Posts Tagged ‘Sakio Bika’

[Video] Broner Wins Handily, But Rees Reveals New Questions About ‘Da Problem’

Posted: February 17, 2013 in Fight Reports
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Broner_Rees

Last night’s HBO main event between Adrien Broner and Gavin Rees was deemed a mismatch and that soon became clear with Broner needing just just five rounds to overwhelm the much smaller Rees in route to a TKO stoppage.

Maybe the 80-1 odds against Rees were a little harsh, but once Broner found Rees’s rhythm in the third it was just a matter of time. Nonetheless, Rees made good on a few of his prefight predictions and showed why we shouldn’t think Broner will just waltz to the top of the Pound4Pound rankings.

REES’S GAME PLAN AND CRITIQUES: Gavin Rees said beforehand that Broner’s recent record was made up mostly of guys who stood in front of him flat-footed. Rees showed the success a fighter he can have when they give Broner angles. Rees used upper body movement in the first two rounds to evade Broner’s shots while ripping his own to the body. In addition, he reminded everyone that timing works just as good as speed when he was able to punch with Broner to land left hooks.

Unfortunately, it was a game plan that Rees just didn’t have the physical dimensions or skill to keep up for long. Broner started to time Rees with his own left hook and head-jarring lead right potshots. The gulf in punching power was massive as Rees’s shots seemed to do little more then annoy while Broner’s clean shots to the body and head had a visible damaging effect.

Two big knockdowns off a right uppercut and the other from a slashing left hook to the body had Rees reduced to hapless displays of taunting bravado by the fifth round. His trainer Gary Lockett rightly threw in the towel to end the beating, and Rees had high praise for the man he previously called an “arrogant prick.”

“He’s [Broner] the best I have ever been in [the ring] with,” said Rees. ‘It’s not a case of whether he will go on to be a super star… he is already there. I made a lot of mistakes and I believe I have a better skill set than that.”

“I knew he [Broner] hit hard, but his power just stunned me. I got reckless and that was the end of the night, but I was always going to get back up. I would have gone on until I was knocked out cold. I disagree with Gary pulling me out, but he knows that I would have gotten hurt. We are good friends and he was just looking out for me.”

BRONER’S QUESTION MARKS: Broner looked to be two weight classes bigger than Rees last night so it stands to believe his days at lightweight are numbered. Once he moves up to 140, here are the questions that we need to see answered.

1. Fighters His Size. Broner has proven to be a legit puncher at lightweight, but will it translate on fighters he doesn’t have a distinct weight advantage over?

2. Dealing with Speed and Pressure. Broner has destroyed the pressure fighters he’s faced thus far at lightweight. Rees correctly pointed out they simply came at him head-first. At 140 there are pressure fighters who are much more craftier in their attacks in addition to possessing heavy hands. Guys like Lucas Matthysse and Brandon Rios would connect just as Rees as able to do. Does Broner’s chin hold up? Would Broner be able to outbox a guy like Lamont Peterson, who would keep coming all night?

On the speed end, the guy that stands out who could match Broner at 140 is Amir Khan. Rees over those first two rounds made Broner reach with his punches. Unfortunately, Rees’s short reach prevented him from really being able to counter. How Broner’s defense holds up under faster hands would be intriguing.

BRONER’S LAST LIGHTWEIGHT BUSINESS: Before leaving the lightweight division, Adrien Broner has one more assignment. The WBO (Ricky Burns) and IBF titlists (Miguel Angel Vazquez) will face off to unify their belts on March 16. With the WBA strap being vacant, the winner of that matchup should be Broner’s #1 target by the summer. Either one is a tough assignment (with Vazquez maybe being a bit trickier because of his running tendencies). Burns is the favorite to beat Vazquez, but let Broner tell it at last night’s post-fight press conference, Burns is another night of easy work.

“If I fought Ricky Burns, he would get burnt out,” he boasted. “I want to fight him, but if he doesn’t want to fight me. Oh well.”

Broner made an offer to Burns to be last night’s opponent, but the low money made little sense considering Burns has a considerably bigger fanbase in the UK. We’ll see how much money becomes an issue in sealing this one should Burns get by Vazquez.

