By Allan Fox: #1 IBF Alexander Alekseev (24-2-1, 20 KO’s) has a really tough task ahead of him on November 23rd in facing IBF cruiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez (27-1, 13 KO’s) at the Stechert Arena, Bamberg, Bayern, Germany. Alekseev, 32, has had problems each time he’s stepped it up in class in fights against Firat Arslan, Denis Lebedev, and Victor Emilio Ramirez.
The southpaw Alekseev has problems when facing guys with power, and he’s failed on two of the occasions he’s been in with a puncher. Alekseev probably should have been given a loss in his fight against Arslan last year in May instead of 12 round draw. Alekseev appeared to win only 2 of the rounds, but he was given a controversial draw out of that fight.
Apart from those three fights, Alekseev has done well in beating the likes of Garrett Wilson, Enad Licina, Daniel Bruwer, Damian Norris, DeAndrey Abron and Daniel Ammann in the last four years. Those guys aren’t even close to having the kind of talent that he’ll be facing when he steps inside the ring to face the hard-hitting 6’4″ Cuban southpaw Hernandez on November 23rd. Alekseev is going to have to be able to take some hard shots if he’s going to win this fight, and it’s highly possible that he might not make it out of the first two rounds like what the case in his 2nd round TKO loss to Lebedev in July 2010.
Hernandez, 29, has done a good job with his career in the last two years in beating Steve Cunningham to capture the IBF cruiserweight belt, and then beat him again in a rematch last year in February in an interesting fight. Hernandez did a good job of negating Cunningham’s power by boxing him from the outside to limit his power shots. In Hernandez’s last fight, he defeated Troy Ross by a 12 round unanimous decision last year in September. Hernandez has been out of the ring ever since then.
Hernandez can be hurt if you come after him with big shots early in his fights like Wayne Braithwaite did five years ago in stopping Hernandez in the 3rd round in 2008. Hernandez’s promoter has done well with him in keeping him away from hard hitting competition.
Comments are closed.