A recent HBO card showcased many young and up and coming fighters in Verona, New York, at the Turning Stone Casino. While three contenders notched good wins, more questions were raised than answers. There are more and more fighters these days who seem to be lacking the most basic key parts of their arsenal. This would have been discouraged at the 4 round prelim level 30-40 years ago, yet fighters are making it to contender, sometimes even champion status without correcting them. A few examples:Thomas Dulorme - I don't care what kind of power, movement, and boxing ability a young prospect shows, how does he make it to number one in one of the sanctioning bodies, without knowing how to block a telegraphed right hand? To Dulorme's credit, he was finally kayoed by a left hook, but he had to turn southpaw to avoid the right hand, instead of one of the more known defenses: roll and counter, elbow block, or opposite-hand parry. Any one of those would have been more effective than simply ducking or trading his way further into the punch. You've got to have a counter for this in the gym, because his chin is definitely not the answer.
Carlos Abregu - The Argentine is a power puncher, but he might as well also wear a flashing sign that says "right hand on the way" for all of his cleverness. It took him finally mixing his attack to stop Dulorme, but why was the southpaw stance of Dulorme so befuddling when the Puerto Rican employed it? Isn't a right hand supposed to be more effective against a lefty? Not in Abregu's case, because it is often an off-balance, telegraphed shot. If he wants to win at the next level, he needs to correct this.
Mauricio Herrera - Yes, he has an excellent chin, which is why he often beats heavy-handed opponents, but Karim Mayfield tried no tricks. the San Franciscan simply chopped him down with flashy looking right hands, round after round. After the first 12 landed, you've proven your durability.. now haw about defense and counter-punching? How about using your height? Herrera is not a puncher himself, so his work-rate is what wins him fights. However, he needs to avoid punches as well, so that he doesn't end up losing a fight in which he lands more shoe-shines, but loses on effective power shots.
Miguel Vasquez - Vasquez showed how a belt-holder can win a showcase fight and still disqualify himself from the major money. Do you really think the winner of DeMarco-Broner wants to follow up that potential barn-burner with a chase-fest against Vasquez? How did 'Titere' make it this far still bouncing and running that much? There is effective foot speed, and there is running. Vasquez showed he possesses just enough power to keep a fighter thinking about defense. If he would set down, he may even hurt somebody. He has also shown he knows angles, making that much movement unnecessary. He's never been stopped, even against P4P world champions who were much bigger men, so why the running? This just may be a case of teaching an old dog new tricks, but risk-reward needs explaining to Vasquez.
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
