Danny Garcia vs. Paulie Malignaggi
It seems like a lifetime ago that Danny Garcia beat Lucas Matthysse, but in actuality it was only two years ago. Since that time Garcia has gotten a lot of criticism for his choice of opponents, catchweights, and non-title fights. After being the best junior welterweight in the sport Garcia finally stepped up in weight and will make his debut in the welterweight division this Saturday on ESPN. That bout will also feature Paulie Malignaggi, a slick boxer, and a slicker analyst calling fights ringside. The fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds but no title will be on the line. However, what could be on the line is the future of Malignaggi is a professional fighter and he will certainly be looking to impress and keep his career alive in front of his hometown fans at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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| Garcia's last bout ended in a disputed decision |
Garcia is an interesting fighter to watch. He doesn't seem to do anything at an elite level, outside of his left hook, yet he always comes out the winner. Garcia is an orthodox fighter with an athletic style and a solid jab. His best weapon is clearly his left hook which is best described as "deadly." That punch has become of the signature punches in the sport today and if it lands clean it usually ends the fight right then and there. Garcia's right hand is nearly as powerful as his left and he doesn't use it nearly as often. It would be nice to see Garcia follow his jabs up with straight rights hands but he doesn't often do that. Defensively Garcia is far from elite, simply put he is just not a defensive minded fighter. However he does possess one of the best chins in all of boxing, which has made up for many of his defensive flaws. That chin has prevented Garcia from being knocked out, however, he has given away needless rounds because his defense is not at a high level.
When talking about Garcia's it almost has to be discussed in two stages, before Matthysse and after Matthysse. When Garcia beat Matthysse he became the best junior welterweight in the sport and after such a tough fight he decided to take a fight in Puerto Rico against the underrated Mauricio Herrera. Garcia was criticized for his choice of opponent and many fans assumed it wouldn't be more than a showcase fight for Garcia. However, at the fights end most fans had Herrera winning, even if the judges disagreed. After that disappointing performance Garcia decided to step in the ring with Rod Salka, a fighter ranked outside of the top 50 in the lightweight division. That fight was a disgrace and really should have never happened. Finally after that win Garcia took on a real opponent in Lamont Peterson. Garcia again got the decision win but it was a close fight that could have easily gone Peterson's way. With the help of a few questionable decisions Garcia has remained undefeated with a record of 30-0 with 17 knockouts. However, that knockout number could grow come Saturday night if Malignaggi is the same fighter fans saw against Shawn Porter.
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| Malignaggi did not look good his last time out |
It isn't easy for a fighter to have such a high level career without any real power to speak of but Malignaggi has done just that. Malignaggi has always been a very slick boxer who uses his hand speed and high ring IQ to win fights. The native New Yorker fights out of the orthodox stance and has a very good jab that he likes to move up and down and uses more than almost every other fighter in boxing. Along with that jab Malignaggi flashes a nice straight right hand and he is always a very busy fighter. The defense of Malignaggi is better than that of Garcia but the New Yorker is prone to bleeding. The reason Malignaggi is able to win fights despite his lack of power is because of his good movement and high punch output. He will need to be very busy against Garcia who tends to have lulls during his bouts.
When it comes down to resumes Malignaggi's is very impressive. Yes he does have a number of losses but they have all come against high level fighters and some have been very questionable. For his career Malignaggi has put together a record of 33-6 but his knockout number is an abysmal 7. It has been 16 months since Malignaggi was last in the squared circle and that fight ended very quickly for him when Porter demolished him in 4 rounds and had Malignaggi contemplating retirement. If the same Malignaggi steps in the ring against Garcia it could be another quick night for him and a fight that forces him to become an analyst full-time.
