BoxRec

The new year kicks off with a bang with this battle of the champions.

Is anyone going for the defending Lightweight champion in this one. I personally think that apart from some rare occasions when a champion has been very poor, that Freitas must be one of the biggest favourites as a title CHALLENGER in history.

The Uzbekistan porn star is not a bad boxer on the few occasions that I have seen him, however he does seem in decline and reports indicate that he's been lucky to be still champion against some modest opposition and he looks for the taking.

To be honest, I'm still not convinced about Freitas, I thought Casamayor lost the unification fight as opposed to Freitas winning it. Even so, I still thought the Cuban had a rightful claim to be angry at the decision (I did think the Cuban won, although he had the ability to win beyond doubt). Since then, Freitas has continued to not use his natural gifts of power and decided not to plant his feet as much and decide to box more under the advice of Oscar Suarez.

This has caused a few of his fights going longer than usual and him looking ordinary at times. He was only a few minutes away from losing his unbeaten run against Barrios.

However, I do believe that many fighters can beat Grigorian now, and you have to fancy Freitas to win via stoppage. He was massive for 130 lbs and perhaps him moving up to 135 will see him back to how he was before Casyamayor.

Freitas KO 10.

Of course, this fight has tremendous bearing for British fighters, given the high WBO Super Featherweight ranking position of Rees and Gomez. Should Freitas win, he is likely to vacate.

Grigorian was really good in his prime and could easily have unified the division but hes wasted his career away defending the WBO and is totally over the hill now.

If he somehow manages to produce the skills he had in the late 90s he will destroy Freitas.


I don't think any of the other lightweight champs wanted any part of Grigorian.

I have seen Grigorian several times in different stages of his career. Once a good champion, dominated his questionable opposition.

His last fight against Matt Zegan (not sure about the name) was alarming. The crowd was booing when the verdict was read. He lost almost every round and looked way more done than Michalczewski in his last fight.
I can't think of any other reason than bribery, why the judges declared Grigorian as the winner.

Grigorian himself and his promoter know that he's done.
The best way would be to retire. The more lucrative way is to fight the cashcow and also one of the best boxers in the lower weight classes, Acelino 'Popo' (which means translated into german: 'arse') Freitas.

From the sportive point of view this fight is a joke, bet all your money on Freitas. Safest bet in 2004.

A good boxer could beat Freitas, who might not be carrying that big punching up to lightweight.
I was tempted to go for Grigorian on points, but I saw his last fight and he looked to be fading, so you'd think the younger Freitas will outwork him and maybe stop him late.
Can't have been much of a christmas for these two

Fretias should be able to overcome this old champion, however i dont see a knockout, more a lopsided points win for popo.