Rigondeaux-Kennedy, Jones-Bailey, Arce-Rojas on Saturday

By Boxing News - 06/05/2012 - Comments

Image: Rigondeaux-Kennedy, Jones-Bailey, Arce-Rojas on SaturdayBy Chris Williams: Bob Arum has loaded the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley PPV fight on Saturday in an effort to attract fans who might want to purchase the fight on pay-per-view on HBO.

Arum included three decent fights, but he perhaps should included two more decent fights or made at least one really good fight to get fans to open up their wallets order the Pacquiao-Bradley PPV card.

Here are the three decent undercard fights this Saturday:

1). WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (9-0, 7 KO’s) facing #14 WBA Teon Kennedy (17-1-2, 7 KO’s).

2.) Unbeaten welterweight contender Mike Jones (26-0, 19 KO’s) battling Randall Bailey (42-7, 36 KO’s) for the vacant IBF welterweight title.

3.) Jorge Arce (60-6-2, 46 KO’s) in a stay busy fight against unproven Jesus M Rojas (18-1-1, 13 KO’s) in a scheduled 10 round bout without a title being on the line for the fight.

The Jones-Bailey fight will likely be competitive but the Arce-Rojas and the Rigondeux-Kennedy fights are mismatches. Rigondeaux is much too good for Kennedy, and this will be a knockout win for Rigondeaux. As for the Jones-Bailey fight, Jones is much too young, too big and too tall for the 37-year-old Bailey to deal with. Bailey is really a light welterweight fighting out of his class.

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Rigondeaux, 31, is arguably the best fighter in the super bantamweight division. He’s been trying to get a fight against WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire but he’s been completely ignored. Donaire would rather face IBF champ Jeffrey Mathebula than to deal with Rigondeaux, and I can’t blame him. Rigondeaux would do a number on Donaire and expose him.

Kennedy, 25, should be a good test for Rigondeaux, because he likes to throw a lot of punches. If he can throw a lot of punches, Kennedy could possibly win this fight. However, he’ll open himself up for Rigondeaux’s knockout body shots and counter punches to the head. I’d be surprised if Kennedy can make it the full 12 without getting knocked out.

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The Jones-Bailey fight will come down to whether or not Bailey can land one of his big bombs early in the fight. Bailey is by far the bigger puncher in this fight, but he’s someone that typically gets most of his knockouts in four rounds or less. If he’s unable to score a knockout by the 6th round, he usually has to settle for a decision. He’s in danger of being knocked out himself if the fight goes into the second half. The 6-foot Jones is huge for a welterweight, and it’s surprising that he’s still able to make the fight. He used to be a straight up slugger, but he’s learned to use movement in his fights recently, and he’s a lot better fighter.

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Arce, 32, is using his fight against Rojas as a tune-up bout to get him ready for a possible fight against Donaire later on in the year. Arce has done well in the last couple of years, winning the WBO super bantamweight and WBO bantamweight titles after a lot of fans thought he was a shot fighter in 2009 with losses to Vic Darchinyan and Simphiwe Nongqayi. Arce should have no problems beating Rojas. He’s been picked out as a beatable fighter for Arce to look good against. They’re not about to risk Arce before he faces Donaire in the money fight.



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