BIKA DOMINATES: With new trainer Kevin Cunningham in his corner, a more patient Sakio Bika had an easy time outboxing (!) Nikola Sjekloca. Bika worked behind the jab and did his best work inside with vicious body shots. The issue was after about the sixth, you felt like Bika wasn’t upping his output to knock out Sjekloca. The crowd began to share those sentiments and boo despite the bout having solid to decent action in most rounds. Funnily enough, this fight has made Bika the #1 contender to Andre Ward’s title. Ward already holds a tough (but clear) victory over Sakio. I don’t think there’s any doubt that a rematch will not be happening. Whenever Bika gets his next title shot, it’ll be his fifth crack at a super-middleweight strap.

Let’s hear you thoughts. Are you convinced that Broner is a “problem” that no one at lightweight and junio welterweight will be able to solve?

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Andre Ward Shows Grit In Tough Win Over Sakio Bika

Posted: November 28, 2010 in Fight Reports
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Andre Ward used his skill, toughness, and own foul tactics to overcome any equally rough Sakio Bika to take a clear, but grueling unanimous decision.

Ward, who bullied his two previous Super Six opponents in Mikkel Kessler and Allan Green, appeared flustered in the beginning by Bika’s rough-house tactics. Ward complained of headclashes up close, and found himself getting thrown around in clinches. Whenever there was space, Ward was able to work the jab on the slower Bika. In the third round, Bika has very nice moment where he raked Ward with five hooks to the body while in a clinch.

Ward settled down by the fourth, and began working his offense from mid-range. A Ward left hook stunned Bika, and the South African mauler responded with a hard right hook. The two men briefly brawled, with both refusing to retreat. In the fifth round, Ward tried to gain further respect by timing a clean right hook. Bika simply walked through it, and crashed home a left hook. The infighting continued to be punishing, with neither fighter gaining a significant advantage. However, Ward nicked the round with a clean 1-2 in the closing 30 seconds.

The sixth went to Bika, who was way more active in the clinches with body shots. The seventh stanza proved to be pivotal for the champion. Andre Ward, cut over both eyes and bruised, began to maul Bika with short elbows and butts. Bika, notorious throughout his career for fouls, began complaining to the ref in vain. While nearly all of Ward’s shots were glancing blows, he controlled the round and prevented Bika from mounting any serious offense.

The ninth round signaled that Andre Ward had complete control. The referee warned Bika for an elbow. Ward showed his savvy by responding with a blatant elbow of his own against the ropes that the referee missed. The foul stunned Bika, and Ward pressed his infighting to take the round.

Sakio Bika was desperate in the championship rounds, but simply didn’t have the offensive arsenal or defense to turn the tide. Andre Ward mixed up his attack with infighting and boxing, leaving Bika tentative and unsure of what was coming next. Each fighter’s face wore the damage of a ugly, foul-filled fight going into the 12th. Both were warned for fouls, a humorous development considering the referee’s stance came too late to have much bearing. Bika was more active in the clinches, but his strong finish came too late to alter the inevitable decision.

Fighting his third consecutive fight in his Oakland hometown, Andre Ward got wider scores than the fight would imply (120-108 , and 118-110 twice for Ward).

Ward acknowledged the bout wasn’t aesthetically pleasing. At the same time, the Oakland native explained what he went through was essential to his development as a fighter.

“Personally, I love to win and look good doing it. But these kind of fights are necessary, fighting a tough, rugged guy like Bika and finding a way to get the job done,” Ward said. “We knew he was going to bring it. But you have to get through this if you’re going to be great. I’m far from it, but I’m trying to get there.”

Next, Andre Ward will defend his WBA super-middleweight title against Arthur Abraham in the Super Six semi-finals. Ward remains the tournament leader with six points, and believes Abraham, who lost badly last night to Carl Froch, has hit a wall regarding his potential to improve this late in his career.

“I think it’s definitely a downside for him, and it may be too late to change that,” Ward explained. “How can you if you’ve done that all these years, and been a champion and been successful? How can you change now? I think he’ll be the same old Abraham.”

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Somewhere, Bernard Hopkins was smiling last night. Ward-Bika was the type of fight the Executioner made his name on. When the contest was announced, I wrote a piece talking about how Ward would be tested, and he sure was. Ward was cut over both eyes, and you could see the pain on his face in some of those clinches.

Andre Ward’s style isn’t for everyone. But no one will argue his talent, and now he’s proven he can take the rough-housing as well as give it.

