Saturday, December 28, 2019

Boxing Challenge

The final Boxing Challenge for 2019 will conclude the year with a three-fight card on Showtime.

The Showtime-televised card from Atlanta ( Every time that I think of Atlanta for an indoor event, I keep hearing Gordon Solie talking about the long-demolished Omni) will showcase one of the young stars that just needs a big fight to prove it as Gervonta Davis will take on veteran Yuriorkis Gamboa for one of those wonderful minor WBA titles.
Davis debuts as a lightweight against Gamboa, who has never been noted for an outstanding chin.
Gamboa might have a moment or two, but this shapes up as a bout that will show the best of Davis, who for all of his talent and ability has only defeated one top ten fighter (Jose Pedraza).
Davis is going to look spectacular, but I'm not sure what the win is going to prove or if we find out anything new about Davis.

Another minor WBA title to be ignored is on the card, but if the title is to be tossed aside the fight shouldn't be as it's an interesting light heavyweight battle between veteran former champions Jean Pascal and Badou Jack.
Pascal was thought by most to be a spent battery as he entered his upset win over undefeated Marcus Browne that cost Browne a shot at the true WBA champ Dmitri Bivol, while Jack hasn't fought since January when he lost a decision to that same Marcus Browne as Jack fought through one of the ugliest cuts that you'll see in any fight.
Boxing isn't one of those sports that you can safely say that Pascal beat Browne, who beat Jack, so therefore Pascal should beat Jack.
It doesn't work that way and this is a 50-50 fight.
Was Pascal's surprising win his final stand at 37? What does Jack have left at 36 ( Jack doesn't seem to be that old, but he turned pro late) and did the Browne fight find a weakness with Jack's skin at this stage?
Jack has a five-inch advantage in height, but only one inch in reach, but the key here might be Pascal charging in and clashing heads with the taller Jack.
When heads collide, the taller fighter is the fighter that usually cuts worse and I have a feeling that this might be a close, ugly, and sloppy battle.

The curtain-jerker will see the continuing comeback of former IBF super-middleweight champion Jose Uzcategui against Lionell Thompson in a ten rounder.
Uzcategui was upset by Caleb Plant in January and scored a first-round KO in Mexico in his only bout since.
Thompson has spent most of his career at light heavyweight and lost his biggest fights there to Sergey Kovalev and Edwin Rodriguez, but the variable is the drop to super middleweight.
Could Thompson be stronger at 168 pounds and if so, will he be able to up his game against a fighter in Uzcategui that seems to be a class above him in skill.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 319-285

Lightweights. 12 Rds
Gervonta Davis vs Yuriorkis Gamboa
R.L: Davis KO 5
TRS: Davis KO 6

Light Heavyweights. 12 Rds
Jean Pascal vs Badou Jack
R.L: Jack Split Winner
TRS: Pascal Split Winner

Super Middleweights 10 Rds
Jose Uzcategui vs Lionell Thompson
Both: Uzcategui Unanimous Decision






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