been promised of him.
Verdict – As usual, with Golden Boy’s Telefutura card, only the headline attraction was well thought out and, a couple days before the event, the opponent for the supporting bout was still unnamed. In the main event, the one thing Leon has is experience but, unfortunately, all of that experience has been at losing for the majority of the last five years. I cannot see a reversal of that stat against a young, motivated, and powerful foe who will be making his U.S. TV debut. I do like that Golden Boy is feeding Cano a once well-versed mover since that is a style he has not seen much of, to date. This is Cano getting a slow-motion version of what he will face down the road and his stoppage victory will be played in slow-motion before the fourth round ends.
Saturday, June 26th
At The Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
(PPV) Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (41-0-1) vs. John Duddy (29-1)
(PPV) Marco Antonio Barrera (65-7) vs. Adailton DeJesus (26-4)
(PPV) Raul Martinez (26-1) vs. Gabriel Elizondo (22-3-1)
(PPV) Salvador Sanchez (19-3-2) vs. Tomas Villa (22-7-4)
Tomas Villa – My kind of fighter. The Mexican battler only won two of his first six fights as a pro but overcame that with a fantastic work ethic and learning from the losses. My favorite boxer to emerge from the defunct “Solo Boxeo” shows on Telefutura, which made him a minor cult star. Looks deceptively like a limited brawler who swings away until his opponents fall from exhaustion. What Villa does is slowly chip away at defenses until spotting large enough gaps to storm through. Once he has the advantage, Villa overwhelms opponents with pressure that consists of well-chosen combinations. Works everything off a solid jab and stays in striking distance with clever movement. His battle with Rogers Mtagwa in 2008 was “Fight of the Year” quality and he was in a similar shootout before knocking out then-undefeated prospect Cuauhtemoc Vargas. In a fight previous to that, Villa handed similarly-touted prospect David Martinez his first loss and neither boxer recovered to win a fight against a good foe since. I compare Villa to a short-armed Manuel Medina but don’t think he can match the longevity of that unique champion. I was surprised to see he is still only 26 years old but the sacrificial way in which he competes has surely aged Villa beyond that. Was wise to let his body recuperate and only fight twice since the Mtagwa war and looked good shaking off the rust to best rugged Juan Ruiz two months ago. Not an exceptional boxer or counterpuncher, Villa excels by mixing volume with better-than-average power and good hand speed. That speed is reduced a little by the way Villa loops punches when mixing it up and his defense has cost him in the Mtagwa fight and against Miguel Garcia. In Garcia loss, Villa was bum-rushed and knocked out in one round and I am not sure if that is a sign of what is to come or an anomaly. Villa is an exciting TV fighter who gives fans their money’s worth every time out.
Salvador Sanchez – Do not adjust your TV; this is FOX Sports and not ESPN Classic. The first obvious with Sanchez is his legendary name which brings back memories of the late great Salvador Sanchez, who tragically died in his fighting prime. Yes, this Sanchez is related to the original Sanchez; he is a nephew who I have to say looks like the original with his curly thick hair and peppy boxing style. His manager Grant Elvis Phillips even gave him trunks that the original Salvador wore in fights back in the 1980s since the pair would have been the same size. This Sanchez will never live up to his Hall of Fame namesake but Top Rank have made a media push with Sanchez and are giving him air dates usually reserved for boxers with more pristine records. Sanchez was discouraged from boxing by his parents and lost his first two pro fights after turning pro at age 20. Did not quit and, looking on his career to date, I can’t say he lost to an inferior boxer. The problem is that Sanchez has not defeated a fighter who could be considered on his level either. Fed an easy schedule since arriving in America in 2009 which makes sense since Sanchez only had nine amateur bouts and is learning on the fly in front of a curious audience. This is his first American TV appearance. Now, this Sanchez is nowhere near his uncle, in terms of skill; no one fighting today is but it is obvious Sanchez is trying to mimic the movements and fluidity of his relative. That is an impossible feat. The hesitation and lack of countering skills Sanchez has makes him less of a fighter because Sanchez is trying to be something he is not. I will admit this Sanchez bounces around the ring just like his uncle; it is uncanny to watch. He is getting away with this against lower-level opposition but how long can they put him on TV against no-hope opposition?
Verdict – I am picking an upset to start off the telecast. Team Sanchez saw Villa’s last fight and probably saw a shot force who has been in too many wars. I believe Villa still has some fight left in him and is the type of volume puncher who will get to a Sanchez who bounces too much on his toes between punches. Look for Villa to untrack Sanchez early, stunning the youngster who has never been in the ring with a solid pro. I am not even sure Sanchez has the wherewithal to last the distance? Either way, I am picking Villa to win this fight.
