Weekend Preview: FNF features prospects
Posted Jan. 14, 2010 at 07:44pm
By Michael Rosenthal
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FRIDAY
The Friday Night Fight card this Friday on ESPN2 features talented young fighters Juan Carlos Burgos and Demetrius Andrade in separate fights from Laredo, Texas.
Burgos, who faces fellow Mexican Juan Carlos Martinez in a 12-round featherweight bout, is a good boxer with a great deal of heart but has yet to face a meaningful test in his young career. One sanctioning body somehow has him ranked No. 1.
Burgos (23-0, 16 knockouts) built his record primarily in his native Tijuana but has begun to fight regularly in the United States and keeps winning. His last five fights have taken place in Ontario, Calif.
Martinez (17-11-1, 7 KOs) isn’t a step up for Burgos. He’s 3-6 in his last nine fights, although he easily outpointed Jose Andres Hernandez in his last fight.
Andrade (8-0, 6 KOs) is just getting started. The 2008 U.S. Olympian from Providence, R.I., who reached the third round of the Games, has dominated overmatched opponents as he has gained experience.
His opponent, Bernardo Guereca, also probably won’t provide an upset. The Texas-based Mexican (15-9-1, 3 KOs) is 3-5 in his last eight fights.
In Manchester, England, Rob Norton of Stourbridge, Worcestershire, defends his British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles against David Dolan. Norton (32-4-1, 19 KOs) outpointed Dolan (13-2, 5 KOs) to win the title last February.
SATURDAY
Vanes Martirosyan of Glendale, Calif., a undefeated 2004 U.S. Olympian will step up in class when he faces former 154-pound titleholder Kassim Ouma, a Florida-based Ugandan, on Fox Sports Net from Las Vegas.
Martirosyan (26-0, 17 KOs) is THE RING’s No. 9-ranked junior middleweight. Ouma (26-6-1, 16 KOs) has beaten the likes of Verno Phillips (twice) and Marco Antonio Rubio but is 1-4 in his last five fights.
On the Martirosyan-Ouma undercard, unbeaten Mikey Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif., faces Joksan Hernandez (17-1, 10 KOs) of Ensenada, Mexico in a 10-round featherweight fight.
Garcia is the younger brother of his trainer, Robert Garcia. Hernandez has won five in a row since losing a decision to Bernabe Concepcion in 2006, his only fight outside Mexico.
The Friday Night Fight card this Friday on ESPN2 features talented young fighters Juan Carlos Burgos and Demetrius Andrade in separate fights from Laredo, Texas.
Burgos, who faces fellow Mexican Juan Carlos Martinez in a 12-round featherweight bout, is a good boxer with a great deal of heart but has yet to face a meaningful test in his young career. One sanctioning body somehow has him ranked No. 1.
Burgos (23-0, 16 knockouts) built his record primarily in his native Tijuana but has begun to fight regularly in the United States and keeps winning. His last five fights have taken place in Ontario, Calif.
Martinez (17-11-1, 7 KOs) isn’t a step up for Burgos. He’s 3-6 in his last nine fights, although he easily outpointed Jose Andres Hernandez in his last fight.
Andrade (8-0, 6 KOs) is just getting started. The 2008 U.S. Olympian from Providence, R.I., who reached the third round of the Games, has dominated overmatched opponents as he has gained experience.
His opponent, Bernardo Guereca, also probably won’t provide an upset. The Texas-based Mexican (15-9-1, 3 KOs) is 3-5 in his last eight fights.
In Manchester, England, Rob Norton of Stourbridge, Worcestershire, defends his British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles against David Dolan. Norton (32-4-1, 19 KOs) outpointed Dolan (13-2, 5 KOs) to win the title last February.
SATURDAY
Vanes Martirosyan of Glendale, Calif., a undefeated 2004 U.S. Olympian will step up in class when he faces former 154-pound titleholder Kassim Ouma, a Florida-based Ugandan, on Fox Sports Net from Las Vegas.
Martirosyan (26-0, 17 KOs) is THE RING’s No. 9-ranked junior middleweight. Ouma (26-6-1, 16 KOs) has beaten the likes of Verno Phillips (twice) and Marco Antonio Rubio but is 1-4 in his last five fights.
On the Martirosyan-Ouma undercard, unbeaten Mikey Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif., faces Joksan Hernandez (17-1, 10 KOs) of Ensenada, Mexico in a 10-round featherweight fight.
Garcia is the younger brother of his trainer, Robert Garcia. Hernandez has won five in a row since losing a decision to Bernabe Concepcion in 2006, his only fight outside Mexico.
