An exciting week for hardcore boxing fans as Vic Darchinyan, Felix Sturm, Tomasz Adamek and Hozumi Hasegawa will headline their respective cards in one of the heaviest scheduled title fights week in boxing in the last few years. How I wish that every TV channel in this planet is available at our behest. I know that streaming video can be available online at times but that does not compare to a high-def quality broadcast on TV. Anyway, enough of the wishful thinking and on to the title fights on tap in the coming week.
July 11 (Saturday) - Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Germany’s Felix Sturm [32(14)-2(1)-1] vs. Armenia’s Khoren Gevor [30(16)-3(2)-0]
Sturm‘s WBA Middleweight (160 lbs.) title
Sturm need not get complacent on this fight because a setback will trounce his opportunity to set foot on US soil, rather US boxing ring, again since the controversial loss to the golden boy five years ago. With most of the recognizable middleweights set to participate in a highly ambitious tournament spearheaded by Showtime, Kelly Pavlik’s only lucrative option is against Felix Sturm. Gevor, I believe, is a live underdog and he has the skills to spoil Sturm’s date with Pavlik. The Armenian-born German citizen is rated number 2 by the WBA, number 4 by the Ring magazine and the current European middleweight champion. This fight will serve as an appetizer to the German Formula 1 Grand Prix. The city of Nürburg is popular for its 24-kilometer race track including the 5 kilometers used for the grand prix. Prediction: Too much at stake for Sturm so my fearless forecast is Sturm by decision.
July 11 (Saturday) - Newark, NJ
Poland’s Tomasz Adamek [37(25)-1(0)-0] vs. USA’s Bobby Gunn [21(18)-3(2)-1]
Adamek‘s IBF Cruiserweight and Ring Cruiserweight (200 lbs.) titles
The New Jerseyan in me will root for Gunn, but, logical sense still got Adamek winning convincingly and violently. Adamek’s tough chin gives him the advantage on advancing carelessly thus punishing his opponents up close. Gunn’s KO ratio is not bad but that was against mediocre opponents. The last time he fought a world class fighter, he was stopped by Enzo Maccarinelli in the first round. Prediction: Easy pay check for Adamek. He will stop Gunn before the fourth round.
July 11 (Saturday) - Sunrise, FL
Ghana’s Joseph Agbeko [26(22)-1(0)-0] vs. Armenia’s Vic Darchinyan [32(26)-1(1)-1]
Agbeko‘s IBF Bantamweight (118 lbs.) title
Showtime 9 pm ET
Darchinyan is on track to join an elite group of boxers with at least 3 titles in different divisions. However, Ghana’s King Kong will not be an easy task compared to his last three victims – Jorge Arce, Cristian Mijares and Dmitri Kirillov, where Armenia’s the Raging Bull unified the IBF, WBA and WBC 115-lb. titles. Agbeko has a little bit of Nonito Donaire in him which in some ways Darchinyan’s kryptonite. My concern with Agbeko is his stance which seems to hunch forward. They’re perfect targets for the Australia-based Armenian’s wild looping hooks. Agbeko’s last win against William Gonzalez in the Steve Cunningham-Adamek undercard last year is quite close and his only fight in the last 21 months. This will be a good fight for however long it last. In spite of Darchinyan’s arrogance, you can’t deny the fact that he always put up a good show, except of course against his Filipino kryptonite. Prediction: This is not an easy pick as Agbeko is a natural 118-pounder, but I believe Darchinyan can bring his power over and stop Agbeko late in the fight.
July 11 (Saturday) - Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico
Mexico’s Cristobal Cruz [38(23)-11(2)-1] vs. Mexico’s Jorge Solis [37(27)-1(1)-2]
Cruz‘s IBF Featherweight (126 lbs.) title
Cruz is a decent titleholder. His slugfest against Orlando Salido nine months ago for the vacant title was entertaining. The action was back and forth until Salido ran out of gas which gave Cruz a split decision win. He then successfully defended against Cyril Thomas in spite of flying to his opponent’s backyard in France. But then, both Salido and Thomas are not even class B fighters. Solis is an upgrade compared to the two. Cruz fizzles when the competition steps up. He lost to Steven Luevano, Francisco Lorenzo and Zahir Raheem, while Solis already beat him once more than five years ago. I don’t think the result will change in their rematch. Solis’ only setback is against the pound for pound king and in that fight, he managed to keep a good account of himself in the early rounds. Prediction: Solis will win a wide unanimous decision and claim another world title belt for the Solis family after younger brother Ulises lost his to Brian Viloria a couple of months ago.
July 14 (Tuesday) - Tokyo, Japan
Japan’s Takahiro Aoh [17(8)-1(0)-1] vs. Dominican Republic’s Elio Rojas [20(13)-1(0)-0]
Aoh‘s WBC Featherweight (126 lbs.) title
Japan will be treated with back-to-back-to-back title fights Tuesday night (Japan time). Nippon TV, only available in Japan, will have a split-site telecast live from Tokyo and Kobe featuring two of the best in their respective divisions. First up is an interesting appetizer as the flamboyant Aoh will be defending his title for the first time after beating veteran ring warrior, Oscar Larios, in a rematch last March. The Brooklyn-based Rojas earned the title shot when he practically pitched a shutout against Hector Velazquez in a title eliminator last September. He showed a lot of potential early in his career but has been inactive with only the Velazquez fight in the last two years. He has the skills to dethrone a hittable Aoh but ring rust might take its toll on “Little Tito”, as he wants to be called in admiration of his favorite boxer, Felix Trinidad. Prediction: This is the toughest fight to call this week because they are evenly matched, yet, I tend to tip the scales in favor of Aoh because of the home crowd edge and Rojas’ inactivity. I’d say Aoh by close decision.
July 14 (Tuesday) - Kobe, Japan
Japan’s Hozumi Hasegawa [26(10)-2(0)-0] vs. USA’s Nestor Rocha [21(7)-1(0)-0]
Hasegawa‘s WBC Bantamweight (118 lbs.) title
Presently considered as the best 118 pounder, Hasegawa will put on a show in his title defense against Rocha. If available, Hasegawa is a good reason to pay my cable provider to somehow get me Nippon TV. This will be Hasegawa’s 9th defense of the title he took from Veeraphol Sahaprom four years ago. He has been impressive in his last three fights knocking them all out in two rounds or less including mandatory challenger Vusi Malinga. In contrast, Rocha needed the full 10 rounds in two of his last three opponents who carried a combined losing record of 46. Like I said, this will just be a showcase of Hasegawa’s skills. Prediction: Hasegawa will stop Rocha before the sixth round.
July 14 (Tuesday) - Kobe, Japan
Nicaragua’s Roman Gonzalez [23(20)-0(0)-0] vs. Japan’s Katsunari Takayama [23(9)-3(1)-0]
Gonzalez‘s WBA Minimumweight (105 lbs.) title
Another division best will display his skills in the land of the rising sun. Gonzales became a favorite in Japan where his last three visits did not disappoint the Japanese fight fans in spite of taking down two of their compatriots. Gonzales will very likely do the same thing to Takayama and will retain his unblemished record. Gonzalez’s last soiree in Japan is when he dethroned Yutaka Niida in September. The ring doctor stopped the fight in the fourth due to Niida’s badly damaged right eye. That, in my opinion, prompted Niida to retire for good. In contrast, Niida took a split decision win over Takayama two years ago. Prediction: Gonzales via early stoppage.
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