The WBA 140lb title mess: Allakhverdiev, Guzman, Prescott & Mosquera

So, last November, the Russian southpaw Khabib "The Hawk" Allakhverdiev made his big splash by popping Joan Guzman's cherry on a card simulcast by two networks nobody had ever heard of before (Pursuit Channel and Bounce TV - which gained a tenfold boost in viewership for one night only due to peeps tuning in for Guzman, none of whom have likely given a second look since)

In so doing he obtained the WBA light welterweight title vacated by Pablo Cano so he could jump to welterweight and challenge the WBA champ there, Paulie Malignaggi. Allakhverdiev also made a successful defense of the very prestigious IBO belt - for which he'd recently shaken Kaizer Mabuza down - and unified 'em. Yes, I said prestigious - it's the same belt for which Hatton got KTFO by Pacquiao...and was also worn by Roger Mayweather and Stevie Johnston.

Guzman was well and truly beaten, knocked down a few times (although only officially ruled once in round 3; there was at least one additional bogus no-call in the 5th) with Allakhverdiev walking through everything he offered up and mauling him. In the end, Guzman went down off a shove and injured his leg. IMO it ought to have been declared a TKO straightaway. Instead it went to the cards for a split technical decision, which Allakhverdiev took by the narrowest margin possible - a single point on two cards. Personally I had it 77-74 Allakhverdiev up to and including the partial eighth.

Anyway, Guzman's promoter Acquinity Sports tried lobbying for an immediate rematch as soon as Guzman healed. The WBA didn't grant one, but offered a compromise. Guzman will get to vie for an interim version of the WBA title while Allakhverdiev defends the full version - and then if both are victorious they can have the rematch to absorb both versions into singularity.

Guzman is currently ranked #5 by the WBA and coming directly off that valid loss to Allakhverdiev. His opponent for the interim title on May 31st is heavy-handed Panamanian veteran Vicente Mosquera - currently ranked WBA #8. Mosquera was last beaten by Edwin Valero seven years ago and is 8-0 (5) since then. Honestly he deserves the crack more than Guzman.

Allakhverdiev, meanwhile, is defending both of his titles against Breidis Prescott. The Colombian banger has rebounded with a couple of 8-rounders - most recently outpointing Gato Figueroa on a Solo Boxeo undercard - after two consecutive losses at world level. He is ranked #16 by the IBO...but isn't even in the top 15 for the WBA. Therefore he must be a voluntary defense, with Allakhverdiev following the money (television audiences being familiar with Prescott).

FWIW, Guzman and Mosquera are ranked #37 and #50 by the IBO respectively.

So if things go totally flukey and plans are spoiled, and we don't wind up seeing Allakhverdiev vs. Guzman II but the opposite possibility - we could have Mosquera vs. Prescott in a battle of punchers from either side of the Darién Gap for two world titles (one a serious org and the other...eh...) despite neither being in the top 5 for either org and Prescott not being in the top 15 for either. The highest rankings either of them has in the WBA or IBO is eighth!

 

Not really. Two straight losses (officially, even though some consider the McCloskey verdict controversial) and not much to build himself back up since. Knocking out a tomato can and outpointing Gato Figueroa in 8-rounders doesn't exactly launch you back into contention.

It's been two years since his last remotely high-profile official victory, over Jargal on FNF.

 

Honestly while Prescott is better known than Mosquera, I favor Allakhverdiev more heavily than Guzman in their respective "tune-up" dates. If someone's going to spoil Acquinity's rematch plans, I think it might actually be El Loco the Panamanian maniac (unless Prescott is able to crack the Russian's chin, which so far seems quite solid).

Mosquera is decent and on a career-best run of form since 2012, staying busy against fair opposition. He dominated Walter Castillo despite giving up 3" of height and 3" of reach and despite the Nicaraguan's repeated fouling. The scoring was an enigma, as Castillo did rally late (after landing a harmful low blow) but clearly lost six of ten and had a point deducted. That shouldn't have been a split decision. Mosquera then battered tough Nigerian journeyman Daniel Attah into forfeiting on his stool. Most recently he put the screws on Dominican former prospect Francisco Contreras, knocking him down and smacking him around until Contreras bailed himself out with repeated clinches after multiple warnings and got disqualified. Contreras began his career 15-0 with thirteen knockouts until hitting a rough patch against Sharif Bogere, Pablo Cano, and Mosquera.

