Danny Jacobs

Juan Manuel Marquez- Juan Diaz 2 is undoubtedly a fight to look forward to but credit to Golden Boy Promotions for putting together a really solid undercard.

Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs 20-0 (17) has his first World title bid. His opponent is Dmitry Pirog 16-0 (13) and this bout is for the vacant WBO middleweight title.

Jacobs has been touted from the start by Golden Boy Promotions since he made his debut on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton bout. He is tall at 6ft 1inch and has done most of his pro development in front of the cameras with nearly all of his bouts being televised. Jacobs was a very good amateur and is a spiteful puncher. Like most prospects he has fought his share of stiffs but as the competition has been slowly increased, he has not been found wanting.

The best opponent on his slate is the clever Ishe Smith who Jacobs outpointed quite clearly three fights ago and with top fellow prospect Fernando Guerrero really struggling with Smith recently this was not a bad result at all.

Dmitry Pirog

Pirog is a Russian fighter and has fought predominantly there. Several of his bouts have been televised by Eurosport TV and I was quite impressed. He hits quite hard, has decent skills and will definitely believe he can win the bout. He is thirty years old and will know that now is his time to make a move.

In June 2009. Pirog shut out a formerly World class Kofi Jantuah and I thought he fought well last time out when stopping Sergei Melis.

Pirog is better than most people think but I don’t think he will have enough of an all round game to beat Jacobs. I think Pirog will fight hard but that Jacobs will outpoint him or stop him late.
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Sakio Bika 28-3-2 (19) is a seriously tough super middleweight. He won the contender series at this weight and his last two losses were to Lucian Bute (2007) and Joe Calzaghe (2006). Since the Bute fight, he is unbeaten and although rough at the edges technically is as hard as they come.

Some people thought he may have received the super six reserve spot which went to Allan Green but if he wins tomorrow he is in line for another shot at Lucian Bute.

Winning tomorrow night though is by no means a formality as his opponent is Jean Paul Mendy 28-0-1 (16), the unbeaten Frenchman. Mendy has only fought one opponent of any real note, which was Anthony Hanshaw who drew with Mendy back in 2007.

Mendy is now thirty six years old and wont get many more chances. Bika will go at him for the entire twelve rounds and I doubt if the Frenchman can handle this for the entire duration.

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Robert Guerrero

Two weight World champion Robert Guerrero 26-1-1 (18) moves up again in weight and has a fascinating contest with Cuban veteran Joel Casamayor 37-4-1 (22). Guerrero was a champion at featherweight and super featherweight and is now trying his luck in the lightweights.

Casamayor has been a superb fighter and is really in the twilight of his career at thirty nine. He has only had three fights in the last three years and although still capable, I feel Guerrero may just be a bit too fresh.

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Jorge Linares 28-1 (18) really looked the business winning the WBC featherweight and then moving up to super featherweight and winning the WBA title. However he suffered a stunning one round loss to Juan Carlos Salgado last October to lose his belt and looked quite poor last time out winning a majority decision over Francisco Lorenzo.
Linares is now fighting at lightweight and has his hands full with Rocky Juarez 28-6 (20). Juarez’s losses have all come in World title bids and must be one of the better fighters in this generation not to have won a title.

Juarez though has lost some close decisions when he may have been more dominant if he had just let his hands go more often. Linares is still only twenty four and should win unless he cannot handle the power of the naturally bigger Juarez.

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There are other prospects on the bill. The UK’s very own George Groves 9-0 (7) features on the undercard. Groves is the Commonwealth super middleweight champion and will be looking to impress on his American debut.

Seth Mitchell 17-0-1 (11) is yet another American heavyweight dreaming of the big time. He has beaten Zack Page recently who has been on a run of upsetting prospects. Mitchell is up against the powerful but erratic Derek Bryant 20-5-1 (17). A good match up on paper but Bryant has not fought since 2008.

1. Danny Jacobs-Dmitry Pirog for the vacant WBO middleweight belt.
2. “The Rematch” Undercard Wrap-up