By Cliff Rold
If a great division is measured in the magnitude of its biggest stars, then Saturday’s action sits seven pounds below the limit for the best.
If a great division is measured by its depth of talent, quality of competitors, and quantity of competitive and interesting matches, few spots on the scale can rival Jr. Welterweight right now.
Case in point the looming Boxing After Dark main event (9:30 PM EST/PST). In one corner is a magnificent athletic talent with the look of a potential ‘pound for pound’ type player. In the other is something he has yet to see, a big puncher with the ability to lose a fight for eleven rounds and still be live with three minutes to go.
The winner exits with two belts and a solid claim to being the second best active Jr. Welterweight. The defeated…well, there’s about ten more guys at 140 to go make another solid fight with.
Let’s go to the report card.
The Ledgers
Juan Urango
Age: 29
Title: IBF Jr. Welterweight (January 2009-Present, 1 Defense)
Previous Titles: IBF Jr. Welterweight (June 2006-January 2007)
Height: 5’7
Weight: 139 ¾ lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 141.1 lbs.
Hails from: Cooper City, Florida (Born in Colombia)
Record: 22-2-1, 17 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #3 at Jr. Welterweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 3-2, 1 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 1 (Randal Bailey)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 2 (Ricky Hatton, Andre Berto)
Vs.
Devon Alexander
Age: 23
Title: WBC Jr. Welterweight (August 2009-Present)
Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’7
Weight: 139 ¼ lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 139 lbs.
Hails from: St. Louis, Missouri
Record: 19-0, 12 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #4 at Jr. Welterweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 1-0, 1 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 2 (DeMarcus Corley, Junior Witter)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Alexander A; Urango B
Pre-Fight: Power – Alexander B; Urango A
Pre-Fight: Defense – Alexander B+; Urango B-
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Alexander B+; Urango B+
The speed difference between these two fighters is enough to make it possible for Alexander to win this in lopsided fashion. In Urango’s losses to Andre Berto and Ricky Hatton, and in a win which should have been a defeat versus Naoufel Ben Rabah in 2006, his inability to be first told the story of the night. The two official losses also featured a great deal of clinching between shots, forcing Urango to reset constantly in search of bombs.
Even against a fighter with impressive speed, Junior Witter, in his last fight, Alexander didn’t struggle to be first and awkward clinches didn’t bother him. Could the fact that both Alexander and Urango are southpaws shake things up for the younger man; throw off his rhthym? It’s possible and a more important question for Alexander. Urango comes for the knockout no matter what side his foe is showing him. Alexander is likely looking at needing a full night’s work to win.
His past says southpaw shouldn’t be too much an issue. In 2008, still working up the ladder, he solved a still game DeMarcus Corley without much difficulty. An extensive amateur background means he’s seen his share of orthodox and southpaw foes.
How he’ll handle the steady pressure of Urango is another matter. The wins over Corley and Witter were impressive, in the context of where Alexander was in his career, because both were proven skilled veterans. Outboxing another boxer, even one as oddly styled as Witter, is about the refinement of skill in practice. Taking a massive shot, and Urango can land them, isn’t something to be taught or practiced.
The best strategy is to not get hit with bombs, and Alexander will logically look to employ it. If he cannot, if Urango does not let him, viewers will find out a ton about Alexander. In a scenario where Urango lands his best shot and Alexander shrugs it off, the possibilities for the future grow in promise. If he’s hurt and survives, then more is learned about the depths of the young St. Louis native.
If he goes to sleep…well, then it’s about finding out if he can avoid that shot going forward in his career. For now, Alexander can only be judged on what is known and he’s passed his tests, showing real progression and professionalism up to and into his first major title.
Urango has proven taking a shot isn’t an issue for him, which is good because he takes more than his share. He can be hurt. Randall Bailey did it in Urango’s last outing, dropping Urango before being stopped later in the fight. However, he didn’t stay hurt and while Bailey is limited, his power is not. Few have taken his Sunday punch and been awake to recall it. Urango’s got all the heart, all the desire, one could ask for.
Urango will be best served not just looking for the knockout, or at least doing more to set it up. Against Berto and Hatton, Urango was head first, inconsistent in the amount of punches he was throwing or in using his jab to set them up. If he comes forward hook first with Alexander, he limits his chances and makes the night easier for his foe.
The Pick
The gap in talent here is just too wide for Urango to overcome despite a slight edge for the older man in experience. Alexander could have some shaky moments, but the most likely course is a distance contest where Alexander is just a step ahead all night. It might not end up being thrilling, but Alexander will be thrilled to add a second belt to his mantle after a points win in twelve.
Report Card Picks 2010: 2-1
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