Before that run, El Loco fought almost every other month in 2011 for a total of five times - shaking off rust after his lengthy period of inactivity following the loss to Edwin Valero, during which he was unjustly imprisoned.

Newer fans may not be aware that he also put up a courageous and memorable performance against the late Valero, rallying from a couple of brutal 1st round knockdowns to actually drop & severely hurt Valero in the 3rd in a fiercely pitched battle that raged all the way until the 10th. It was the hardest fought victory of Valero's career (including his swansong against Tony DeMarco) and the only time he was ever dropped or in trouble.

Guzman even in the same condition he presented in the loss to Allakhverdiev could IMO very well be upset by Mosquera. Furthermore, I highly doubt he will be up to that standard with a six-month layoff and coming off an injury.

 

Bisbal is awful. Powerful but slow and lumbering...sort of like Abdusallamov himself. :yep

It's sort of a gamble as this is one of those heavyweight match-ups where the "one punch could end it any time either way" cliche rings very true - but Abdusallamov is probably a bit more skilled and with all other things being equal (and they are, pretty much - both are long on power but short on speed with below-average chins) you've got to favor the Russian in that shootout.

If he gets KTFO though, don't be surprised.

 

Harsh coming from a countryman.

Are most dominicani over him and his antics?

 

BTW, how much of a letdown did Contreras prove to be down there?

I remember there being a bit of buzz around him when still an undefeated KO artist coming up, before he got exposed against Bogere.

Personally I still rate Mosquera toying with him, B- level win at least, even if Contreras was damaged goods by then.

 

:nod Don't forget Mabuza. I'd say that version of Kaizer > that version of Nate when he beat them.

 

Prescott was comprehensively dominant over Gato Figueroa - out-jabbing and out-boxing as well as overpowering him, in a departure from his seek-and-destroy ways attempting to showcase instead his technical skills - but still managed to look ordinary and unimpressive.

Gato is a substandard boxer, who only ever got shine from being a gym legend - mostly in his own mind - and feuding publicly with Miguel Cotto after being fired as his sparring partner (according to Cotto's team, because of a poor attitude and work ethic; according to Gato because he manhandled and floored Cotto daily :roll. He was undersized against Prescott - looking 3 or 4 divisions smaller - and doesn't have a great chin or very quick feet...yet Prescott allowed him to hang around until the final bell with an overly cautious and rudimentary performance. To be fair, Gato fought negatively with a gnat-like style darting in and out but Prescott really ought to have capitalized on some early knockdowns and stopped him.

I don't particularly rate that notch in his bedpost, nor his kayo of Joel Cassiani. Neither should propel him into a world title match, and neither suggests he can topple Allakhverdiev. (who is extremely sturdy and strong, the superior outside boxer despite Prescott's length and much-improved jab, and sporting a deceptively low stoppage rate that belies some rock fists that are more than enough to get and keep Prescott's respect)



I think there's an excellent chance we'll end up seeing Allakhverdiev vs. Mosquera - the match-up I'm most interested in of all the possibilities here anyway, for multiple reasons. It's got the feel of the most aesthetically pleasing blend of styles in terms of entertainment, and I feel it's the "worthiest" bout since neither Prescott nor Guzman should be within spitting distance of a world title at present. That isn't to say Mosquera should be top-ranked himself, but of all three contenders in the mix his claim to having earned a turn is by far the best.

 

Poll added.

 

Allakhverdiev vs. Guzman:
[dm]xvimpt[/dm]


Highlights of Mosquera vs. Contreras:
http://video.telemetro.com/video/%2526quot%253BEl-Loco%2526quot%253B-Mosquera-le-gana-por-descalificaci%25C3%25B3n-a-dominicano-Contreras/821e0ee4c52046198cd6adc572a19c7c


Prescott vs. Figueroa:
[yt]JrUTnoRTkfI[/yt]