CONTENDER 3 England v USA

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Contender 3 – USA v UK

This is a mouth watering line up for any boxing fan, there has always been a little something extra when these two great nations clash and this will be no exception. The bouts are in 

Ross Minter (16-1-1) v Freddy Curiel (17-1-1)
Anthony Small (16-0) v Walter Wright (13-2)
Colin McNeil (11-1) v Cornelius Bunderage (25-2)
Robin Reid (38-5-1) v Jesse Brinkley (26-4)
Nigel Wright (17-2) v Michael Clarke (33-4)
Martin Concepcion (11-3) v Alfonso Gomez (15-3-2)
Paul Smith (19-0) v Jonathan Reid (34-5)
Paul Buchanan (8-1) v Jerson Ravelo (17-2)

ANTHONY SMALL v WALTER WRIGHT

My tip for fight of the night will be between Anthony Small and Walter Wright, in his first fight in the contender against Andre Eason, Wright was spectacular, his movement and choice of shots made a lot of people including myself think that he would have a great chance to go on and win the whole event, then came Cornelius K9 Bunderage who got into his head, he didn’t him allow to fight the way he can and should have, Wright elected to stand toe to toe with him and lost a fight that he was more than capable of winning.

Anthony Small is no K9, he looks a lot smaller in and looks and is a genuinely nice guy, having sparred quite a few rounds with Anthony myself looks are very deceiving, he has got great power in either hand for his weight and his record would back that up with the number of KO’s and the speed to deliver, also he is back at Light Middleweight as he has been mainly competing at Middleweight, still knocking over most of the guys he has been in with, where as Walter Wright fights at light middle but has been down with the welterweights for the contender series, but Walter Wright will be a step up in class to what Small has been in with so far.

Wright has got a point to prove that he is better than the fighter that lost to K9 to the viewing public and another loss on his record will not look good. In my opinion Small will have just too much for Wright and I predict a late stoppage for Small or a decent points win, but a great fight either way.

UK 1 USA 0

ROBIN REID v JESSE BRINKLEY

A big surprise for me was not only to see Robin Reid signing up to appear on the contender series but also him getting back in the ring, but he has a tendancy to keep on surprising.  I thought we may have seen the end of him after a disgraceful points verdict he was on the wrong side of against Sven Ottke, the interview he gave afterwards was of someone who had lost his love for the sport, but back he back with a great win over Brian Magee who at the time was undefeated, then an easy points victory over journeyman Serdjane.

Then he ran into Jeff Lacy who nearly detached his head from his shoulders with some wicked upper cuts, and was the first man to stop Reid.

I personally thought that was the end of a great career, but no he’s back and facing Jesse Brinkley one of the great characters of the first contender series. Give Jesse his dues he has got power but over five rounds I don’t think he will have enough to stop Reid, and from looking at his last few fights he just won’t be busy enough to get a points decision. Reid not only has a great chin but also great power himself and Jesse isn’t the hardest man to hit, so I am going for Reid to win by stoppage, the only chance of a surprise will be if Reid hasn’t put the necessary work in.

UK 2 USA 0

ROSS MINTER v FREDDY CURIEL

 This should be another cracker, Curiel was unlucky in the contender 2 to run into Steve Forbes in his first bout and was unlucky to loose a close decision, this one I think will depend on which Curiel turns up.

If it’s the one that pushed Steve Forbes so hard or Hector Camacho Jr to a close points decision I think Minter will have his work cut out, but Curiel has got into the ring a number of times in his career and whether it be a case of him not training properly or stepping in at late notice has had some shocking defeats, the 1^st round KO by journeyman Jerry Booker or sloppy points defeat to Isander Lacen then Minter will have an easy night.

I think Curiel will realise this is his last chance to make any decent money and get some recognition for his talents. Minter on the other hand will have the match up with team mate Colin McNeil eliminator for the British Title in the back of his mind, and also he has come up short against journeyman Howard Clarke when he was stopped in 2 rounds to mark the only professional defeat on his record and the draw against inexperienced John Marshall. Neither men are big punchers I think this one will come down to who wants it most and I think that will be Curiel by a close points decision.

