Alexander Brand vs. Donovan George, May 17th

This vaguely interesting super middleweight clash for the IBO title is going down next Saturday.

Donovan George is a late sub for Brand's countryman Alejandro Berrio, which makes it somewhat of a disappointment because the parallels were just crazy. (both combatants would have shared: Colombian origin, the initials "AB", the age of 37, high knockout percentages, and common opponents in Jose Chiquillo - Berrio outpointing him twice and Brand stopping him...)

Brand is an odd duck, with a long amateur background and KO power - but some of the wildest technique you will ever see, a very loose hands-down stance, looping reckless bombs at his foes' heads but working the body expertly. As the cornerstone of Colombia's national amateur squad, he waited a bit overlong in turning professional, debuting at 32 - and still fought on a relatively soft prospect schedule for the first three years of his career. He proved himself a legitimate talent in his first step up in class, however, getting the measure of much younger and more heralded Badou Jack, a Gambian-Swede former Olympian in a clash of unbeaten prospects on Showtime. Brand was robbed of a clear victory and potential springboard that night (it would be another two years before frequently-televised Jack officially lost - in spectacular fashion, destroyed in a minute flat by Derek Edwards in yet another tough night where he was heavily favored heading in...) and has done little of note since then. He looked okay defending his WBC Latino 168lb title against grizzled Argentine tough nut Ruben Acosta, but that is hardly the stuff of legend and probably stands as his best official result to date. He is talented and unorthodox, potentially a h2h force...but old.

George, meanwhile, is the physically larger man and the 'bigger name' as far as familiarity to American TV audiences...but has been on a long patchy skid that almost seemed inevitable given his face-first mix-it-up style. 2013 was perhaps even less memorable for him than was 2012, in which both Adonis Stevenson and Edwin Rodriguez - both hard punchers - used him like a heavy bag. (though La Bomba put on a bit more of a boxing exhibition, still landing plenty of leather). He fought twice on ESPN2 FNF last year, dropping a split draw in his own hometown to former middleweight fringe contender David Lopez - getting screwed, in all honesty, as badly as did Brand versus Jack - and then getting creamed by Caleb Truax, a current middleweight fringe contender. He since has rebounded with a stoppage of always-game and upset-minded but still low-grade Midwestern tomato can Troy Lowry, on a non-televised card last month. George will and usually does gladly inhale five punches to land one heavy one himself, and that approach works at certain levels and ensures a loyal following...but has also worked against him. Brand has a good chin and may not respect his crude power...while finding a willing home for his loopy whistlers.

This is probably the last chance either one has at relevance - Brand due to his actual biological age, George because of all the wars accelerating his own 'ring age'. They should blend well aesthetically, producing fireworks and maybe even swapping knockdowns.

 

I'm sure Colombian TV will, at the very least?

Canal TeleCaribe? (not specifically Colombian and mainly servicing the Caribbean region, but they showed the Berrio vs. Zuniga I & Brand vs. Acosta doubleheader)


It would be a damn shame if there was no outlet.

 

Very few of us did, which has caused some problems...

http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=154980

:wall



The cool thing if TeleCaribe does pick it up is they do have an international live stream on their website.

 

He is the same guy, except perhaps minus a little punch resistance. With Da Bomb, WYSIWYG.

 

George before departing the US was training & sparring with Andrzej Fonfara. (which is actually old hat, they've been working together for at least three years now as two of the biggest local draws in Chicago with similar guts & glory styles)

https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net...8_10152348705595306_3243063189902320390_n.jpg

 

He deserved the nod over Jack, yes, and is an effective (and even "good") fighter in his way, but he is also soon to be 39 years old and wild as hell.

That doesn't bode well if you put him in with a prime (or extremely near-prime, if past) elite.

Literally everything that makes Brand effective, Ward can exploit and take advantage of.

 

There's a reason he is on the list of names Team Ward is pleading with Bennett to accept. (instead of just taking on Agnew like he proposed...not that I wouldn't heavily favor Ward over Agnew, but it would be much riskier than Brand or any of the other names they're pushing)

 

Oh he's as wild...but not as rough. He's more Victor Cayo "throw crazy shots from strange angles with a bit of speed to disrupt a more conventional boxer's rhythm" wild, not "make it really physical and force a high pace with brawling, grappling and fouling to sap your will & energy" wild.