Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs. Ronny Rios - Good things from small packages?

Particulars: June 25, 2022, at Tech Port Arena, San Antonio, Texas (DAZN) it’s the little guys with dynamite, Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs. Ronny Rios Quezada, Super Bantamweights. 

Background: Murodjon Akhmadaliev is a good fighter about whom great things are forecast. 

His opponent is a body-punching fool and solid pro. Count on DAZN’s over-stimulated coverage crew to shout loud and long that Akhmadaliev was hurt to the body vs. replacement opponent Jose Velasquez of Chile to hype this bout.

True, but this ‘hurt’ lasted one round; Akhmadaliev recovered quickly against Velasquez. It seems illogical, but I think low-weight fighters can take their opponent’s best shots better than fighters at higher weights. 

Fighter’s Grades: (Speed, Power, Defense, Reach, Age, Stamina, Experience)

Murodjon Akhmadaliev: B B B+ B B B+ B (B+ 3.1)

Ronnie Rios Quezada: C+ C+ C B- C- B- B (B 2.4)

Reality check: Akhmadaliev, 28 in November, should be and should have been, moved more aggressively. His first pro fight was just four years and three months ago. I do not yet regard him as an elite prospect, but there’s a lot to like.

To the good, he has excellent skills; some excellent ‘quicks’ when throwing combos - though I don’t know that against elite fighters, he’ll be able to throw six to seven punch combos as he did versus Velasquez. Even if you think amateurs don’t translate to pros – and lately the conventional thinking is it does, 350 amateur fights and Bronze at the 2016 Olympics has to be significant.  

Akhmadaliev has outstanding footwork and great side-to-side movement. 

He’s courageous-when he was hurt to the body vs. Velasquez, he turned the tables and attacked the Chilean’s midsection.  

He’s a solid pro, a nice man with a screwed-on head and excellent training and management. Like several outstanding Eastern European fighters, he has mastered throwing “why not,” good quality punches that may or may not land - think Lomachenko.  

He lacks world-class speed. I’m not sold on his power (good, not great) He needs to fight a lot more, even by today’s “go slower” promotional standards.  

Rios,32,fights patiently, has an excellent body attack (most of his power punches are body shots), and has good fundamentals. His footwork is solid – but slow, which I guess is surprising at 122 pounds. 

Rios has won his last four fights in succession, but also has three losses, two via KO/TKO.   

Fight and prediction: Texas is such a terrible place to have fights, often sullied by totally corrupt judges and incompetent, grandstanding referees, someone should – SERIOUSLY – write the Governor and Athletic Commission to insist fights there be discontinued. 

If you’re a pro gambler seeking that ‘edge,’ that B.S. upset juice, Texas is the place to look.

That aside, I think Akhmadaliev should be able to stop Rios, taking the judges out of the equation. But if even a few rounds are close – please God, no more black eyes for boxing via corrupt judging.  

Murodjon Akhmadaliev TKO Ronnie Rios Quezada, 9-10.