Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana
The fight card on Showtime this Saturday night is being billed as "The Danger Zone" but it isn't clear which fighter in the main event will be the one in danger. It could be Adrien Broner who got touched up by Paulie Malignaggi in his last fight, or it may be Marcos Maidana who has tasted the canvas in the past but seems to only get better after he gets hurt. The fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds in the welterweight division but if the fighters live up to their promise to go toe to toe it might not last that long.
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| Broner's defense was lacking in his last fight |
Broner is a fighter with the natural talent to be a top ten pound for pound fighter for years to come however his work ethic and extra curricular activities have come into question. Broner likes to think of himself as Floyd Mayweather's "baby brother" but he is mistaken if he thinks Mayweather has achieved his success through just natural talent. Mayweather keeps himself in excellent shape in between fights, doesn't party, and is always in the gym. On the other hand Broner balloons up in weight between fights, parties, and takes time away from the gym to pursue his rap career and go on tour. Broner really started to make a name for himself in 2011 and 2012 when he was thought of as a slick defensive boxer who also happened to have good power. But in his two most recent fights against Gavin Rees and Malignaggi, Broner has been touched up more than he has in the past. It seems like Broner's out of the ring activities may be catching up to him and for the time being he may have slowed down defensively. However his hand speed it still elite and his punching power is the real deal. Even if Broner has taken a slight step backwards, his career hasn't.
Broner has a career record of 27-0 with 22 knockouts and he looked untouchable until he ran into Malignaggi. While Malignaggi has no power in his hands they are lightning fast and that definitely bothered Broner. Broner loves to use a shoulder roll just like his "big brother" Mayweather and he keeps his hands in perfect position to land power punches. Broner should be able to land a lot of punches against the slower Maidana but the problem is that once Maidana gets really touched up or hurt he seems to only get better. In that sense Maidana reminds many people of the late, great, ultimate blood and guts warrior Arturo Gatti.
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| Maidana only gets better after he is hurt |
To compare any fighter to Gatti is a tremendous compliment but while many fighters don't live up to the hype it seems that Maidana is the real deal. Maidana should be the aggressor in this fight because he always comes forward and Broner doesn't mind fighting off of his back foot. However Maidana can't just follow Broner around the ring, he needs to attack from smart angles and cut off the ring before Broner can dance away from danger. In the past Maidana has been nothing but a brawler but since he has started working with trainer Robert Garcia his boxing skills have improved vastly. But make no mistake, Maidana loves a good action fight. He will definitely need to make this a phone booth fight if he hopes to slow Broner down.
Of the two fighters it is actually Maidana with the more impressive resume. He has fought the likes of Andriy Kotelnik, Victor Ortiz, Amir Khan, Erik Morales, and Devon Alexander and while he lost three of those fights each of them was close, besides his bout with Alexander. Maidana's career record stands at 34-3 with 31 knockouts and he seems to get stronger with each fight in the welterweight division. Maidana should focus on bullying Broner up against the ropes and while Broner is confident fighting with his back on the ropes he has never faced anyone with the punching power of Maidana.
How this fight plays out really depends on which Broner enters the ring. If the Broner of 2011 and 2012 comes into the ring he should be to fast and to slick defensively for Maidana to do any serious damage to. Maidana has had some trouble against opponents with fast hands but against Khan he was able to make it a sloppier fight which favored him. Broner showed he also has weaknesses and against Malignaggi he slowed down during the championship rounds. If the Broner fans saw against Malignaggi enters the ring and he allows Maidana to get past his guard then the power punching Maidana could end the night early. If Maidana can cut off the ring and force Broner to fight at close range this should be a tremendous show for fans.
PREDICTION: I think this will be a very close fight that will be hard to score with many close rounds. I think the difference in the fight will be Broner's hand speed and he will be able to land clean punches from awkward angles while Maidana charges ahead. Fans may see some knockdowns but the fight will go the distance with Broner winning a very, very close unanimous decision.
