HBO Fight Preview

Timothy Bradley vs. Diego Chaves

Early in 2013 Timothy Bradley went to war with Ruslan Provodnilov and won not only the fight but also the award for 2013 Fight of the Year.  Now late in 2014 Bradley will be in the ring against the hard charging, power punching Diego Chaves in a fight that if it lives up to the hype could see Bradley being part of that award for the second year in a row.  This fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds in the welterweight division and should be an all out war from start to finish.

Bradley looks to rebound after a loss to Pacquiao

Bradley was once known as a defensive fighter who like to rough things up but didn't exactly make exciting fights.  That perception of Bradley has changed and now people expect fireworks from him.  He is an orthodox fighter whose best attributes may be his stamina and the fact that he is as tough as a truck-stop steak.  Bradley's jab is very effective and he has a nice solid left hook even though he doesn't carry much power.  He also has a nice quick overhand right that lands often.  Another thing Bradley does well is move in the ring and his chin is one of the best in the sport.

Bradley has never avoided fighting the best that is available and he has wins over fighters like Luis Carlos Abregu, Devon Alexander, Manny Pacquiao, Ruslan Provodnikov, and Juan Manuel Marquez.  Most people thought Bradley lost to Pacquiao in their first fight but Pacquiao got his revenge in the rematch in early 2014, easily beating Bradley and handing him his first career loss.  Bradley's career record stands at 31-1 but he only has 12 knockouts.  This will be a tough fight for Bradley against a big puncher and he really needs to avoid losing two fights in a row.

Chaves is coming off a controversial DQ loss

Like Bradley, Chavez is also an orthodox fighter.  He has very good power and a stiff jab that he can land upstairs are to the body equally well.  Chaves isn't the most skilled fighter in the world and like many of his Argentine countrymen he likes to stand and trade on the inside.  Chaves has great power in his right hand but may have even more in his left hook.  Since Chaves does like to stand and trade he is there to be hit and is not good defensively.

When Chaves has fought B-level fighters he usually knocks them out with ease.  The problem for Chaves in his career is when he has taking that next step up to face the low A-level type guys.  His first career loss came against the heavy hitting Keith Thurman and his last fight against Brandon Rios saw him get disqualified in the 9th round in a very close fight.  As it stands now Chaves has a record of 23-2 with a strong 19 knockouts and a win over Bradley would be the biggest of his career.

A fighter with good power who fights ultra aggressively but who isn't the most skilled going against Bradley, sound familiar?  That description could be used for Provodnikov or Chaves and Bradley was able to outbox Provodnikov even though he was seemingly out on his feet in multiple sutiations and had to take a knee in the 12th round.  Chaves could make this a brutal fight for Bradley but there aren't many fighters tougher than Bradley and he should be able to weather the storm.

PREDICTION: Diego Chaves is a rugged, powerful fighter but he won't have what it takes to beat Timothy Bradley.  Bradley is tougher than most and he should be able to outbox Chaves just like he did against Provodnikov even if he gets into trouble at times.  Bradley's boxing skills will triumph as he wins this fight by the way of split decision.

Matt Korobov vs. Andy Lee

The co-feature of HBO's card this Saturday should be a highly competitive one.  The fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds for a vacant WBO middleweight title and it will be Matt Korobov going against Andy Lee.  Whoever wins this fight Korobov or Lee would earn their first title so expect both fighters to come out hungry.  Both fighters have similar styles so this should be a closely contested bout that should provide fans with some good action.

Korobov overcame a bad cut his last fight to win

Korobov may not be very well known to casual fans but he has a high skill level and is very tough.  In his last fight he overcame a bad cut to win a clear decision.  Korobov fights as a southpaw and he has a very nice jab.  One thing Korobov exceptionally well is land many combinations throughout a fight.  His best punch is probably his right hook and he will often double that punch up.  Along with his right hook he also has a quick straight left hand that can do damage.  While Korobov moves well in the ring his defense isn't great and Lee could exploit that.

