HBO Latino Quick Picks

Rosado needs a "Rocky" moment

Gabriel Rosado vs. Joshua Clottey: Along with the regular HBO card this Saturday the network will also air fights on HBO Latino.  That Spanish language telecast will be headlined by Gabriel Rosado (21-9, 13 KO) and Joshua Clottey (39-4, 22 KO) in a 10-round bout in the middleweight division.  Rosado, who recently appeared in the film "Creed" the latest in the "Rocky" franchise, desperately needs a win.  In his last five fights he has gone 0-4 with three knockouts and a fifth loss was changed to a no contest after his opponent failed a drug test.  As for Clottey, it seems like a lifetime ago that he was once fighting the best like Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao.  Since his fight with Pacquiao in 2010 Clottey has only fought four times, once each year except for 2012 when he didn't fight at all.  So how does a fighter like Rosado keep ending up in TV?  Because he always gives fans a great show.  Rosado is an orthodox fighter whose chin and face have let him down.  Often in fights Rosado will taste the canvas but he always gets back up, the problem is that he tends to cut and swell and those cuts get so bad that doctors, the referee, or his own corner is forced to put an end to things.  Rosado likes to do his work on the inside and he doesn't usually use his jab to get there.  Instead Rosado likes to throw a lot of left hooks and he even has a solid straight right hand and while he doesn't move particularly well he does do a good job of banging to the body.  As for Clottey, he is also an orthodox fighter and while he has four career losses he has never been knocked out.  Often the problem for Clottey is that he isn't busy enough to win rounds.  Clottey possesses a nice jab and a very good straight right hand and to go along with those punches he also has a solid left hook.  This fight should be a close one.  Rosado has a lot of losses recently but they have come against quality opponents.  Meanwhile, Clottey hasn't faced a very high level of opposition since his loss to Pacquiao but in his career he has fought some of the best.  Like all of Rosado's fights his face will play a huge role.  If Clottey can open up a cut and go to work on it he could get the stoppage victory.  Clottey probably won't be busy enough to stop Rosado but he will do enough to get a majority decision victory.   

Gonzalez is coming off a disputed loss to Pascal

Yunieski Gonzalez vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy: One of the other fights that will air on HBO Latino is an interesting light heavyweight bout between Yunieski Gonzalez (16-1, 12 KO) and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (14-0, 12 KO).  The fight is scheduled to go 10 rounds and the two fights only have one loss between them, and that lone loss was very disputed.  In his last fight Gonzalez looked very good against Jean Pascal but when the scores were announced he lost a razor thin decision.  Gonzalez is an orthodox fighter from Cuba but he doesn't fight like he is from the island.  Most Cuban fighters are known as defensive wizards but Gonzalez is an offense first fighter.  The Cuban's jab is stiff but he does his best work with his left hook and overhand right.  Gonzalez also has pretty good power and while he isn't a one-punch knockout type fighter he does a nice job of breaking opponents down over the course of a fight.  Shabranskyy is also an orthodox fighter and he probably carries more power than Gonzalez.  While Gonzalez is more of a crooked puncher Shabranskyy goes to work with his accurate jab and nice looking straight right hand.  The Ukrainian also has a solid left hook but his straight punches are his best punches.  Much like the main event this should be a very close fight.  Shabranskyy is the more accurate puncher and he has a 4-inch height advantage over Gonzalez so if he uses his jab and straight right hand he should outbox the Cuban.  Gonzalez is a relentless attacker though and if this fight gets to the late rounds he should be able to land the more meaningful punches which is why he will get the split decision win.

Gamboa is looking to get back to the big fights

Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Hylon Williams: The final bout on HBO Latino's card will be a 10-round lightweight fight between Yuriorkis Gamboa (24-1, 17 KO) and Hylon Williams (16-1-1, 3 KO).  Gamboa's only career loss came in one of the better fights on 2014 against Terence Crawford, one of the best fighters in the sport.  Gamboa is an orthodox fighter with exceptionally fast hands and that hand speed allows him to really do some good work with his jab and straight right hand.  Gomboa, who is from Cuba, also has a very strong left hook and plenty of power for such a small fighter.  Williams should be a perfect opponent for Gamboa because he has little to no power for Gamboa to worry about because his lone loss was of the knockout variety.  While Gamboa has faced top fights like Crawford, Daniel Ponce De Leon, and Orlando Salido the best fighters Williams has faced are Rances Barthelemy, who he lost to, and Jason Litzau who he fought to a draw in his most recent bout.  Williams is an orthodox fighter who likes to keep his jab hand low.  Williams does have a nice jab but he really likes to use his quick left hook despite having no power.  This fight should be all Gamboa and the real question is whether he will win this fight via knockout or unanimous decision.  Because of Gamboa's blazing hand speed and the fact that Williams like to keep his hands so low Gamboa should win this fight via 6th round stoppage.