Keith Thurman vs. Jesus Soto Karass
If the main event doesn't provide much action, which probably won't happen, don't worry because the fight before it certainly will. That is because Keith Thurman will be fighting Jesus Soto Karass in a 12 round bout in the welterweight division. Both fighters are good punchers who have been in brawls so the action should be both fast and thudding. This bout is very important for both fighters careers and a win would catapult them into bigger fights and great notoriety.
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| They call him "One Time" for good reason |
The fighter with less experience also happens to be the one bringing the title belt into the ring, Thurman. He goes by the nickname "One Time" because all he has to do is hit you one time to knock you out. A few years ago Thurman was thought of only as a puncher but one who wasn't very skilled and didn't have a bright future. However things have changed recently as Thurman has showed better boxing skills and now he looks like a fighter on the verge of big things. The thing that may surprise people is that he often lets the action come to him instead of being the aggressor, something most power punchers are. Thurman has showed good patience in his last few fights which only makes his tremendous power even scarier.
Thurman hasn't faced the best competition and has been brought along intelligently by his team. That has led him to a career record of 21-0 with an unreal 19 knockouts and the two times he didn't win by knockout he won by unanimous decision which goes to show he is more than just a one trick pony. Thurman is very well spoken and fun to watch and a win this Saturday could be the start of something very special.
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| Soto Karass has a ton of heart and is a fan favorite |
Yet winning is easier said than done when you take into consideration who Thurman will be fighting, Soto Karass. Soto Karass isn't an exceptionally skilled fighter but whenever one of his fights is televised it is can't miss. He seems to prefer a brawl over a boxing match and he is one helluva brawler. Soto Karass doesn't do much moving in the ring instead he stands in front of his opponent and almost dares them to come at him. He loves to fight on the inside where he is the most effective and he has a great short uppercut which he lands at will at close range. Soto Karass doesn't have the best chin in the world but he isn't a fighter who goes down with one punch, if you want to stop him you have to break him down over the course of a fight, something Marcos Maidana was able to do when the to faced off in 2012.
Maidana is just one notable fighter Soto Karass has faced over the course of his career. He has also challenged Andre Berto, Yuri Foreman, and Gabriel Rosado all of which are better than anyone Thurman has faced. To date Soto Karass has a record of 28-8-3 with a solid 18 knockouts and most of his fights end up being phone booth style brawls. Soto Karass seems like the perfect opponent to test the punching power, chin, and heart of Thurman because he never backs up and never gives in.
The main event of this card promises to be great but this fight has a chance to steal the show. Thurman is a patient fighter who has shown improved boxing skills recently and is also one of the biggest punchers in the sport. Soto Karass is a fighter who doesn't always win but he always tests the will of his opponents and is always ready to go to war. Fans have already seen what Soto Karass can take and dish out but Thurman remains somewhat of a mystery and this fight should answer a lot of questions about him.
PREDICTION: Jesus Soto Karass has a ton of heart of guts and in this fight that may end up being his downfall. I think this fight will start good and only get better in the middle rounds. While Keith Thurman has been a better boxer lately he still isn't considered slick and Soto Karass should be able to find him and test his guile. However the power of Thurman will slowly start to wear down Soto Karass and Thurman will win an exciting fight via 9th round stoppage.
Leo Santa Cruz vs. Cesar Seda
It is unreal how many power punchers and action fighters are featured on this card. And a fight between Mexico's Leo Santa Cruz and Puerto Rico's Cesar Seda shoud be just as explosive as any of them. The fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds in the junior featherweight divison and once again renews the greatest rivalry in sports, Mexico vs. Puerto Rico. Both fighters will be battling not only for bigger fights but also for the pride of their countries.
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| Santa Cruz is 5-0 with 4 KO's in his last 5 fights |
If you're a casual boxing fans who has never watched Santa Cruz fight then you're missing something special. Santa Cruz is all action and has one of the highest punch outputs in the sport. Not only that but he also has good power for such a small fighter. Santa Cruz likes to use his jab to measure the distance and than gets inside and goes to the body very well. But Santa Cruz isn't your average action fighter who fights that way due to a lack of skill. Santa Cruz fights that way because it is so effective for him. He is a good boxer with good defense and very fast hands so it is just icing on the cake that he chooses to ba an action fighter.
