Featherweight

It’s easy to forget that Mikey Garcia’s dominant, title-winning dismantling of rugged former champion Orlando Salido was the first genuinely significant fight of 2013. As a humble and methodical champion, Garcia is not one to make headlines outside of the ring, even though the newly minted WBO featherweight champion is poised to one day become a pound-for-pound caliber fighter. 

Long recognized as one of boxing’s most polished prospects, Garcia (31-0, 26 KO) embarked on an appropriate in-ring apprenticeship before earning his shot at Salido. Impressive wins over the likes of Matt Remillard, Bernabe Concepcion and Jonathan Victor Barros—all via stoppage—led to the utterly one-sided, four-knockdown rout of Salido (39-12-2, 27 KO). 

But now, with WBO No. 1 contender Orlando Cruz and former two-division champion Juan Manuel Lopez bandied around as Garcia’s most likely opponents, who should the young champion seek to fight? 

It is often common and somewhat forgivable for a newly minted titlist to select a middling challenger for their first defense. The very nature of the alphabet organization title rankings actually sanctions these underwhelming matchups, and the necessary credentials to becoming a mandatory challenger remain undefined. 

If Garcia and his team are looking for a legitimate but fairly routine first title defense, Orlando Cruz (20-2-1, 10 KO) is the obvious opponent. 

Orlando Cruz is the WBO’s No. 1 contender and official mandatory challenger to Garcia’s belt. Cruz has a quality amateur pedigree and represented Puerto Rico at the 2000 Olympics. As a pro, he has compiled a respectable record but has lost via stoppage both times he has genuinely stepped up in class—first to Cornelius Lock and then to two-time world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon. 

Since losing those consecutive fights in late 2009 and early 2010, Cruz has gone 4-0 with three knockouts. During his current run he captured the WBO Latino featherweight title and also made headlines for announcing that he is a “proud gay man” (per ESPN.com), becoming the first active fighter to do so. 

Cruz acknowledges that his decision to come out has given him a recognizable public profile (per ESPN.com), and his choice was refreshingly genuine. That said, from a utilitarian standpoint, Cruz’s newfound level of fame immediately enhances his profile and marketability as a title challenger. 

Whereas Cruz would have been a relatively anonymous title challenger to anyone but the hardcore boxing fan, he has now acquired the public profile to complement his competent skill set. For Garcia, this means that fighting Cruz will likely generate more mainstream interest and network coverage, even if it isn’t a strong enough fight to headline a major card. 

Cruz, however, possesses below average power and has been stopped twice. It is thus doubtful that he would pose a serious threat to Garcia. Still, Cruz must be respected for both his skills and public proclamation, and no one should complain if Garcia vs. Cruz comes to fruition. 

That said, for Garcia to truly advance his career, he should seek a fight against Juan Manuel Lopez (32-2, 29 KO). 

Lopez, a former two-division champion and one of the sport’s best all-action brawlers, presents a sterner in-ring challenge for Garcia than Cruz. And despite Cruz’s newfound notoriety, Lopez is a much bigger name and instantly turns a fight with Garcia into a viable main attraction worthy of the best network and promotional exposure. 

Most importantly, Lopez adds that much more to the equation and remains a fight that Garcia should win—perhaps spectacularly. 

Lopez, of course, engaged in two memorable slugfests with the aforementioned Salido. Both fights between Lopez and Salido had breathtaking exchanges and disproportionate acts of courage (largely due to the fact that both fighters possess little-to-no defensive acumen). The fact that Salido twice stopped Lopez certainly bodes well for Garcia. 

Lopez’s pressure tactics and disregard for defense play perfectly into the hands of Garcia, a patient, precise and powerful puncher. Lopez, who was suspended by the Puerto Rican commission after suggesting that referee Roberto Ramirez Sr., the referee of Salido-Lopez II, had a gambling problem in a post-fight interview, is slated to have his second comeback fight on April 20 and should soon be ready to step up and challenge Garcia.  

One potential obstacle for making a fight between Garcia and Lopez is that Lopez does not want to drop all the way down to 126 pounds. It might behoove an emerging fighter like Garcia to defend his belt so that he can potentially secure a unification fight. In fact, Cruz remaining Garcia’s mandatory challenger might force him to do so. 

Ultimately, a spectacular win over Lopez does more for Garcia’s career than a mandatory title defense. While Garcia is mature beyond his years and more than ready for the challenge Lopez presents, there is no need to rush the 25-year-old Oxnard product. 

