Our weekly picks and best bets.
Scores
Last week
Graeme: 3–3
Leo: 3–3
Angelo: 4–2
Total
Grame: 14–8
Leo: 10–12
Angelo: 13–9
Sammy Vasquez vs Luis Collazo
Vasquez -275 / Collazo +325
Graeme: Vasquez by Stoppage. Vasquez lost that close fight to Diaz and this is just part of the rebuild. Collazo is a warrior, we all know he will come forward all night. He’s fought everyone and has the experience to pull out the upset but I don’t think he has it in him. I see this fight in a similar fashion to Thurman v Collazo. Vasquez has enough power to make Collazo think twice and he has enough speed to mark up his face. I hope this isn’t the case, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the same cut comes back to haunt Collazo.
Leo: Vasquez by Decision. Berchelt taught me something this weekend. The old workhorse (Vargas) may seem like the sure bet, but wars and tough fights add up. I wouldn’t hold the loss to Felix Diaz against Sammy. And while Collazo’s L column reads like a who’s who, I think the young buck takes out the vet.
Angelo: Vasquez by Decision. That Diaz fight wasn’t good for Vasquez. Despite Collazo not looking too good, he’s still skilled and experienced enough to not get knocked out by Vasquez. (Vasquez’s power is overrated.)
Yordenis Ugas vs Levan Ghvamichava
Ugas -300 / Ghvamichava +305
Graeme: Ugas by Decision. All of the Sunday Puncher team are big Ghvamichava fans. I want to see him win this fight, but Ugas is one of the most active and aggressive Cubans out there. It’s rare to find a Cuban who will come forward and fight off the front foot. Ugas is slick, he’s really big for the division and his right hand is devastating — it crushed Perella and it almost finished off Imam. Ghvamichava is strong in both hands and has a solid chin as we saw he could take everything Lipinets had up top, but that body work finished him. Ugas is a huge step for Levan in his rebuild, but he does get lazy with his left hand. I’d love for the Wolf to do it, but I think Ugas get’s the edge.
Leo: Ghvamichava by Decision. I don’t care what anyone says, Levan is going to prove why he’s the going to be Alpha of the pack at WW. So what if Ugas is a style-matchup problem for Levan? And so what if Levan fades a bit towards the end of his fights? I’m all in on Ghvamichava.
Angelo: Ugas by Decision. Tough to go against The Wolf, but Ugas is streaking. Ugas has power, he can box, he can do a lot of things that The Wolf unfortunately can’t.
Ryan Karl vs Eddie Ramirez
No line
Graeme: Karl by Stoppage. I’m still not on the Karl bandwagon. He looks sloppy in the ring, like someone who walks into a gym off the street and wants to fight one of the trained boxers, but this guy has cement in those gloves that he has learnt to unload after building off the jab. His defense though is terrible, he keeps his arms in this mid-placement so he is open to body and head shots. Ramirez similar is a heavy hitter, but he loves that left hook, even when it’s not needed. If he continues to throw it all night, the rights from Karl will take their toll.
Leo: Ramirez by Stoppage. The little bit I saw from Karl didn’t show me much to give him the nod. His defense is poor, below average at best. Ramirez works behind a jab some of the time, but seemed to get high on himself when he lands a few good shots. I think Karl’s poor defense will leave him open to getting tagged by Ramirez leading to stoppage.
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Angelo: Karl by Decision. I think is a brilliant fight and should be very close. On paper I actually like Ramirez more, but there is something about Cowboy Karl that has me feeling confident he can pull it out.
Anthony Mundine vs Danny Green
Mundine +280 / Green -225
Graeme: Green by Decision. Seriously? these guys are both too old and are clearly pursuing a money-grab. Mundine completely outboxed Green last time, but that was 11 years ago and this time they are fighting at a catchweight almost 20lbs heavier. Mundine has been KO’d a couple of times since then, and age slows down all fighters. I think Green will be able to tag him more, maybe even get the stoppage.
Leo: Mundine by Decision. Mundine is still fighting? I’m just going to shoot in the dark on this one.
