RT @TodoCorazon17: So this is a good thing bc Delvin got the decision & should have got the TKO. But what if Hernandez would have got the n… 15 hours ago
Did the never-ending P90X yoga session earlier. Feeling very relaxed #oooooooohm! 15 hours ago
DETROIT, Michigan — Ishe Smith’s arduous 13-year boxing journey has finally culminated with his first title win last night over Cornelius “K9″ Bundrage at the Masonic Temple.
While this was a fight you’ll likely never have a strong desire to see again, the ending made you feel glad you got through the 12 rounds of posing and mauling. Smith, with his young son in his arms, burst into tears at the announcement of his IBF title win. Just three years ago, he was a man who couldn’t secure a fight and suffered from suicidal depression. And now after years of being written off, he’s finally emerged as a champion.
As with all of his life, this fight wasn’t without struggle. Early on Smith’s lack of initiative, a big criticism throughout his career, had him letting Bundrage control the action. K9 popped the jab confidently from his waist and had Smith complaining about the roughhousing. When Bundrage started to slow down, Smith rose to the occasion as his punches exploited K9′s bad balance and wide shots.
From the seventh round on, Bundrage’s tendency to pull his head straight back resulted in him getting stunned regularly by Smith right hands that forced him to hold in the championship rounds.
Still, with K9 being the Detroit native there had to be some judge favoritism on the card with Smith having to settle for a split decision win via scores of 116-111 twice and 113-114.
According to Gabriel Rosado, Smith promised him a shot should he win the title. That’s a good scrap where I’d favor Rosado.
On the undercard, J’Leon Love had some rough moments but outboxed the game but limited Derrick Findley. Love did his best work from the outside and spent most of his time on the move. When Findley did corner Love, he did a decent job working the body and mugging Love with rights (many borderline rabbit punches) in the clinches. If Findley had a better jab to work his way in, the fight could have been more interesting. Nonetheless, the final scores were a little wide (100-90 and 99-91 twice for Love) and didn’t reflect Findley’s work. According to Mayweather, Love will be back in action on his May 4 undercard.
Prediction: Let’s be clear — this fight won’t be pretty and I don’t mean that in a “brutally entertaining” way, either. The bout will be marked with repeated clinching, awkward exchanges and non-stop roughhousing. When it comes down to it, Smith is the better boxer and has had a renewed mental focus after dropping a decision to Fernando Guerrero in early 2010. I got to see him punish Ayi Bruce in route to an impressive stoppage in May last year and he’s followed up with a decisive victory over Irving Garcia in September. Smith throws much straighter punches than Bundrage, who makes his job much harder at times with his looping, wild shots (look no further then the problems Bundrage had for a few rounds trying to take out Cory Spinks in their rematch last summer). In the end, Smith will land the cleaner shots which should give him an edge in most of the close rounds that will have more mauling than punching. Smith by unanimous decision.
Love: 161 lbs.
Findley: 161 lbs.
Prediction: Findley’s a tough guy there to give Love some rounds and that’s what will happen. He’s pretty much outclassed here so the chance of an upset is minimal. Findley can take a good shot but speed kills, as evidenced by his only stoppage happening at the hands of Andre Dirrell back in 2009. Expect more of the same tonight. Love TKO4
IBF junior middleweight titlist Cornelius “K9″ Bundrage and Ishe Smith had much to say during their final press conference yesterday for Saturday’s (February 23) Showtime-headlining bout. Don’t expect this one to be pretty considering their in-ring styles.
INDIO CALIFORNIA — Last Saturday’s ShoBox tripleheader signaled the end of a successful career and the continued hopeful prospects of three fighters, as Cornelius “K9″ Bundrage, Erislandy Lara and Gary Russell Jr. all walked away with dominant victories.
Bundrage kept his name alive in the September 15 Canelo Alvarez sweepstakes with a sloppy, mauling win over Cory Spinks. It looked to be a short night when Bundrage dropped Spinks hard with an awkward overhand right in the first. Spinks never truly got his legs back for rest of the fight, but the former champion gamely tried to fight out of it by coming forward and fighting inside. Bundrage, perhaps due to ring rust from a year off, allowed the weaker Spinks to push him back by fighting in spurts and spending several rounds just looking for a single knockout punch.
Bundrage trainer Emanuel Steward was not pleased, and told his fighter with an assortment of choice four-letter words to stop letting Spinks gain confidence and continue mauling him inside. Bundrage finally headed those words in the seventh, scoring three knockdowns off right hands to secure the stoppage.
