HBO- Berto Zaveck, Russell Jr.

zaveck probably gets another hbo shot after this fight. I also thought it would get interesting down the stretch and sort of expected that Zaveck would be getting the better of it. Berto's quick punches always keep him in a fight. He seemed like his best chance was going to catch zaveck with an unexpected body shot. Instead, he busted up his face with the handspeed.

I'd like to see berto zaveck 2, but don't see that in Berto's future. Berto will move on to the big names and zaveck will probably be used next as an undercard matchup with one of the big-name jr welters moving up to welter.

 

zaveck vs mike jones would be acceptable for me as an undercard bout. Im guessing zaveck could find an easier mark to earn another title shot.

 

Well Berto got a title shot out of a title-defeat. Zaveck would have to work real hard to trump that.

 

Who Berto or Bailey? I seriously don't know who you mean because I wouldn't put money on either guy in this one and if I had to I'd lean more towards Bailey. No way Berto's team would put him in with a puncher like Bailey, even at this stage of Bailey's career.

 

berto will destroy bailey in a few rounds. bailey cant take bertos punches and he'll be getting hit with bombs from the get go.

 

Thoughts on the fights

Just for the record, I recorded this one and watched it later. Anyway here we go:

Russel Jr - Kid's probably the best prospect in the sport right now. Has amazing handspeed & reflexes and really good defense. I love his aggression as well. The negatives are his hand durability and lack of pop but the hand problem may have already been addressed by bringing in a wrap specialist which we've seen work for Mayweather.

His fight though was a pointless slaughter which I fast forwarded through. Anyone can look brilliant against someone totally outclassed as was the case here.

Berto - Nothing's changed with this guy. Is he still being trained by his father? Because he needs a change. Maybe Floyd Sr would do him some good because he really needs some defensive work as well as improved offense. Berto just stands in the pocket with his head straight up and takes shots and he gives any fighter a punchers chance of beating him.

Berto can go right back to defending his new belt against bums in the name of experience, but until he gets a trainer to teach him how to properly box he'll never improve and continue to get by on his sole talent, hand speed.

Zaveck - I hate front runners so I was pulling for Zaveck in this one. I knew he would lose though because early on he showed he was a bit too defensive and lacked the pop to take advantage of Berto's amazingly available and ascended chin. Other than that Zaveck is nothing special, just another flash in the pan Euro who wasn't much different than any of Berto's past list of bums, so basically he fit right in.

Al Haymon - Kellerman brought up a good point about Haymon's influence in the sport. Not only was it funny how quickly Berto got another title defense but look how easy the opponent was. Also the fact that we had to sit through Russell Jr's eight round 1 sided heavy bag work was another showing of his enfluence. The previous HBO broadcast we were saved from having to sit through such a showing and only got shown a clip of Russell's fight. Personally I don't like how that influence is being put to use so far.


Question - So had Berto defeated Ortiz would Mayweather have signed to fight Berto instead? I've been wondering about that one.

 

Berto vs Mike Jones is really the fight that makes sense at this point.

I see it going down as a poor man's version of Forrest-Mosley 1. With Mike Jones playing Forrest, and administering an ass whupping.

I saw poor man's version because obvioulsy Mike Jones isnt nearly as good as prime Forrest was, and Berto isnt a FRACTION as good as a prime Shane.

 

But could Berto take Bailey's? The question is who lands the hardest first and ultimately I think it'd take quite a few of Berto's punches and a few rds before Bailey succumbs to Berto's punches. Bailey on the other hand could have Berto badly hurt as early as the first minute of the first rd based on Bailey's power connecting on Berto's fragile, exposed, and floating chin.

The biggest knock against Bailey is how long in the tooth he is. Berto has a very good chance against this guy but the young version I'd pick to stop Berto.

 

Bailey has never beat a decent fighter in his entire career. He's one of the more overrated fighters of the last 10 years. Yet some talk about as if he's Julian Jackson.

Berto would destroy Bailey.

 

Bailey's only chance in this fight is a puncher's chance, and that's only because Berto is so easy to hit.

But Bailey is damn near shot. He looked like shit the other night, against a made-to-order opponent in a fight that was supposed to serve as an audition for the HBO brass to drum up interest for a future televised date with Berto.

I agree with X - Bailey can bang, but his power has become grossly exaggerated over the years.

 

What are your thoughts on Berto vs Jones, Jake?

 

Assuming he's forever learned his lesson from the first Soto-Karass fight, I think Jones wins with a lot of room to spare.

Fight might never happen, though. Arum and Haymon seldom do business together, and neither fighter can draw a crowd to a family reunion.

 

So the black guy stopped the white dude on cuts?

 

Zbik lost to Chavez Jr....:notallthere:

 

Bailey's punching power is vastly overrated. Just like Ben Tackie's mythical "big right hand".

 

Bullshit. No one outside of lb for lb even rates him.

 

bailey nearly knocked out urango w/ one punch. the guy can punch, but he's just not very good and has been past his best for quite some time now. berto should run him over in less than 6 rounds.

 

That's the way it's done! ::

 

bailey has been past it for awhile now. The fact he's being mentioned as a opponent is good news for Berto. Keeps him out of harm's way for a while.

 

I disagree on this, in his prime he could really bomb. Couldn't do much else, but he could punch for sure..

 

I swear...everytime Zaveck threw an uppercut he caught Berto with it.

 

They're talking about Bailey as a next opponent for Berto? Ha ha. What a joke. I'd rather see him give Zaveck a rematch than participate in yet another sham defense of his title he's become all too known for.

 

Exactly. You see why I root against Berto everytime. He's a fucking poser who hand picks opponents tailor made to lose to him. I'm praying Bailey cracks his china chin and Ko's his sorry ass.

Something I forgot to mention was Berto's stamina didn't look any better than before he hired Conte. I could tell early on he was kind of winded during certain points in the fight. Or at least it appeared as such.

 

I reckon Kon would take Berto right now. But Kon is too cautious even to risk "rushing" up to 147...instead, he will have to talk with Freddy, with Bob Arum, with Babar Khan and Genghis Khan and all the other fucking advisers and cash-and-carry experts that he surrounds himself with.

 

But before Berto can accept a Khan fight he and his handlers have to weigh their options. Do they take the high profile slighty higher paying fight they likely lose? Or do they continue to play it safe defending against tomato cans?

 

He's the IBF champion now.....so who is his mandatory? How he handles himself over the next 6 months will tell us a lot. I think people like KON have Berto earmarked as an EASY step up to 147.

 

Bailey was garbage

 

I think Berto's always going to have stamina issues as long as he fights in the style he does. Berto loads up everything, and relies almost entirely on strength, not technique or timing, to generate power.