All Garcia needs to continue his positive career arc is more exposure. The rest, it seems, is firmly in place.

Evgeny Gradovich (15-0, 8 KO) wasted little time accepting an opportunity to step in for Luis Franco as Billy Dib's (35-1, 21 KO) opponent and challenger for the IBF featherweight title.

Dib and Franco had agreed to fight, and the two had even met the media via conference call as recently as three weeks ago, but Franco pulled out after a dispute with his camp, per the Miami Herald.

These events created a championship opportunity for the 26-year-old Gradovich in just his 16th fight, and he's trying to cash in.

Looking for the specifics on this featherweight clash? Here's how you can watch the fight, and some deeper analysis into this matchup:

When: Friday, March 1, 9 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Conn.

TV: ESPN Friday Night Fights

Live Stream: ESPN 3

The Book on Dib

In Need of Validation

From being caught up in the 50 Cent-Floyd Mayweather, Jr. beef (per the Herald Sun), to being a world champion whose title defense is being featured on ESPN Friday Night Fights, Dib has something to prove to the boxing world.

He was originally signed to Mayweather's TMT promotional company, but after some legal maneuvering, he ended up in 50 Cent's camp.

Though, this is the second straight episode of ESPN's Friday Night Fights to feature a world title bout, it is a rarity as far as the program is concerned. In general, for a world champion like Dib to defend on the program proves that his standing is not amongst the sport's elite.

An impressive win over Gradovich could help to change that.

Dib has been the IBF champion since he defeated Jorge Lacierva in July 2011, and the lone loss of his career came in 2008.

Per the Boxing Voice, Dib hopes to win this fight in spectacular fashion, and possibly challenge long-time champion Chris John in a unification bout.

In this video, Dib discusses his next opponent and other situations surrounding his career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avLfIeSvtsI

In the Ring

Dib doesn't possess blinding speed, but he throws a solid jab, that he can turn over into a lead left hook.

He also bangs the body with consistency and vigor. Here is an example of how devastating Dib can be when punishing the body. In this fight he decimates previously undefeated Alberto Servidei in the first round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR0RKPifyDQ

At times, he can be a little careless with his right hand on defense. This can make him vulnerable to hard counter shots. Even with that, Dib has a solid chin, and good recuperative qualities.

Fighters with great hand speed, or extremely effective counter-punching will be his toughest test in the ring.

The Book on Gradovich

Thrown into the Fire

Gaining a title shot in just your 16th professional fight is either a great opportunity to get a jump on your career, or an event bound to expose a young fighter that isn't quite ready for the big time.

We'll find out which is the case for Gradovich on Friday night.

Without a ton of attention being payed to his career thus far, the 26-year-old Russian almost had to take this opportunity to fight for a title. There is no guarantee he'd get this opportunity again.

Though born in Igrim, Russia, Gradovich now resides in Arapahoe, N.C. He has been training with famed trainer Robert Garcia, and he has improved rapidly in his recent fights.

Check out this post-fight interview after Garcia after Gradovich's most recent win over Willie Villanueva.

Gradovich is looking to make a name for himself in the sport with a stunning upset, or at least a good enough showing that makes fans want to see him again.

In the Ring

Gradovich is a puncher always looking to come forward. As Garcia mentioned in the video, one of their focuses has been on improving Gradovich's head movement.

Here is a video from an earlier fight in his career. There have been improvements in confidence and defense since, but this fight against Jesse Carradine in 2010 gives you an idea of Gradovich's style.

He isn't blessed with great athleticism, but he is a technically sound boxer. His ability to absorb and counter will be key against Dib.

While his head movement will need to be on point against Dib, he must protect his midsection from crushing body punches.

Because he's a late replacement, and under the tutelage of Garcia, he has a shot to knock off Dib, but it will depend on how he performs defensively and as a counter-puncher.

My Prediction

I'm taking Dib to win this fight, but I can see Gradovich making a good account of himself. In the end, the body-punching and experience will push Dib to a unanimous decision victory.

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The WBO crowned a new featherweight champion when Miguel Angel "Mikey" Garcia soundly defeated reigning champion Orlando Salido by technical decision in the eighth round on Saturday. 