Spinks might continue fighting, but this will be the last time we see him on TV getting a title shot or in an important contender matchup. His balance was bad and every solid shot seemed to hurt him. Without his legs, a fighter with Cory Spinks’ style will always be in for a long, painful night. He’s gotten the most out of his career and has been in the mix at the top of the light middleweight division for the better part of 6-7 years. Spinks has nothing left to prove and at 34 can leave in-ring competition with his head held high.
He had to work harder than expected, but Erislandy Lara still secured a unanimous win over a game but outclassed Freddy Hernandez. Lara mixed his attacks between catching Hernandez off the backfoot and around the guard with counter right hooks, and coming forward behind accurate straight lefts and hooks to the body. Hernandez never stopped coming forward and even bothered Lara at times with body punching. Nonetheless, by the second half of the bout most of Hernandez’s punches lacked power while Lara still landed clean power shots (64% of his power punches). The final scores read 99-90, 98-91 and 95-94.
Gary Russell Jr. continued his gradual climb up the featherweight rankings with an easy third stoppage of Christopher Perez. Like most of his opponents thus far, Russell Jr.’s hand speed was too much. In exchanges he got their first with blistering hooks, dropping Perez badly at the end of the second round. Perez had recovered by the third, but was essentially a deer in headlights and hit the canvas three more times in the third to prompt the stoppage. Russell Jr. is on record stating he’d like his next opponent to be former WBO featherweigh titlist Juan Manuel Lopez.
So what’s next for this crew? Bundrage at 39 isn’t the ideal option for Canelo’s first pay-per-view opponent, but at this stage he’s damn near the only one available. We’ve already had three opponents spectacularly fall (Paul Williams, James Kirkland, Victor Ortiz), one get declined by the WBC (Austin Trout), and another simply getting ignored due to lack of name recognition (Erislandy Lara). Facing Bundrage would at least be a unification matchup and he’d come to fight for however long it lasts.
It wouldn’t be pay-per-view worthy, but Golden Boy could move forward with the plan to stage it on CBS.
Lara didn’t blast out Hernandez like I expected, but he still looked good in taking the decision. His business prospects are looking up, as it’s been confirmed that Lara’s brought on Al Haymon as an advisor. Following the victory, Lara’s trainer Ronnie Shields said they’d love a shot against Bundrage, which seems like a no-brainer since they both fought on the same card and are in the same division. But Steward called the fight “low reward-high risk” and declared Bundrage was only interested in big fights.
Manny Steward is no fool. The between the lines translation is that Bundrage would get beaten, probably badly, for much less pay than what’d he receive against someone like Canelo. Lara throws straight, highly accurate shots while Bundrage throws wide, looping punches. It’s no question whose blows would get there first.
Gary Russell Jr. showed clearly he’s done with this level of competition. While his desire to jump in there with someone like JuanMa is admirable, he still needs 2-3 more fights before considering that level. Hopefully we’ll see Russell Jr take on some Top 15-20 guys now. I’m still interested to see how he reacts when someone with some power connects flush.
A special ShoBox triple-header card headlined by the IBF junior middleweight title rematch between Cornelius “K’9″ Bundrage and Cory Spinks takes place live at 9 p.m. ET from the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. Also featured on the card is Erislandy Lara and Gary Russell Jr. Without further delay, let’s take a look at tonight’s predictions.
Bundrage: 153.4 lbs.
Spinks: 153.8 lbs
Prediction: After the one-sided beating Spinks received in his 2010 fight against Bundrage, many considered his career over. But the 34-year old Spinks rebounded, taking an easy fight against Shakir Ashanti in mid 2011 and bouncing back with a unanimous decision win over Sechew Powell in January. On the other hand, Bundrage has been even less active; the 39-year-old has only fought once since defeating Spinks, notching a June 2011 decision over Sechew Powell. That makes it it roughly a year since his last fight.
Spinks should be able to log a couple of rounds early as Bundrage will exhibit some ring rust. But Spinks’ legs aren’t what they used to be and Bundrage will start dominating the exchanges once Spinks becomes more stationary in the middle and late rounds. Spinks might see a decision, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Bundrage TKO7
Lara: 154.8 lbs.
