But a number of punches landed in London last week and The Juggernaut was derailed by Big Bang Zhilei Zhang.
Make no mistake it was an upset, and a big one too, which now puts Joe Joyce in a tough position. At 37 years old, he needs to be more active when he returns, although thankfully that should be sooner than later having avoided any long-term issues to the right eye that was closed by the southpaw Zhang.
It wasn't a great performance and the reliance on the chin to walk through punches never accounted for an accumulation of punches doing the damage that we all saw at the Copper Box Arena.
There will be a tough road back for Joe Joyce, but if rumours are right and the top four Heavyweights are about to embark on a Middle East tournament, then the British fighter has time to get himself back into the mandatory position in the WBO Rankings. He does not need to face Zhang right away, but I do think Joyce has to be thinking about the rematch before the end of the year or otherwise you do have to wonder what will be the point of continuing.
Heavyweights can bounce back from losses and it has been the case throughout the history of the Division.
But for Joe Joyce, the adjustments have to be made quickly as he likely goes into that fight with Zhang.
Zhilei Zhang has given his own career a huge boost at 39 years old- he is turning 40 very soon- but he has the same issues as Joyce. Time is not on his side to earn a World Title crack and he might have to wait around eighteen months to have an opportunity if Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder sign up to face one another.
There are options available to Zhang- a rematch with Filip Hrgovic, which could be a homecoming for the Chinese Heavyweight, while any fracture of the belts would mean he is a leading contender to earn that shot at a Title, even if it is not via a fight with the current Champions.
Taking a little time might be a good approach to see how the chips land with the rumoured Heavyweight Tournament, but the one positive for Zhang is that he is going be at the head of any queue unless Joe Joyce activates the rematch clause.
It was an important weekend, but April 22nd gives us the first truly Super Fight of the 2023 year when Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia meet at a strange catchweight of 136 pounds.
Before the DAZN cameras head to Las Vegas, Matchroom have a pretty good main event in Wales where Joe Cordina is looking to regain his World Title and become a two time World Champion. There is also a card over in Poland which will be broadcasted that features Alen Babic trying to win the Bridgerweight World Title against an unbeaten home fighter.
After a 2-2 week for the Boxing Picks, you can read my thoughts on the two big cards below.
Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia
There is a strange catchweight to this big time Boxing main event, but that aside, this might be the best fight that has been made for the year.
Both Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia have to be given credit for stepping in with one another and putting their unbeaten records on the line in a bout where the winner is going to move onto a superstar level. The 136 pound catchweight hasn't made a lot of sense and some feel Davis is doing all he can to have the edge, but I have to tip my hat to Garcia for not allowing the demands and conditions to move his laser like focus away from the fight he has demanded for some time.
When they stand next to each other, you can see the physical advantages that Ryan Garcia will have in the fight and a disciplined performance will be needed.
He hits plenty hard too as nineteen stoppages from his twenty-three wins will underline, while Ryan Garcia has an edge in speed.
The expectation is that he will start fast against Gervonta Davis, who has been known to work his way into his fights, although there is a big question about Ryan Garcia's inactivity and level of competition to prepare for this fight. No matter how good you look, you can only really prove how good you are when going in with the best in and around your weight Division and I am not sure we have really been able to gauge how good Garcia can be.
This is only the third fight he is having since beating Luke Campbell in January 2021 and that level of inactivity could be dangerous for Ryan Garcia, who has a tendency to leave his chin hanging at times. I do think he will be more switched on for the power of Gervonta Davis, but Campbell managed to put Garcia down and that will not have been lost on Tank.
Gervonta Davis is fighting for the fifth time since June 2021 and so has been in the ring much more regularly than his opponent, while wins over Mario Barrios, Isaac Cruz, Rolly Romero and Hector Luis Garcia is a pretty nice run. Again, I do think Ryan Garcia might be another step up, but Tank Davis has shown he can handle the occasion in those bigger fights and his own power could be the difference in this one.
