There’s not one man within the 126-pound division proper now higher than Emanuel Navarrete. That features Christopher Diaz, who challenges for Navarrete’s WBO featherweight world title on Saturday.
Nobody’s going to beat Navarrete in 12 rounds, when he is standing on his toes — and that features the opposite champions at featherweight. The one manner Navarrete will get beat by somebody on this division proper now’s if somebody catches him chilly and knocks him out. That is the one manner.
The punching energy, his dimension, he has figured it out. Does it look fairly? In fact not. However he is a wise fighter who’s peaking at a good time to make a reputation for himself, and he is additionally the busiest champion in boxing proper now. There’s rather a lot to love, particularly as a result of his high-volume, pushing-forward type is what’s entertaining for the followers.
However that does not imply we are able to write off Diaz completely heading into this battle. Navarrete confirmed some weak factors towards Ruben Villa in October. He knocked down Villa twice and seemed like he had that battle beneath management, however Villa proved that with a robust technical method Navarrete will be slowed. That is what Diaz goes to should do — battle from the skin, go right down to the physique early, and be capable of make him pay when he misses, as a result of Navarrete goes to throw rather a lot.
It is not going to be simple for Diaz, however that does not imply it will be simple for Navarrete, both. Diaz has an amazing coronary heart. He will come to battle, and when push involves shove, if issues usually are not going effectively, he will battle with every part he has. However Navarrete has all of that too — he brings an enormous quantity of coronary heart into the ring in each battle, pure willpower.
In the end, I believe this battle simply might find yourself being a basic, and a terrific option to kick off a great spring run of fights.
By the numbers
28: Consecutive victories for Navarrete since struggling the one lack of his profession in 2012.
1: Navarrete is making the primary protection of his WBO featherweight title. He received the belt with a unanimous choice towards Ruben Villa in October.
5: Variety of WBO junior featherweight title defenses Navarrete made earlier than transferring up in weight.
82%: KO share for Navarrete (28 KOs in 34 fights). He has received 14 of his previous 16 fights by stoppage.
72.5, 23.7 and 18.7: Navarrete’s common for punches thrown, punches landed and energy punches landed per spherical, in line with CompuBox. The averages for the featherweight division are 59.1, 16.7 and 12.7, respectively.
2: Second title battle for Diaz. He misplaced to Masayuki Ito difficult for the WBO junior light-weight title in July 2018.
34.Three%: Energy punches landed by Diaz in line with CompuBox. His opponents land 37.7%.
Prediction
I’ve to go together with the larger, stronger fighter who has definitive bodily benefits. For a full breakdown and prediction for Navarrete-Diaz, click here.
What’s it like to coach Edgar Berlanga, who has 16 first-round KOs in 16 fights?
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Edgar Berlanga has KO’d all 16 of his opponents within the first spherical and can go for No. 17 towards Demond Nicholson.
“There is no extra time in boxing.”
That’s an axiom that Andre Rozier has drilled into the boxers beneath his cost, from world champions to kids simply studying the ropes. The Brooklyn-based coach desires his fighters to get the job finished contained in the ring, neatly and effectively, and get out of there. Have interaction in all-out struggle with an opponent, he tells them, and your added payoff is nothing however unnecessarily sustained injury.
“I work with my guys to be ring assassins,” Rozier stated. “If you get any individual in hassle, it is time for him to go.”
Nobody who fights beneath in Rozier — or maybe any coach — embraces that philosophy fairly like Edgar Berlanga. The 23-year-old tremendous middleweight has fought 16 skilled matches and has received all of them, scoring first-round knockouts each time.
Read the full story by Jeff Wagenheim here
Can Berlanga proceed his streak towards Demond Nicholson?
I believe we now have extra questions than solutions from a man like Berlanga. We all know his energy is actual. He places it on show 16 occasions with knockouts within the first spherical. I’d like to see him go extra rounds, and I believe what it will take is him persevering with to take step-ups in competitors — and this can be a good alternative for that, doubtlessly, with Demond Nicholson.
Nicholson is fairly seasoned. He does have punching energy. I bear in mind watching him preventing Jesse Hart, he went seven rounds with Hart, who can actually punch. He involves battle. Nicholson’s coming into his battle with 5 straight wins. Sure, restricted competitors for these 5 wins, with three KOs, however he is not coming into this battle already damaged or coming off a loss or coming in not pondering that he can win.
The issue with plenty of guys who get within the ring with Berlanga is that, due to the hype that is round him, they arrive into the battle already crushed mentally, earlier than they even step foot within the ring. So in understanding this man and understanding the way in which this man is and understanding that he is fairly robust mentally, I’d assume, that is a distinct type of problem.
It is onerous for me to not predict that this battle goes both one or two rounds, although. Berlanga, I believe he is particular. We have not seen a lot, with him by no means going previous the primary spherical, but when I have been a betting man, and wanted to place down some cash on a fighter primarily based on who I believe doubtlessly may very well be the subsequent actual factor, I would not thoughts placing some change down on a man like Berlanga.
He has the type of devastating punching energy that we’ve not seen in years, possibly since Mike Tyson. His final battle, towards Ulises Sierra, was presupposed to go the space. He sparred towards Canelo Alvarez and a number of other different prime fighters on the market, however Berlanga was nonetheless capable of get him out of there earlier than the primary spherical bell rang.
Understanding the type of Nicholson, he tends to cowl up instantly in entrance of fellows for intervals of time, slightly bit too lengthy for my liking. And that is a recipe for destruction towards a man like Berlanga, who simply wants you to face nonetheless for a break up second, to have the ability to land that huge shot and harm you. At that time it is finished. It would not go the space, and I believe Berlanga will discover a option to finish it early, once more. It would not go previous the primary spherical.
Full card:
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Edgar Berlanga, the 23-year-old bruiser from Brooklyn, has 13 profession wins, all by first-round stoppage. Take a look at Berlanga’s spotlight reel as he seeks to enhance to 14-Zero vs. Eric Moon.
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Title battle: Emanuel Navarrete vs. Christopher Diaz, 12 rounds, for Navarrete’s WBO featherweight title
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Edgar Berlanga vs. Demond Nicholson, eight rounds, tremendous middleweights
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Josue Vargas vs. Willie Shaw, 10 rounds, junior welterweights
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Joseph Adorno vs. Jamaine Ortiz, eight rounds, lightweights
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Orlando Gonzalez vs. Juan Antonio Lopez, eight rounds, featherweights
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Xander Zayas vs. Demarcus Layton, 6 rounds, welterweights
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Jeremy Adorno vs. Ramiro Martinez, four rounds, junior featherweights
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Jaycob Goomez vs. Mobley Villegas, four Rounds, junior lightweights