Hernandez: 154.2 lbs
Erislandy Lara vs. Freddy Hernandez Prediction: Lara has been screaming in vain for weeks for his promoter Golden Boy to consider him for Canelo Alvarez’s tenuous September 15 pay-per-view. The cries have fallen on deaf ears, with reports coming out yesterday that Canelo had no interest in fighting him.
Freddy Hernandez is going to get the brunt of that frustration. He’s a scrappy fighter, as evident in his KO wins over DeMarcus Corley and Mike Anchondo, and a recent decision win over Luis Collazo. But to put it frankly, Lara is simply in another class. Andre Berto blasted Hernandez out in one round back at 147. The only reason Lara might not do the same is because of a statement made earlier this week where he complained that another quick knockout would make people even more wary to fight him. Still, if this goes five rounds I’d be surprised. Lara TKO3
Russell Jr.: 126.8 lbs.
Perez: 126.4 lbs
Gary Russell Jr. vs. Christopher Perez Prediction: Perez is a good test at this stage of Russell’s development.Perez has decent power (14 of his 23 wins by KO) and has never been stopped in his five-year career. Russell’s blinding hand speed will put on a marvelous display at times, but Perez should be sturdy enough to see the final bell. Russell UD10
This Saturday (June 30) Showtime is hosting a special edition of their ShoBox series with a triple-header live from Fnatasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
The main event features IBF junior middleweight titlist Cornelius “K’9 Bundrage” rematching the man he knocked out to win the belt, Cory Spinks. The undercard has Erislandy Lara facing Freddy Hernandez and Gary Russell Jr. taking on Christopher Perez.
This card holds some intrigue in the wake of last week’s Showtime card which saw Victor Ortiz upset by Josesito Lopez, leaving Saul “Canelo” Alvarez still in search of an opponent to salvage a proposed September 15 pay-per-view. Canelo is currently in talks with Austin Trout, but a superb performance by either Bundrage or Lara might get them in the running. Lara, who’s a Golden Boy stable mate of Canelo’s, has been very vocal in the last few weeks about getting the September 15 date.
The card will air on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET. Tickets are still available ($25-$55) at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
CORNELIUS “K’9″ BUNDRAGE
I’m telling people to tune in. I’ve been promoting this fight, so I’m quite sure a lot of people will be watching. I think it’s going to be a great performance. I’m going to go out there and give it my all.
I didn’t expect I would fight Cory Spinks like that the first time. I expect to fight him differently this time, but I might just go out there and bulldog him again.
Cory Spinks is not the champ anymore. I’m the champ now.
I’m more experienced now. In my last fight I defended my belt against the guy I lost my first fight to (Sechew Powell) and went 12 rounds.
CORY SPINKS
Spinks is Spinks again. Spinks wasn’t Spinks the last time we fought. The first time, I didn’t train properly. I was sick. I had no mechanics. I don’t care who you are, if you aren’t right mentally and physically, you’re not going to be able to do anything.
I want to fight for titles. It doesn’t matter who it is. K-9 is still there on top, so he’s got to get it.
Fans are going to see the total package on Saturday. I’m ready. I’ve been blessed with a gift. I didn’t have to learn how to box. I always could and I could fight anyway I wanted. I can sit down with you, I can box with you. I will do anything I have to [in order] to win this fight.
GARY RUSSELL JR.
There has definitely been more growth. I’m always learning. I’m more mature mentally and physically.
I think it’s good to fight someone with confidence. I don’t want to compete against someone who thinks he’s going to lose. I want to fight against a guy who thinks he can win.
He’s used to guys pressing the action, so I’m not going to press the action. I’ll use my power and speed.
I’m a versatile fighter. I’m definitely not one-dimensional.
I’m always anxious to get in the ring. I love the ring. I’m always in the gym…always ready and in shape.
CHRISTOPHER PEREZ
No doubt there have been a lot of upsets in boxing over the last few months. I’m hoping that I can be the next.
On Saturday night, boxing fans will know who I am. I know Russell has fast hands, but I have my game plan to be victorious.
ERISLANDY LARA
If I go out there and do what I did to Ronald Hearns, no one is going to want to fight me.
Freddy Hernandez is a very good fighter. I’m prepared for anything he’s going to bring, but he needs to be worried about what I plan to bring.
I’m not frustrated that fighters avoid me. I just have to keep working hard and taking care of the fighters my promoter puts in front of me. The big fights will come sooner or later. These guys can run but they can’t hide.
