GIACOBBE FRAGOMENI vs ZSOLT ERDEI

FRIDAY UPDATE: Some revisions have been made after the Friday weigh-in.

Sometimes when a fight is made it takes one by surprise. That’s how I feel about the WBC cruiserweight title fight in Germany on Saturday between Giacobbe Fragomeni and Zsolt Erdei.

My first thought was to wonder what on earth Erdei is doing boxing at 200 pounds. He was Olympic bronze medallist in the middleweight division, and it’s not as if he was a big light-heavyweight when he turned professional. Indeed, looking at Erdei’s undefined physique, the thought crossed my mind that with a big enough effort he could have got down to the 168-pound limit. Yet Erdei has given up his WBO light-heavy title to move up in weight and “seek new challenges” as his promoter, Universum, puts it.

According to Universum, overtures were made to light-heavy champions Tavoris Cloud and Gabriel Campillo but negotiations to match Erdei with these fighters were unsuccessful. So, rather than keep defending the WBO belt in mandatory defences, Erdei decided to vacate the championship and go for a cruiserweight belt.

I suppose that this makes sense. Erdei held the WBO light-heavy title for almost six years and made 11 defences. A fighter can get bored with the same old routine. The fight with Fragomeni for a cruiserweight belt should motivate Erdei, and, let’s face it, Universum obviously sees the 40-year-old Fragomeni as a beatable champion.

This is a tough fight for Erdei, though. Fragomeni is a very strong, gritty, heavyset pressure fighter who has tremendous stamina. He figures to be keeping on top of Erdei, seeking to swarm all over him with his busy-punching style. Erdei had considerable difficulty with Hugo Hernan Garay, a fighter with a similar relentless, crowding style to that of Fragomeni, but this time he is meeting a naturally bigger fighter.

Fragomeni was tenacious in his title defence against Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in May when he got off the canvas to battle his way to a gruelling draw. He came on strongly at a point in the fight when the younger Wlodarczyk might have been expected to be taking over. That was on Fragomeni’s home turf in Rome, though, and he had the crowd right behind him, willing him to greater efforts. The Hungarian Erdei isn’t exactly the local favourite in Kiel but he has had most of his fights in Germany and he is the Universum house fighter, so the site marginally favours him.

Erdei is a clever boxer with an excellent left jab and, at 178.8 pounds, he won't be lugging around extra weight. He might be able to outbox Fragomeni, but if he slows down and is unable to fend off the stronger Italian boxer he could find himself being bullied and battered out of the fight.

I’m not sure what to make of the fight. Erdei, 35, is unbeaten in 30 fights, and with his amateur background and his consistency as a professional he has to be respected. He has beaten his share of ordinary challengers, but any fighter who can defend a title 11 times must have something going for him. Fragomeni fought the fight of his life against Wlodarczyk, and he was very game, determined and inspired that night, but boxers aren’t always able to put together massive efforts such as this in successive contests.

I see this fight as being closely fought, with Erdei doing well on the outside when he can move around Fragomeni and get his jab working, while the Italian fighter will have his moments when he is able to bore in and bang away. Erdei will be conceding 17 pounds but I think that 178.8 is a good weight for him because he hasn't bulked up just for the sake of it. I lean towards Erdei because he seems clearly the more talented and versatile of the two men, but Fragomeni’s mental and physical strength, weight advantage and staying power will make this a long, hard night for the classier Hungarian boxer. Erdei on a close decision is the result that, to me, seems the most likely.