Ward vs. Bika for Title, But Not Super Six Berth

Posted: October 18, 2010 in Fight News
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Andre Ward’s WBA title defense against Sakio Bika next month will not take place in Stage Three of Showtime’s Super Six Boxing Classic.

The network and representatives Ward’s promoter were scrambling for an opponent after Andre Dirrell was forced to pull out due to lingering headaches and dizziness associated with post-concussion syndrome. Dirrell and Ward were scheduled to meet on November 27 after receiving a legal ultimantum from Showtime to finalize the bout. The pair had previously failed to meet in late September due to a contract dispute.

Andre Dirrell’s withdrawal does have consequences that may give Ward a decided edge in determinijng the Super Six winner. Showtime will award Andre Ward two points for Dirrell’s forfeit, giving him a total of six points heading into the semi-finals next year. At press time, Ward’s closest competitor is Arthur Abraham, who secured three points last year with a KO of Jermain Taylor. If Abraham wins another three points by knocking out Carl Froch, he would win a tie-breaker for the #1 seed courtesy of his two KO wins.

Should Bika upset Ward, he would win the WBA title, and possibly be seen as viable opponent to unify with IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute. Bute is not in the Super Six, and just defended his title successfully with a KO over Jesse Brinkley last Friday (October 15). Andre Ward would still be able to continue in the Super Six without his title. 

Two Super Six Stage Three bouts will air in November. Allan Green faces Glen Johnson on November 6. Arthur Abraham versus Carl Froch joins Ward-Bika on November 27 as a double-header.

Sakio Bika Will Be No Super Six Pushover for Andre Ward

Posted: October 13, 2010 in Fight News
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With Andre Dirrell’s withdrawal, it looks very likely that WBA super middleweight titlist Andre Ward will defend his belt on November 27 against contender Sakio Bika. While Bika may doesn’t have the name recognition of the Super Six participants, the bout may be Ward’s toughest since the round-robin tournament began last November.

Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) has been on the shelf since being disqualified in July against Jean Paul Mendy. He looked was on his way to a first round KO before hitting Mendy while he was down. Bika was then approached to replace Mikkel Kessler as Allan Green’s opponent on November 6. However, he turned down the offer due to the death of his father and not wanting to enter training camp so quickly. This time, Bika is more flexible to face Ward since their proposed fight would take place a few weeks later (November 27), would be for a major title, and guarantee more money.

What is most intriguing about this fight is the rough-house tactics and mentality of both fighters. Neither man is shy about using fouls like headbutts or forearms to gain an advantage. But where Ward is normally more subtle, Bika is flagrantly blatant. In 2007, he completely disrupted Joe Calzaghe’s game plan and dragged the Welshman into an ugly, mauling fight. Despite winning, Calzaghe was clearly banged up, cut, and spent afterward. In his last fight, Ward broke Allan Green’s will by exclusively fighting him on the inside; raining down short punches while keeping his head pressed against Green’s face and upper chest. Before that, Ward upset Kessler by beating him to the punch from long-range . Many note that Kessler’s chances were not helped by several cuts, one of which resulted in a technical decision stoppage, that were caused by Ward rushing in with his head.

What this all means is that we’ll have a fight on our hands. Bika possesses a strong chin and does not give ground. Ward won’t be able to bully him like he did Allan Green. If the champ fouls, Bika will simply throw back two in return. His two most well-known U.S. performances were against Peter Manfredo and Jaidon Condrington, both of whom he bombed out. So along with possibly meeting his match in physical strength and fouls, Andre Ward will also have to be wary of Bika’s power.

Does this mean that Sakio Bika is even money with Andre Ward? Definitely not. Ward is much more technically sound, and has shown the ability to execute different strategies in the ring. Against Miranda and Kessler, he was a boxer-puncher who worked best for mid and long-range. With Green, he was an inside beast in the mold of a younger Bernard Hopkins. Bika doesn’t have the luxury of possessing that type of skill, and therefore will be a decided underdog.

The main thing is style-wise Andre Ward is guaranteed a tougher, more physically taxing fight with Bika than what we would have seen with his original opponent, Andre Dirrell. The Super Six has taken its hits, but the tournament is proving to have nine lives.

Marquez Wins Decision Over Diaz, Jacobs Suffers Stunning TKO Loss

Posted: August 1, 2010 in Fight Reports
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Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5, 37 KOs) still proved too smart and skilled for a determined Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KOs), while middleweight prospect Danny Jacobs fell victim to an unusual Russian fighter last night (July 31) at the Mandalay Bay.