It would not be a surprise to anyone if Ryan Garcia is winning this one at the halfway mark, but I can imagine Gervonta Davis inching closer and closer to detonating as the Rounds tick over. The counter is going to be a huge weapon for Davis if he can catch Garcia on the way out and I do think the younger fighter may end up making a mistake or two as he looks to smother the work of his opponent with rapid fire combinations.
I think Davis will try and just time something big at the end of one of those combinations and he can begin to bully his opponent, even if Ryan Garcia is the bigger man physically. At some stage the rehydration clause and catchweight might just catch up with Garcia and this will allow Gervonta Davis to just step on the gas and hurt his opponent the longer the fight goes on.
Ryan Garcia is likely going to display some heart and resiliency, but Tank Davis is a very strong finisher when the moment arrives and I think he will find the shots to ensure this one is ended before the cards are needed.
At 24 years old, Ryan Garcia can come again and will likely operate at 140 plus pounds going forward, while Gervonta Davis can perhaps look for the next big Super Fight against the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney.
The timing for the Davis counters should begin as Ryan Garcia just slows down after a fast start that is expected and so backing Tank to find the finish in the second half of this Twelve Rounder is the call.
The undercard is a decent one too and I don't think there are many Boxing fans that do not have a huge amount of respect for Gabe Rosado.
Many of those will have been glad that Rosado's fight with Gilberto Ramirez had to be called off at late notice with the veteran being placed in a very difficult situation.
Instead Gabe Rosado will be fighting at a more natural weight in a rematch against Bektemir Melikuziev after the highlight reel KO in June 2021. After being put down early, Rosado caught the Bully coming in and laid him out under the bottom rope and flat on his face and the veteran has not been happy with the other camp suggesting it was a lucky punch.
He is tough and game, but Melikuziev has bounced back from that defeat and I think he is going to break down an older Rosado and find a Stoppage in the second half of the fight. He showed he has the power to hurt Gabe Rosado and three tough losses since then may have just faded the American and I do think that shows up here.
We are also not that far away from seeing David Morrell headlining main event cards and the Super Middleweight has been calling for a contest with David Benavidez or Canelo Alvarez for the big prizes in the 168 pound Division.
He needed a last Round Stoppage in his last fight, but this feels like a step down in class when facing Yamaguchi Falcao with the WBA regular World Title on the line.
David Morrell hits hard and very quickly and this is a huge step up in class for Falcao despite being Ranked in the top six by the WBA and WBC. Nothing suggests he will be ready for Morrell and the Champion can win impressively and then call out the other big names in the Division in a showcase spot as the chief support to the main event in Las Vegas.
Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs Joe Cordina
An allowance was made for Joe Cordina to fight Kenichi Ogawa for the IBF Super Featherweight Title, but the deal was that he would have to make his first defence against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov who had been the mandatory challenger.
Everything was set for that to happen after Cordina scored a stunning Second Round KO, but the Welshman has not had a lot of luck since the victory. Injuries meant twice postponing any fight with Rakhimov and Joe Cordina was eventually forced to vacate his World Title, although this time he was the one promised to earn a shot at the Belt once injury allowed.
The ten month ring absence is a concern, but Joe Cordina has been set as the favourite against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov who won the World Title by beating Zelfa Barrett in November.
The southpaw was down early in the win over Barrett before an injury meant the British fighter could not continue in the Ninth Round. It had felt like Rakhimov had been getting on top at the time, but Zelfa Barrett will be looking to win on the undercard with an eye on facing the winner of this main event with the feeling that he should be the one holding the World Title.
Both fighters have power, but both have also looked a little drained at the 130 pound limit- it would not be a surprise if both Cordina and Rakhimov are soon operating in the Lightweight Division.
However, I do think Joe Cordina looked in the better shape and he has shown he can put his power through against World level opponents when winning the World Title in the manner he did.
Nothing in this one will come easy and Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov has plenty of pop of his own. He will force Cordina to weather a storm at some point, but I think Rakhimov is struggling more than his opponent to get down to 130 pounds and Cordina can win the World Title back in his home nation with another Stoppage win.
The undercard features the likes of the aforementioned Zelfa Barrett returning from the defeat to Rakhimov and Sandy Ryan will be looking to win a vacant World Title.