Angelo: Green by Decision. Apparently this is a big deal in Australia.
Felix Verdejo vs Oliver Flores
Verdejo -4100 / Flores +2000
Graeme: Verdejo by Decision. This is really a gap-filler. Verdejo has already booked in for his first 12 round fight in June at the MGM. Let’s hope he has remained focused enough. Flores as fallen at his two toughest tests (Uchiyama and Berchelt) but still has enough wins to be considered “respectable”. This might even end by stoppage. Verdejo, whether you think he is actually as good as the hype or not, is being built as the next Puerto Rican super star, and this fight would be what his team considers one of the smaller stepping stones to get there.
Leo: Verdejo by Stoppage. From what I’ve seen of both guys, I think this may be the fight that goes under the radar for fight fans (because Ghvamichava is stealing the hype). Flores’ losses have come to Berchelt and Uchiyama, both by stoppage. This looks to me like an A grade vs a B grade. Flores is pretty good, but doesn’t seem to have it when it comes to stepping up to the top tier talents.
Angelo: Verdejo by Stoppage. This is a pick I don’t feel good about. Verdejo should easily win, as reflected by the line, but he’s had so many hand injuries that I imagine he’s going to be cautious with his hands.
Hekkie Budler vs Joey Canoy
Budler -2500 / Canoy +900
Graeme: Budler by Decision. If you don’t know Budler, you should check him out. I’ve made it clear that I don’t follow the lighter weights as closely as I should but Hekkie is a high energy kid from South Africa who comes into the ring with different colored hair and a new tattoo every fight (or at least it seems that way). He doesn’t pack a lot of punch, and often time’s he does something similar to the “Calzaghe Slap”, but I’m still not sure if that’s his technique or a bit of play. He’s got some speed and some moves, although he can get tagged, I like his chances against Canoy who almost exclusively fights journeymen with more L’s than W’s.
Leo: Budler by Decision. As Graeme mentioned, if you haven’t seen Budler look him up. He’s energetic and brings a lively image to the ring. He doesn’t have a lot of pop, but he doesn’t shy away from mixing it up in the pocket. Canoy’s losses came from guys that actually showed up to fight, so I don’t much like his chances as he’s stepping in with a guy who will bring the fight to him.
Angelo: Budler by Stoppage. Budler doesn’t frequently stop guys, but I get the feeling Canoy is coming for an all or nothing kind of fight. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an upset knockout here, but the safest pick is a Budler stoppage.
Renold Quinlan vs Chris Eubank Jr
Qunlan +2200 / Eubank Jr -3300
Graeme: Eubank Jr by Stoppage. I want to back Quinlan, but I think Eubank Jr will take this one. I’ve spoken before about the development of Australian fighters, it’s tough to make the jump to the world stage. Quinlan does hit hard and his a big man, but I think Eubank Jr will be too developed for him this time around.
Leo: Eubank Jr by Stoppage. I feel this is another irresponsible fight that Eubank is getting into. Quinlan is naturally bigger, but I think Eubank is far more talented. I guess ITV requires a blood sacrifice to appease the gods.
Angelo: Eubank Jr by Stoppage. Renold should have some moments, but ultimately he will gas and Eubank will begin to pulverize him with power shots.
Kid Galahad vs Joseph Agbeko
Galahad -1000 / Agbeko +900
Graeme: Galahad by Decision. I can never forgive Agbeko for robbing Darchinyan.
Leo: Galahad by Decision. This should be a fun fight as well. Agbeko can be kinda crafty on the defensive front, while Galahad is more crafty on offense. Both guys don’t mind eating a punch or two and returning fire, and both can be the aggressor or come off the back foot. I give this one to the youngster over the crafty vet.
Angelo: Galahad by Decision. Agbeko is very tough and I find it hard to believe that even a guy who previously tested positive for performance enhancing drugs will be able to stop Agbeko. Agbeko, I anticipate, will make this an ugly and boring fight as he goes into the prevent defense and looks to hear the final bell.
