DANIEL JIMENEZ vs SHAMIR REYES

Daniel Jimenez has lost two tough, competitive fights in a row. On Friday, the Puerto Rican lightweight has the chance to come back with a win in what should be an easier fight when he meets substitute Shamir Reyes in Telefutura’s 10-round main event.

When Jimenez lost to Roman Martinez in an all-Puerto Rico showdown he fought with courage and skill but was finally overpowered in the 12th round of what had been a fiercely exciting contest with little in it on the scorecards.

I thought that Jimenez was allowed to take a few shots too many in that fight, and I wondered if he would be the same fighter after such a punishing type of defeat.

There did seem some hesitancy in Jimenez’s fight with the veteran Jesus Chavez, who simply knew a bit too much for him.

Perhaps Jimenez was a little unsure of himself that night, fighting a big-name opponent in his first bout after getting stopped.

I think that, with the Chavez fight having been a good learning experience, Jimenez will be ready to put on a much more assertive and aggressive type of performance on Friday.

Reyes, a southpaw from Brooklyn, NY, has a crafty, hit and move style but not much power — his first-round win over Mexico’s Luis Arceo was due to a cut that many ringsiders thought came from a clash of heads although the referee ruled that a punch had done the damage.

In his best performance, Reyes befuddled and outsmarted Mexico’s Ivan Valle, who couldn’t figure him out at all.

That was more than four years ago, and Reyes has slipped into virtual semiretirement, with just three bouts in the last three years. He has been stopped in four of his five losses but he did go the full 12 rounds in a respectable showing against buzzsaw Monty Meza Clay.

Had Reyes been more active I would give him a chance in this fight, but he has had just one bout in the past 32 months, and that was all over inside half a minute when his opponent was cut in a collision.

Jimenez looks much the bigger and stronger man. He isn’t what you would call a banger, but he can punch hurtfully. I think he realises that he has to take care of business as impressively as he can — certainly a loss to Reyes would be a severe setback.

This fight is a nice opportunity for Jimenez and also a chance to get an emphatic type of win, perhaps by stoppage.

I see this fight as similar to Jimenez’s shutout 10-round decision win over Angel Chacon, a veteran southpaw who was punished in every round. Jimenez did a good job of keeping pressure on Chacon but he couldn’t sustain the sort of attack that would have ended the fight. I think that he will be putting similar pressure on Reyes, but with a better chance of ending matters inside the scheduled distance. Reyes will be tricky and slippery, but at this stage of his career I am not sure he has the spring in his legs to be elusive for the full 10 rounds. I think that Jimenez can catch up with his man to bring the referee's intervention in eight or nine rounds.