Gabriel Elizondo – Slick 30-year-old was a very talented amateur beating the likes of pro champions Wladimir Sidorenko, Daniel Ponce De Leon, and Julio Diaz. Lost out on an Olympic qualification when Jose Navarro edged him out and, to tell the truth, Elizondo might have peaked in the amateurs. Has been a pro for ten years now but was put in deep waters too soon and suffered a devastating stoppage (knocked down four times) at the hands of Jhonny Gonzalez. Insult was added to injury when amateur rival Navarro again edged Elizondo out in the pros, winning a split decision that most had scored for Navarro more decisively. Is a San Antonio guy who came out of Tony Ayala Sr.’s famous gym so it is a bit surprising that power was never cultivated more in Elizondo. Only has a 38% kayo ratio because of constant movement and rapid-fire combinations that do not allow him to plant his feet or sit down on his punches more. That worked well in the amateurs where accuracy and distance were key but Elizondo found himself bullied against elite pros and hittable as his reflexes slowed. Has only fought three times since 2006 and last entered the ring ago one year ago, drawing with a 5-14-2 opponent. In fact, Elizondo has not won a fight in four years but should be given credit for maintaining his weight for all that time. Elizondo is a textbook boxer who never seemed to adjust to the pro game at the highest level; maybe facing a fellow San Antonian will give him the mental edge to overcome that.
Raul Martinez: It is sink-or-swim time for Martinez. He is a two-time American flyweight champion in the amateurs with a 70-20-1 record who has raced to a 24-0 start in just over four years under the promotional guidance of Top Rank (after splitting with Main Events). Martinez was considered the best prospect to come out of San Antonio since Robert Quiroga and he exhibits a nice combination of hand speed and intelligent ring movement. He is a boxer, first and foremost, whose rapid combination punches befit his nickname of “The Cobra.” Martinez began his career with a string of kayos (a 55% kayo ratio is flattering) but his impressive stoppage of Victor Proa in his last fight was something of a mirage. His skills have kept him from being severely tested, to this point of his career, even though he showed composure in climbing off the canvas in his fifth pro fight and in the first round of his fight against Ilido Julio. In that bout, Martinez displayed an aggressive streak by going for and getting a stoppage victory in the final round. He also exhibited poise in dealing with a flow of blood from a cut just below the hairline and swelling around his right eye. Otherwise, Martinez had not been pushed hard nor made to dig deep by opponents or circumstances until he met champion Nonito Donaire in the Philippines, who landed a huge uppercut in the first round of their fight from which Martinez never really recovered. Since that fourth round kayo loss, Martinez registered two wins against trial horses to get back into a groove. At 28, Martinez needs an impressive performance to get back in the title hunt since his last title shot did not leave a positive impression.
Verdict – These two are mirror images of one another but, simply put, Martinez is the fresher and more active of the two. At this stage, Martinez does everything a tick faster than Elizondo which is a key point since both men will be trying the same thing to establish their rhythm. A factor will be that Martinez has retained more reflexes and will not have any ring rust to shake off. I envision an early kayo but if Elizondo gets past the third round, he should last the distance, given his once-potent legs.
Adailton DeJesus – Brazilian export was once a highly-touted signing by a then-fledgling Warrior Promotions, who sputtered out in American rings when unable to land his haymaker punches. He was a strong but lean featherweight, but showed an inability to deal with a muscularly built foe like Yuriorkis Gamboa and was stopped in six one-sided rounds. At 31, should not have lost too much of his prototypical tough-guy swagger and because his punches always tended to loop, speed was never an asset DeJesus relied upon. It is his physicality and infighting that made DeJesus effective and when he could maintain contact with an opponent, DeJesus’ punches were debilitating. Can best be compared to recent champ Juan Urango since both lack the feet to make the most of their fists. They are plodders who can be caught on the wrong foot or between punches. Defense…well, there was none aside from blocking the occasional jab with his lead hand. DeJesus did show a very good chin in his American TV performances so I was surprised he was stopped in one round in Argentina last year. This is not a guy to pick in a big fight but DeJesus never loses without putting up a big fight.
Marco Antonio Barrera – A borderline legend who would have been a champion in any era and given that he was the product of a middle-class family from Mexico, his story is all the more amazing. I will not bore educated fans with a rehash of all of Barrera’s great victories or his ring rivalries with future Hall of Famers he will surely share wall space with. What I am interested in is if, at age 36, Barrera retains some of that fire or, as most suspect, his name is simply being used to sell tickets. It has been 16 months since Barrera last entered the ring when a much younger and far bigger Amir Khan gained a technical decision win in five rounds with the aid of a huge cut. Barrera has not beaten a quality foe since 2006 when he flashed that intelligent punching we became spoiled with by beating Rocky Juarez. The lightweight divisions seem suited for this era’s Barrera but can his experience make up for a lack of speed and dulling reflexes on defense? Frankly, this is the only time I can remember coming up with more questions than answers for a Barrera bout. There was a time when the poker-faced Barrera was the most feared fighter below 135 pounds and now the Mexican icon is fighting age as much as opponents.
