So last night, we had HW contender Mariusz Wach showing a granite chin and some mega 1/2 bombs KOing former contender, but always dangerous Tye Fields in 6.:bbb Adamek seemed to be undermatched, but Nagy Aguilera shook the Pole to the core on several occasions and put up a much better fight than those ridiculous scorecards would lead one to believe. Adamek, for all his grit, toughness, and loads of talent, proved he does not have the chin or power to win a title at this weight, and must move down or cash out.:think Artur Szpilka proved last nite that he can crush cans better than Ogre from the Nerds series. Blowing out T Marbra inside a round, dropping him twice.:-( Overall, the Poles were 3-0, but only Wach showed he is the real deal of the 3 at HW. :nono Vernon Paris showed last nite that he is NOT world class. Far from it, as he moved continuously to his R into Judahs power, while weakening his own. Outclassed, I don't think so. Judah was just a SP, and I can't imagine that Paris had trained at all for a SP. Maybe he didn't spar enough, IDK. But he was pathetic and all props to Zab for showing he can still hang and bang above the C level. B level Zab. Back to the drawing board for Verno:rofl Carlos Molina fought a scrappy and somewhat dirty fight but was well ahead on my card 7/3 when the fight was stopped wrongly. The biggest fight of the night IMO, at least from a significance standpoint was interrupted by a bogus call after the bell had sounded and the cornerman stepped into the ring to prep for the 11th. The count was still on, but the ref found a way to save JK. JK showed a great chin last nite( albeit CM is not a HUGE puncher) but also showed he has almost nonexistent footwork and little ring IQ. Big disappointment to me.:verysad Morales Garcia was what we all knew but were hoping it wouldn't be. The aging great just couldn't keep up with the young, fresh, surging Garcia. Morales showed he's still near the top of the ladder, but just doesn't have enough to drive that final nail. What's next for him.......Either payday or gatekeeper status. Maybe a fight with Marquez than a trilogy with Zab. IDK.......but he aint winning no more titles guys.....it's just a cold hard fact.:deal In the fight of the night, for me anyways, undefeated American prospect Bryant Jennings stepped right into the Bclass with a dominating win over former Champion Sergei Liakovich.:admin Just 3 months ago, the name Bryant Jennings would send a guy to boxrec looking at a thin, if not padded record. This content is protected :huh But last nite......unlike any other fight, the always game, tough White Wolf, was completely and utterly dominated. From bell to bell. From post to post. From the very moment the fight begun until the bitter end when Sergei was pulled for his own safety. Jennings was the smaller, faster guy. Most were expecting a similar performance that he put up against Mo Byarm just 2 months prior. But Jennings found his range early, and took the fight to the big Belarusian(?)! He peppered him with 1/2. Up N down. Liver to head. Gut to grill. Bryant Jennings showed something few prospects do. That he wants to fight for a HW title. And if that means taking fights on short notice. NP. Taking fights most think are unwinnable. NP. He's here, and he's here to stay. Which fighter impressed the most? Which fighter let ya down the most?
You can make multiple choices. For instance I think Jennings win and Kirklands lack of prowess were equally thrilling. But I was also seriously let down by Paris. His **** talking backfired to the fullest and it was Zab who broke him down and broke his will Im not all that impressed by Garcia or let down about Morales. I knew Adamek doesn't have the essential tools so no surprise there. Knew Wach is legit, and I know Szpilka is a can crusher and nothing more. :deal
Molina deserved what he got. Clearly a better boxer then Kirkland. Garcia might have gotten lucky with that one shot. Morales is done. Zan did exactly what he was supposed to do against a low level fighter. Jennings surprised me. Hope to see more from him soon.
Vernon Paris just doesnt have the handspeed nor ring intelligence nor defence to compete on the highest level. he is a little above average fighter.
I think he's WAY above average, but his ring IQ is seriously low. To move into Zabs power all night:rofl What a knuckle****
How do you see a Jennings vs Szpilka fight going. Or do you think Jennings would be stepping to far back to make that fight next?:think
Just watched a couple of Jennings fights & I think he's pretty good. Strengths. -Natural athleticism, looks well balanced & co-ordinated, fast hands & is very mobile. -Combinations, Byrant puts his shots together very well, nice variety to his work & he switches from head to body. -Improving fighter, only had 17 am fights & for a 13-0 pro he already looks confident & well schooled. A late starter he's learning on the job & getting better as his competition does. Weaknesses. -Defense, isnt that refined yet & spends too long standing squared up with a high guard. He makes himself an upright, stationary target too often. -Low workrate/stamina, isnt a very busy fighter & is very patchy with his punches. Cruises through rounds when he could be pressing the action. -Poor finisher, Byrant can punch but often smothers himself when he lands a good shot. With his long arms he needs to maintain more distance when he unloads. I think he'd beat Szpilka fairly comfortably.
Thats a very fair assessment. I think alot of the finishing part has to do with either empathy or lack of faith in his power. You could see as the rds progressed last nite a bit of both. Seemed he was empathetic beating Liakovich so badly that he didn't want to brutally KO him. But early on, before it was obvious to everyone that he had the power to put Sergei away, he did smother himself as if he didn't want to face retaliation from the more experienced and most likely more powerful White Wolf. As for the high guard.....it is a bit amatuerish IMO, but Winky Wright went to the top and stayed using it, and many fighters just can't ever seem to shake it. I think in time, with more confidence in his jab, he'll start dropping it a bit and start moving that head instead as rounds progress. Chin seems pretty solid though. And I think by taking some decent shots through that high guard, he proved to himself he could take a punch.
I didnt realise he's still working full time :scaredas: I agree about his chin, I saw him get tagged clean in his other fights & he didnt get rattled. Physical strength & a good chin are more important in HW than in any other division but he looks tough, his conditioning will help his punch resistance. I think he needs to use his jab more, with his range & speed it could become a very good weapon. I also think he needs to improve inside, shorten up his shots & learn how to drop his weight on his opponent in clinches.