The fight was forced to the scorecards prematurely in what was a slightly bizarre ending after a Salido headbutt broke Garcia's nose and halted the fight. The scorecards unanimously deemed Garcia the winner and new champion as the 25-year-old claimed his first world title. 

This fight was expected to be close, but Garcia put on a highly impressive performance. Here's what we learned about the newly crowned champion. 

Garcia Was Much Better Than Salido

The ending may have been a bit murky, but make no mistake—this fight was not close. 

Garcia got off to a great start, flooring Salido two times in the first round, and he didn't slow down. He sent Salido to the canvas in the third and fourth rounds as well. He controlled the fight from bell to bell. 

Public perception may have been that Salido and Garcia would match up well with one another, but Garcia made a huge statement.

He didn't just win. He won in convincing fashion. 

This wasn't a knockout victory, but it was as close as Garcia could get. 

Salido Must Regroup

Salido was at the pinnacle of his career heading into this fight. 

After a loss in 2010 to Yuriorkis Gamboa, Salido rebounded to win five consecutive fights, all by knockout. That impressive streak included two wins over Juan Manuel Lopez.

Salido appeared to be a legitimate champion. 

All of that momentum is now gone after this lopsided loss, but Salido can't allow this fight to beat him twice. 

Many fighters might allow a loss like this to set them back even further with a lackluster follow-up performance. Salido has to avoid that and come back stronger next time. 

Garcia Could Be a Dominant Champion

You never want to put too much stock in just one fight, but Garcia put the rest of the featherweight division on notice with this win. 

On paper, there aren't many challengers who can bring the kind of resume to the table that Salido did, and Garcia made it look like they didn't belong in the same ring. 

Garcia has compiled an undefeated record of 31-0 in his career, so it isn't earth-shattering news that he won, but his domination of a quality opponent like Salido says he will be tough to unseat as the champion. 

Saturday night's HBO Boxing After Dark card is filled to the brim with elite fights, but there may be no more thrilling bout than the WBO featherweight championship match between Mikey Garcia and Orlando Salido.

Both men come into Saturday's bout on an absolute warpath. Garcia (30-0-0, 26 KOs) hasn't had a fight go to the judges' scorecards in his last eight fights, while Salido hasn't tasted defeat since an absolute thriller against Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2010. 

They may not be on the level of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in terms of notoriety, but it's hard to argue that there are hotter fighters than Garcia and Salido at the moment.

With two fighters separated by such a thin margin, it will be critical that they execute in key areas. For that reason, let's take a look at the biggest areas of emphasis for Salido and Garcia Saturday night.

Keys for a Salido Victory

Get Close to Garcia, Work the Body

It's no secret that Salido is one of the more aggressive fighters in the featherweight division. Though that sometimes leaves him prone to power punches, it's also that fight-first nature that has allowed him to develop into one of the weight class' best at striking body blows.

Salido will undoubtedly need to work his way inside on Saturday night. Garcia is a younger, leaner fighter who will try to keep Salido at a distance with jabs and huge power punches. Salido needs to get in close not only to avoid being peppered with quick-strike punches, but also to give himself a chance to win on the scorecards. 

In all likelihood, Salido isn't going to be able to win this fight with a knockout. Garcia can go the distance against just about any fighter in the world, and Salido isn't a knockout-heavy boxer. 

Where Salido will have to impress the judges is by continually using his ability to get inside to land good, quality punches. He doesn't need to go barreling in and leave himself open to huge countershots by the more powerful Garcia, but he'll be able to win rounds by proving his in-ring experience. 

Land Counterpunches With Authority

Though Salido needs to be smart first and foremost, he cannot go through 12 rounds lollygagging and hitting unimpressive blows to the body. Garcia is too much of a one-punch knockout risk to make that a smart strategy.

For that reason, Salido needs to stay alert throughout the fight. Too often, Garcia disarms his opponents with almost a Floyd Mayweather-like nonchalance in the ring, only then to strike like a cobra on prey.

Keeping close to the body offensively and being alert defensively are undoubtedly what can keep Salido in this fight. He needs to be ready for those quick-jab strikes, duck under them and be ready to land a crushing blow to Garcia wherever the opportunity arises.

If Salido is able to do that and garner a few exclaimed reactions from the crowd, he may be able to come away with a few close rounds. It's Garcia's power that is ultimately his calling card, but the key to him winning may be simply landing a select few of his own.

