Gilberto Ramirez vs. Gevorg Khatchikian: For fans waiting to see Gilberto Ramirez (32-0, 24 KO) really step up his level of competition his opponent on Friday night probably won't make them very happy. That opponents is Gevorg Khatchikian (23-1, 11 KO) who fights out of the Netherlands which isn't exactly a hotbed for boxing talent. That fight will take place on truTV where it is scheduled to go 10 rounds in the super middleweight division. It is easy to forget that Ramirez is still only 24 years old and that is why even though he has a perfect record of 32-wins to zero losses he still remains a prospect. This will be Ramirez's third fight this year after going 2-0 but failing to stop any of his opponents before the final bell. At this point in his progression Ramirez needs to win and look good doing it. Ramirez is a southpaw with good power but he isn't a one-punch knockout artist, he takes his time breaking opponents down with thudding power. The biggest knock against Ramirez is his hand speed, or lack thereof and that lack of speed is noticable because he won't throw many combinations, and if he does they aren't very effective. What Ramirez does have is a solid jab and straight left hand, along with a good right hook he likes to bang to the body. One positive for Ramirez is the fact that Khatchikian's only career loss came to James DeGale who stopped him in the 11th round of their 2014 fight and DeGale is not a big puncher at all. Khatchikian is an orthodox fighter who has only fought outside of the Netherlands once which was his loss to DeGale in the United Kingdom. While Khatchikian doesn't have much power he fights like he does, often throwing wide power punches with bad intentions behind them. He won't use his jab much as a weapon and instead uses it as a measuring stick. In this fight it should be Ramirez who plays the role of aggressor because Khatchikian likes to counter punch, especially with his overhand right. The style of Khatchikian is extremely awkward and he likes to keep his hands low and wave them around, almost as if he is winding his punches up. Ramirez does need to be award of Khatchikian's left hook because he will often use it as a throw away punch but can also turn it over to throw it with some pop. This could end up being a very awkward fight, mainly because the style of Khatchikian could confuse and frustrate Ramirez early. However, once Ramirez gets comfortable with his uncouth opponent he should be able to start breaking him down. While Khatchikian will steal some early rounds it won't matter because Ramirez will win the fight by the way of 8th round stoppage.
Saul Rodriguez vs. Ivan Najera: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez won't be the only Saul in action this weekend. On truTV's co-feature Saul Rodriguez (18-0-1, 13 KO) will take on Ivan Najera (16-1, 8 KO) in a 10-round bout in the lightweight division. This will be Rodriguez's first fight that is scheduled for 10 rounds and Najera's second. The first time Najera was scheduled to go 10 rounds was in June when he fought top prospect Felix Verdejo in a fight televised on HBO. Najera lost that fight but did show a lot of heart, getting off the canvas twice to make it to the final bell. Rodriguez is an orthodox fighter with good power. Although he is still very green and hasn't faced any notable opponents Rodriguez has shown some real skills at 22 years old. The hand speed of Rodriguez is excellent and he also has quick feet that enable him to move in and out nicely. He has a good jab and his left hook is very dangerous whether he throws it upstairs or to the body. Rodriguez's left uppercut is also dangerous because he can surprise opponents with it on the way in. While the left hand of Rodriguez is his most dangerous weapon he also has a solid straight right hand and if that right hand ever catches up to his left he would be a tough out for anyone. Najera is also 22 years old and he too fights out of the orthodox stance. Najera likes to be aggressive in the ring but he doesn't always go about that aggression in an intelligent way. Often times Najera will follow opponents instead of cutting off the ring and against a quick fighter like Rodriguez that could get him into some trouble. Najera doesn't have a great jab but his style isn't really that of a jabber anyway. He likes to throw a lot of left hooks and overhand rights and he also has a dangerous uppercut from the left hand when he gets in close. Although Najera is a tough young fighter Rodriguez should have no trouble with him. Rodriguez's hands and feet are faster and he has more power, the real question in this fight is whether Rodriguez goes in for the kill and simply sticks and moves all night to a wide decision. Najera likes to open up and throw power of his own and Rodriguez should be able to take advantage of that and win this fight with a 6th round stoppage.
Comments
Post a Comment