As Diaz and Ronnie Shields both told Beats, Boxing and Mayhem in previous interviews, the Baby Ball fought early on behind the jab. The Houston native was very composed, and did not fall in with the reckless shots and leaky defense that sunk him in the first fight. But Marquez as the better boxer was still able to catch Diaz with nice counter left hooks and uppercuts. In another 180 from the first fight, Diaz would give ground instead of engaging in machismo punch exchanges whenever the action got too intense.

Marquez hurt Diaz bad in the fourth with a lead left uppercut. The Baby Bull wobbled back towards the ropes as Marquez pounced with hooks and shot the uppercut again. Diaz was composed in his strategic retreat and survived despite losing the round big. Ronnie Shields warned him in the corner that he got caught for standing straight in front of Marquez with no angles.

That round would be important, as it signaled Marquez’s dominance for the rest of the fight. In the middle rounds, Marquez was all business and continued working Diaz over with counters. For nearly every punch Diaz threw, he received 3-4 punch counters in a varied assortments of straights, hooks and of the course the deadly left uppercut. The only positive for Diaz in this stretch was Marquez’s eye beginning to swell in the 8th, which the champion attributed to an errant thumb in the previous round.

Diaz never stopped trying in the championship rounds, but Marquez had too much skill and power for the 26-year-old former champion. The final scorecards read 116-112, 118-110 and 117-111. Marquez’s accuracy was great, landing 168 of 348 punches (48%). Diaz struggled all night to land cleanly going 74 out of 243 for 30%.

In the post-fight interview, Diaz was non-committal about whether this would be his final fight.

“I’ve got to sit down with my trainers and managers and really consider my future in boxing,” explained Diaz, who takes the LSAT exam in October and has lost 4 of his last 6 fights. “I have to really consider all the facts and see what happens from here on out. I’ve put up a hell of a fight for 10 years and that’s more than most fighters stay in the game…The opportunies are endless all around the globe.”

Even with being the linear lightweight champion, Juan Manuel Marquez still has his mind set on a rubbermatch with rival Manny Pacquiao. Marquez scored a draw in their first battle and a narrow, highly controversial decision loss in the second bout.

“The trilogy is the best thing for the fans.I want it, the Filipino and Mexican fans want it and so do all the fans who follow boxing,” he said.

On the undercard promising middleweight prospect Danny Jacobs fell victim to a 5th round TKO loss courtesy of a pinpoint straight right hand from Russian Dmitry Pirog.

From the outset Jacobs had problems landing on Pirog, who unlike most European pugilists used upper body and head movement combined with constant pressure. Pirog almost scored a knockdown in the second when a right hand badly wobbled Jacobs against the ropes. The Brooklyn fighter was a few centimeters from his rear touching the ground and only stayed upright by grabbing onto Pirog’s legs.

Jacobs was backed to the ropes again in the 5th, confused with Pirog’s stance changes and angles. The Russian contender capitalized on that hesitation with another right hand that knocked Jacobs unconsciousness. Motionless on his back, referee Robert Byrd call the fight off after a five second count. The end signal triggered Jacob’s brain to recover, and he stood upright in attempts to protest.

The win gives Pirog the WBO middleweight belt that was stripped from true division champion Sergio Martinez following his victory over Kelly Pavlik.

HBO continues to have high hopes for Jacobs. This was evident by the fact the network chose to interview the knockout victim exclusively instead of a possible new division star in Dmitry Pirog.

Jacobs blamed the loss on bad camp that resulted from the recent death of his grandmother. He vowed to make a focused return.

Jorge Linares fought well behind a consistent, hard jab to secure a decision win over Rocky Juarez. As has become his pattern, Juarez came on strong in the last two rounds by couldn’t land the home run shot.

Robert Guerrero took a boring decision over faded Joel Casamayor. Guerrero scored an early knockdown off a straight left in the second, but was overly respectful and tentative against his former mentor. Casamayor scored his own flash knockdown late off a jab but still lost a unanimous decision.

Super middleweight Sakio Bika was DQ’d in the first round after slamming a vicious uppercut to a down Jean Paul Mendy. Bika was on his way to a stoppage victory when he smashed Mendy with the shot as he took a knee. Bika hesistated for a few seconds when Mendy was down before unleashing the haymaker. Mendy fell flat on his face and took several minutes to recover.