Keys for a Garcia Victory

Score an Early Knockdown

Even if Salido hits all of his marks and lands all of his punches, the fight will almost certainly be close. Garcia is a young tactician in the ring, someone with the power of a 25-year-old but a man with the in-ring grace of a fighter a decade his senior. 

Fighting at Salido's speed, Garcia would win a few rounds based on talent alone. One has a hard time believing that the fight will be consistently a close-bodied, low power-punch type fight, but Garcia has the ability to survive if he ever loses control.

One way to make sure he puts a vice grip on the fight: Score a knockdown within the first quarter of the fight. As previously mentioned, Salido is an extremely aggressive fighter, and he tries to work his opponent early with body shots. That means there should be an opportunity for Garcia to find a spot where Salido missteps and land a crushing blow.

It doesn't even have to be an overtly innovative tactic. By nature, Garcia is a smooth fighter who pummels the opposition when they make a mistake. This is no different, only he's going to need to land a blow early to change the pace of the fight in his favor. 

Use the Jab Heavily, Keep Feet Moving

Salido also won't be able to control the fight if he's unable to work Garcia's body. It's a tried and true method in boxing that whenever you have a fighter who wants to get in close, you pepper him with jabs to keep him away.

This is boxing 101, but it's something that Garcia needs to keep in mind throughout Saturday night's fight. He's already a fighter who heavily features the jab, but it should exclusively become his first instinct against Salido.

That also means he's going to have to switch up his pace to keep Salido off-balance. Garcia won't be able to use the same simplistic combination to keep Salido away. He'll have to constantly be moving and mixing both right and left hands into his strategy. 

Granted, mixing things up with the jab would be a change of pace. Garcia usually likes working a stiff left jab throughout the fight, only switching to his right when power punches or wide openings come his way.

This is too big of a stage and Salido is too skilled of a fighter for Garcia to get lazy. If he mixes up his punches well and scores a big knockdown, then Garcia should walk away with the WBO Featherweight title. 

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On Saturday night, undefeated Mikey Garcia will take on the veteran WBO Featherweight champ Orlando Salido. It's a great match of styles, pitting the boxer against the slugger.

So, who has the upper hand in this one? 

We'll start with Orlando Salido. Salido has a record of 39-11-2 (27 KOs), but he's probably the best 11-loss fighter you'll see in boxing today. He took the majority of those defeats as a young kid fighting on the tough Mexican club circuit, so it's certainly deceiving. 

Salido is a pressure fighter, and he's absolutely relentless in his attack. He goes to the body well and doesn't get discouraged if he falls behind early, as he showed in his two excellent slugfests with Juan Manuel Lopez. 

Salido's coming into this fight on a five-fight winning streak in which he's stopped all five of his opponents. The main thing with Salido is his intangibles. The guy has experience and knows how to fight, even when he's in with a fighter who has superior talent. 

However, he struggles when faced with an opponent who has the discipline and ability to box on the outside, which is just what Mikey Garcia, 30-0 (26 KOs), does. Garcia is only 25 but fights with the calm and patience of a fighter well beyond that age. 

Garcia works off the jab very well and picks his shots nicely, not wasting any punches. He's got a ton of power, as evidenced by his KO record. The question is how he will deal with a fighter who has the durability and punch resistance of a guy like Salido.

The blueprint he should follow is found in Salido's two fights against Lopez. Yes, Salido stopped him twice, but there were large stretches when Lopez would outbox Salido with ease. If he had fought that way the whole time, instead of engaging in exchanges, he probably would've defeated Salido. 

Garcia is a better boxer than Lopez, and he'll show it in this fight. It's going to be entertaining and close, but Garcia should pull this one out by decision. Salido is a world-class fighter, and he won't make it easy for Garcia, but Mikey's got the superior talent and is on his way up. Garcia will be the featherweight champion when this one's over. 

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Before Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez go at it for the fourth time, Javier Fortuna (20-0, 15 KOs) and Patrick Hyland (27-0, 12 KOs) will step into the ring in a featherweight bout.

Known for being promoted by MTV's Jersey Shore's Snookie, Ireland's Hyland will have his hands full against a speedy Fortuna on Saturday night.

The winner of this fight should be a legitimate contender in the featherweight division and could begin moving up the ranks and fighting on more popular cards.

