On paper, two of the three main events this weekend appear to have long odds in favor of the ‘A’ side. The one standout as a headliner is a unification bout between Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez.
(Photo credit: Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
Although this boxing podcaster appreciates Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda, there are a few close-odds bouts flying under the radar. Let’s start with the bigger names and then work our way to do some bouts we may be talking about more post-fight.
When the first bell rings for Ioka vs. Martinez, the styles should match up nicely. Ioka is a solid all-around boxer who can fight at range, bring pressure, and operate at the edge of the pocket. Kazuto has good hand speed and is very crafty with his combinations and footwork. He is both accurate and fluid on offense but can also defend fairly well using a high guard.
Fernando Martinez has an exciting brand of boxing that involves aggression and awkward attacks. He is capable of moving his head on the way inside and then throwing short punches up close. Age, especially at the smaller weights, can play a part, so Fernando has that in his favor. Martinez is sitting around a +120 to +135 as a slight underdog.
Look for Ioka to attack the body, and as he begins to time, Martinez offense. It would be a major boost if Ioka could push Martinez back at times. Martinez has a habit of pulling straight back and is not all that effective on the move. Another item that stands out is Martinez’s tendency to load up on his punches resulting in wide missed punches.
If Ioka can withstand an early onslaught, he will be the one landing the cleaner punches as the rounds add up. This one should be nip and tuck until, say, the 8th or 9th round when Kazuto finds separation. The more experienced, well-rounded boxer is Ioka, who swings the pendulum toward Kazuto for the win.
My Official Prediction is Kazuto Ioka by Majority-Decision.
Will Shakur Stevenson make a statement versus Artem Harutyunyan? Artem showed his worth in his last outing against Frank Martin. He ultimately took a knee, which cost him the fight. This boxing junkie believes that we will see a more assertive Shakur looking to land combinations once he becomes comfortable. If victorious, the big question is where will Stevenson end up as a free agent?
My Official Prediction is Shakur Stevenson by Unanimous Decision.
William Zepeda faces an outside boxer in Giovanni Cabrera, who swore up and down that he’d bring the heat directly to him. Beyond multiple rounds of Zepeda trying to catch up to Cabrera on the outside, this one should eventually go William’s way.
Cutting off the ring and unloading big punches will eventually take a toll. Maybe I’ll be wrong, but this appears to be a way more one-sided bout than, for example, Cabrera vs. Pitbull Cruz. One could make the counterpoint that Cabrera does not want to engage and instead rides his bike all around the ring for 12 rounds, thus not getting stopped.
My Official Prediction is William Zepeda by late stoppage.
PODCAST LINK: http://tobtr.com/12351302
Side Note: Watch for multiple bouts that many in the boxing world aren’t really talking about. O’Shaquie Foster vs. Robson Conceicao, William Foster III vs. Eridson Garcia, Alex Martin vs. Pedro Campa, and Angel Acosta vs. Ricardo Sandoval.
My Picks: Foster MD, Foster III SD, Campa MD, Sandoval UD.
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Available at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio
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