This is a list of a few of the most underrated fighters in the sport. A list will be posted every few months when top level talents who aren't getting enough recognition need to be spoken up for. Big time boxing fans may recognize all of their names but may have not seen them all fight, and casual fans may have no idea who they are. These are fighters who are too good not to know. They are fighters who may not be appreciated as much as they deserve or simply guys without a large fan base. But they all have bright futures and high ceilings and deserve to be recognized.
Alfredo Angulo, Junior Middleweight (22-2, 18 KO)
Angulo might have been off this list if he hadn't been detained by U.S. immigration for 7 months because he overstayed his visa. That was in 2011 and he has only fought twice since, winning both fights. The reason Angulo is on the list is mainly due to his sub par opponents he has faced thus far. So fans don't really know how could Angulo is, which is one reason he doesn't have the large fan base of other Mexican stars. He has fought some tough foes but his next fight against Erislandy Lara will be his toughest test to date. A win against Lara could propel Angulo to bigger name fights and off the underrated list. Angulo also happens to be one of the most exciting sluggers in boxing, always applying pressure, and always looking for an early devastating knockout. Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo is quickly becoming must see tv, so get on the bandwagon now.
Edwin Rodriguez, Super Middleweight (23-0, 15 KO)
Rodriguez is a young, undefeated fighter who for some reason can't garner a large fan base even though he has appeared on HBO numerous times. One thing holding his career back might be his promoter Lou DiBella who has brought Rodriguez along at a snails pace. If Rodriguez were signed up with Top Rank or Golden Boy surely he would be a bigger name in the sport. Instead Rodriguez is relegated to a B-level tournament in Monte Carlo against no name competition. Rodriguez is a great combination of power and skills and more times than not he makes an entertaining fight. If DiBella gets him some better fights Rodriguez could be on the fast track to the top of the super middleweight rankings.
Gary Russell Jr., Junior Lightweight (23-0, 13 KO)
Russel was selected by numerous boxing outlets as the 2011 prospect of the year and at one point there was a discussion of who had the brighter future Russell Jr. or Adrien Broner. And while Broner is a star who is ready to crack into the top 10 p4p rankings, Russell Jr. seems to be stuck in the mud. He is ultra talented, has blazing hand speed, and is only 25 years old. But many casual fans have never even heard his name because of the nameless "talent" he is facing. Clearly his promoters think they have a star and want to bring him along carefully, but sometimes it's better to strike when the iron is hot. If Russell Jr. doesn't step up his level of competition soon the few fans he does have might jump ship. And that would be a shame considering how extremely talented he is.
Erislandy Lara, Junior Middleweight (17-1-2, 11 KO)
Lara has a problem that seems to haunt Cuban fighters, they are too skilled. Lara like most Cuban boxers are defensive minded, counter punches. They take great pride in hitting without being hit, which causes some casual fans to brand them as "runners" who are boring to watch. But for fans who love watching guys like Floyd Mayweather dominate fights with defense and perfect counter punching, Lara is a guy for you. His only loss was to Paul Williams in a fight that to everyone watching (besides the judges) he clearly won. Lara is one of the most skilled boxers in the sport today and if he would just trade a little more at close range he would quickly gain a devoted fan base. Lara can have a great career being a defensive wizard, but if he wants to get off the underrated list and onto the top 10 p4p list he needs to make a few small tweaks.
Mikey Garcia, Featherweight (31-0, 26 KO)
How in the world can a fighter who is 31-0 with an insane 26 knockouts be underrated? And unlike some of the other fighters on this list there doesn't seem to be an easy answer. Garcia is a tactician in the ring, he uses the early rounds to dissect his opponent and then destroys them in the middle rounds. One reason he could be underrated is because he is such a notoriously slow starter. If Garcia came out from the opening bell looking to end fights early he might have a much larger fan base today. The scary thing about Garcia is that as good as he has been, we still may have not seen his best. The future is blindingly bright for Garcia, and hopefully casual fans start to catch on soon.
Alfredo Angulo, Junior Middleweight (22-2, 18 KO)
Angulo might have been off this list if he hadn't been detained by U.S. immigration for 7 months because he overstayed his visa. That was in 2011 and he has only fought twice since, winning both fights. The reason Angulo is on the list is mainly due to his sub par opponents he has faced thus far. So fans don't really know how could Angulo is, which is one reason he doesn't have the large fan base of other Mexican stars. He has fought some tough foes but his next fight against Erislandy Lara will be his toughest test to date. A win against Lara could propel Angulo to bigger name fights and off the underrated list. Angulo also happens to be one of the most exciting sluggers in boxing, always applying pressure, and always looking for an early devastating knockout. Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo is quickly becoming must see tv, so get on the bandwagon now.
Edwin Rodriguez, Super Middleweight (23-0, 15 KO)
Rodriguez is a young, undefeated fighter who for some reason can't garner a large fan base even though he has appeared on HBO numerous times. One thing holding his career back might be his promoter Lou DiBella who has brought Rodriguez along at a snails pace. If Rodriguez were signed up with Top Rank or Golden Boy surely he would be a bigger name in the sport. Instead Rodriguez is relegated to a B-level tournament in Monte Carlo against no name competition. Rodriguez is a great combination of power and skills and more times than not he makes an entertaining fight. If DiBella gets him some better fights Rodriguez could be on the fast track to the top of the super middleweight rankings.
Gary Russell Jr., Junior Lightweight (23-0, 13 KO)
Russel was selected by numerous boxing outlets as the 2011 prospect of the year and at one point there was a discussion of who had the brighter future Russell Jr. or Adrien Broner. And while Broner is a star who is ready to crack into the top 10 p4p rankings, Russell Jr. seems to be stuck in the mud. He is ultra talented, has blazing hand speed, and is only 25 years old. But many casual fans have never even heard his name because of the nameless "talent" he is facing. Clearly his promoters think they have a star and want to bring him along carefully, but sometimes it's better to strike when the iron is hot. If Russell Jr. doesn't step up his level of competition soon the few fans he does have might jump ship. And that would be a shame considering how extremely talented he is.
Erislandy Lara, Junior Middleweight (17-1-2, 11 KO)
Lara has a problem that seems to haunt Cuban fighters, they are too skilled. Lara like most Cuban boxers are defensive minded, counter punches. They take great pride in hitting without being hit, which causes some casual fans to brand them as "runners" who are boring to watch. But for fans who love watching guys like Floyd Mayweather dominate fights with defense and perfect counter punching, Lara is a guy for you. His only loss was to Paul Williams in a fight that to everyone watching (besides the judges) he clearly won. Lara is one of the most skilled boxers in the sport today and if he would just trade a little more at close range he would quickly gain a devoted fan base. Lara can have a great career being a defensive wizard, but if he wants to get off the underrated list and onto the top 10 p4p list he needs to make a few small tweaks.
Mikey Garcia, Featherweight (31-0, 26 KO)
How in the world can a fighter who is 31-0 with an insane 26 knockouts be underrated? And unlike some of the other fighters on this list there doesn't seem to be an easy answer. Garcia is a tactician in the ring, he uses the early rounds to dissect his opponent and then destroys them in the middle rounds. One reason he could be underrated is because he is such a notoriously slow starter. If Garcia came out from the opening bell looking to end fights early he might have a much larger fan base today. The scary thing about Garcia is that as good as he has been, we still may have not seen his best. The future is blindingly bright for Garcia, and hopefully casual fans start to catch on soon.
Comments
Post a Comment