Showtime Fight Preview

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Andrzej Fonfara

Most true boxing heads are salivating thinking about this weekends fights.  Over on HBO there will be what most people think is a lock to be a Fight of the Year candidate, and the Showtime card could be much of the same.  The main event of Showtime's card on Saturday night is a bout between the highly talented, and highly frustrating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.  and the underrated Andrzej Fonfara.  The bout is scheduled to go 12 rounds and will take place in the light heavyweight division.

Chavez Jr. hasn't fought in over a year

The reason that Saturday's main event could be a Fight of the Year candidate is mainly because of Chavez Jr..  The Mexican fighter is aggressive in the ring and he loves to trade punches on the inside.  Chavez Jr. is an orthodox fighter with a better than advertised jab who happens to have one of the best chins in all of boxing.  That chin allows Chavez Jr. to fight somewhat recklessly at times which makes his fights extremely exciting.  The calling card of Chavez Jr. offensively is his body work.  He has a strong left hook but he will also bang the right hand to the body, and that takes a lot out of his opponents.  While Chavez Jr. isn't a one-punch knockout type fighter he will break opponents down over the course of a fight.  

When it comes to resumes Chavez Jr. has a pretty good one.  He has fights against quality fighters like John Duddy, Andy Lee, Sergio Martinez, and the tough Brian Vera who he fought twice.  His only career loss came against the ultra slick Martinez and he has gone 2-0 since that loss, both wins coming against Vera.  His record now stands at 48-1-1 with a solid 32 knockouts but his career is definitely at a crossroads.  Chavez Jr. had found a lot of success as a middleweight but his training habits have seen him gain weight recently and now he is making his foray into the light heavyweight division, but there is not telling how long he stays there.  Chavez Jr. is also working with a new trainer, Joe Goosen, who might be able to get some greatest out of Junior.

Fonfara is a fighter you can't take lightly

The Polish Fonfara is an underrated fighter who isn't an easy out for anyone.  He is an orthodox fighter who has pretty good pop on his punches, although he isn't considered an overwhelming puncher.  Fonfara always enters the ring in good physical condition which allows him to stay fresh late in fights.  One thing Fonfara does well is jab, and he uses that punch often.  The left hook of the Polish fighter isn't all world but he makes up for it with a strong right hand.  Although he has been knocked out, in recent years Fonfara has shown a good chin.

It was in 2012 when Fonfara started to make a name for himself.  That year he beat Glen Johnson and Tommy Karpency and followed those wins up with a victory over Gabriel Campillo in 2013.  The real breakout fight for Fonfara come against the lineal light heavyweight champion of the world, Adonis Stevenson.  Fonfara was able to drop Stevenson early and gave him a tough fight in defeat.  Fonfara's record is now a solid 26-3 with 15 knockouts and a win over Chavez Jr. would do wonders for his career.

This should be a very exciting fight because both fighters don't mind banging it out on the inside.  Fonfara will be the taller, lankier fighter and he should use his jab to stay on the outside where he can catch Chavez Jr. with a lot of one-two combinations.  As for Chavez Jr. he will probably do what he always does, walk his opponent down and kill the body.  Whichever way this fight plays out fans should definitely get their monies worth.

PREDICTION: Andrzej Fonfara will be the physically biggest opponent Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has faced but that won't stop Chavez Jr.  The Mexican fighter looks to be taking his training a bit more seriously and he will beat Fonfara up on his way to a clear unanimous decision win.     

Amir Imam vs. Walter Castillo

The co-feature of Saturday's card will be headlined by power punching prospect Amir Imam.  Imam is set to face off against Walter Castillo in a welterweight bout scheduled to go 10 rounds.  It should be a fun opening fight considering that both men carry heavy hands into the ring.  This is a good opportunity for Imam who is looking to move from prospect to contender but he needs to be careful not to be upset by Castillo.

Usually Imam's fights don't last very long

Imam faced some adversity in his last fight when he was dropped for the first time in his career.  How did he respond?  By dropping his opponent, Fidel Maldonado, twice in the very same round and finishing him two rounds later.  Imam is an orthodox fighter with very fast hands and a stiff jab.  He is a fan friendly fighter because he isn't adverse to mixing it up so he will take his fair share of punches, but he always dishes out more than he receives.  Imam has a good left hook and he can surprise you with it but his right hand is his deadliest weapon.

Imam has been brought along at a slow, deliberate pace.  He is only 24 years old and looks like he is ready to make the leap from prospect to contender.  He started facing better opposition in 2014 and he usually beats his opponents fairly easily.  As a pro Imam has put together a record of 16-0 with a ridiculous 14 knockouts.  If Imam wants to take it to the next level he will need to get passed Castillo first.

Castillo is looking to upset the apple card

Castillo won't be a pushover for Imam, and his two career losses were both split decisions.  Castillo is skilled offensively and is also heavy handed.  He likes to put his combinations together and he has a good left hook and right hand, both of which he will dig to the body.  What gets overlooked might be Castillo's effective jab and solid straight right hand.  The only real knock against Castillo is that he tends to take breaks during fights, something Imam could capitalize on.

The resume of Castillo is not a great one.  His record of 25-2 with 18 knockouts is certainly good but his opponents are not of a high quality.  Still, against sub par competition Castillo has gotten the job done and is 4-0 in his last four fights, none of which went passed three rounds.  Imam may be a step up for Castillo, the only question is how much of a step up will he be?

This should be an exciting back and forth fight, similar to Imam's last bout against Maldonado.  Castillo has the offensive weapons to do some damage to Imam but he has been feasting on lesser fighters and may not be ready for Imam just yet.  As for Imam, he needs to realize this is a big opportunity for him and he needs to look impressive on a high profile card to keep his career flying forward.

PREDICTION: Walter Castillo is going to surprise some people and he may even drop Amir Imam, but he won't have enough to beat him.  Imam is a skilled fighter and he should be able to use his speed advantage to outwork Castillo and get the unanimous decision victory.