BoxRec

Watched a tape yesterday of Roman Karmazin against Javier Castillejo in their recent WBC interim light-middleweight title fight. Castillejo won the fight all right. He badly hurt the lanky Russian on a couple of occasions and put in a big finish to make sure of the unanimous verdict in his favour. Karmazin was long-armed and busy, but didn't seem to have great power, though that may have been because he was fighting a strong, durable opponent.
We'll see.

Yeah Castillejo is strong alright. I'm praying otherwise but I'm predicting Walker will make Karmazin look like Julian Jackson on saturday night.

Kilburn wrote:Yeah Castillejo is strong alright. I'm praying otherwise but I'm predicting Walker will make Karmazin look like Julian Jackson on saturday night.

All far and above having a life and death struggle for the Southern Area title though isn't it?

I'd love him to pull it off but Walker doesn't have a prayer does he?

Don't get me wrong, while I don't think Walker has enough quality to win this fight (and its not deserved - is he domestic top ten?). However, all this Kazmarin this/Kazmarin that. Is he really all that good?

Just who has he beaten, he most famous for getting an undeserved number 1 WBC ranking (and a scheduled matchup with De la Hoya).

Lets not forget Danny Williams had a top ten ranking, and Maurice Haakar was ranked number 1. I think Kazmarin belongs with these. People are going on that like he's some world beater (which he's not).

He hasn't really proved himself the number 1 fighter in Europe, infact if it was Takaloo, Stone, Williams in the opposite corner I think they would be the favourite.

Lets not forget Castillo was/is quite a poor champion. We all saw just how finished Keith Mullings was when he boxed Roberts. Well that's who Castillo won the title from, he then faught a punch of untested/not very good opponent. Then he got his arse handed to him by De La Hoya.

The Henessy camp have done a very good job hyping up Kazmarin, but really he's not SHOWN us anything to prove he deserves his current rating.

I wouldn't be at all surprise if Walker causes the upset, but for me I have to question if Kazmarin is as good as the best guys in Britain. Kazmarin didn't fight anyone of note under Sport Network, just like Freeman Barr.

I still go for Kazmarin, by probably a 5th round KO, but wouldn't be surprised if Walker causes some problems against the vastly overrated fighter.

Either way, (and I hate to admit it) It's the kind of match-making I want to see.

I want to see our "champs" given the chance to WIN a belt - not mug some nobody for a cheap imitation.

The real champs are surely the ones that come through 50/50 fights, and in the long term, even if they lose it can sometimes be of benefit to their career.

Audley has changed opponent to Lisandro Diaz, he is of the same ilk

stujones wrote:The Henessy camp have done a very good job hyping up Kazmarin, but really he's not SHOWN us anything to prove he deserves his current rating.

If Karmazin hadn't just belted out Michael Rask I'd be feeling much more optimistic for Walker, Rask being the guy who gave Mamadou Thiam hell for 9 rounds before being stopped (controversially). Sure the Russian never deserved his WBC #1 contender status but that doesn't mean he isn't one of Europes top light-middleweights.

If the likes of Spencer Fearon can find the punches to drop Walker then Karmazin certainly can.

No doubt certain Hennesey brown-nosers will have inside information that Walker is going to try to box and move for this fight like never before, but I doubt these tactics will affect the end result too much.

Kilburn wrote:No doubt certain Hennesey brown-nosers will have inside information that Walker is going to try to box and move for this fight.

That strikes me potentially as both extremely comical and suicidal.

this fight is a disgrace. if walker gets out of the second round i'll attach a signature reading 'i am a pussy' for a week.

After looking closely at Karmazin's record, although not confident at all of a Walker win, I think he's being built up a tad too much. He doesn't seem a wicked puncher and with it being Walker's biggest fight and in front of a home crowd think he'll perform above himself but still get stopped around the middle rounds.

DIRT SUGAR wrote:After looking closely at Karmazin's record, although not confident at all of a Walker win, I think he's being built up a tad too much. He doesn't seem a wicked puncher and with it being Walker's biggest fight and in front of a home crowd think he'll perform above himself but still get stopped around the middle rounds.

Dirt Sugar - Here Here.

Kilburn. Okay so Rask might not be bad, but really is nothing out of this world. Was he ever in an independent top ten ranking? Henesey and co are doing a great job of hyping this match by calling Kazmarin a world beater.

But really, Kazmarin is of the level of a Richard Williams or Takaloo (if not below these guys).

As we have SEEN these guys get exposed, Henesey couldn't really hype them up as world beater. But a guy who just lost a closeish points decision to a two time world champion sounds like mustard. But, Castellio is a two time paper champion I'm afraid.

What would be everyones tip if it was Takaloo, Stone, Williams in against Kazmarin.

I think the three Brits would beat him.

Okay stu you say Karmazin is at Takaloo & co's level which could well be right - but then would you honestly expect Walker to last more than a couple of rounds with the top domestic boys? I certainly wouldn't.

I haven't been aware too much of the Hennesy hype regarding Karmazin, although I do recall one ridiculous comment made on a recent BBC program where someone clamied that De La Hoya was "worried about Karmazin and decided not to face him". Yeah right. Worried about not making enough money out of it perhaps but that's all.

Kilburn wrote:Okay stu you say Karmazin is at Takaloo & co's level which could well be right - but then would you honestly expect Walker to last more than a couple of rounds with the top domestic boys? I certainly wouldn't.

I haven't been aware too much of the Hennesy hype regarding Karmazin, although I do recall one ridiculous comment made on a recent BBC program where someone clamied that De La Hoya was "worried about Karmazin and decided not to face him". Yeah right. Worried about not making enough money out of it perhaps but that's all.

Kilburn, that was exactly what I am talking about, okay maybe not Henessey as such but the BBC (in their last program) were hyping Karzmarin as some incredible hulk.

And if you want my opinion on Takaloo and co, well I would put Walker on the level of Gary Logan and Jim Rock who both gave Tak some problems. So I think he could give one or two problems.

Trust me, if it was Takaloo or Richard Williams in the opposite corner it wouldn't be hyped (on other message boards) as mission impossible. Yes, people would certainly question if Walker was overmatched, but it wouldn't be discussed as much. Mainly because Tak and Williams have been recently found out, wheras nobody really knows that much about Roman.

If Walker were going into this off the Humphrey performance our expectations would be a lot different IMO. As it is his last fight was against a far from devastating puncher where he was saved by the bell TWICE in as many rounds. The way Walker was dropping to the floor scared me in all honesty. Sure he got up and won but only because the limited Fearon had faded after only 6 minutes.

Personally I put the emphasis on Walker being a poor fighter more than I do Karmazin being a good one. No way could he stand up to Takaloo like Logan and Rock did.

Karmazin's real strength, which I didn't really put across in my brief recise of his fight with Castillejo, is his quickness. The best Russian fighters (think of Tszyu) have those quick reflexes, and Karmazin is no exception. He has the speed and reflexes to land with sharp, hurtful punches on the counter, but he seems to like coming forward as well, which makes him doubly effective.

bennie wrote:Karmazin's real strength, which I didn't really put across in my brief recise of his fight with Castillejo, is his quickness. The best Russian fighters (think of Tszyu) have those quick reflexes, and Karmazin is no exception. He has the speed and reflexes to land with sharp, hurtful punches on the counter, but he seems to like coming forward as well, which makes him doubly effective.

Blimey, hindsight shows this post to be absolutely spot on.

Yes, that was very good analysis from Bennie.

But this idiot got it all wrong with the comment below.

stujones wrote: I would put Walker on the level of Gary Logan and Jim Rock.

Oops. I think Logan and Rock would have Walker.