Mayweather vs. Maidana Undercard: Preview and Prediction for Vazquez vs. Bey
Miguel Vazquez has held the IBF Lightweight Championship since 2010, and heโll defend it against Mickey Bey on the Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 undercard on Saturday night.
Vazquez is an acquired taste for anyone but boxing purists. Heโs tall, rangy and technically sound, but his style doesnโt always provide for exciting fights or sustained action. He hasnโt lost a fight in more than six years, last being bested by Canelo Alvarez in 2008.
Bey is a Mayweather Promotions fighter who is best known for being knocked out by John Molina in the closing seconds of a fight that he had in the bag. It was a devastating setback, but heโs won two fights in a row to secure a championship opportunity.
Can Vazquez extend his winning streak? Or will Bey capture his first world title?
Read on for your complete preview and prediction.
Tale of the Tape
1 of 7| ย | Miguel Vazquez | Mickey Bey |
| Record | 34-3, 13 KO | 20-1-1, 10 KO |
| Age | 27 | 31 |
| Height | 5'10" | 5'9" |
| Weight | 134.75 (last fight) | 134 (last fight) |
| Reach | 72" | 69" |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Hometown | Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Rounds | 251 | 116 |
| Last Fight | UD 12 Denis Shafikov (2/22/14) | UD 10 Alan Herrera (5/2/14) |
All stats and information perย BoxRec.com.
Main Storylines
2 of 7
Vazquez hasnโt lost a fight since 2008, but heโs struggled to get any sort of mainstream attention due to his tricky, less-than-pleasing style. Putting it simply, boxing purists appreciate his technical skill, but itโs not winning him tons of new fans.
This is a big opportunity for him, appearing on a major pay-per-view card for the first time since stinking up the joint against Mercito Gesta on the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV undercard. His performance was effectiveโtechnically brilliant but not exciting.
Vazquez isnโt going to make any wholesale changes in styleโit worksโbut he could certainly benefit from an exciting and impressive performance at the biggest event of his career.
Bey exists in an awkward situation for any fighter.
Heโs too old to be considered a prospect and too untested to be viewed as a real contender. But, yet, here he is with the opportunity of a lifetime on one of boxingโs biggest stages.
Bey has only taken a pair of wins over journeymen since being knocked out by Molina, and itโs hard to assess whether or not that fight has taken its pound of flesh from him.
Strengths
3 of 7Vazquez is known for his high level of technical proficiency and a nearly impenetrable defensive guard. Heโs a tremendous ring general who uses his length to control the distance of the fight.
He has great movement in the ring, frustrating his opponents who canโt seem to find ways to cut him off and get into scoring range.
Vazquez is the type of fighter who is easy to sleep on. Thereโs nothing about him that jumps off the page at you, but the guy simply knows how to box.
Bey has very good hand speed, and his punches are fluid and compact, maximizing their impact. His power doesnโt look spectacular when you look at the numbers, but that doesnโt tell the whole story.
He was a decorated amateur fighter, knocking off Brandon Rios in the 2004 Olympic box-offs but sitting out the Games with an illness.
Bey is a good athlete possessed with good hand speed. He has shown an ability to adapt on the fly and has benefited greatly from working with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Weaknesses
4 of 7
Vazquez doesnโt have many glaring weaknesses, and the only two fighters to beat him are Canelo (twice) and Timothy Bradley. There's nothing to be ashamed of in losing to either of those guys.
Heโs a very defensive fighter, and sometimes that allows him to get outworked in rounds, even if his foe isnโt landing a whole lot of leather.
Vazquez is usually a pretty aggressive fighter, but heโs also very comfortable fighting going backward. That sometimes creates the perception that heโs not doing enough to seal the fight.
Bey has a terrible tendency to stand straight up and leave his chin exposed.
Molina was able to rock and stop him when his defense lapsed, and the lightly regarded Alan Herrera put him down in his last fight.
Bey hasnโt ever faced an opponent as good, smart and sound as Vazquez, and he can probably thank his connections for getting him this shot.
Miguel Vazquez Will Win If...
5 of 7
Vazquez is a pretty significant favorite in this fight, and with good reason.
The 27-year-old Mexican is one of the best pure boxers in the entire sport, and he has a wealth of experience and skill that should propel him to victory. He just needs to do what he does best.
Vazquez likes to move backward, employing his jab as a rangefinder and to frustrate his opponent. Itโs just so hard to get into scoring range on him, and he moves so well that fighting him must drive an opponent absolutely insane.
He needs to guard himself against allowing Bey to outwork him. The close calls heโs experienced in a few recent fights against lesser-quality fighters have largely been due to what he didnโt do rather than what his opponent did.
So long as he fights his fight and doesnโt settle into too many lulls that allow rounds to be stolen, Vazquez should jab and move his way to victory.
Mickey Bey Will Win If...
6 of 7Bey has the opportunity of a lifetime, but thereโs just nothing in his game that says heโll be able to take advantage of it in this particular fight.
Vazquez is just so skilled and tricky with a style built to frustrate, and Bey hasnโt ever seen anything like him.
The best chance he has seems to be by pressuring Vazquez and throwing a bunch of punches in each round in an attempt to steal them.
When heโs on his bicycle, the Mexican champion can be outworked and lose rounds.
Thatโs exactly what happened against Marvin Quintero, a fighter who was a few levels below Vazquez, and it nearly cost him the fight.
Bey needs to work hard, make sure his chin is protected and stick on Vazquez all night to have a chance.
And the Winner Will Be...
7 of 7
This doesnโt seem like a terribly difficult fight to assess.
Bey, no disrespect intended, isnโt a true contender. The IBF only ranks him as its No. 10 challenger, and he hasnโt beaten a single opponent that shows heโs ready to hang with a fighter of Vazquezโs caliber.
Vazquez has a legitimate claim to being the best 135-pound fighter in the world, and his style is built to give absolutely nobody an easy night.
Heโs going to do what he does well, and that means box, move and frustrate his opponent en route to an easy decision win.
Bey just isnโt at this level, and thatโs going to shine through, even if he does manage to steal a couple of rounds when Vazquez allows him to seize the initiative.
Prediction: Vazquez UD 12 Bey (118-110)
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