Originally Posted by
rocky mattioli
ward via decision -163 would normally be a play...but i hate laying odds on a prop...........he`ll have a rough moment or two...he can`t sleep on bika....very tough,resilient dude...glen johnson-esqe...
the only worry is that bika isn`t above playing dirty...i would be a bit worried that bika gets frustrated and ends up getting himself d.q.`ed in oakland...
i parred ward via decision with froch/abraham starts rd 8 laying roughly 1 to win 1.25..banking on bika`s toughness(and praying that he doesn`t get frustrated and get d.q.`ed)...and abraham`s penchant for starting fights like he just came out of a coma... love the fact that this fight is at a neutral site...
looking at a very small longshot flyer on katsidis itd at almost 5-1....the aussie`s not on marquez` skill level..and he`s a bit short armed....but naturally bigger and stronger...younger(marquez is 37)....
the reason for the longshot being i recall the first marquez/juan diaz fight and marquez was in verrry deep until landing some big shots....he was cut up and on his way out until he landed the equalizers....
marquez adjusted in the second diaz fight..and diaz was much more leery about putting the pressure on marquez after getting caught in the first fight...unfortunately for him,pressure is the way to take marquez out of his game...he likes to fight at his own pace.. .but this is his first time around with katsidis...katsidid is a very rugged dude...he should press marquez from the jump...i doubt he thinks he can outbox him...r
of course,odds are that marquez eventually picks kats apart....but at 37,how long can he keep relying on those reflexes and that uber-pin-point punching vs naturally bigger/stronger guys?..he`s relatively quick...but not pacquaio quick...and doesn`t have pacquaio`s legs.....he`s a pocket fighter that takes time to wear guys down....he`s not really a 1 punch k.o. kind of fighter......
so it should be very interesting early...curious to see if katsidis can get some stuff done(rough up and damage marquez) before marquez` technical expertise starts to dominate..... will it be enough to diminish an aging marquez as the fight moves into the later rounds?....
froch/abraham?.......really looking forward to it...tough to call...liked what i saw of froch vs kessler...didn`t realize he had that kind of boxing ability...was big on kessler and i was very worried...
abaraham`s high guard is difficult to penetrate...he basically just walks through guys...and he`s tough...fighting through a broken jaw for a large part of the miranda fight(a fight that he lost,without a doubt)....
that`s why i`m glad this is on a neutral...
caballero/litzau should play out true to form...as should berto/hernandez...
edit...small hedge......abraham inside/ +174(has 4 stoppages from rd 10-12 in his last 8 wins...and almost got a 5th vs dirrell)...
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