Intrigue abounds heading into Saturday night’s matchup between Lara and Martirosyan. A likely date with current WBC light middleweight champ Saul Alvarez looms on the horizon for the winner of this elimination bout pitting the experience and precision of former Olympian Lara against the brute force of Martirosyan.
As artfully pointed out by my colleague Matt Andzejewski (in this week’s “3 punch combo”), this is truly Lara’s opportunity to fight his fight and take the proverbial next step in his career at the expense of the currently-undefeated Martirosyan.
- When: November 10, 2012
- Where: Wynn Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
- See It On: HBO
- Card: Miguel Angel Garcia vs. Jonathan Victor Barros (super featherweight) televised co-feature
The Pugs and The Prize
“El Oro de Guantanamo” Erislandy Lara
| Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan
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The Analysis
Look for Martirosyan to attempt to turn the night into a slugfest, allowing him to utilize his broader base and crippling right hand to his advantage. He will bounce a bit too much while throwing overhand rights at will, leaning into the occasional combination with a full-body motion that may leave him exposed to a Lara counterattack.
To date, he has yet to face a fighter able to fully and effectively exploit his defensive lapses, which plays into his pristine record and placement in this bout. That’s not to diminish what Martirosyan has accomplished at this point in his career. Rather, it’s only to point out that he’s going to be placed in a position where he either must adjust what has worked for him throughout his career or assume that Lara is not quick or powerful enough to make him pay.
Wisely, Lara will look to keep Martirosyan’s hands up throughout the fight. Notorious for throwing punches from a mid-torso position, Martirosyan has to respect Lara’s quickness and strength which should result in overcompensating on the defensive side so as to avoid an early trip to the canvas.
He’ll use his pacing jab to set up the left which should have plenty of real estate on which to land if Martirosyan leaves himself open while looking to slide in and force his right cross. Expect Lara to use the negative height differential to his advantage by staying low and compact when picking his spots. He’ll bend and move himself into position before striking.
Lara vs. Martirosyan Prediction
You’re really going to enjoy this fight, regardless of which combatant you’re pulling for come Saturday night. Freddie Roach will have “Nightmare” ready for just about anything Lara can throw at him in this fight, though it won’t end up being a lack of preparation that does the free-swinging Armenian in this weekend.
What is great about Lara’s game—specifically the quickness, punch precision from the southpaw and endurance—will prove to be detrimental to what is lacking in Martirosyan’s. On paper, the hard-throwing, larger fighter may seem to be the prohibitive favorite; however it’s really the mismatch of styles that plays into this prediction.
Prediction: Lara by fourth round TKO