Santa Cruz is still only 25 years old and 2014 could see him crack the top ten pound for pound rankings and be involved in many big time fights. His opponent list isn't overly impressive but whenever he has taken a step up in competition he has made his opponent look bad. Santa Cruz's record is an unbeaten one of 25-0-1 with 15 knockouts and he just keeps getting more dangerous which could be bad news for Seda.
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| Can Seda upset Santa Cruz? |
What is so intriguing about this fight is the fact that Seda is so similar to Santa Cruz. Like Santa Cruz, Seda has a rangy jab but he doesn't use it in the same way as Santa Cruz. While Santa Cruz uses his jab to get inside, Seda uses it to set up power punches which he likes to throw from a distance. Seda also has very fast hands but he punches from further out than Santa Cruz does and may pay the price for that. Seda is a southpaw and it will serve him well if he uses intelligent lateral movement and keeps his distance from Santa Cruz who is certain to target his body early and often.
If you look at every opponent Santa Cruz and Seda has faced it is Seda who has taken on the best. Seda fought Omar Navarez in 2011 and lost a unanimous decision but that fight should only act as a teaching lessong to him. Seda has a record of 25-1 with 17 knockouts and while his punches aren't as crisp as Santa Cruz's he may have slightly more power. This fight will be a big test for both fighters, especially Seda whose last four fights have all been scheduled for less than ten rounds.
While these fighters don't land heavyweight type power shots they are both two of the bigger punchers in the lower weight classes. That should be good for fans because a one punch knockout probably won't happen and instead fans will have sustained action throughout the fight. Since Seda hasn't gone past 8 rounds in over two years he may slow down later in the fight and you can be sure if he does that Santa Cruz will take full advantage.
PREDICTION: Cesar Seda will give a good showing of himself but Leo Santa Cruz is just to talented for him. Santa Cruz will land the shorter, crisper punches on his way to a unanimous decision win.
Beibut Shumenov vs. Tamas Kovacs
The fight that will start off the night is also a 12 round bout, this time in the light heavyweight division. It features two fighters with impressive records but little to no name recognition with casual fans. The man bringing the title belt into the ring will be Beibut Shumenov as he takes on Tamas Kovacs. However just because many casual fans don't know who these fighters are doesn't mean they aren't qualified to open the show.
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| Shumenov has long been a title holder |
Shumenov is an interesting fighter considering he won an interim title in only his fourth professional fights. He started his career with two 4 round fights and one 6 rounder then immediately jumped into 12 round bouts. Shumenov is from Kazakhstan but most of his fights have been in the U.S. His most notable fights were his two bouts against Gabriel Campillo, fights he went 1-1 in. That loss was in 2009 and Shumenov hasn't lost since. However he may be rusty since he hasn't fought since May of 2012.
Shumenov has an awkward style where he keeps his hands low and seems to punch from his hips. He has an orthodox stance and loves to stick his jab out and then throw right hands to the body. He does leave himself open because of his low hanging hands and he has also been dropped before. He will need to tighten up his guard against the wild punching Kovacs.
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| Kovacs is old but dangerous |
At 36 years old this will be Kovacs first fight in the U.S. and hopefully the moment isn't to big for him. While Shumenov is a patient fighter who picks his spots, Kovacs is a wild puncher who just loves to throw bombs. That style has worked out very well for him but Shumenov is the more talented boxer and could do a lot of damage to Kovacs if he attacks wildly.
Kovacs has never lost as a professional and has a record of 23-0 with 14 knockouts. Yet all of those fights have come against nameless opponents, none as skilled as Shumenov. If Kovacs isn't overwhelmed by his U.S. fight debut and can keep Shumenov in the corners he may have a chance to pull of the upset. But he will need to be a lot sharper than usual to do so.
Of all the fights on an action packed card this one will probably be the least entertaining. Shumenov's style does leave him open to take punches but Kovacs doesn't have the punching style that would allow him to take advantage of that. If Kovacs can land some thunder early he may stun Shumenov and change the course of the fight, but that is a big "if."
PREDICTION: Beibut Shumenov is going to all but run away with this fight. He is to slick for the wild punching Tamas Kovacs and should be able to outbox him for a wide unanimous decision.
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