Tonight for the first time against 21-5 (9) Oscar Bravo, taking a unanimous decision, in the main event of Solo Boxeo in Puerto Rico. He was getting tagged a bit in the eighth round. I've been telling you folks, Verdejo isn't as special as everyone has been making out. The signs keep piling up. Some guys are just spectacular looking crushers of cans on the rise but don't hack it once they step up. I think such will prove the case here with Diamante.
Bravo is tough and resilient. It's no surprise that he went eight rounds. Verdejo is a really talented fighter. If you can't see the talent, well, I don't know what to tell you. You just sound like you have some kind of axe to grind. Fact is, IB, Bravo has never been stopped. Ever.
Where did I say he ought to have stopped Bravo? He shouldn't have been getting hit by him as much as he was (especially knowing the decision was in the bag) during the late going when I tuned in. This was his first time getting stretched out to 8 rounds - a reasonable progression for a wildly hyped 13-0 fighter - and he looked to not be handling the overtime all that well. Just as there have been other signs along the way that in spite of his natural talents (and yes, I see them) he is too flawed to be crowned the future pound for pound king like many are rushing to do.
You made the inference. You make it seem like because he was in a tough fight against a guy who has never been stopped that he is somehow lacking. This is boxing...tough fights happen.
i haven't seen the fight, but i'm still big on him. i don't see anything to worry about in him getting clipped every now and then, it's all part of the building process. he'll iron things out and find his thing. give him time, IB. give him time. he'll come good.
He was against a durable guy just like the fight with that strong thai fighter in china, some fighters have insane chins. By the way Verdejo is a very skilled fighter the only thing that is a little overrated is His punching power above avarege but not mighty good.
You mean I made an implication (which I didn't). To make an inference means the exact opposite...that is, works from the opposing role of whoever is making an implication. I made it seem like nothing, just stated the facts. Verdejo has gone a full eight for the first time, which is news, and neutrally titled as such. My editorial opinion came in the OP, having caught the last few minutes of it and finding yet more cause to be skeptical of Verdejo based on how evenly he and Bravo were going at it. He shouldn't have been expected to be the first man to ever stop Bravo, no - that's unreasonable. For a prospect of his stature already being forecast to be top p4p material, though, you would expect he would have gained some measure of control of the contest by the eighth beyond what he appeared to have. Simply trading head punches with an Oscar Bravo and getting the slight better of it mainly due to hand speed is less than a stellar report card for his first time going that deep. I'm just wary of people getting overexcited and putting the horse before the cart. No doubt Verdejo will be in the spotlight for some time and may hold a belt and may in fact become the p4p star many are projecting him to be. I'm simply advising caution, to not get too carried away, to recognize that he does possess ample flaws to be not the least bit surprised if he comes off the rails before that can happen. There is honestly more to worry about with Verdejo (and this impression comes from multiple bouts, which is telling since he only has just over a dozen to date) than there was with another very talented kid in Gary Russell Jr., about whom many people were going full-on Chicken Little suggesting he would crash and burn because of his own (IMO less glaring) flaw to talent ratio.
I thought he was getting a little over valued as well, but not sure by how much. I prefer Oscar Valdez to him. I wrote this about him in the past "Veredjo's offense is really nice, but he needs to work on his defense a little more. It's still kinda amateurish. He's doing a great job right now though and he'll develop to be a good fighter. I'm just wishing he'd diversify his defense a little more than just hands up and move away. Idk how that'd fair at the elite level when he's getting pressured."
:good Bingo. The defense is a liability, that is the big thing - lazy and somewhat arrogantly simple given how athletic he is ...and he gets too horny when going for the finish. Even offensively there are issues; when he puts everything together calmly and efficiently it looks very nice but he doesn't always stay calm and efficient. (in fact, rarely does when someone is hurt...and that is fine at the level he is riding so far, because guys at this level once hurt are pretty much done and tend not to have great recuperative powers or comeback risk - but once he steps up...:think)
yeah I got you. I'd like to think he'd fix those issues, but you can't be sure. Small issues will become huge issues once you step up. I'll look for the fight on youtube. How was he on the inside? That's another danger zone I've seen for him
All the Solo Boxeo cards usually get uploaded the following week. If not by Monday then not long after. Keep an eye out. :thumbsup
