Erislandy Lara needs to impress against Yuri Foreman

By Boxing News - 01/09/2017 - Comments

Image: Erislandy Lara needs to impress against Yuri Foreman

By Eric Baldwin: IBO/WBA Super World junior middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (23-2-2, 13 KOs) has put himself in the position where he absolutely needs to look good this Friday night in his fight against Yuri Foreman (34-2, 10 KOs) at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida. It’s another mediocre opponent for Lara to fight, and it’s pretty disappointing to see for a lot of boxing fans. Lara wants the big fights against top names, but he’s not good opposition to create a name for himself unfortunately.

They were hoping that Lara would be a good champion that fought the best. Instead, they’ve seen Lara milk his WBA title steadily since picking it up three years ago in 2014. Lara’s last title defense against the 36-year-old Foreman will be televised on Premier Boxing Champions on Spike.

If the idea is to bring in high ratings on Spike, then putting Lara in with Foreman is not the way to go. Lara needs to be facing high caliber opposition that can test him, and show the boxing fans that he’s a good fighter and not an aging 33-year-old with no quality wins on his resume unless you want to count Alfredo Angulo, Ishe Smith, Austin Trout, and Delvin Rodriguez as quality wins.

The talented fighters in the 154lb division are guys like Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, Miguel Cotto and Julian Williams. I don’t count Saul Canelo Alvarez as being a junior middleweight any longer, because he’s moving out of the division to fight at middleweight.

Lara vs. Foreman starts at 9:00 pm. this Friday, on January 13. That’s the start time. The location of the Lara-Foreman fight is at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida. Where to see it is on Spike.

Foreman was a decent fighter eight years ago when he briefly held the WBA World junior middleweight title. Foreman beat Daniel Santos at the end of his career in 2009. Foreman’s success was short-lived, however, as he was found out by Miguel Cotto, who stopped him in the 9th round in November 2009 to take his WBA title from him. Foreman never came back from that defeat to do anything with his career unfortunately. He lost to Pawel Wolak in in March 2011.

It’s been pretty much just journeyman opposition for Foreman ever since. Foreman has won six fights in a row, but against woeful opposition. He does not deserve a title shot based off the horrible opponents he’s been facing. Lara’s management obviously selected Foreman due to his name recognition to the older hardcore boxing fans that remember him back in 2009 before he was exposed by Cotto and Wolak. I don’t think there are enough of hardcore fans still around to generate much interest in the Lara-Foreman fight. It’s a bad fight on paper

As the WBA champion, Lara has beaten Jan Zaveck, Vanes Martirosyan, Delvin Rodriguez and Ishe Smith. He’s been a disappointment to the boxing fans that were hoping that Lara would fight some inspiring opponents.