Argentina's Jorge "Hyena" Barrios defends his WBO super-featherweight title against Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic in a clash of genuine hard men.
The swaggering Guzman, known as "Little Tyson", has won all 25 of his fights - 17 by knockout - and held the WBO title at super-bantamweight, before weight problems forced him up. He was due to challenge Scott Harrison at featherweight earlier this year but it all went pear-shaped and Guzman made his super-featherweight debut in Las Vegas in May, easily outscoring Mexican veteran and former IBF lightweight champ Javier Jauregui in a 10-rounder.
"Honestly, I believe I'm the total package," said Guzman. "I'm a slick boxer with speed, good movement, good defence and excellent power."
Ring Magazine described his super-bantamweight power as "terrifying".
He won the vacant WBO super-bantamweight title with a third-round knockout of another Argentine, Fabio Oliva, at Cardiff Castle in 2002 (body shots), and after a couple of non-title blastouts, took on bitter Dominican rival Agapito Sanchez in defence of his title at the San Diego Sports Arena (where Ken Norton broke the jaw of Muhammad Ali in 1973) and destroyed him in seven rounds in 2004. Sanchez had gone the full 12 with Marco Antonio Barrera and busted up Manny Pacquiao for a technical draw.
Sadly, he was later murdered.
The scales eventually got the better of 30-year-old Guzman. He moved up to featherweight last year, trounching tough Thai Terdsak Jandaeng in a 12-rounder (Jandaeng later pounded the right eye shut of Juan Manuel Marquez), then decided he was a super-featherweight and impressively outscored Jauregui four months ago, outboxing the rugged Mexican when he failed to budge him.
He'll need to box to hold off the marauding Barrios, who won his WBO title with a stunning four-round dismissal of previously unbeaten "Mighty" Mike Anchondo last year in Miami and taken out two challengers, including Hungary's unbeaten Janos Nagy in 49 seconds in Los Angeles last time out in May (body shot).
A busy, sturdy, hard-hitting, bitterly-determined champion, Jorge has lost only twice in 50 fights: by disqualification in Argentina back in 1997 and in 12 magnificent rounds to Acelino Freitas in a challenge for the WBA and WBO super-featherweight titles in Miami in 2003. Freitas came back from two knockdowns to force a last-gasp stoppage.
So 30-year-old Barrios takes some beating. He's always liable to pick up a cut or two in the heat of the battle but is a proven super-featherweight and that's something Guzman has yet to prove. The challenger retains his speed and boxing skills since leaving super-bantamweight - but his power? His last four fights have gone the distance. He also has a reckless streak, which could play into the hands of old cutie Barrios
But an unbeaten fighter, an undefeated world champion, has to be respected. Guzman claims he's been seriously avoided and sees this as a chance to snare a superfight with Barrera and company. He definitely has the tools to outbox and bust up Barrios. "Jorge is a strong guy, but I am too intelligent," he reckons.
If Guzman is as good as they say he is, he can outspeed the champ and pick up the belt. If he isn't, Barrios will get to him late on. And don't rule out a blood an' guts war.
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Great to see this bill on TV it's what Boxing is all about, three top quality bouts can't wait.