Verdict – Barrera is a smart fighter who will only allow himself to be taken advantage of by a big paycheck or an opportunity for a world title. He faces the prospect of neither tonight and has chosen the right opponent because of it. Barrera can win the fight with his feet alone, leading a chasing DeJesus into his punches and perhaps even looking good on defense, given DeJesus’ predictability. I doubt Barrera can stop DeJesus but I think he should try, given that his skin could open up from a headbutt against an awkward foe like this. There will be blood but Barrera wins an easy decision.
John Duddy - A handsome media darling who, despite lackluster performances, is continually mentioned as a potential title fight opponent because of fan appeal he brings to an event. The Irishman was the hottest boxing property on the Eastern seaboard, selling out the Theater at MSG on numerous occasions but his roll was stopped after suffering a split decision loss to Billy Lyell last year. Since then, won two fights but many feel the charismatic puncher is more likely to get a title shot on publicity than merit. Does sport a solid amateur background (130 fights, Irish titles and international matches) and the way Duddy handled intense New York City gym sessions shows that he has the potential to mix with the elite. Struggle against shopworn Yori Boy Campas first raised questions about Duddy’s defense and hand speed. Has been cut in many fights, mostly because of a lack of head movement. Does not let the blood affect his attacking style or punch output. We know Duddy has, like most Irishmen, a hard head which can take a punch too. On offense, Duddy is sound and packs a debilitating punch, enriched by its volume and placement. Stays busy, throwing a prodding punch when not in range and unleashes hooks with both hands when in striking distance. Best win was over Howard Eastman and, with few exceptions, has faced solid but beatable opposition since 2006. Always in shape but is 31 years old and punishing style has probably aged him more than it looks. A fun fighter to watch who comes to battle and test an opponent’s willingness to endure as much as is willing to take. Were it not for the way non-boxing media has over-sweetened this Irishman, I think Duddy would be embraced more by boxing fans as a Micky Ward type attraction.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – Because of his name, Chavez Jr. grew up on PPVs without ever facing a PPV-worthy opponent. So is it more of the same tonight? I will have to check but this Julio Cesar Chavez might already have been in more pay-per-view main events then his father. It certainly seems so, despite his opposition having never merited PPV consideration based on a ring resume. Chavez Jr. is a good boxer who’s struggled against mediocre opposition but we have to remember that he is learning on the job, having never fought as an amateur. A lot of work remains to be done on defense but he is solid on offense, minus his daddy’s fearsome body attack. Why fans should pay for the privilege of watching him evolve is beyond me but the sales must justify the strategy of putting him on PPV. I know; I keep harping on his PPV appearance! Little J.C. is 24 and his body looks like it is slowly developing into that of a legitimate junior middleweight. Jr.’s fundamentals are sound but his punches lack thud and are the cause for his having gone the distance against his best opponents. Seems stuck at this level of opposition as well since Chavez’ last fight was against pedestrian Troy Rowland. Truthfully, I would forgive Chavez Jr.’s foes if it were on ESPN2 or Telefutura but expect more when I have to purchase the privilege of watching him evolve into a possible contender. Chavez Jr. is coming of age with a plethora of other talented young junior middleweights (Alfredo Angulo, Vanes Martirosyan, and James Kirkland, to name a few) but will probably never have to face any of them the way Top Rank is moving him.
Verdict – This is a hard fight to call since both men are flawed and, in the end, I am picking a trainer instead of a fighter. I have the utmost respect for Freddie Roach and if he were not a part of Chavez Jr.’s team, I would pick Duddy to triumph. Duddy is a more experienced fighter who has fought his way out of tougher situations than Chavez has ever been in. What Chavez does better is punch straighter and I think Roach will use that to his advantage by having him stay on the outside and pick his shots. With Duddy, there is also the possibility of cuts which a relatively accurate puncher like Chavez can exploit. The longer Duddy lasts, the more his right hand can swing things in his favor since Chavez’ hands go down as the rounds progress. Roach knows this and will have Chavez circling to avoid it. I see this as a 50-50 fight but Chavez Jr. has a bit more physical skills for Roach to maximize and hold on to a split decision win. Don’t be surprised if the crowd boo’s the decision since Duddy fights more like a Mexican than the son of Chavez.
Prediction record for 2010 to date: 82% (121-27)
You can contact Marty at mmulcahey@elpasotel.net or visit him at www.facebook.com/fivedogs
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