Here's your guide to Fortuna vs. Hyland:

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV

When: Saturday, Dec. 8. Under-card starts at 9 p.m. ET

Watch: HBO Pay-Per-View

Live Stream: Top Rank

Fight Card

Welterweight Bout: Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez

Super Featherweight Bout: Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Michael Farenas

Lightweight Bout: Miguel Vazquez vs. Mercito Gesta

Featherweight Bout: Javier Fortuna vs. Patrick Hyland

Tale of the Tape (h/t BoxRec & YouTube)

Fortuna	Stats	Hyland
20-0-21 (15 KOs)	Record	27-0-27 (12 KOs)
23	Age	29
5'7"	Height	5'8"
Southpaw	Stance	Orthodox
69"	Reach	68"

Fortuna's Keys to Victory

All Fortuna has to do to win this fight is to be himself.

He's a fast and powerful fighter who knows how to get after his opponents early and often (as evident by his 15 knockouts). Fortuna will want to finish this fight earlier rather than later, as he begins to slow down as the rounds progress.

Look for Fortuna to come out blazing and try to end this thing quick.

Hyland's Keys to Victory

If Hyland is going to come out of this one victorious, the key will be body shots. Fortuna is going to come out fast and in his face, so if Hyland can land some body shots and carry this fight into the later rounds, he definitely has a chance.

Fortuna has never went more than 10 rounds in his career, so Hyland's best bet is to save his energy for the last couple rounds.

What They're Saying

According to the Examiner, the winner of this fight will obtain the interim WBA featherweight title, which will be the first world title for either fighter.

Sharing the same card as Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, this is an opportunity for both fighters to gain a substantial amount of exposure and notoriety in the boxing world.

Prediction

I like Hyland's chances if he gets this fight into the later rounds, but I don't think that's going to happen. Fortuna is too fast and powerful and I think he ends this one before it gets too late. 

Fortuna by KO

Follow me on Twitter: Follow @Pete_Schauer

Javier Fortuna has the potential to be one of the next big stars in the sport of boxing.

Although he's on the undercard of an event loaded with talent, including two surefire Hall of Fame Fighters, don't be surprised if he steals the show.

Fortuna (20-0, 15 KOs) will be taking on Ireland's Patrick Hyland for the vacant "interim" WBA featherweight title.

While the title may sound like a joke, and it is, the winner will be a legitimate player in the featherweight division even if his title isn't.

The featherweight division could soon be one of the best in the sport, and the winner of this fight can expect even bigger matchups going forward. 

Hyland is undefeated at 27-0 with 12 knockouts and holds the distinction of being the only Irish-born fighter in history to amass that many wins without a loss.

He also holds the dubious distinction of being co-promoted by reality TV star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, if that is of interest to anyone.

The Irishman has some decent wins in his last couple of fights over past-their-prime fighters like Frankie Archuleta and Emmanuel Lucero, but from watching a few of his fights I don't think he will have the firepower to keep the whirlwind that is Fortuna off of him.

With that being said, for Hyland to have a chance at scoring the upset, he will need to slow down Fortuna with body shots and try to take this fight into the later rounds, as Fortuna has only gone 10 rounds once in his career.

The Dominican-born Fortuna, now fighting out of Oxnard, Calif., has scored two devastating knockouts this year, both in front of a national audience on ESPN Friday Night Fights.

The first was a highlight-reel-worthy first-round destruction of Yuandale Evans, a previously undefeated 16-0 prospect from Cleveland. 

The other was a second-round technical knockout over Cristobal Cruz, the durable former IBF featherweight champion who hadn't been stopped in nearly 10 years.

Expect this fight to have some good action for maybe three or four rounds before the Jersey Shore-backed fighter ends up on, just that, his back. 

As the saying goes in boxing, "Somebodies O has got to go," and that somebody will be Patrick Hyland.

When reigning WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido was forced to withdraw from a title defense against Miguel Angel “Mikey” Garcia due to injury, it was a major disappointment, as the fight promised to be a tremendous display between one of boxing’s best action fighters and perhaps its most polished prospect.

Undeterred, Garcia (30-0, 26 KO) actually made use of his frustratingly cancelled title shot by opting to fight former WBA featherweight belt-holder Jonathan Victor Barros in a bout that was the co-feature on the HBO card headlined by the Erislandy Lara-Vanes Martirosyan title eliminator.

Barros (34-4-1, 18 KO), who represented Garcia’s most accomplished opponent to date, briefly held the WBA 126-pound title from 2010-2011 in a run that concluded with a unanimous decision loss to Celestino Caballero in a rematch of a fight that Barros had won via split decision.

