by James Slater – Colombian puncher Juan Urango sure made the smart decision when he chose not to relinquish his IBF light-welterweight title when moving up to challenge WBC welterweight boss Andre Berto. All but shut-out over the 12 rounds this past Saturday, “The Iron Twin” left the ring feeling deflated. The top-level career of the 28-year-old is not over yet, though, thanks to his keeping hold of his IBF 140-pound strap..
According to Dan Rafael over at ESPN.com, Urango, 21-2-1(16) will now be required to make a defence of his IBF crown against mandatory challenger Randall Bailey; with the fight having to go ahead by mid-October at the latest. A good fight on paper, Urango-Bailey would match a guy with a rock chin (the champion) against a guy with awesome, even frightening punching power (Bailey).
Promoter Lou DiBella told ESPN.com that, “we were informed (by the IBF) that we have to begin negotiations.”
Bailey, a former WBO light-welterweight champion, will now get the chance to reach the top once again. Who will win; the never-stopped Urango, or 34-year-old “Knockout King” Bailey?
If Bailey, 39-6(35) can land the kind of bomb he connected with on Francisco Figueroa’s chin back in April – in the win that earned Bailey his shot at Urango – Urango may be in real trouble. Even as reliable a chin as the one Urango possesses would have a good chance of cracking if it were blasted by that kind of shot. Figueroa didn’t know what hit him! Then again, Urango can bang also – as all those fans who saw his own chilling KO of Carlos Wilfredo Vilches back in April of last year will know.
Urango can be out-boxed, as he was against Berto and before that Ricky Hatton, but give him a chance to land some power and you face trouble. Bailey, as is the case with a number of monstrous puncher’s, has no great chin or defence. This fight could well be a case of who hits who flushest first.
Urango is a southpaw, but he’s more of the square-on variety, and as such his stance is unlikely to concern the experienced former champ from Miami (Bailey’s last two wins came against southpaws, actually). Winner of his last four, all but one by KO, Bailey is aching to become a world champion all over again. Urango may have been badly disappointed with his showing against new star on the rise Berto, but he will surely fancy his chances to retain his belt when the two hard hitters collide in October.
This is a tough one to pick, but if I were a fighter I’d rather have a rock chin as opposed to brutal punch power. That said, my pick is Urango to win. Capable of giving a shot almost as well as he is of taking one, I go for the younger man to stop Bailey in the late rounds.