Paul Williams has a shot in November to become the recognized middleweight champion. But what the Punisher wants even more is a shot to become a superstar, something he believes the current pound for pound elite like Floyd Mayweather will never give him.
Although Williams is starting his media rounds for his anticipated rematch with Sergio Martinez, the South Carolina fighter is quick to point out the contest is the result of several shunned opportunities. His promoter has spent 2010 trying to entice a welterweight or junior middleweight showdown with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather.
Mosley’s trainer Naazim Richardson has flatly stated Williams is a natural middleweight and much too big for his fighter. Pacquiao ignored Williams’ challenge and has signed on to face Antonio Margarito a week before the Punisher faces Martinez. That leaves Mayweather, who Williams’ camp believes is the most reluctant out of the trio.
“I don’t think Floyd Mayweather will fight me any time,” Williams told the Examiner’s Michael Marley. “Manny Pacquiao, he might do it, he might step up but not Floyd. I guess Floyd won’t fight me because I don’t have a vagina.”
Both Mayweather and Williams share Al Haymon as an adviser. Haymon was at the center of controversy this summer regarding the latest round of failed negotiations between Pacquiao and Mayweather. In addition, there’s speculation that Haymon-advised fighters have a secret pact not to face each other. Andre Berto, who Haymon also advises, seemed to confirm that earlier this year in an interview with Beats, Boxing and Mayhem.
I’ve heard about it, but me and Paul have the same team when it comes to the management end,” Berto said. “So they’re trying to keep us away from each other unless there is a lot of money in the pot to grab. Right now we are in separate lanes doing our things.”
Williams disagrees. He argues that at Floyd’s level, he calls his own shots and isn’t dictated to. He views Mayweather as a protected fighter who won’t take anything but a calculated risk, unlike his rival Manny Pacquiao.
“If Floyd went to Al and said, ‘Hey, I want to fight Paul Williams, what can Al do?’” Williams asked the Examiner. “But Floyd is not going to ever say that. Pacquiao, he fights bigger guys, he’s different from Mayweather so maybe I will get to fight him. Floyd ranks himself with Ray Robinson, with Joe Louis, all these guys..but all those great guys, they all lost sometime. Mayweather won’t take a hard fight, he won’t take the chance of losing.”
Paul Williams’ trainer/manager, George Peterson, is equally frustrated with his fighter’s inability to land a superfight. He compares him to a young Marvin Hagler, who toiled for years in obscurity before landing his first title shot against Vito Antuofermo. Peterson thinks the star fighters will ignore Williams until they are left with no choice but to face him.
“If Paul could fight about every few months, he would become a real monster in boxing. Then the fans would see how sensational he really can be,” Peterson said. “I think Paul, at this stage, is like Marvin Hagler was at one point. He is vicious, he strikes like a cobra but guys run away from fighting him like they did with Hagler.”
Williams vs. Martinez will take place on November 20.
“Paul Williams is one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound. Yet there’s no aura around him, he has no personality and the wrong kind of flash,” said Mora. “Paul Williams should be 10 times bigger than he is. It has nothing to do with his fighting. I don’t care, I like Paul. Me and him fought on the same cards and I love his people. But the mainstream doesn’t accept that.”
It’s a shame, but true. Some fighters are just able to draw fans to them. Williams is aggressive, has a leaky defense, and always goes for the knockout. Yet, attendance for his fights continue be low even with him facing top competition.
HBO has tried to put some promotional muscle behind him to no avail. In the commentary before his first fight with Carlos Quintana, Max Kellerman said Williams was dangerous and a possible next opponent for Mayweather. Even though the Punisher has won every bout since, outside of hardcore fans his reception continues to be lukewarm.
A superfight only happens when you have two stars. And right now, Paul Williams has yet to attain that star quality.
Still, Williams is on the right track. A win over Martinez and capturing the middleweight title does a lot to raise his profile. The division is barren, so afterward I see his big fight future at 154 pounds. Out of the beltholders in Dzinziruk, the Pacquiao-Margarito winner, Cotto and Cornelius Bundrage, he’s bound to get one of them in the ring.
What’s your opinion? Are Pacquiao and Mayweather ducking Williams, or does the Punisher need to put in more work to earn a shot?
When breaking down this fight, Shane Mosley trainer Naazim Richardson called Sergio Mora one of the most underrated fighters in boxing. Ever since appearing on the popular TV show The Contender, the fighter dubbed “The Latin Snake” has struggled to shed his reality series image and show fans that he indeed has the skills to be a top pound for pound fighter.