For Garcia, the fight against Barros offered him a chance to solidify his world-level credentials in front of a significant audience. In scoring a thunderous, one-punch knockout in Round 8, Garcia did just that.

After absorbing a brutal left hook from Garcia, Barros—who had never been stopped—reeled backward before falling forward, though he did manage to rise on unsteady legs at the count of eight.

But how devastating and explosive was Garcia’s fight-ending shot? When referee Robert Byrd asked Barros if he wanted to continue, the Argentine fighter literally responded, “no mas” and turned his back to Garcia.

As impressive as this finish was, it came as a somewhat abrupt end to a fight that had competitive moments, even if Garcia was winning most of the rounds.

So, with Garcia having won and his title shot against Salido (39-11-2, 27 KO) slated for January 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York, what can Salido take away from Garcia’s recent performance?

At his best, Garcia is a precise, calculated fighter who picks his shots with tremendous accuracy and can explode with bursts of power. The type of poise Garcia exhibits for a 24-year-old fighter is admirable and unusual, and he rarely gets drawn out of his game plan or falls prey to traps.

Against Barros, Garcia worked behind a stiff left jab, slowly picking his power punches and only delivering straight right hands and hooks at the most opportune moments. Garcia’s meticulous approach to initiating his offense is also a credit to his latent power as Barros seemed stuck in neutral during the fight’s first third.

One element Salido will look to capitalize on is seizing the early opportunity to set a blistering pace. Barros allowed Garcia to dictate tempo and find his rhythm, which is an extremely dangerous prospect when facing someone with as much controlled power-punching ability as Garcia.

When examining the CompuBox statistics for Salido’s second victory over Juan Manuel Lopez, Salido, in Rounds 1-4, threw 28, 49, 66 and 72 punches, respectively. Now, consider this: of the 215 punches Salido threw during that stretch, 193 (or almost 90%) were power shots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOSlStUCICI

In order to defeat Garcia, Salido will want to duplicate this steady progression of power punches. Against Garcia, Barros was drawn into a cagey jabbing contest early, and Garcia was clearly able to get the better of these exchanges because it allowed him to pick his shots.

Conversely, Salido has the stamina and power to perhaps negate Garcia’s cerebral advantage. During the HBO telecast, Max Kellerman alluded to the fact that Garcia seemingly wants to throw the “perfect” shot after taking his time to study and dissect his opponent; for Salido to be successful, he will have to crowd and pressure Garcia.

A crucial aspect of pressuring Garcia is refusing to stay at the end of his jab. Salido, who seldom throws jabs (he was only 5/55 against Lopez in their second fight), will obviously need to work his way inside, and emulating much of what he did against Lopez (31-2, 28 KO) will serve Salido well.

Advancing with feints and head movement will be essential for Salido to avoid Garcia’s accurate shots, and once he gets his head in Garcia’s chest, Salido can go to work. From this inside position, Salido should replicate his plan against Lopez of digging to the body and working his way upstairs with hooks and uppercuts. If Salido can take away Garcia’s legs and force him to drop his hands, he could perhaps hurt Garcia later in the fight.

Barros had his best success against Garcia when he applied pressure and threw three or four punch combinations. Barros managed to draw Garcia into a brief slugfest in Round 6 of their fight, though Garcia showed he is adept at fighting in the pocket. That said, Barros perhaps let Garcia off the hook by not sustaining his pressure; Salido will not make this mistake.

Also encouraging for Salido is that Barros stunned Garcia at the beginning of Round 7 with a left hook. While Barros was unable to capitalize, it showed that for all his maturity and solid fundamentals, Garcia is hittable and can be hurt.

Despite all the talk about Salido’s clubbing right hand, his left hook did extensive damage against Lopez. Salido is able to lead with the punch, and look for him to try and catch Garcia off-guard with this shot.

When Lopez knocked Salido down with a precise, right-handed check hook in Round 5 of their second fight, it landed because Salido was opening up to punch while standing too far away from Lopez. If Salido wants to get inside against Garcia, he will have to avoid leaning forward and exposing himself to an abundance of shots as he advances.

Salido-Garcia could be the ultimate bull vs. matador contest. Unlike Barros, Salido cannot allow Garcia to think and pick his shots. If Salido can impose his will and fight at his usual torrential pace, he could very well leave MSG with his title.