UK 2 USA 1

COLIN MCNEIL v CORNELIUS K9 BUNERAGE

This is a tough one to call, Colin McNeil will defiantly be taking a big step up in class to what he is used to fighting but I just don’t rate K9 as a great fighter, he is very strong for the weight and his appearance must be very intimidating as he looks more like a super middleweight than a welterweight, every time I have seen K9 fight he has looked like he is lacking something, but saying that on most occasions he has managed to win, the only negative on his record barring the loss to Forbes in the semi final of the Contender 2 is a first round KO by highly rated Sechew Powell, and I don’t put McNeil in the same class as Steve Forbes or Sechew Powell

Over 5 rounds McNeil will not have the power to stop K9, the question is will he have the work rate, I want to say yes but I can’t honestly see McNeil winning this one, for me it will be K9 on points.

UK 2 USA 2

NIGEL WRIGHT V MICHAEL CLARKE

This on paper for me is the mismatch of the night, Michael Clarke should be too strong and too experienced for Wright, apart from the K9 defeat which I think was more that Clarke underestimated K9 than K9 being a better fighter.

 Clarke has only ever lost to the worlds best and the list of fighters that he has been in the ring with is up there with the best, Levander Johnson, Vivian Harris and Sirimongkol Singwangcha to mention a few.

The only real name Nigel Wright has been in with is Lenny Daws and he was given a boxing lesson, Nigel Wright is a good domestic fighter but that’s where the buck stops, Michael Clarke has been world class for years, he came back from the K9 defeat with a spectacular 1^st round KO of Ricky Alexander and I think he has a point to prove to the British public after his display on the Contender 2. I predict an early stoppage win for Clarke.

UK 2 USA 3

MARTIN CONCEPCION V ALFONSO GOMEZ

 Unfortunately Martin Concepcion has reached his potential and after 3 straight defeats 2 of them to very low level fighters, Alfonso Gomez on the other hand has not had it easy since the first Contender series but that would outline his whole career, running into the highly regarded Ishe Smith in only his 2^nd professional fight, his record does not do him justice and the Contender stage is where he likes to shine after an amazing victory over Peter Manfredo who is now stepping in with our own Joe Calzaghe, he has the heart of a champion and the skills to back it up fighting 2 weight divisions above his own,

Martin Concepcion will be totally out of his depth, Alfonso Gomez will issue Concepcion’s 4th successive defeat and move him into the bracket of journeyman if he is not already there. Gomez either on points or by late stoppage.

UK 2 USA 4

PAUL SMITH V JONATHAN REID

This should be a great fight, Smith recently struggled with his boxing against tough journeyman Alexnder Polizzi before stopping his in the later rounds but I believe he is a lot better than that and is defiantly a fighter on the way up to bigger and better things, where as Jonathan Reid is defiantly a fighter on the slide, having lost 4 of his last 5 outings, however Smith hasn’t been in the ting with anyone even near of the class of Jonathan Reid. It’s Smith’s opportunity to get himself known as for a fighter that has had 19 fights, 11 of them victory inside the distance he is not very well know to the none boxing fan, I think this will change and although it will be a great match up I think Smith will come through with a late stoppage or points victory.

UK 3 USA 4

PAUL BUCHANAN V JERSON RAVELO

This will be a very tough one for Buchanan, not to mention the fact he has only had 9 bouts, the only names of any note on there are Jason Mckay of where Buchanan got a highly debatable points win, where he was lucky that a knock down in the 5^th round was not counted a such and a draw against Wayne Pinder, where as Ravelo pushed highly rated Allan Green 8 rounds before being stopped, prior to that he had 3 1^st round wins.

As much as I would like to leave the score at UK 4 USA 4 I think Ravelo will have far too much for Buchanan and will cruise to an easy points win.

 UK 3 USA 5

Leaving the USA as close winners of the Contender 3, but I am sure there will be surprises as there has been in both of the Contenders, on paper who would have given any chance to the likes of Grady Brewer winning the whole event. We can always hope, will be interesting to see how my predictions get on, but I can guarantee there will be some cracking bouts