HBO Fight Preview

Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera

Saturday night on HBO will be a battle between undefeated light heavyweights as Andre Ward and Sullivan Barrera both put their perfect records on the line.  While Barrera has fought as high as heavyweight and is a regular in the light heavyweight division this will only be Ward's second fight in the weight class.  The fight is scheduled to go 12 rounds and it will be an IBF title eliminator with the winner getting a shot at current IBF title holder Sergey Kovalev.

Ward is one of the best fighters in the sport 

Unfortunately Ward is probably best known these days for his inactivity.  Still he always finds himself among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.  Despite his inactivity Ward rarely shows any ring rust and he still has the ability to pick opponents apart.  Ward is an orthodox fighter who likes to fight behind a stiff jab and he will often stick that punch to the body.  Behind his jab Ward loves to use his very accurate straight right hand which is probably his best punch.  Other weapons in Ward's arsenal include a nice left hook and the ability to sneak in uppercuts when he decides to let them go.  Defensively Ward doesn't appear to be as elusive as a Floyd Mayweather or Guillermo Rigondeaux but it isn't often that he gets touched up too much and his ring IQ in very high.

Ward seemed to be at his peak from 2009 to 2011 when he was fighting regularly against top level competition.  During that time he registered wins over Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, and Carl Froch.  For his career Ward holds a perfect record of 28-0 with a solid 15 knockouts but his recent inactivity has turned many fans off.  Still, every time he steps into the ring he shows why he is still considered one of the best fighters in the sport.  However, he is already 32 years old so it could seemingly be harder for him to look so good if he continues to fight so erratically.  This fight against Barrera will be a big one because a win would set up a huge fight with Kovalev, a fight that the winner could claim makes them the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.

Barrera isn't well known but he is undefeated

Barrera is an orthodox fighter with a quick jab and solid straight right hand.  Along with those punches Barrera will also let loose with strong uppercuts that can drop opponents and he has a patience shown by many of his fellow Cuban fighters.  When he is feeling in control Barrera will also throw an overhand right that lands with more impact than his straight right does.  Also, at times he will leave his lead hand low, something he may want to reconsider against Ward who has an excellent jab.  While Barrera also has a solid left hook his best punches are his overhand right and his uppercut from the right hand.  Barrera has been dropped once as a professional and while that was a flash knockdown he has never been tested against someone as talented as Ward.

As a professional Barrera has been brought along at a nice pace but Ward represents a massive step up for the Cuban fighter.  The only other notable names on his resume are Jeff Lacy, who has been out of his prime for years, and Karo Murat, neither of whom come close to the level of talent that Ward represents.  Barrera has been active recently though would could help him in this fight.  In 2015 Barrera fought three times going 3-0 while registering three knockouts.  As a pro he has a record of 17-0 with 12 knockouts and he carries more power than Ward does.  Still, this will be by far the biggest fight of Barrera's career and there is no telling how well he will handle it.

Most fans will probably tune into this fight to see how Ward looks.  For months now the talk of a fight between Ward and Kovalev has had fans buzzing and a win over Barrera would bring that fight to fruition.  However, Barrera is a talented fighter who would like nothing more than to ruin those plans and fight Kovalev himself.  This should be a good fight because both men are talented boxers and fight well from the outside.  While Ward is more skilled and fights better from the outside Barrera has the power advantage and his uppercuts are dangerous from close range.  It will be interesting to see if Barrera tries to box with Ward and go in for the knockout and that decision could have a direct link to the outcome of the fight.

PREDICTION: This is an important fight for Andre Ward and despite being out of the ring for nine months he should look sharp.  Sullivan Barrera's best shot at winning may be if he goes in for the kill early because if he doesn't get Ward out in the first few rounds Ward should be able to outbox him.  If Ward steps on the gas he could score the late knockout but he will play it safe and finish the fight with a unanimous decision win.  

Joseph Diaz vs. Jayson Velez

So far 2016 has really disappointing boxing fans with its lack of big fights.  Luckily that starts to change with Saturday's HBO card.  Not only should the main event be a competitive fight featuring one of the biggest names in the sport but the co-feature pits two young, talented fighters against each other in Joseph Diaz and Jayson Velez.  The fight is scheduled to go 10 rounds in the featherweight division, one of the most talent rich in all of boxing.  It will also be an important fight for both men as Diaz looks to prove he deserves a shot at some of the bigger names in the division while Velez looks to rebound from the first loss of his career.

Diaz is young but appears ready for the next step

At only 23 years old Diaz, who fights out of the southpaw stance, looks like he could be a future star.  He is a solid defensive fighter, and never really puts himself in a bad position and when he does he is quick to correct it.  Diaz likes to fight behind his jab, a punch he will follow with a stiff straight left hand.  Along with those punches the young pugilist also has a very good looking right hook and he likes to work the body with that punch.  When he has an opponent in trouble Diaz will also let loose with an overhand left and that is the punch that won him his last fight, a second round stoppage of Hugo Partida.

 It seems that the sky is the limit for Diaz whose talent seems to surpass his age.  The 23-yeard-old is still learning the intricacies of the sport but seemingly gets better with every fight.  Since starting his professional career in 2012 Diaz has put together a perfect record of 19-0 with 11 knockouts.  While he isn't a one-punch knockout type fighter he does have the ability to hurt opponents or at the very least make them respect his punching power.  He has also stayed very busy, fighting five times in 2015 and going 5-0 with two knockouts.  Recently Diaz has faced experienced fighters in their late 20s with solid records and he will see another one of those foes when he takes on Velez.

Velez had his moments but lost to Ronny Rios

Velez is an orthodox fighter and is five years older than Diaz with five more years professional fighting experience.  One advantage Velez will have in this fight is power.  He has a good left hook and a strong overhand right out of the orthodox stance and both punches can hurt and drop opponents.  Velez doesn't work his jab very often though and seems to prefer fighting at close range where he can let go with his power punches.  While he isn't the wildest puncher in the sport his punches aren't as crisp or as accurate as Diaz's. Defensively Velez is solid but he is usually open for counter punches. 

Velez last fought on the undercard of the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Miguel Cotto pay-per-view.  It was a big opportunity for him but he lost to Ronny Rios, the first loss of his career.  While Velez had his moments in that fight he seemed to be outworked by Rios for much of the fight.  As a pro Velez has a record of 23-1-1 with a solid 16 knockouts but he really needs to avoid losing two fights in a row.  Another loss wouldn't completely derail Velez by any means but it would certainly set him back a few steps.

This fight could come down to distance.  Velez doesn't use his jab or straight right hand much and seems to put in his best work on the inside.  From close range Velez can let go his power punches and can make things rough.  Meanwhile, Diaz does his best work when he is sharpshooting from the outside so look for him to try and control the distance with his jab and very accurate straight left hand.  If nothing else this fight should act as a tasty appetizer for the main event.

PREDICTION: In his last fight Jayson Velez was outworked by a lighter hitting, quicker fighter.  Unfortunately for him the same adjectives could be used to describe Joseph Diaz.  Diaz has the faster hands and is the more accurate puncher and those attributes will contribute to him winning this fight by the way of unanimous decision.