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SATURDAY - at Helsinki, Finland - 12 rounds, WBA heavyweight title: Ruslan Chagaev (25-0-1, 17 KOs) vs. Nikolay Valuev (50-1, 34 KOs); Lamon Brewster (35-4, 30 KOs) vs. Juho Haapoja (9-2-1, 7 KOs).
SATURDAY - at Hollywood, Florida (HBO) - 12 rounds, WBC welterweight title: Andre Berto (24-0, 19 KOs) vs. Juan Urango (21-1-1, 16 KOs); 12 rounds, welterweights: Kermit Cintron (30-2-1, 27 KOs) vs. Alfredo Angulo (15-0, 12 KOs
HBO will be providing boxing fans with one of the best cards of the year this weekened. Before we look at that, however, it’s worth taking a moment to review the Helsinki bouts.
Ruslan Chagaev and Nikolay Valuev will finally have their return match, to determine the WBA championship. Chagaev, who won their first fight in April. 2007, was at the time one of the most promising heavyweight prospects. However, due to health-related issues, he has been largely inactive, fighting only once in both ’08 and ’09. At 6’ 1", 229 lbs, and with a 74 " reach, he is relatively small for today’s heavyweight division. But he has shown both ring generalship and good power when he fights. At age 30, he could still be a major factor in the division, if he becomes an active participant.
Valuev, 35, has won 4 fights since losing to Chagaey. At 7’, 320 lbs, and with an 75" reach, he is the definition of a "super heavyweight" in size, if not in talent. There are inevitable comparisons made to former heavyweight champion Primo Carnera; however, like the "giant" Carnera, Valuev does have some talent..
Chagaev is probably going to take another decision. If so, he would probably have a better chance in a future match against one of the Klitschko brothers.
Lamon Brewster continues his once promising career against Finland’s unranked heavyweight, Juho Haapoja, who is coming off a TKO victory over an 0-5 opponent. At age 35, Brewster should retire.
The main attraction this weekend is a welterweight double-header, featuring four intense punchers. In the co-feature, Kermit Cintron meets Alfredo Angulo. Cintron, 29, is 5’ 11", with a 74-inch reach. He is a powerful puncher, with the ability to take most opponents out early. More, he has good boxing skills, and can either outbox an opponent, or score late-round TKOs.
His only two loses are to Margarito, in 2005 and 2008. In both fights, after making a quick start, Cintron appeared intimidated by the equally tall and rangy Margarito’s counter punching. He was TKOed in 5, then KOed in 6; in both fights, it appeared that Cintron was giving up. After the recent "glove-loading" controversy involving Margarito in his loss to Mosley, some felt that Cintron had been redeemed. However, in his last fight, in which he moved up in weight to face Sergio Martinez, Cintron again showed a lack of heart.
Cintron had been set to fight tough Joshua Clottey, but took the fight with Marinez, who is a good boxer, but not a particularly hard puncher. Cintron won the early rounds, but in the 5th, the tide began to turn. Martinez opened a cut over Cintron’s left eye, and Kermit lost his composure. In the 7th round, a solid counter-punch decked Cintron – who signaled to the referee that he had been butted – and Cintron took the full 10 count. For some unidentified reason, Cintron was allowed to continue, and Martinez appeared the clear winner. The decision was a majority draw, with two even cards, and one judge scoring it accurately at 116-110 for Martinez.
Angulo, 26, is 5’ 10", with a 69" reach. He is an exciting fighter, who lacks good defensive skills. He has told reporters that he usually doesn’t know if he gets hit in a fight, until his corner men scold him between rounds. This could present a serious problem against the hard-hitting Cintron. However, Angulo takes a solid punch, and almost always does so, in order to place himself in position to land a couple of his own. He has good power, but tends to rely upon a combination of accumulated punches, physical strength, and intimidation to win.
Angulo must be favored, if only because a fighter who quits once, will quit again when the going gets tough. Cintron is too often intimidated, and hence has quit in three fights – though he was given a draw in one of them. Still, he has the ability to deliver hard punches to Angulo’s exposed chin, and Angulo’s balance on his feet leaves something to be desired. This will be a war. May the best man win.
The main event is very good on paper, and should be very entertaining. Andre Berto, 25, stands just under 5’ 9". He is an athletic, muscular warrior, who adds a lot to the sport, both in and outside of the ring. Although he won a disputed decision in his most recent fight (against crafty Luis Collazo), he showed the guts and determination in the second-half of the fight that wins everyone’s respect.
It’s been almost two years since journeyman Cosme Rivera gave Berto a Henry Cooper-type of surprise in Saratoga Springs, knocking Bert down with a vicious counter-punch in the 6th round. Since then, Berto has improved significantly, including throwing crisper, shorter punches in rapid combinations.
Berto meets Juan Urango, 28, the rugged Columbian native who’s only lose came in a brutal 12-rounder against Ricky Hatton in 2007. Urango is 5’ 7", and is naturally lighter than Berto. Yet, he is extremely strong – perhaps a bit muscle-bound – and, as he showed against Hatton, knows the value of a body punch.
Berto is the favorite in this fight. Urango tends to throw his punches wide, just as Berto did in the 6th round with Rivera, and Berto has the hand speed to take advantage of that. But it probably will not be an easy fight for Berto.
As odd as this may sound: styles make fights. And Berto is not unlike a young Joe Frazier. Keep in mind that Frazier was in real trouble in two early fights – he was decked twice in an early round by Oscar Bonavena, and staggered by Mexican heavyweight Manuel Ramos in their war. Frazier won, but like Berto versus Rivera, he had a tough time. And Urango is very strong, and hits very hard. Berto can benefit from using his boxing skills early, and wearing his slower foe down. It should be a serious test for Andre.
Enjoy the fights!
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