He appeared poised to do that when he scored a decision victory over Vernon Forrest in the summer of 2008 to pick up the WBC junior middleweight title. But the glory was short-lived, as Mora lost the belt three months later in rematch that was hampered by issues making weight. Fight cancelations would keep Mora out of the ring for all of 2009, and he finally returned in April with a tune-up bout on the undercard of Jones-Hopkins II.
Shane Mosley is no tune-up. Even at 39 years old, Sugar Shane represents the biggest fight of Mora’s life, and a chance to put a future Hall of Famer’s career to rest while breathing new life into his own. This Saturday (September 18), it’s now or never.
Ismael: This is an intriguing fight for several reasons. First, a lot of people are speculating if you can even make 154 pounds anymore without being physically drained. What made you comfortable taking such a big fight at a weight you’ve recently had issues making?
Mora: That’s a good question and a legitimate concern, because when I defended my title in my last fight against Vernon Forrest, I had a real difficult time making that weight. I wasn’t given enough time to prepare for it. It was made in like five weeks, so I only had that time to get down to that weight. But for this fight I had 10 weeks and that’s exactly the amount of time I need to make this weight comfortably and strong. I’m very prepared and my weight is fine.
Ismael: You’ve always had a high punch output, but in your last fight I noticed you were very aggressive in looking for the knockout. Shane’s a better fighter, but will you be approaching this bout the same way?
Mora: I definitely have to be more careful with Shane. Shane’s a powerful, very fast, and experienced fighter. In my last fight, you’re right; I had planned on being more aggressive. I was off for a long time. I had two fights that were canceled with Kelly Pavlik and Daniel Edouard. I was coming off a 16 month layoff, and I was very spiteful and bitter. I wanted to take it out on my opponent. I was rusty for about two and a half rounds. It literally came off and then it was on.
Ismael: A lot of people have written Shane off because of how badly he looked in May against Mayweather. But, it’s really hard to gauge that considering he was in there with one of the best defensive fighters in the world. When you looked at that fight and the previous one against Margarito, do you see any noticeable decline in Mosley?
Mora: I look at the Mayweather fight and see that he took a couple steps back. But he was fighting the best defensive and overall boxer in the world in Floyd Mayweather. Then you include his age and coming off a 16 month layoff. With those factors of course he would look horrible, but he still had a chance to take Mayweather out in the second round.
I think he’s more of a power puncher now. He’s always tried to take you out, but before he tried to do it more aggressively. Now he does it more in a counter-punching kind of way. I think he’s still dangerous; he proved that in the fight before with Margarito. I’ve been sparring with Margarito for over 10 years, and I know how tough it is to hurt that guy. And for Shane to knock him out the way he did, it was destruction! That tells me this guy has a lot left. One bad night doesn’t mean he’s done.
Ismael: This year I’ve had to talk more about why fights weren’t happening than big fights being made. Because contract issues are being leaked and fans know so much, do you think that’s a detriment to the business aspect of the sport?
Mora: I made this prediction about 10 years ago. I’m not a computer literate person. I think there’s too much information out there. That’s the reason I don’t have a Facebook, Myspace or a Twitter. Privacy is not there anymore. It relates to your question; fans don’t need to know all that.
Before, it was about the mystery of two fighters in camp sweating and sparring. You know who was ready on fight night by the look in their eyes in the ring. Now you can follow them on Twitter, “Hey I’m picking up my groceries.” Then you can go to Ustream and Youtube. You know what they’re doing. Floyd is on 24/7 throwing money around and acting like a fool at clubs.
I don’t like it, you don’t need all that. You just need to prepare and fans should be spectators. They don’t need to follow a person. Boxers aren’t supermen, they’re just normal people. This is our profession. They get too carried away with everything else.
Ismael: Is this trip back to junior middleweight just for the payday or will you be staying in this division?
Mora: Wherever the money is, that’s where I’ll take the opportunity. I think the middleweight division is suffering. Kelly Pavlik was carrying that division for a long time, and he’s been a disappointment for the last year and a half to two years because of the staph infection. There has been a lot of questions about his determination, heart and work ethic.
The junior middleweight division is very exciting. You got Pacquiao, Margarito, Paul Williams, and Sergio Martinez. I think this is where the money is and this is where I’d like to have my big fights.
Ismael: Who’s impressed you the most at 154?