I think both of those fighters will win, but will most likely need the cards and the layers are very much on top of those prices.
Gavin Gwynne and Chris Woodruff are both going to be fighting in front of home fans and this rematch should be as exciting as the first British Title fight between the two last September. The Majority Draw was the decision on the day, and this is expected to be another exciting contest between the two, although picking a winner is not easy.
Luke Watkins has been pretty inactive since losing consecutive fights to Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain and he is in the ring for just the fourth time since October 2018.
Three wins in a row is a positive, but Jordan Thompson is expected to defend his European Title in this Cruiserweight fight as the unbeaten Champion continues his progression towards a World Title challenge.
There are plenty of domestic rivals doing the same so Thompson will be looking to impress after being put down in the Tenth Round when winning the vacant European Title in August last year. His handlers will want Jordan Thompson to be more active this year and he should have the power to see off Luke Watkins in this one.
Jordan Thompson had not been past Four Rounds before the win over Ducar so that has to be a positive for him, but I think he can put his stamp on this fight early and make sure he can defend his Title in the first half of the contest.
Over in Poland, the main event looks like it is going to be a firefight between Alen Babic and Lukasz Rozanski with the vacant WBC Bridgerweight World Title on the line.
I am not convinced this Division will ever really take off between Cruiserweight and Heavyweight, but the two fighters won't be worrying about that.
Both are unbeaten and twenty-three Stoppages from twenty-five wins between them.
Lukasz Rozanski has been given home advantage thanks to his promoter winning the purse bid, but he has been out of the ring for almost two years.
Alen Babic has been more active, but has also been out of the ring for eleven months since needing the cards for the first time in his career. He was down in the First Round in the win over Adam Balski, and also needed his opponent to have a point deducted late in the fight to win a Decision, but Babic may feel that will make him rather than break him.
I don't think there is much to separate two fighters who are likely going to stand in the middle of the ring and trade big shots.
Neither of these Boxers tend to spend a lot of time in the ring in their fights and I do think someone is going to be hurt early. It will be a fight rather than highlighting the Sweet Science and so backing either fighter to score the early win looks a decent enough price.
The main support on the undercard will be provided by Martin Bakole who has signed with Boxxer in the United Kingdom which means being featured on Sky Sports.
He has spent considerable time over the last two months talking about dominant wins over the biggest names in the Heavyweight Division, all in sparring sessions, but it is time for Bakole to push ahead and drag some of those names into competitive fights.
The Heavyweight Division was shaken up last week with Joe Joyce losing and Martin Bakole is coming in off a big win over Tony Yoka.
He is pretty highly Ranked by the WBA, although any mandatory shot is going to be some time away with Daniel Dubois set to face Oleksandr Usyk as the Number 1 contender for this governing body. That is an issue for Martin Bakole, but being aligned with Boxxer should open up some big opportunities as long as he can look impressive on Saturday evening.
Martin Bakole faces unbeaten Ukrainian Ihor Shevadzutskyi who has won eight of his ten fights inside the distance.
Issues at home have made it tough for Shevadzutskyi to be as active as he may have wanted and he has needed the cards in his last two wins, while this is a big step up for him.
Those wins over Kevin Johnson and Kamil Sokolowski suggests Ihor Shevadzutskyi is still much earlier in his development than Martin Bakole who beat those two fighters in 2019 and 2017 respectively.
That should show up here and Bakole can begin to show some of his 'sparring power' by winning this fight in the first half of the scheduled Ten Rounds.
MY PICKS: Gervonta Davis to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Bektemir Melikuziev to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.25 Sky Bet (2 Units)
David Morrell to Win Between 1-6 @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)
Joe Cordina to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 3.75 Bet365 (2 Units)
Jordan Thompson to Win Between 1-5 @ 4.33 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Lukasz Rozanski-Alen Babic Either Fighter to Win Between 1-4 @ 2.05 Bet365 (2 Units)
Martin Bakole to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Boxing 2023: 16-26, - 7.46 Units (79 Units Staked, - 9.44% Yield)
No comments:
Post a Comment