I defy you to find me a slicker Mexican-American. ¡Buena suerte! The featherweight southpaw is now 16-0 with 5 kayos, but lest you think he's a total powder-puff - he isn't. I mean, he isn't hurling thunderbolts either, and probably can't alter the makeup of a fight with a single punch above tomato can level, but his MO and ring philosophy is similar to a Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s: hit and don't get hit. Villa prefers to win on points, and is never looking for the stoppage. He's a consummate stylist and likes to show those skills off, and doesn't believe in casting aside his areas of strength just to force the issue (and put himself at greater risk of getting caught with something dumb). There is, to paraphrase what Steve Farhood said on last night's broadcast headlined by Villa shutting out the awkwardly cagey and tough Luis Alberto López, "room for all types in boxing, including those who don't have the self-sacrificial bent of Arturo Gatti nor the lights-out equalizer of a Deontay Wilder". While his path in the pros thus far has been somewhat conservatively lain out (with López being his biggest step up in class by far) he more than passes the good old eye test (which of course means diddly squat if not qualified by an experienced and savvy pair of eyes...and he's getting straight A's from both myself and @CST80, if that holds any water for you..) and his credentials in the unpaid ranks speak for themselves: AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS 2009 U.S. National Silver Gloves Championships (10-11), 75 pounds, 1st Place 2011 U.S. National Silver Gloves Championships (12-13), 100 pounds, 1st Place 2013 U.S. National Junior (Under-17) Championships, 119 pounds, 1st Place 2014 U.S. National Youth (Under-19) Championships, 123 pounds, 1st Place 2015 U.S. National Golden Gloves Championships, 123 pounds, 1st Place 2015 U.S. Olympic Trials, 123 pounds, 2nd Place (Olympic Alternate) Total amateur record of 166-17, and two important victories over Ash-Shakur Nafi-Shahid Stevenson, another slick American featherweight southpaw and non-KO puncher currently making waves. His nickname in the amateurs was "Dracula", which I only recently discovered, and honestly that's cool as hell, not sure why he dropped that in favor of "RV4" (which is succinct and catchy, but seems more like a lazy cop-out if you don't feel like coming up with something better ) and I say we resurrect it from its crypt. You don't see footwork as good as his very often. His use of angles is just superb; in fact @CST80 referred to him as the "miniature Latino version of Billy Joe Saunders". His idol coming up (since their overlapping time in the amateurs) was/is Vasyl Lomachenko - and you can see a bit of the imprint on him, although his offense is much less innovative than Hi-Tek's (which, let's be fair, is a ridiculously high standard), mostly reliant on the right hand in the form of jabs up top and hooks on the body. One thing he does need to work on, as @CST80 and I both noted, is his stamina. His first time going 10 last night, his defense sprung a few leaks in the late going and López the perspicacious veteran was able to land big despite having far less timing, precision and speed. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of his career play out. I don't care if every big fight of his goes the distance; he's a joy to watch. If he makes it to a world title, I believe he will be the first in the stable of trainer Rudy Puga Sr., under whose guidance Villa has been since he was in elementary school. Puga's son and previous star pupil, Rudy Jr., an undefeated middleweight prospect (with a 99-8 amateur record of his own), had some chemistry issues with his dad, moving on to another trainer, and has been a sparring partner for GGG.
Villa vs. Guerrero This content is protected Villa vs. Carrizoza This content is protected Villa vs. Lopez This content is protected
