ERISLANDY LARA vs GRADY BREWER

Cuba’s unbeaten world amateur champion Erislandy Lara moves up in class to meet veteran Contender champ Grady Brewer in a junior middleweight 10-rounder on Friday’s Fox Sports show that is headlined by the Gabriel Campillo-Beibut Shumenov rematch.

Lara, 26, has won almost every round in streaking to nine consecutive wins as a professional. He is a southpaw pressure fighter who hits hard with the left hand, and he has the well-balanced skills of the top Cubans. As the standard of his opposition has gradually been stepped up, though, Lara hasn’t been looking quite as devastating as he did at the start of his career, and two of his last three bouts have gone the distance.

Brewer clearly represents Lara’s toughest test. Although 39, Brewer keeps himself in tiptop condition, and he has won his last eight fights, which includes a decision win over another Contender competitor, Cornelius Bundrage. In his last fight, Brewer impressively blew out an unbeaten fighter, Albert Onolunose, in two rounds, twice flooring the Canadian-domiciled Nigerian in a big-hitting performance.

Lara, with his amateur pedigree, youth and vitality, has to be favoured, but Brewer is experienced and dangerous, and his right hand will pose a threat. This isn’t a formality for the Cuban fighter, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lara rocked by Brewer’s right hand a couple of times. I think that Lara will be a bit too quick and busy for the older man, though, and I expect the ex-amateur star to win, probably on points.