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Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Miguel Marriaga Odds and Prediction

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Vasyl Lomachenko ( 8-1, 6 KOs ) will defend the WBO Super Featherweight title against Miguel Marriaga ( 25-2, 21 KOs ) of Colombia on August 5th, 2017 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California USA.

Pound for Pound Recognition

Since losing to Orlando Salido in his second professional bout, Vasyl Lomachenko has been a dominant force. In his last three bouts, he’s made former champions Roman Martinez, Nicholas Walters and Jason Sosa look like beginners. Loma was looking forward to a rematch with Salido but when negotiations fell off, they settled with Marriaga because they couldn’t find a taker.

The 29-year old Lomachenko is a southpaw who stands at 5-6 and has a reach of 65 inches. Lomachenko has won his last five bouts by stoppage and he will be fighting in California, his adopted hometown. This is his third title defense since November and he’s still looking for that pound for pound recognition.

Tough and Aggressive

Miguel Marriaga is coming off a loss to Oscar Valdez and he also lost to Nicholas Walters in the past. Despite that, the Colombian is a tough customer whose aggressive style can give Lomachenko some troubles. Remember that Lomachenko was bullied by a very aggressive Salido during the former’s only pro defeat. If Marriaga can duplicate that attack, he may catch Loma off guard.

Marriaga has not lost back to back fights before and he is hoping to avoid that. He throws with a purpose and he is fundamentally sound. He’s got a good chin, as he withstood 12 rounds with Walters and Oscar Valdez. He’s won seven of his last nine fights by knockout and he’s looking to add the biggest name to his resume. However, he’s facing serious odds against Lomachenko.

A Longshot

Lomachenko is a -10000 favorite here while Marriaga is a +1600 underdog. Many fans are calling this a mismatch, but don’t sleep on Marriaga despite him being a longshot. The Columbian has a two inch height and three inches reach advantage over the two-time Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko. So don’t expect Loma to get into a slugfest with Marriaga.

Meanwhile, Miguel Marriaga will use his aggressive style to try and push Lomachenko back to the ropes and put him on the defensive. While he may have more punching power than Lomachenko, there is no way Marriaga can win this if Lomachenko gets into offensive groove.

The Prediction

Marriaga must fire first and must set a frenetic pace. If he does both, he will put himself in a position where he can pull off this major upset. That’s easier said than done, though. We know what Lomachenko can do inside the ring. We know his ring IQ, intelligence, footwork and hand speed.

Given Marriaga’s reputation, this is guaranteed to be an entertaining fight. Marriaga has everything to gain and nothing to lose. But beating Lomachenko in this weight class at this stage in time is almost impossible. If he won’t be fooled into a brawl, he’s going to make this look like a boxing clinic. We’re picking Vasyl Lomachenko to win on points. A knockout can’t be ruled out if Marriaga becomes desperate and starts throwing caution to the wind.

Adrian Broner vs Mikey Garcia

Mikey Garcia vs. Adrien Broner: Will Garcia Solve The Problem?

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Lightweight champion Mikey Garcia moves up in weight to face former four division world champion Adrien Broner on July 29th, 2017 at the Barclays Center in New York.

Multiple Division Champs

This is a battle between two men who have won world titles in at least three different weight divisions. Garcia is a three-division world champion, while Broner has won four belts in as many weight classes. Mikey Garcia is undefeated in 36 bouts with 30 KOs. Thirteen of his last 14 wins have come by stoppage and he is coming off a January knockout victory over Dejan Zlaticanin. It will be Garcia’s second fight this year and third since 2016. He’s really trying to make up for lost time after being in a long layoff due to a contract dispute.

Broner, meanwhile, has a 33-2 record, with his two losses coming at the hands of Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter. It’s interesting to note that both bouts were fought at the welterweight division so Broner is really undefeated at 140 pounds. Broner has all the tools to be a great boxer but has been lazy and passive in some of his recent fights.

Odds and Prediction

Mikey Garcia is the solid favorite here at -450, while Adrien Broner is the underdog at +420. Don’t let those odds fool you, though. This is yet another great boxing matchup for 2017. Hats off to both men for stepping up to face each other.

Garcia should be the more prepared fighter in this bout, as you don’t know what you’re getting with Broner. That’s why he’s called The Problem. Despite that, you could make a case for both. If Mikey Garcia employs his patient style of fighting where he just pick spots, Broner is a world of trouble. Garcia will wear Broner down and may stop him late in the fight. But then Mikey has said that he wants to be aggressive in this fight and go for the KO. Should he do that, he will fall to Broner’s plan. The Problem is an excellent counter puncher  who has serious knockout power.

Mikey himself has impressive knockout power but at a contested weight of 140 pounds, it will be Broner who has the advantage in size and punching power. It’s going to be interesting to see if Mikey Garcia can hurt Broner in this fight. But even if he can’t hurt The Problem, Garcia is going to box him all night long. We’re picking Mikey Garcia to beat Adrien Broner on points.

USBA Heavyweight Title Preview: Travis Kauffman vs. Amir Mansour Odds and Prediction

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Heavyweight Travis Kauffman will face Amir Mansour for the USBA Heavyweight title at the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania on March 17th.

Road To Heavyweight Championship

The event has been billed as the road to the heavyweight championship as these two veteran fighters have never fought for a world title although both have come close before. Kauffman lost to Chris Arreola by split decision in December of 2015 before that bout was changed to a no-contest after Arreola failed a drug test.

Despite that, Nightmare earned a shot at Deontay Wilder in his next bout. Mansour meanwhile knocked down Dominic Breazeale before retiring on his stool after five rounds. Breazeale went on to challenge Anthony Joshua in his next bout. With missed opportunities like those in the past, a victory be either here should push him closer to that road to the title.

Red Hot

Because the Arreola bout was changed to a no-contest, Kauffman thus enters this fight unbeaten in his last 14 bouts. In his most recent bout, Kauffman stopped Josh Gormley in two rounds last September 2016. Although he doesn’t have many big names in his resume, his red hot streak remains impressive. Kauffman is physically imposing at 6-3 with a reach of 76.

He may not be a special talent like Joshua or Wilder, but he possesses punching power and is a very decently skilled fighter. Kauffman does have a powerful fight hand and if Mansour isn’t careful, things could end early. Kauffman’s last three knockout wins have come under round two.

Father Time

Amir Mansour isn’t just just fighting Travis Kauffman here, he’s also battling Father Time. At 44, Mansour may not have too many opportunities left. In his most recent bout, Mansour looked like he was on the way to upsetting Dominic Breazeale. But he retired on his stool after five rounds due to a bad cut on his mouth. The injury forced him off the ring for the last 13 months and that inactivity may prove to be costly for this aging veteran. Despite his age, Mansour remains to be in shape and as he proved against Breazeale, he still has a lot of punching power left in his fists. Mansour is a pressure fighter who loves to be the aggressor. Five of his last seven wins have been by knockout and it’s likely he’s going for another one against Kauffman.

Both fighters are currently at -115 in this pick ‘em bout. But given the age difference and the fact that Kauffman will be fighting in his home town, we’re giving our pick to Travis Kauffman. Not only will he have the crowd cheering on for him but  endurance matters in the heavyweight division. Sure, it was injury that forced Mansour to quit against Breazeale, but he was running out of gas after failing to put Breazeale away after the knockdown. We’re picking Travis Kauffman to win this bout, possibly on points or another ‘No Mas’ from Mansour.