UK
Jab Hook’s Predictions For Copper Box Arena, London, Sat. March 23, 2019 on DAZN
Jab Hook's Predictions for the Copper Box Arena, London, Saturday, March 23, 2019 (DAZN)
Main Event: Charlie Edwards 14(6)-1(1) vs. Angel Moreno 19(10)-2-2, 12 rounds of boxing in Edwards' 1st defense of the WBC flyweight title.
Is 14-1 Charlie Edwards on the star track?
Charlie Edwards is a WBC boxing champion with a baby-face. But with his tattoos and the WBC strap on, and when he his face takes on that post-fight lumpiness, he looks like the real deal. Ignoring the book's cover, Edwards is a gritty, tough, young boxer from Surrey. He suffered his 1st career knockdown and heart-breaking TKO loss as the IBF contender to champion John Casimero in 2016. But Charlie would not let that stop him and has since won the next 6 bouts in a row, topping it off with the WBC flyweight title win vs Cristofer Rosales before Christmas last year.
Angel “Golden Boy“ Moreno is a Spanish boxer who shares one of boxing's favorite nicknames, “Niño de oro”. But gold is not old, while Moreno at over 35 years of age is. Even worse, he did not even start boxing professionally until he was 30yo! Moreno is basically a club fighter from the Spanish circuit. Like many of his compañeros he is athletic, gritty and fearless.
Those boxing traits were apparently enough the last time he stood in the ring with Charlie Edwards.
The two of them were sparring partners a few years ago. Jab's UK insider told him, “…apparently there was very little to split them.“ It is also note-worthy that “Golden Boy“ shares the same Spanish gym with Sergio Garcia who recently dominated Ted Cheesman winning the EBU strap.
In the meantime, Edwards has become the WBC world flyweight belt-holder, an award that he dedicated to his cancer-stricken Mum. So if emotion and purpose shall rule the day, young Edwards is going to be a very tough champ to beat. Years she has suffered through a brain tumor and the surgeries needed to treat it. Terry Edwards' son promised his Mum a Championship Belt, and after a painful failure in the first try, he fulfilled the promise.
Jab picks Charlie's Mum to keep her belt as “Golden Boy“ Moreno fights for gym pride in a losing effort. Charlie Edwards 1st WBC belt defense ends in a unanimous decision for the local hero.
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Copper Box Arena, London (DAZN)
Undercard real prospect alert: Joshua Buatsi 9(7)-0 vs. Liam Conroy 16(8)-3(1)-1, boxing 12 rounds for the vacant British light heavyweight title.
Joshua Buatsi was born in Accra, Ghana, Africa's boxing capitol and the birth place of . He grew up in Crydon, UK and earned a college degree in Sports Management, all the while boxing as an amateur. Academics mixed well with pugilism as Buatsi peaked with an impressive Bronze Medal at Rio in the 2016 Olympics. Now undefeated as a professional, he has knocked out 78% of his foes. He is a blue chip prospect with a malicious left hook.
Liam Conroy is a veteran of 6 years as a British boxer. He only boxed once in 2018 and its been a year since then, so inactivity could be a factor. He's won his last ten bouts, and the last five by stoppage. So he had some momentum after that 10th win last year. Is that rising tide still ready to carry this boat of a British bout? Jab Hook has a sinking feeling that the Conroy flagship will not get out of the harbor.
Buatsi, left, is favored to down Conroy.
Good boxing, superior power, and a career plan that's headed for bigger and better things in 2019-20, that why Jab sees this matchup as the logical next step for “JBuatsi“. He is likely to have little trouble with Conroy and will try to implement some new combinations and techniques from his training camp. The unknown is whether Buatsi will get in some rounds before he stops Liam Conroy. Jab thinks a few, but not more, as the ref stops the bout in the 5th round. TKO win for “JBuatsi“.
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Copper Box Arena, London (DAZN)
Undercard spoiled prospect alert: Lawrence Okolie 11(8)-0 vs. Wadi Camacho 21(12)-7(4), boxing 12 rounds for Okolie's British and Camacho's Commonwealth cruiser-weight titles.
Lawrence Okolie is known to Jab Hook, as he called his Wembley Stadium bout on DAZN last as part of the AJ vs Povetkin undercard. Lawrence Okolie was the prospect, but he looked terrible against Matty Askin in the British Cruiser-weight Title bout. To call the bout a “stinker” would be kind. Jab Hook rated it as one of the worst fights in a boxing ring in all of 2018.
But it only got worse after the final bell. The judges somehow gave Okolie a unanimous decision, even though he had a total of three points taken away in the 5th and 11th rounds by referee Victor Loughlin (who did a great job managing a bad fight) for repeated holding and low blows. Jab Hook had it 116:110 for Matty Askin. Afterwards Okolie celebrated the win on twitter, the guy has no pride. Jab Hook feels the “Sauce” is fake. This prospect will not make it all that far, maybe a British or European career, but not globally.
Wadi “Macho“ Camacho has a wonderful nickname (RiP Héctor Luís Camacho Matías). He is a 33yo British southpaw boxer born in Barcelona. The journeyman fighter started late as pro at 27yo and has fought mostly in York Hall, Bethnal Green, UK. Wadi has boxed generally modest opposition. In his first step up vs China Clark in 2013 he got cut in the 1st round, dropped in the 6th and quit on his stool before the 7th round. Alas, he has been defeated 6 more times since, including 3 additional stoppages and a troublesome 2nd round disqualification by referee Martin Williams for biting Craig Kennedy.
Despite his boxing fiascoes, Wadi “Macho“ is still one of the best fighters Ollie has yet faced. So young Lawrence had better clean up his act and put up more of a fight against Camacho or he'll need to be saved by the judges again. Of course he could get KO'd or even badly bitten, instead.
Okolie looked to bounce back from a horrid outing on the AJ vs Povetkin card. He got a W in February and seeks to continue the momentum.
Jab will not be surprised by a cut or foul or both in this fight. A sloppy display of pugilism from both men will not help Lawrence Okolie's reputation, but it will improve his record. Okolie washes Wadi winning with a TKO in the later rounds.
Please check back on NYFights on Sunday for Jab Hook's Epilogue for these bouts.
“Jab Hook”, aka “Brooklyn” Joe Healy is a boxing writer, an expert commentator for DAZN.de, a professional cutman from the BOXWERK gym, and a licensed referee/judge in amateur boxing. A lifelong aficionado born in Brooklyn and living in Munich, “The Sweet Science” is his passion. Please feel free to contact him as Jab Hook on, FaceBook or https://www.linkedin.com/in/