Mora: I like [Sergei] Dzinziruk. He establishes pace with the jab. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him fight although he’s been around the game a long time. Dzinziruk didn’t wow me with combinations, but he definitely impressed me with how he’s been around so long and been a champ. He’s really good at what he does. He has a great jab and is a good 1-2 puncher. He maintains the fight’s pace really well.
Kermit Cintron is off and on. He looks bad then he looks good. He’s inconsistent but he’s still up there.
James Kirkland was on the fast rise up there. I had him in camp for two months, and he’s really tough. I told him when he was in camp with me that his problems were going to be outside the ring. Sure enough, it came true.
Sergio Martinez moved up to middleweight but he’s still a [natural] junior middleweight. He’s a force to be reckoned with.
“K’9” Cornelius Bundrage, I’ve always liked him. He’s a solid fighter with a great work ethic from a fighting town in Detroit. He’s a newly crowned champ and I know what that’s like. But I think he’ll take things serious and surprise people.
Ismael: You’re a boxer that was able to engage fans with your personality on The Contender, and even in the ring when you do a little showboating. Do you think image is just as if not more important to your success than what you do in the ring?
Mora: Yeah, I believe so. There are a lot of guys who have all the talent, but just have no flavor or style. I’ll give you a perfect example. Paul Williams is one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound. Yet there’s no aura around him, he has no personality and the wrong kind of flash. Paul Williams should be 10 times bigger than he is.
It has nothing to do with his fighting. I don’t care, I like Paul. Me and him fought on the same cards and I love his people. But the mainstream doesn’t accept that. The same way they don’t accept me because I was on a television show. They have a hard time accepting me as one of the best fighters in the division because I was a reality TV star. I’ve suffered the same thing.
Ismael: How hard or easy has it been to block out your friendship with Shane going into this fight?
Mora: One thing about athletes is that we’re all very competitive. We’re not close friends but we are friends. I’ve known him for 10 years, but we understand that this is a business. This is what we do. This is our education, and how we make a living and feed ourselves. Even though we’re friends, there are people in our lives much more important than Sergio Mora and Shane Mosley. So we have to go out there and do our jobs well to maintain our reputations. Once you start slipping those opportunities become bleaker and bleaker. Those paydays become less and less. So we have to be on our toes that’s for sure.
Ismael: A lot of this is out of your control and comes down to available dates, but if you had your way how quickly do you want to be back in the ring?
Mora: Well, I’m gonna have my way. I have to have my way. I’m very motivated and focused on this fight. After this fight’s over I need one more fight by the end of the year. So I plan on fighting in December. Golden Boy has a lot of dates, and I hear Amir Khan is fighting in December and so is Bernard Hopkins. I’d love to get on either undercard.
Ismael: What’s your prediction on Pacquiao-Margarito?
Mora: I think Pacquiao wins it very easily for about 7-8 rounds. Margarito will be cut and bruised up. But if Pacquiao is not careful and gets a little reckless, he can get caught with something late. It all depends on how he reacts to getting caught late, because Margarito is going to land something. More than likely it’ll be an uppercut. And that’s a punch that can land on Pacquiao when he rushes in with his 1-2s. If he can withstand those shots Pacquiao wins an easy decision. If not Margarito knocks him out late. I’m going for Margarito but I think Pacquiao wins a decision.
Ismael: Khan-Maidana is now signed. How do you see that one?
Mora: Well I’ve never thought much about Amir Khan. I think anyone who can get knocked out in the first minute of the first round doesn’t have what it takes to be great. I do think he has a lot of natural ability, size and talent. He’s like a young De La Hoya. De La Hoya was huge when he started boxing at 135 and 140. He was overpowering and outspeeding everyone. That’s where I think Amir Khan is at now. Once he starts picking up the caliber of fighters with that suspect chin, he’s going to have some problems.
Amir Khan beats Maidana. Maidana has been outboxed before. I think he outboxes him easily. Khan will have problems with guys like Devon Alexander. I think Timothy Bradley beats him. It’ll be guys with a game plan, some pop, and are relentless.
Ismael: Any final thoughts?
Mora: I’m very excited and prepared to fight another legend in Shane Mosley. It should be a night of unexpected fireworks. People think he’s on his way out and people think I can’t box, so there is going to be some surprises.
Ismael: Great interview Sergio and best of luck on Saturday.
Mora: Thank you very much.
The Shane Mosley vs. Sergio Mora PPV takes place on September 18 at 9PM ET.