Korobov is 31 years old but has only been fighting professionaly for the last six years.  As a pro he has usually faced a lot of sub par or average competition and has only ever been scheduled to go 10 rounds two times.  One of those fights ended in the 9th round while the other which was his most recent fight against Jose Uzcategui went the distance.  If this fight goes passed 10 rounds Korobov could be in for some trouble.  As a pro Korobov has put together a perfect record of 24-0 and he has won 14 of those fights by the way of knockout.

Lee's last fight ended in spectacular fashion

It seems like Lee has been a top contender for a long time but he has never been able to get over the hump.  Lee is a southpaw who has a nice long jab that he uses to control the distance of his opponents.  His jab usually comes from his hop since he keeps his right hand low and also with that right hand Lee will throw a dangerous hook.  Lee's straight left hand is also a good weapon and his ability to counter his opponents may be his best weapon.  The defense of Lee isn't great and the fights he has lost have happened because he slowly gets worn down over the course of a fight.

As far as professional experience Lee has an advantage over Korobov and has faced off against the likes of Brian Vera and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr..  This will be Lee's second shot at a title after losing his first shot at a belt to Chavez Jr. so he should be very motivated after spending most of his career as a top contender.  As a pro his record stands at 33-2 with a strong 23 knockouts but he has also been stopped in his only two career losses.

This fight won't be a chess match but it won't be a war either.  Instead it should be a hybrid of the two and there should be a very good ebb and flow.  While Korobov may be slightly more skilled it is Lee who has been fighting as a professional longer and he has also seen the better competition.  Since this would be the first title for either fighter if they win it should be a great bout.

PREDICTION: Matt Korobov may be a slight step ahead of Andy Lee as far as skills are concerned.  However Lee is coming off a huge knockout by the way of a right hand counter and his confidence should be at an all-time high going in to one of the biggest fights of hiss career.  The time seems to be now for Lee to finally win a title and he will get it by the way of split decision.  

Mauricio Herrera vs. Jose Benavidez

The opening bout of HBO's card will be a battle of experience vs. youth.  Mauricio Herrera will be the experience and he has it against some top of the line fighters.  While Benavidez will be the youth and he also brings some power to the ring.  Benavidez is a nice prospect but Herrera will be a big step up for him in this 12 round bout for Herrera's WBA interim welterweight title.

Harrera has always fared well against the best

Herrera is an orthodox boxer who has one of the best chins in boxing.  Herrera has been in the ring with Ruslan Provodnikov, Mike Alvarado, and Danny Garcia and has never been knocked down as a pro.  A granite chin isn't the only thing Herrera has, he also carries a very stiff jab.  Although Herrera has little to no power he does fight well on the inside and he has a nice left hook.  Also Herrera always puts in a lot of good body work.  

The lack of power maybe why Herrera is so under appreciated because is certainly isn't his resume.  Herrera has a win over Provodnikov, a close loss to Alvarado, and a loss to Garcia although anyone who watched that fight felt that he had won.  As a pro Herrera has gone 21-4 but he only has 7 knockouts so his ability to outbox opponents and just be tougher is what wins him fights.

This fight will tell a lot about Benavidez

   Benavidez is a 22 year old who fights out of the orthodox stance.  He has good power and his overhand right is very dangerous.  The young fighter also has quick hands and a jab he uses as a measuring stick.  Benavidez also throws a good number of combinations and his left hook has some nice power in it.  For all the good he has done it is all taken with a grain of salt because he has never faced anyone nearly as good as Herrera is.

Benavidez has been brought along very slowly because some people think he can be the real deal.  This remains to be seen but if he were to beat Herrera it would go a long way in showing people he had what it takes to be a quality pro.  So far in his young career he has put together a perfect record of 21-0 with 15 knockouts but if he wants to remain perfect he needs to be win the biggest fight of his career.

This fight should be a very interesting one.  It will tell a lot about Benavidez and whether or not he will be a top professional and if Herrera looks good it will reaffirm that he can beat almost anyone on a given night.  The younger Benavidez will need to really put some power on Herrera but even that might not be enough considering Herrera's chin is so good.  As for Herrera he just needs to do what he usually does use his granite chin to get inside and punish the body.

PREDICTION: Jose Benavidez may turn out to be a nice professional in a few years but Mauricio Herrera is a better pro right now.  Herrera's chin is too good and his aggressive body punching will be enough to win this fight by the way of majority decision.