May 19 – HBO Championship Preview
Posted on | May 18, 2007 | 2 Comments
May 19 – HBO Championship Preview
Jermain Taylor vs Corey Spinks
12 Rounds for WBC&WBO (and Ring Magazine) Middleweight Title
Jermain Taylor
? 26-0 w/ 17 Knockouts
? 6’1”
? 159.8 (official weight from 5/18)
Strengths
? Athleticism – Taylor moves well with speed, agility, and above-average power.
? Jab – Taylor’s jab is fast and sharp, which can dictate the pace or keep his opponent on his heels.
? Big-Fight Experience – Taylor has been in there with future Hall of Famers Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright in 3 of his last 4 bouts. Also competed in the 2000 Olympics.
Weaknesses
? Fades later in bouts – In his bouts with Hopkins, Taylor, and Kassim Ouma, Taylor faded in the later rounds, allowing his opponents to take control.
? Confidence could be waning after difficult stretch of opponents – After his first close win over Hopkins where Taylor faded bad and was battered late, he gets very conservative in the 2nd half of the bout, showing he might be concerned about conditioning.
To Win
? Taylor has to use his natural advantages in size and strength to back Spinks up and not let him in the bout. Taylor might have difficulty landing his jab against the southpaw Spinks, so he needs to find a home for his lead right hand. Taylor must stay persistent and not get discouraged if Spinks is elusive early.
Corey Spinks
? 36-3 w/ 11 Knockouts
? 5’9”
? 159.8 (official weight from 5/18 ** Originally weighed in at 161)
Strengths
? Difficult Southpaw Style – Spinks is an elusive southpaw with a slippery and frustrating style.
? Speed – Spinks has tremendous speed which he used to dart in from different angles, land his punches, and dart back out of range.
? Conditioning – Spinks gameplans for 12 rounds. He is always in shape to go the distance
Weaknesses
? Lack of Punching Power – Spinks didn’t have power at welterweight. It is certain he won’t have it at middleweight. Spinks hasn’t scored a stoppage win in over 6 years.
? Small – Again, Spinks was not a physical welterweight. He is giving up nearly 4 inches in height to Taylor. He is going to have a difficult time backing Taylor up.
To Win
? Spinks is going to have to implement a perfect 12-round gameplan. Spinks can not let Taylor back him up and gain confidence early. Spinks needs to use lateral movement and time Taylor’s jab and counter with straight lefts to the head and body to stop Taylor from moving forward.
Prediction
? Spinks is going to try and frustrate Taylor early with movement. Taylor is going to move forward behind his jab. Around the 3rd round, Taylor will start to use his superior power and land punches on any part of Spinks’ torso, including the chest and shoulders. Taylor will gain confidence after releasing that Spinks doesn’t have the offense to keep him at bay and will start aggressively pressing the action around the 5th or 6th round. Spinks will start to find himself against the ropes and in the corners more frequently. He will try to fight his way out and that will prove to be his undoing around the 9th round when he gets the worse of an exchange and finds himself on the mat. He will make it to his feet but Taylor’s follow up offensive will force the referee to stop the fight.
Edison Miranda vs Kelly Pavlik
12 Rounds for WBC Title Eliminator
Edison Miranda
? 28-1 w/ 24 Knockouts
? 5’11”
? 160 (official weight from 5/18)
Strengths
? Power – Miranda carries jarring power in both hands which can take an opponent out with one punch or punish and wear him down.
? Killer Instinct – When Miranda smells blood, there are few that can match his intensity and aggressiveness.
? Attitude – Miranda is extremely confident and fearless in the ring.
Weaknesses
? Rough-House Tactics – Miranda was penalized 5 points for fouls in his loss to Arthur Abraham. His boasts about his tactics often have referees watching him.
? Open to Counters – When Miranda comes in to press the action, he leaves himself open to clean counters, one of which from Allan Green left him on the canvas and gave his opponent new life.
To Win
? Miranda has faced the better competition. In Pavlik, he won’t have to look for his opponent. Miranda will need to draw on his hunger, experience, and killer instinct to rough Pavlik up and open him to power punches.
Kelly Pavlik
? 30-0 w/ 27 Knockouts
? 6’2”
? 159.8 (official weight from 5/18)
Strengths
? Power – Like Miranda, Pavlik has tremendous power in both hands, enough to take a sturdy opponent out in the blink of an eye.
? Poise – Pavlik has been under fire in the past and keeps his composure.
? Range– Pavlik is a tall fighter with long arms. He can land his power punches from the outside, but is also an effective puncher in close.
Weaknesses
? Lack of Competition – Pavlik has fought some decent opponents but most have been journeymen or past their prime.
? Ignores Defense– Pavlik often gets so focused on his own offense that he will ignore defense.
To Win
? Pavlik is going to need to strike first. Most of Miranda’s opponents are so much in awe of his offense that they holster their own weapons. Pavlik says he will “bully the bully” but he is going to need to fight an intelligent fight and not let Miranda attack with abandon and land hard counters when Miranda misses with his wild punches.
Prediction
? Hide the women and children. This one has the potential to leave a mushroom cloud over Memphis. Expect this one to heat up fast. Neither Miranda nor Pavlik know the meaning of retreat. The action will be fast and furious. Both men will be wobbled and both may even touch the canvas. Some think Miranda might be looking ahead to a bout with Taylor and not completely focused. In the end, it will be Miranda’s experience and the fact that he wants it just a little bit more, that will propel him to a late-round stoppage.