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Shumenov vs. Uzelkov

7/23/2010 - Shumenov/Uzelkov

MATCH-UP: Beibut Shumenov vs. Viacheslav Uzelkov

DIVISION: WBA Worldt lightheavyweight title � 12 Rounds

FIGHT DATE: Friday, July 23, 2010 @ 9 pm EST on ESPN2

LOCATION: Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino Lemoore, CA, USA

RECORD: Shumenov: 9(6)-1(0)-0 Uzelkov: 22(14)-0-0

BETTING LINE: Shumenov -135 Uzelkov +110

RATING:
(Rating Explanation...)

Fight Summary | The way I see it | How I would bet on the fight

Fight Summary:
Beibut Shumenov defends his WBA light heavyweight title against Viacheslav Uzelkov in California Friday night. The fight will be televised on ESPN2.

The way I see it:

Shumenov was a 2004 Olympian and has already won a title in less than 10 fights. He beat shopworn former champ Montell Griffin and veteran Epifanio Mendoza before taking on Gabriel Campillo for the title. Shumenov won a close, if not disputed, decision in their first outing. They rematched and Campillo seemed win at least 9 rounds only to lose onc34 again.

Shumenov is a terrific athlete, he’s strong and has a great physique. But he is lacking technically as a boxer. He punches wide and has a porous defense. Campillo, who isn’t a huge hitter, hurt Shumenov several times over the course of the fight and at one point a stoppage almost seemed imminent.

Uzelkov had a strong amateur ledger and is still undefeated as a pro. He is a well rounded boxer with a good skill set. He’s not the natural specimen that Shumenov is, but I see him as the better fighter. And he’s a solid puncher as well. He has a good jab, keeps the hands high and always looks for openings. He seems to have good reflexes and vision.

Uzelkov also fought Campillo and fared much better as he scored a 6th round stoppage. But Campillo is fast and clever. And he certainly was giving Uzelkov a decent tussle before he was suddenly hurt and stopped. But Uzelkov was smart in that fight. He would block many of the speedy Campillo’s shots and usually answer with heavy, thudding punches.

He may have won Campillo down a bit before he landed some havy body blows that set up a head shot KO. Everyone knows Shumenov was gifted in his last fight and he is the house guy here. Goossen Tutor are the promoters and the bout is in California. That could spell trouble.

But Ulzelkov is a seasoned, steady guy. I don’t think he’ll get overwhelmed by anything Shumenov brings. If Shumenov is wild, I feel he will pay. And I see Ulzelkov as the better overall fighter, with a tighter defense. I’m going with Ulzelkov to score the minor upset on the road, probably by decision or late stoppage.

How I would bet on the fight:
It looks like there was some shenanigans going on, through no fault of his own, as Ulzelbek wasn't provided an interpreter and wasn't able to monitor his weight prior to the weigh in. But I think he's the better guy and will adjust. I'm putting 2.5% of the BoxingForecast fund on a Ulzelkov victory. Betting line came from thegreek.com.

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