Daniel Jacobs vs. Giovanni Lorenzo - Fox Sports 1 Monday Night Boxing premiere

This is tomorrow night. :bbb 9pm EST.

Fox Sports 1 was previously known as "Speed Channel".

Check your listings.

Here in New England on Comcast it's ch. 925.

 

Jacobs is 3-0 (3) against soft opposition since returning from life-threatening cancer. He looked healthy and in decent form although he is yet to be tested in his comeback. This will be his first time making the middleweight limit since his knockout loss to Dmitry Pirog over three years ago.

Lorenzo had a thirty-second tuneup with a tomato can in March, and has otherwise been inactive since losing an IBF middleweight title eliminator to Sam Soliman last year. (during which time Soliman may have been using performance enhancing drugs, as he was found to be when he made good on that eliminator by outpointing Felix Sturm for the championship but having it ultimately ruled a No Contest)

 

In the co-feature, Golden Boy prospect Eddie Gomez takes on Philly-born fringe contender Steve Upsher "Showtime" Chambers over eight at light middleweight.

Gomez has looked moderately impressive appearing on Solo Boxeo cards and even headlining a couple of times. His movement, jab, and power are laudable but he possesses lazy tendencies. Chambers will be his biggest step up. The fellow unbeaten prospect Gomez recently outclassed on the Cotto vs. Trout undercard had a padded record and wasn't really any riskier than Chambers. He is a very good puncher but not a brawler - in fact if anything he is sometimes too contemplative about his offense.

Chambers has pillow fists but is still willing to get down and dirty and has the chin to do so, having engaged in a back and forth war against Luis Collazo on the Garcia vs. Morales II undercard, which isn't reflected in the official scores. He also has sprung a few upsets handing out first blemishes - most notably to Bayan Jargal. He is no relation to now-cruiser "Fast" Eddie Chambers, despite sharing a name and hometown, but they are good longtime friends and training partners. He is less athletic but twice as experienced as Gomez (and it's more substantial experience)

 

vBookie:

http://www.boxingforum24.com/showthread.php?t=485994

 

Didn't they just launch yesterday? What have they put on so far?

 

I don't think it's part of the regular package, just a buy-up. :-(

 

Poll added.

 

This is for the vacant WBC Continental Americas title, but still only scheduled for ten.

Obviously both Jacobs (WBO #9) and Lorenzo (IBF #12) - neither of whom are currently ranked in the WBC top 40 @ middleweight - have coughed up fees to Sulaiman in the hopes of entering the lists and joining the hunt for the green belt on which the fading Maravilla still has a tenuous grasp...with a giant target painted on his back for as long as he does.

The Continental Americas title doesn't automatically springboard you up near the highest echelon in the WBC rankings - its most recent holder Ozzie Adama currently sitting at #32, and its three previous wearers (Tahdooahnippah, Miranda and St. Juste) all still active but none even top 40 anymore - but it's a start. Jacobs and Lorenzo could both use a boost right now to get into the world title picture of any org. Any port in a storm.

 

Yeah, he is capable of being in some very boring matches (like vs. Sturm) depending on the mix of styles and sometimes does resort to fouling excessively (like vs. Marquez) when he is disadvantaged in skill but he is always dangerous if given a chance (like vs. N'Dam N'Jikam) and can be entertaining if anyone slugs with him (like vs. Sylvester, Miranda, Shark Attack, etc.)

Anyone with the stamina to simply avoid his slow crawl and outwork him can make him go into zombie mode (like vs. Soliman, who simply hopped around flurrying to pitch a near shutout without needing to be all that sharp or accurate) but don't let him land on you.

In short, Jacobs should have the skill to get the job done, but we know from the Pirog loss his chin isn't perfect, so he really needs to approach this like the big step up from his recent competition that it is and not think he can be on autopilot.