On Saturday 1/25/14 Bryant Jennings [17-0 with 9 KOs] met demonically tattooed Polish immigrant criminal boxer Artur Szpilka [16-0 with 12 KOs] in a ‘someone’s O has got to go’ heavyweight contender vetting match.
Right off the bat I have to complain to HBO about their negligent camera work. After Corona went to all the trouble to get the three best-looking brunette ring card girls I have ever seen together, they did not give us a clear close up for any of the nine ring card walks. Instead, we get a close up of Artur’s homicidal looking older brother snarling threats at him, and of Bryant’s corner man slathering his face with Vaseline so heavily that he looked as gray as Danny Glover by the end of the fight. The dude looked like he was wearing a mud pack and the ref never noticed. Fortunately, in Round 5, Artur got his act together long enough to knock a glob into the first row…
For young fighters I would like to use this so-so fight as a coaching tool.
Artur is a southpaw who chose not to jab, indeed seemed not to own a jab, although the punch count guys did count his loopy extended paw as a jab, although it was not. A southpaw [or his orthodox opponent who is in the same predicament] should jab, either over the shoulder, or with the straight rear hand. After Artur frustrated Bryant with better footwork in the first 4 rounds, the taller fighter got his act together and started placing that straight right down the middle.
Artur carried his hands low the entire fight, and it got him knocked out. I don’t have to elaborate on that do I?
Both fighters spread their legs too far, and leaned from the waist too much. If you have your eyes on kick boxing or MMA this is death, a ticket to the canvas. This is cute and makes guys miss and makes them look bad, and gives a quicker and or stronger fighter countering options. But it also locks the hips, ultimately compromising your mobility, and keeps your feet too far apart for KO power. As far as pure boxing goes, this wide stance is pure trouble unless you are Floyd Mayweather. Are you Floyd Mayweather?
In my view Artur of the non-existent jab has no chance against top heavyweights. Bryant on the other hand, threw every punch to every target and kept up the heat. If his coach can get his feet a little closer and develop a hand-span for his lead jab, I think he will be a match for any heavyweight south of Kiev.
As far as Artur goes, he had a lot of skill, mostly in turning out, shoulder rolling and body punching. For a study on how to turn out safely from a clinch after landing to the body study him. But for God’s sake, jab!
