Good news and bad news this week. Starting with the good news: We have another good week of fights. The bad news: This is the Season Finale of ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights. It’s an unfortunate situation, but let’s not dwell on that. Let’s look forward to the two great fights on Friday Night Fights, and the rest of the weekend.
Starting off with Rocky Fuentes-Hirofumi Mukai. These two fighters are both 25 years old, but started out on different ends of the spectrum. Rocky Fuentes turned pro at 17 and really took his lumps early. Since turning 21 years old, he has only lost once and that was an 8 round SD loss to Richie Mepranum. Who is a top 112 pound fighter and has fought for a world title. No shame losing to him, especially at 21 years old. He has, since losing that fight, rattled off 9 straight wins and has picked up a regional title, the OPBF 112 belt, and is going to defend it against the very very green, Hirofumi Mukai. Mukai is 25 years old as well, but he has only 5 fights, all wins. He is a very tall, talented, and a fast prospect that is getting fast tracked just like newly world titlist, Kazuto Ioka. For the prediction I gotta go with the hometown talent, Hirofumi Mukai. Much like how Ioka proved talent > experience. I think this will be a case of talent over experience and I’m going with the very green Mukai to pull off a big win in his career. I believe his range, output, and speed wins him this fight.
Like Mukai, Tomas Rojas is a tall drink of water, at 115 pounds. He is going over to Thailand to defend his belt against Suriyan Sor Rungvisai. Tomas Rojas has been on a tear since getting knocked out in 2 against Vic Darchinyan. He won a couple of tune up bouts, and then got an opportunity to fly over to Japan and pick up a world title. He was able to win, and has defended it twice. Once against Nobuo Nashiro, and Juan Jose Montes. Suriyan Por Rungvisai, nobody really had known about him, until his fight with the legend Pongsaklek Wonjongkam. He fought back and forth with Pongsaklek, and almost pulled off a draw. He was deducted a point and that cost him a draw against Pong. He has since tacked on 4 straight wins after that fight, and the 22 year old is looking to making due of his next big opportunity. Now, fighting for a world title belt he can launch his career with a win. Style wise, Rojas uses his frame well. Boxes on the outside, throws a lot of punches. Rojas is a smart fighter. His intellect, experience, and style wins him the fight on the cards. May’be even gets a late stoppage. Rungvisai is definitely very game, but Rojas is just too much for him.
Argenis Mendez has definitely impressed me. He is a highly skilled fighter that is very slick, rolls with punches, has good speed, with nice smooth combos. Very, very talented fighter. He is taking his act on the road down in Mexico taking on Juan Carlos Salgado. Salgado’s claim to fame is shocking the world with his 1st round KO of hot prospect Jorge Linares. His career quickly lost steam when he tried to defend his belt against Takashi Uchiyama, where he was dominated for pretty much the whole fight. Since that lost over a year and 8 months ago he has fought twice against the same opponent. He took on Guadalupe Rosales and stopped him in 4, they rematched and won a clear UD. What I hate about this fight is that it’s in Mexico. anywhere else and I am 100 percent certain Mendez completely dominates Salgado, but it’s in Mexico and there is always that chance of a robbery. I’m going to take a chance and pick Mendez by SD. Salgado doesn’t have the skills to match with Mendez, but he does have power and there is that chance of a KO, and Mendez does get lazy at times, but either way, I’ll take the better fighter…even though he is on the road. I’ve got Mendez by SD.
The Co-Feature of ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights is Henry Lundy-David Diaz. Henry “Hank” Lundy is an up and coming fighter. Very explosive fighter that has good boxing skills. Decent resume and one that continues to get better. His last 5 fights Richard Abril, Tyrese Hendrix, John Molina, Omri Lowther, and Patrick Lopez all quality opponents. John Molina, though, is who he suffered his first loss against. For the first 7 rounds he had no problems, but then boom 8th round he suffered a serious knockdown and was badly hurt and was stopped in the 11th round. And his most recent fight against Patrick Lopez, it was much, much closer than what two of the judges’ had it. On the other side, we have the come forward southpaw veteran, Mexican brawler, David Diaz. Diaz though, is a bit long in the tooth now. His last 5 fights he has gone 3-2 and his 3 wins have all been very close winning via MD. And the two losses, one to Manny Pacquiao, and the other to Humberto Soto. No shame in losing to, Pacquiao, and Soto is definitely a top 10 fighter at 135, or was, considering he is now moving up to 140. Anyway, Diaz does have a style to give Lundy fits late in the fight. I expect Lundy to come out firing on all cylinders and I believe that will be his best opportunity to stop Diaz. If he doesn’t stop Diaz, then late in the fight Lundy starts to fade, and I expect Diaz to start putting the pressure on and really getting to Lundy. I think though Lundy does win enough rounds and puts enough rounds in the bank early to win a close, but clear Unanimous Decision over David Diaz.
The main event of the evening is the Grady Brewer-Demetrius Andrade fight. The last time we saw Grady Brewer was down in Austin, Texas where he stopped the previously undefeated, blue chip prospect Fernando Guerrero. Guerrero was in a weight class he had never been, fighting his toughest opponent and Grady Brewer swallowed him whole. This could very well happen to Andrade who isn’t as skilled, nor is he as battle tested as Fernando Guerrero was. This is a massive leap in class for Andrade, who hasn’t fought anybody near the level of the savvy veteran, Grady Brewer, but in his 8th fight he did take on fellow prospect, Chris Chatman, and Chatman really did give Andrade the business. He was aggressive and really pounded away on Andrade. Andrade was able to escape with a decision, and don’t mind the judges’ scorecard, that lead you to believe that it was a wipeout, and it wasn’t. Very closely, fought contest that Andrade was lucky to win. Then, Andrade in his 10th fight, he struggled against club fighter (being nice) Geoffrey Spruiell. And this will be Andrade’s first scheduled 10 round fight as well. So, really, all signs point to Brewer beating Andrade, but I think I will go with Andrade winning a very controversial SD. He is the prospect and If he stays on his feet and is competitive for a few rounds he will get the nod. This is much like how I thought the Guerrero-Brewer fight was going to go. I thought Guerrero would be tested mentally and physically. I believe, that will happen to Andrade, so long as he stays on his feet. One thing he does have going for him that Guerrero didn’t is that he is a natural 154 pound fight. Guerrero wasn’t, and was possibly drained in that fight. Andrade won’t be, but that’s about all that’s he got going for him, that and youth. So, to wrap it up, I’ve got Andrade winning a highly controversial SD, a fight in which he is really tested mentally and physically.
Dan’s Predictions:
Grady Brewer vs Demetrius Andrade- Demetrius Andrade by SD
David Diaz vs. Henry Lundy- Henry Lundy by UD
Tomas Rojas vs. Suriyan Sor Rungvisai- Tomas Rojas by UD
Rocky Fuentes vs. Hirofumi Mukai- Hirofumi Mukai by UD
Juan Carlos Salgado vs. Argenis Mendez- Argenis Mendez by SD
{loadposition boxing text}
{loadposition boxing}