Lopez Versus Penalosa: A Preview

On April 25^th, power puncher Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico will face off with the aging yet wily defensive specialist and dangerous counterpuncher Gerry Penalosa inside the squared circle. The significance of this bout is huge. For Lopez, this fight is his greatest challenge to date; for Penalosa, this bout will likely be his last fight to cap off his illustrious boxing career.

Prior to this fight, the 22-year old Lopez has been feasting on first round knockouts and has been seen as the winner of his match against Penalosa. The current WBO Junior Featherweight champion boasts of a flawless record of 24-0, 22 KOs. The number of his victories via knockouts is a clear indication that this guy has heavy hands. But to top that with incredible hand speed and high punching accuracy rate, victory for the boxer they call “Juanma” is not farfetched.

On the other hand, the 36-year old Penalosa of the Philippines is not some punk who just throws punches. As esteemed boxing trainer Freddie Roach puts it, Penalosa is the best defensive and most refined technical boxer from the Philippines. With vast experience and veteran guile as his main assets come fight night, the boxer known as “Fearless” will definitely frustrate Lopez when the latter looks for an early knockout.

Penalosa is durable and has not been knocked out, much less knocked down, in his entire boxing career. His six defeats against his 56 wins are all by points, close and controversial to say the least. And the guy also has considerable punching power, with 36 victories coming by way of knockout. Perhaps his best and most popular knockout punch was the body shot the right torso of Jhonny Gonzales, from whom Penalosa took the WBC Bantamweight belt in 2007.

Clearly, this fight is about experience and skill versus raw power. While it is quite understandable that Lopez has the advantage in strength and hand speed, almost everyone agrees that this fight will not end in the first round. Some even contended that Penalosa might win, which I believe requires a miracle.

Verdict: Stoppage by Lopez in the 10^th round.

Darchinyan, JMM, and Khan: Winners All

A lot of great fights happened lately and sadly, I was not able to see them in their full glory. Thanks to YouTube, I got a series of replays and here are my takes (late, I know, but I will still write about them).

Vic Darchinyan vs. Jorge Arce

A classic match that featured probably one of the most hated names of the sport and one of the most durable fighters ever, Vic’s power was simply overwhelming, as he dominated and lorded over Jorge from rounds 1 to 11. While Arce did not eat the canvas, he got no answer to the power punches unleashed by the man they call the Raging Bull.With the win, Vic’s record now stands at 32-1-1, 25 KOs.

While many fight fans want Vic battle it out with Donaire one more time, promoter Gary Shaw said there’s no chance that a Darchinyan-Donaire rematch is going to happen.

Come on, Shaw. Give us what we want.

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz

This is the mega bout that bolstered the need to pit Marquez with Pacquiao again. JMM shone brightly in this fight, absorbing a brutal beating from Diaz during the early rounds and weathered through it all to give his opponent a beatdown in the late rounds. Marquez’s flair for counter-punching really surfaced in this fight and eventually won the fight when the referee waved an end to the fight after Marquez decked Diaz twice in the ninth round. Marquez is now the undisputed lightweight champion, holding the WBO, WBA, IBO, and the Ring Lightweight belts. Marquez’s record elevated to 50-4-1.

While he called out Mayweather after his win, majority of the fight fans are itching for a third showdown between Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.

Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Amir Khan

This is a classic match between an old and battered warrior against a much younger, quicker, and capable fighter. I'm going to took my money and bet online for Khan. Barrera, aged 35, fought great in this fight with the youthful Khan. However, Barrera’s age seemed to be catching up, as he was unable to keep up with Khan during the fight. A clash of head resulted to a deep cut in the first round and has affected how the Mexican performed, but that won’t hide the fact that Barrera is old and now a shadow of his once great self. Khan was elusive yet very accurate puncher that night, almost landing his shots at will.

Winning against a future Hall of Famer is just a sign of good things coming Khan’s way. With Roach training him, there’s just no other way for this young lightweight from Britain but up. As for Barrera, I guess it’s high time to hang those gloves. You gave us a string of great fights and your achievements will always be remembered.

What Hatton Must Do To Survive A Pacquiao Onslaught

Ricky Hatton ‘s upcoming match with Filipino whirlwind puncher and #1 Pound-For-Pound fighter Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao will surely be a fight to watch out for. Both men bring all their wares in the squared circle and love to go toe to toe. However, many feel that Pacquiao will win easily, writer included.

While there is no doubt that Hatton is the stronger of the two, Pacquiao’s hand speed, quick body and head reflexes, and considerable punching power from both hands will definitely surface from start to finish, even if the bout goes the distance.

With everyone already eyeing a Pacquiao victory, there is still a small window of opportunity for Britain’s Hitman and the best fighter at the 140-pound division.

Sheer aggressiveness will be the key for Hitman and he must press Pacquiao early on. He must use his strength and size advantage and pound Pacquiao from the opening bell. I see Hitman’s chance to score a win is to hurt Pacquiao within the first four rounds. By hurt, I mean explosive power punches to the head and body.

By really hurting Pacquiao, the Hitman will diminish Pacquiao's speed. Hatton must neutralize the speed advantage of Pacquiao early on.

I believe the first four rounds are crucial to a Hatton win. Should Pacquiao survive and remain fresh at the fifth, Hatton is in big trouble.

But doing the most damage within the first four rounds is very difficult, considering Pacquiao is one of the most agile fighters of the sport. It’s typically hard to hit someone whose head is not always on the same spot and whose movements include quick sidestepping.

How Hatton does that, well, falls into the hands of legendary coach Floyd Mayweather, Sr.