Yuri Foreman vs. Pawel Wolak: The 'Raging Bull' Will Be Stopped by the 'Fighting Rabbi'

The first time that I saw Pawel Wolak (28-1-0) fight was on the undercard of Nonito Donaire Jr. (26-1-0) vs. Voldymyr Sydorenko (22-2-2) on December 4, 2010 in Anaheim, CA. That night, Wolak showed real heart and determination, impressing me with his unrelenting pressure as he took the victory via TKO against Jose Pinzon (18-1-1).

In the early stages of the fight, Wolak was not only outboxed by Pinzon, but was also knocked down in the second round. I felt that most people watching the fight had already decided that Pinzon was a clear winning choice, but boy, were they wrong! “Raging Bull” Wolak never stopped, and was able to wear down Pinzon to a seven-round TKO win.

“A lot of pressure. That’s what he does, a lot of pressure," Wolak's next opponent, middleweight champion Yuri Foreman (28-1-0) said about his Polish challenger. "I guess he lives up to his name, ‘Raging Bull.’ Once in a while, he’s jabbing with his head. I have to be careful… be ready for the pressure.”

They will fight on the undercard of Miguel Cotto (35-2-0) vs. Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1) on March 12, 2011 on Showtime PPV, at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Foreman first became a world champion on the night of Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2), when he won a unanimous decision against Daniel Santos (32-3-1). Since then, I have watched numerous videos of Foreman, and have discovered that he is a very technically proper fighter (as some would say, by the book). He has a very European boxing style, keeping his hand up high, and using impressive body movement to avoid getting hit.  

In his last fight against Miguel Cotto, which Foreman lost via ninth-round TKO, Foreman’s knee gave him a lot of trouble. After their bout, Foreman had a knee surgery, and here is what he has to say about his knee nowadays: “It’s going to be like Forrest Gump. The joint itself will be stronger [than before the injury].” 

Wolak and Foreman are both young, ambitious, and are coming to fight. Winning would be everything for Wolak, but unfortunately, this writer thinks the chance of that is less than slim. I believe Foreman will win in a very decisive and dominating fashion.

First of all, let’s remember that Wolak is a fighter that keeps coming forward and throwing. His downfall will be his lack of speed: both hand and foot speed; sometimes even in the early rounds he looks quite lethargic. He works best inside, having trouble landing anything of value from the outside. When facing a fighter like Foreman, who is great at moving in any given direction, Wolak might be chasing a shadow all night, while eating counter shots and jabs.

For Foreman the job is simple: stick to being yourself. Fighting the way he fought Cotto, will be more than enough to avoid getting hit by Wolak. This will tire Wolak, and force him to swing wide in hopes of landing, giving Foreman all the time in the world to find a great angle and opportunity for his left counter hook.

Foreman’s movement and decent jab will prevent Wolak from getting too close, at the same time draining stamina from the “Raging Bull.” No way have I looked at it does Wolak win this fight. Sure, it’s boxing and anything is possible, but if looking at probability, the odds can be strategically produced.

Either way, the event looks to have great fights and guaranteed excitement. So tune in next Saturday, and let’s see who can come through on their promises.