Ivan Baranchyk vs. Montana Love on Aug.29th on Showtime pay-per-view

By Boxing News - 07/20/2021 - Comments

By Matt Lieberman: Struggling former IBF 140-lb champion Ivan ‘The Beast’ Baranchyk will be facing the unbeaten 147-lb prospect, Montana Love, on August 29th on SHOWTIME pay-per-view.

Baranchyk vs. Love will be competing on the undercard of YouTuber Jake Paul vs. former UFC champion Tyron Woodley celebrity boxing match.

The hard-punching Russian Baranchyk, 28, has lost two out of his last three fights since 2019, and his career is looking shaky at the moment.

In Baranchyk’s last fight against 140-lb contender Jose Zepeda, he was stopped in the fifth round last October in Las Vegas.

Baranchyk was dropped four times by times by Zepeda, hitting the deck in rounds two, three, four, and five before the contest was halted. For his part, Zepeda was knocked down four times, going down twice in round one, once in rounds two and five.

Image: Ivan Baranchyk vs. Montana Love on Aug.29th on Showtime pay-per-view

We don’t know how much Baranchyk’s fight with Zepeda took out of him. Getting dropped four times by Zepeda last October might have taken something out of Baranchyk.

We’re going to find out on August 29th if Baranchyk’s punch resistance has been diminished from the fight with Zepeda.

If Baranchyk can’t handle the power of Love, who isn’t a puncher, it might be a sign that he should retire.

If this is a fight to somehow build up the 26-year-old welterweight Love as a future star at 147, it could be a waste of time. Love isn’t that type of talent. He might be able to beat Baranchyk, but that’s not saying much.

We just saw Zepeda take him out in five rounds, and he has never beaten anyone of substance during his career, apart from Anthony Yigit, who gave him a lot of problems in their fight in 2017.

Baranchyk’s other career defeat came at the hands of Josh Taylor in losing a competitive 12 round unanimous decision to him in May 2019 in the World Boxing Super Series tournament in Glasgow, Scotland.

During his six-year professional career, Love’s most notable opponents came against Kenneth Sims Jr and journeyman Cameron Krael (18-19-3, 5 KOs).

Love fought Sims Jr to an eight round draw in 2018. Sims Jr is a fighter that has lost to Samuel Teah and Rolando Chinea.

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For Love, he may not be ready for a slugger like Baranchyk at this early juncture in his career. Although Love is close to the same age as Baranchyk, he’s been matched against much inferior opposition by his management.

To go from fighting little-known second-tier fighters like Olaide Fijabi and Krael to be fighting a genuine contender in Baranchyk might be too much of a step up for Love.

With that said, Love is about to turn 27, and he can’t the entirety of his career fighting unknown opposition the way he’s been doing.

Interestingly, Baranchyk is relegated to undercard status for the YouTuber Jake Paul’s fight, but this is how the sport is evolving.