Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar - 27-1, 21 KOs - will make the second defense of his WBA featherweight title this Saturday against Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo - 26-4, 16 KOs - this Saturday in Brooklyn. The matchup will serve as the co-feature on a card headlined by middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs and Peter Quillin. Oddsmakers aren’t giving Oquendo much of a shot to dethrone Cuellar.
Boxing odds at BookMaker.eu
ODDS ANALYSIS
Cuellar should only get more expensive by fight night, as there is a lot of doubt as to whether Oquendo is truly a legitimate contender. In fact, you could almost say this is a stay-busy fight for Cuellar. It’d be awesome to see him fight somebody like Abner Mares, Lee Selby or Vasyl Lomachenko instead of a fringe contender like Oquendo.
CUELLAR GOES FOR NUMBER 11
A native of Buenos Aires, Cuellar has rapidly climbed the world rankings with a 10-fight win streak. His uncanny power for the weight class has put the division on notice, as he’s notched seven knockouts in his past nine victories. In hi most recent outing, he scored an eighth round KO over former world champion Vic Darchinyan.
“I am glad to be defending my world title once again this year against a solid fighter like Jonathan Oquendo, who is fresh off a great win over Jhonny Gonzalez,” said Cuellar. “Oquendo comes forward all the time, so it will be a war. It will be a great card in the borough of Brooklyn and on Showtime, so I have to deliver a great show. I have to get a big win so that I can get Leo Santa Cruz in the ring with me.”
Oquendo’s upset win over Jhonny Gonzalez this past September was by far the biggest victory of his career. The Puerto Rican native dropped the former three-division world champion en route to an impressive decision victory. He has wins in 12 of his past 14 fights. At 32 years old, Oquendo also holds notable victories over Joe Luis Araiza, Eden Sonsona and Guillermo Avila.
“We are focused on Cuellar, a fighter who throws a lot of punches, southpaw and very strong,” said Oquendo. “For all that we are working, we’re swimming, running in the mountains, looking for strength for my legs and acquiring the best condition. For the fight against Jhonny Gonzalez we worked six full weeks for this fight. We go with more work. And now we will train in the the United States to be more focused.”
FIGHT ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Because of his win over Gonzalez, we have to take Oquendo seriously. He’s ranked No. 9 WBO, No. 5 WBC and No. 11 by the IBF at 126 pounds. He’s a clearly a fighter that belongs in the top 15 of any organization. However, he still hasn’t beaten enough big names to be really considered anything more than a fringe contender.
Furthermore, Cuellar’s power as a featherweight is just ridiculous. Oquendo is tough enough to hold on till the final bell, but he’s going to take a ton of damage along the way. This is a not a fighter known for great defense - Oquendo thrives on pressure. Against Cuellar, that’s a recipe for disaster.
PREDICTION: CUELLAR UD OQUENDO
HOW TO BET
Get the latest live betting updates now at BookMaker Sportsbook. You can even bet on real-time odds during the bout, allowing you to hedge your bets or even make new ones as you watch on live television. Quillin-Jacobs takes place Saturday, December 5, 2015 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Premier Boxing Champions card will be televised live on Showtime starting 9 p.m. ET.
