HBO Fight Preview

Mike Alvarado vs. Brandon Rios

Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios have already given boxing fans two of the most memorable fights in recent years.  This Saturday on HBO the two rivals will fight for a third time to break their 1-1 tie.  The fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds in the welterweight division and should be just as brutal as their first two bouts.  It isn't often that fighters are tailor made for each other the way Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward were but Alvarado and Rios certainly fit that same mold.  The first two fights between Alvarado and Rios were legendary and the third should cement their place in history as being apart of one of the best trilogies in the history of boxing.

Alvarado outboxed Rios in their second fight

Alvarado will be the slicker boxer on Saturday night but don't think of him as a Erislandy Lara or Guillermo Rigondeaux.  Alvarado is more of a boxer puncher, he will spend plenty of time slugging it out and can stick and move when he needs to.  Alvarado is an orthodox fighter who will jab when necessary but it is a punch he doesn't use enough.  He has a strong left hook but he probably carries the most power in his right hand and he will sneak in some good uppercuts every now and then.  On the inside Alvarado's defense isn't great and he eats a lot of punches but when he can use his jab to create distance he moves enough to stay safe.  Perhaps the best way to describe Alvarado is to call him a poor man's Gatti.  He is the type of fighter who will eat two punches to land one and seems to get more dangerous after he has been hurt.  Alvarado has been hurt in his past two fights and needs to fight smart against Rios.

Until he met Rios for the first time in 2012 Alvarado was an unbeaten fighter.  Since that first loss Alvarado has added two other losses to his resume first against Ruslan Provodnikov in 2013 then to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2014.  Now his record stands at 34-3 with a solid 23 knockouts but two of his three losses have been by stoppage.  The real question is just how much does Alvarado have left?  Along with distractions from a recent arrest Alvarado has taken a beating in his last two bouts.  First Provodnikov forced him to quit in his hometown then Marquez used his head as a speed bag.  Instead of trading with Rios early Alvarado would be better served boxing from the start and not getting into another war.

Rios stopped Alvarado in their first fight

Rios is also an orthodox fighter and could also benefit from a busier jab.  However with his fighting style of literally standing toe to toe maybe a jab would be pointless.  Rios loves to brawl and seems to actually enjoy taking punches.  Earlier in his career he actually moved his head pretty well on the inside but he hasn't done that very well lately.  What Rios does do well is bang to the body with his short left hook and he brings it upstairs to equal success.  His most dangerous punch though might be his winging right hand and he is always dangerous in the pocket because he throws his uppercuts so effectively.  Against Alvarado, Rios needs to make sure to cut off the ring and not just follow Alvarado around it.

While Alvarado's first loss came against Rios in their first battle, Rios' first loss came against Alvarado in their rematch.  Rios followed that loss up by being severely outboxed by Manny Paquiao and in his last bout was in a war with Diego Chaves that he won but only because Chaves was disqualified.  As it stands now Rios has a record of 32-2-1 with 23 knockouts and his career seems to be at a crossroads.  Rios often gets criticized for being nothing more than a punching bag and he has looked like one at times during his past two bouts.  However when Rios moves his head he is a different fighter so look for him to do that against Alvarado.

As long as this fight is halfway decent this trilogy will be remembered forever.  Many people couldn't tell you who won the trilogy between Gatti and Ward but everyone remembers the fights.  The same goes for Alvarado and Rios but both fighters do need a win if they want their futures to look bright.  Alvarado has taken some serious beatings as of late and a third loss in a row would end his career as a top level fighter and would probably exile him to fighting on ESPN2 or Fox Sports 1.  As for Rios he is also desperate for a win and wants to wipe the bad taste out of fans mouths after his ugly fight with Chaves.  Both fighters should be extremely hungry and fans should once again be in for an amazing show.

PREDICTION: Neither Mike Alvarado or Brandon Rios is the same fighter they were when they first met in 2012.  Both have taken some beatings and both are a tad slower.  The difference is that Alvarado seems more shot while Rios seems hungrier and still in love with the sport.  Rios will fight more responsibly in this rubber match and will get the deciding victory by the way of 10th round stoppage. 

Gilberto Ramirez vs. Maxim Vlasov

The opening bout of HBO's telecast will feature a fighter by the name of Gilberto Ramirez who looks like he may be the next great Mexican star.  Ramirez has the size, skill, and power to become a star by right now he is still on his way up in the sport.  On Saturday Ramirez will be facing off against Maxim Vlasov who isn't very well known in the U.S. but hasn't lost a fight since 2011.  The bout is scheduled to go 10 rounds in the super middleweight division but with the way Ramirez fights it could end well before that.

Ramirez has big time power

Ramirez is a tall southpaw with a stiff jab and very good straight left hand.  He is a pressure fighter but there is a veteran's patience to the twenty-three year old's game.  Ramirez has a very heavy right hook even when it doesn't look like he puts that much behind it and his left hand is just as dangerous.  Along with his straight left hand Ramirez will throw an uppercut with it that can do serious damage.  Defensively Ramirez still has some work to do but so far it hasn't mattered because of his power and aggression.

While Ramirez still hasn't faced any top tier opponents he has been brought along at a nice pace.  He has gone up against a good string of veteran fighters and seems to be getting better with each fight.  As a pro he has been perfect and has a record of 30-0 with a ridiculous 24 knockouts.  Fans won't know how good Ramirez actually is until he faces off against better opposition but the future looks good for the powerful Mexican puncher.

Vlasov would raise his profile with a win

Like many European fighters Vlasov has an awkward style.  He is an orthodox fighter who tends to leave his jab hand out in no man's land.  Vlasov is actually an inch taller than Ramirez but he doesn't use his height to his advantage.  When an opponent gets in the pocket on him he usually leans forward and ducks down which is never a good idea.  His left hook is probably his best punch but it isn't anything special and his right hand doesn't do much damage.  The problem for Vlasov against Ramirez is that his defense isn't great and he may take a beating against the power puncher.

Vlasov has not lost a fight since 2011 but that also happens to be the time he fought his best opponent to date, Isaac Chilemba.  Vlasov hasn't lost a fight since then but he also hasn't faced many notable fighters.  His record as a pro is an impressive 30-1 with 15 knockouts but he may be in for a tough night against Ramirez.

This fight is really about the power of Ramirez against the awkwardness of Vlasov.  Vlasov may win a few early rounds because of that style but he will really need to be cautious with Ramirez who could knock him out at any time.  Usually in a bout between a puncher and a boxer it is the boxer who has the advantage but Vlasov may not be slick enough to keep Ramirez off of him for a full 10 rounds.

PREDICTION: If Maxim Vlasov is going to win any rounds they will come early and will be short lived.  Gilberto Ramirez is just too strong for Vlasov and should be able to break him down fairly easily.  Once Ramirez figures Vlasov out it will be over and Ramirez will be victorious by the way of 7th round stoppage.