ATG BANTAMWEIGHT TOURNIE: THE FINAL - RUBEN OLIVARES MD15 EDER JOFRE

Some awesome replies so far and I think I'm in agreement that Jofre wins via some form of decision. Although it's far from easy....

Jofre at his best was scintillating. He oozed class, and was one of the most complete fighters to ever do it. He wasn't without weaknesses, but he was without serious weakness. He could be out-worked, in a similar situation to Don Curry, he could be pretty placid and minimalist but I'd put that down to weight making struggles. Jofre in his prime (Medel 1&2 being my main points of reference), didn't really have this problem like he did by the time of the Harada fights. Anyway, a master boxer-puncher with one of the highest level of ring IQ ever.

Straight-forward aggression isn't how you'd describe Olivares, since there's nothing straight forward about how Olivares went about destruction. The way he set about fighting was very unique. In and out at angles, circling in and coming in with short hooks and aggressive counters, and those punches had more power than just about anyone ever had at 118. Personally I'd say that McGovern had a bit more pop, but that's being a bit pedantic.

Ultimately I think this would end up as a hot first few rounds where Olivares gets hit (possibly going down) and then things he needs box rather than attack. Jofre starts to win more rounds with his straighter punching, better jab/footwork and better ring generalship before Olivares at some point realizes he's letting it go, then he'll try for a KO; failing.

Jofre UD15 (8-7, 9-6)

Now I do have a major gripe. Jofre's power is undermentioned but overrated imo, Olivares is definitely the harder hitter imo. Without question. And there's something which doesn't quite sit right in my head about the Zárate > Olivares revisionism(?).

 

I don’t think anybody claims Zárate is greater than Olivares but there’s a reasonable case (stylistically) he beats him head to head and was the better pure bantamweight. Most (almost everyone) felt Zárate was unbeaten at bantamweight and there’s no way he gets blasted out by Herrera that way. Of course, his competition was not on par with Ruben’s overall but the way he dismantled Martinez, Davila, Zamora, Ferreri, all really good fighters with a wide variety of styles speaks to how great Zarate was in his bantamweight peak.

They sparred a ton of rounds together when Carlos was coming up.

 

Hehe, yepppp.

 

Well, I don't mean in terms of greatness as I too haven't seen anyone say that. Although I do see a lot of people saying Zarate is better H2H. I can't see it, I don't think he'd win if they fought or that he'd do better in some kind of ATG round-robin at 118.

Just don't see him as the better fighter.

 

I might have to go back and rewatch Jofre and Olivares in terms of punching prowess. If anything going on past observations I'd have edged towards Ruben's one punch power being overrated because of his ko percentage, similar to Zarate, and Jofres being underrated. Jofre did stop something like 37 out of 47 before stepping up to feather and I've always thought he required landing very few flush shots to really get a man going. Olivares is similar but more one-handed and the manner of Jofres stoppages of Medel twice, Aoki, Caraballo, Sanchez, Caldwell etc were pretty brutal to varying degrees and as crushing-looking imo as what Olivares generally did. I dunno, it's weird what we see differently. Neither man was a Jackson, Little Redesque hitter but both more than a typical hard attritional puncher like Chavez for example. Olivares arguably carried his punch up to 126 a bit better though - Jofre has nothing like taking out Ramirez on his ledger above bantam because Saldivar was past it.

I'll have another look, see if I'm wrong though. Might be so.

 

I'm going against the "McGrain" here and picking Olivares to win a very hard fought decision.

No one is going to argue who the greater fighter is. But this a tourney, mano a mano, Eric Roberts in the best of the best.

I think on his day, at his red hot top form Olivares is one of the best natural all around fighters I've seen at any weight.

I know people won't like me giving him somewhat of a pass for his losses but the one real weakness of Olivares is his complete contempt for training. It is quite a feat he had such an amazing career and was able to make 118 for so long given his lack of motivation for hard training.
I think some overlook this guys impressive run even before he was champion..he was a wrecking ball.

For this fight we don't have the party boy version, we have the completely focused and hungry Olivares of his early reign.

I feel his faster feet and slightly faster hands, his confident, aggressive style help him swarm and crowd a slow starting Jofre to build up an early lead. Zipping in a out of range and causing enough damage to the body to keep Eder under wraps for a few rounds. Jofre wasn't a defensive master but his chin would be more than a match.
As the fight wears on and Jofre starts to make headway, I feel Ruben has the ability to shift to the matador, jabbing and moving enough to keep away from Jofre's vaunted power.
Eder owns the 2nd half of the fight but the ever dangerous Olivares snatches a round or two to break up Jofre's momentum and when the scores are tallied El Puas has amassed enough of an early lead to hang on to a razor thin decision.

Then they fight a trilogy, where the far more disciplined and consistent Jofre stops him brutally late in both fights.
But Ruben will always have the first blood, for this one fight he punches gold into silver.

 

You are actually with the "McGrain" but against the grain

In a match between two incredibly talented and effective practitioners i am going to go with the slightly more orthodox technical fighter in Jofre. He's just so complete and multi faceted. There's nothing in it.

 

Olivaresclearly the superior puncher and probably the superior boxer too.

Jofre is more durable though, and that might be the difference in a gruelling 15 rounder. I’ll take Olivares—barely—to prevail on points, but he might have to get off the deck to do it.

For what it’s worth, skill for skill, I don’t think Jofre is that much better than Castillo.

 

I think in a three fight series each of these guys would win at least once.

But, in a one off, with everything to play for, I've got Olivares just edging out a narrow decision by virtue of workrate and aggression. Jofre could sometimes be outworked and Olivares could mimic Harada's style if he had to, mixing in some technique and a few power showers to keep the Golden Bantam's hand's at home. It wouldn't be easy at all, and I don't blame anyone for picking Jofre, but Olivares edges this 8-7 on my card.