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I thought Barboza would be more competitive and take it to Teo, but he appeared always one or two steps behind. He also doesn't have the mindset or skill-set of a pressure fighter, so he was never able to turn it into a 'fight' when he was losing the 'boxing' match. Teo seemed to be coasting for a majority of the fight. Maybe Barboza will look reinvigorated at 147 without the weight cut...but I think he's shown his limits in his past few performances. What also stood out to me was the swelling under Teo's eye from just one straight right. Of course boxing isn't ballet, but Teo barely got touched and still left with bruising. I wonder if he's noticed this vulnerability, and maybe that's why he hasn't moved up yet. Teo has been calculated recently; calling out Ennis while brushing off Norman...probably assuming that he'll be able to box and out-manuever a drained Ennis like he did vs. Barboza. Teo has also figured that he'll be able to bully Shakur due to Shakur's own deficiencies (moving up in weight, chronic hand issues, etc.), so he's staying at 140 a bit longer for a relatively easy payday. Teo sees Shakur as a sitting duck....and I think Shakur feels the same about Teo.
boxingitis, it's difficult to go for the kill when you don't have dependable hands or stopping power. I think Shakur's style matches his physical limits. There's certain things that Shakur cannot absorb from Crawford's mentorship.
boxingitis, it's difficult to go for the kill when you don't have dependable hands or stopping power. I think Shakur's style matches his physical limits. There's certain things that Shakur cannot absorb from Crawford's mentorship.
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