If nothing else this fight should be very interesting. Garcia is moving up in weight and taking on a highly intelligent fighter who throws a ton of punches and will certainly outwork him over the course of the fight. Malignaggi was able to do that to Adrien Broner and although he lost that fight it could have certainly gone his way. However, Malignaggi is coming off of a very long layoff while Garcia should be sharp having only fought 4 months ago. Also if Garcia can rough Malignaggi up early like Porter was able to do the veteran fighter may not make the final bell. Look for Malignaggi to stay on the outside with his jab and movement and try to outwork Garcia throughout the fight. For his part Garcia should try to take a page out of Porter's playbook and make things rough and tumble on the inside and not let Malignaggi create any space.
PREDICTION: It is conceivable that Paulie Malignaggi wins this fight by outworking Danny Garcia and staying out of danger, but it isn't likely. Garcia has never lost a fight and he should be much sharper than Malginaggi who is coming off of a long layoff and looks like he has lost a step. This fight would have been more interesting a few years ago but now it is a fight that Garcia will win by the way of 6th round stoppage.
Daniel Jacobs vs. Sergio Mora
For the fans still waiting for Daniel Jacobs to face a top level fighter the wait continues. Jacobs will be back in the ring this Saturday against veteran Sergio Mora. The fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds and Jacobs' WBA "regular" middleweight title will be on the line. That title is a rather meaningless one especially since Jacobs has still never proven himself against the best. Meanwhile Mora has faced some elite level talent but hasn't usually fared well against that talent. This fight is really a battle between a fighter in Jacobs still climbing the ladder and one in Mora who is looking to stay relevant.
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| Jacobs is still not facing an elite opponent |
Jacobs is a fighter who plies his trade our of the orthodox stance. He has a nice jab whether he throws it upstairs or to the body and he will often double that punch up. Along with that jab Jacobs has a quick left hook and a sneaky uppercut that is effective but leaves him vulnerable when he throws it. His last weapon is a straight right hand but that punch isn't as good as his jab or left hook, although he will throw an overhand right that can be dangerous. The knock against Jacobs is that he hasn't faced any top talent despite holding a title. Mora may not be the fight fans were hoping for but he is a battle tested veteran.
Actually, to say that Jacobs has never faced a top level fighter is misleading. Jacobs has never won a fight against a top level fighter, but he did lose a fight to Dmitry Pirog who was one of the best middleweights in the sport before being forced to retire due to injuries. That loss was of the knockout variety and came back in 2010, and it is also the only blemish on the record of Jacobs whose career record is an impressive 29-1 with a very strong 26 knockouts. Yet even with such a high knockout rate the power of Jacobs doesn't seem to be at the same level with other middleweights such as Gennady Golovkin or David Lemieux. However, a knockout of Mora would be impressive considering Mora has yet to be stopped in his career.
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| Mora is looking to stay relevant |
Mora is also an orthodox fighter and he has a slick style in the ring. Mora likes to keep his jab hand hanging below his waist and even now at an advanced age for a boxer Mora still show quick hands and quicker reflexes on defense. However, Mora has never been a very busy fighter and he will need to pick it up against Jacobs who will definitely be landing the heavier punches. It is strange because for a defensive fighter who likes to stay on the outside Mora doesn't have much of a jab. Instead he looks to counter with quick left hooks and when he does plant his feet he usually lets go a wild right hand. One advantage Mora clearly has over Jacobs is experience.
Brian Vera, Shane Mosley, Vernon Forrest. are the biggest names on Mora's resume and they are all bigger names than you will find on the resume of Jacobs. However, Mora hasn't always fared very well against those top fights, losing twice to Vera, fighting to a draw with Mosley. He was able to beat Forrest only to lose in the rematch. As it stands now Mora's record is 28-3-2 but he only has 9 knockouts and is by no means a dangerous puncher. If Mora wants to beat the younger and heavier handed Jacobs he will need to be slick and busy and he can't let Jacobs dictate the distance of the fight.
PREDICTION: Sergio Mora has had a long career despite not doing anything at an elite level and that should be commended. Yet that wont help him on Saturday night. Daniel Jacobs is younger and stronger than Mora and he will impose his will on the older fighter on his way to a unanimous decision victory and hopefully a big name fight.
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