saturday 15th Sept: 7.30pm UK, 8.30pm CET, 2.30pm EST
Yoan Pablo Hernandez will defend the IBF cruiserweight title against Troy Ross on September 15. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
The cruiserweight division is often overlooked and is usually seen a bridge between light heavyweights and heavyweights, but on this day the spotlight turns to this IBF cruiserweight title fight. Troy Ross (25-2) challenges the champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1) in this showdown which will tip off a very eventfully and exciting Saturday boxing card.
The veteran Troy Ross, formerly the winner of the 2009 “The Contender”, gets another shot at the IBF cruiserweight title after he suffered a cut in his 5th round TKO loss against Steve Cunningham for the vacant title back in 2012. The 37 year old appeared to be in command of the fight and even had Cunningham down in the 4th round but the tables turned in the next round. A bad cut opened over the eye of Ross and the ref determined he would not allow the fight to go on despite multiple protests from Ross. It appeared to be a questionable stoppage but that’s how boxing goes some times. Since the loss to Cunningham, Ross has won against solid cruiserweight fighters in Carl Handy and Lukasz Rusiewicz. It appears this will probably be the last title shot for Ross and he is hoping to make the most of it.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez is looking to make his second title defense since winning the IBF title in a very controversial TD against Steve Cunningham in 2011. The fight was cut short due to an illegal headbutt that Cunningham may or may not have done deliberately to Hernandez in the 3rd round. The fight was allowed to continue with no warning to Cunningham or stoppage to inspect the cut. Then after a few more rounds of going back and forth the ref and the ringside physician deemed the fight could not continue and it went to the scorecards where Hernandez was award the 6th round technical decision. The fight was marred in so much controversy that both fighters decided to do a rematch this past February. This time Hernandez made it loud and clear that he was better than Cunningham by winning and dominating a 12th UD. Hernandez knocked down Cunningham twice in the fourth round and never seemed to allow Cunningham to regain his composure. Hernandez did also injury his hand, forcing a longer than expected layoff.
Prediction: We need to look no further than both fighters’ previous bouts against Steve Cunningham when predicting this matchup. I think that Hernandez had the more impressive performance in his second fight and is the much younger fighter with a full 10 year age advantage. Additionally, Hernandez is a very tall cruiserweight at 6’4 and looks like he has the frame to successfully move up to the heavyweight division. I expect the southpaw Hernandez to box at a distance and utilize his 5 inch height advantage to pick apart Ross, who will look to try and get inside. That will be very hard for Ross to do as he is at a serious disadvantage in height and reach and will leave himself open Hernandez’s counter. Overall you have the better, younger, and taller fighter at a pretty reasonable price and that is the free pick as I predict Hernandez to win via a 12th round UD.
No comments:
Post a Comment