Co-main event of a GBxDAZN Thursday Night Fights card, along with Luis Ángel "Body Snatcher" Feliciano vs. Genaro "El Conde" Gámez in a doubleheader featuring all unbeaten prospects anteing up their zeroes. Such match-ups have become almost dime a dozen these days; ostensibly a positive development for the sport but with a deceptively insidious twist, as they are rarely the intersection of two genuine blue-chipper pathways (often a more talented and/or politically connected fighter being "fed" another with a padded record that looks good numerically but lacks any substance). Cobbs, at least, I can vouch is a top shelf prospect. A slick and flashy southpaw whom I only caught in action for the first time in the main supporting bout of the Mercito Gesta vs. Juan Antonio Rodríguez undercard - and who previously was foremost known for his schooling of Devin Haney in a sparring match in late 2016 - he is trained by 2x world titlist Clarence "Bones" Adams. Villalobos is more of an unknown quantity, although by the numbers his professional run has been identical to Cobbs' - eerily so, as both to date have posted records of exactly 11 victories against no defeats and one draw. Villalobos has registered nine stoppages to Cobbs' seven, and they're within half an inch of each other in height and just one year apart in age. The tale of the tape may be close, but I suspect that Villalobos - who is described by his own team as being an explosive "KO artist", might be serving as merely the next hoop for Cobbs to jump on his way to bigger things. If he can thwart Cobbs' movement and stop the cocky lefty, it will be a bit of an upset.
I also confess to knowing very little about Feliciano and Gámez, although both have apparently featured on Golden Boy undercards before.
I've seen them both, Gamez is decent but by the numbers, he has a decent right and a very good jab but that's about it. Feliciano on the other hand has a few more wrinkles in his game, and all around is a little more special. His defense is porous, but his offense tends to be his defense. He throws punches in bunches, cuts the ring off well, and uses some pretty unique angles, also he seems to have more power, so I'm favoring him here.
I thought I hadn't seen Cobbs yet, one look at him on YouTube, saw the fro, it all came rushing back to me, he kind of stands out in a crowd. I've seen him twice. Although I think he's a KO waiting to happen, he's got fast hands and he's exciting, but he's way to open for a counter-puncher with solid timing. It wouldn't shock me if Villalobos beats him, he cuts the ring off very well, throws from some unique angles and is high output just like Cobbs. Granted he has a padded record, but he looks heavy-handed regardless, it wouldn't shock me if KO'd Cobbs with some wild overhand the kind that Cobbs should never be caught with.
Yeah, he gets reckless and plays a little fast & loose sometimes, cocky little SOB that he is, but Cobbs is slick as fresh salmon-rich-diet cat shit. He frustrated Haney to no end. (granted that was years ago) This content is protected I think it'll take someone a few levels above Villalobos (but the same kind of style) to humble Cobbs...but if he does pull it off, yeah, it wouldn't be the hugest shock.
