Saturday on Showtime(9 PM ET) features a great and
what should be an action packed card with 2 big Welterweight fights in Andre
Berto(28-2) vs. Jesus Soto Karass(27-8-3) with the co-feature pitting Keith
Thurman against Diego Gabriel Chaves. Maybe at the conclusion of these 2 fights,
we'll get a fight a lot of people would love to see in Andre Berto and Keith
Thurman booked. Maybe we'll get Broner/Thurman. Prolly not but I can Hope! But,
I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's get to the breakdown of these fights.
Andre Berto's career started off
very promising, securing an exclusive HBO deal allegedly getting 1 Million a
fight from them. He was touted as the next big star of the sport and looked to
be on track not losing a fight in his career(but boxing heads knew the real
deal). He hit a snag when he lost his first career fight in an upset to Victor
Ortiz, where all his offensive and defense flaws were exposed.
He won his next
fight against Jan Zaveck, a tough opponent, but again in the Robert Guerrero
fight, his offensive and defensive flaws were exposed yet again. He even
revealed some poor shoulder roll variation that he abandoned early in the
fight(yikes). Berto's refusal to be consistent with the jab, poor inside
fighting and general lack of defense have been glaring in his last 3 fights.
Jesus Soto Karass on the other
hand hasn't been anything special over his career. He's 3-5 in his last 8
fights with losses to notable fighters such as Gabriel Rosado and Marcos
Maidana. With that said, he does hold a solid win against Selcuk Aydin(24-2) of
Turkey. His fight against Marcos Maidana showed a very game opponent and was a
very entertaining fight until the knockout. Karass was aggressive as usual,
giving a lot of offense, but taking a lot of punishment as well.
In all honesty, this is a perfect
fight for Berto to reestablish himself in the Welterweight division. A fighter
who will come forward and absorb punishment. Soto Karass doesn't present the
same dangers that Ortiz and Guerrero did. Berto needs to fight aggressively but
also smart(which sometimes he forgets to do). Use the jab, try not to get
caught inside fighting, and PLEASE abandon that abomination of a shoulder roll
he used last fight. Soto Karass's best and only chance is to take it to Berto
and get him into an ugly fight.
Going with Berto to end this
fight by Knockout.
Keith Thurman(20-0) vs Diego Chaves(22-0) is an intriguing fight that
pits 2 undefeated Welterweights against each other, with the winner assuredly
propelled to the next level of their careers. Both fighters possess knockout
power with 36 KO's between them in 42 fights. Expect fireworks in this one.
Keith Thurman's rise came quick
and unexpected ever since he burst onto HBO and immediately called out a grip
of fighters after a knockout win. Thurman has shown off an intriguing skill set
and is improving as each fight passes. His tenacity in(and outside) of the ring
might be his best asset and the knockouts and exciting are more than
welcome.
Prior to his last 2 fights he
didn't have anyone really of note on his resume, but with the names Carlos
Quintana(Former WW Champ, Win over Paul Williams) and Jan Zaveck(IBF WW Champ)
on there now, he gained some level of credibility with the fans.
Diego Chaves is similarly
undefeated prospect, but without the name recognition or even resume to warrant
any reaction by boxing fans, but he is undefeated for a reason. He is a good,
solid fighter with power and a very aggressive approach in the ring.
Hailing from Argentina, home of
professional fighters you may recognize by the names of Sergio Martinez and Lucas
Matthyssee, he should be not taken lightly at all. Every fighter has had a soft
resume before and needed a come up somewhere. Maybe this fight will be his
chance to show the world his abilities on a grand stage.
In this fight, Thurman needs to
be cautious of the power Chaves possesses. He needs to use the jab often and
and employ the defense that he has shown at times throughout his last couple of
fights. And if the opportunity for big shots presents itself(which it
undoubtedly will), take it. Well, you know Thurman will take the opportunity.
lol.
Chaves himself in my opinion is
at a skills and talent disadvantage in this fight, but that never stopped a
fighter from winning a fight. He has the power and aggression and we know he
won't hold back the first couple of rounds. Thurman's defense isn't
impregnable(mike!), not just yet, so Chaves will have a good amount of
opportunities to get some big shots in, especially when Thurman is lunging in.
Going with Thurman here. possible
KO.
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