By Paul Strauss: Once again Jesse demonstrated his toughness, and once again he took a beating. If Jesse’s talent was near the same level as his courage, he would be a champion. Unfortunately for him, that is nothing more than a dream.
In Friday night’s fight against Andrey Tsurkan, Jesse valiantly tried to imitate what he hoped would be a repeat of the Gatti vs. Ward wars. However, right from the start it was obvious that was not to be. In fact, Jesse got dropped for a flash knock down in the very first round by a short right.
There’s no quit in Jesse though, and he pressed on, trying to match his opponent’s punch output. Jesse is not without an understanding of what needs to be done, but he just doesn’t have the physical skills. He is slow, both on offense and defense. He tries to duck and weave, but his movements are cumbersome. He tries to be a volume puncher, but it often backfires because his punches lack sharpness and power. Consequently, he leaves himself vulnerable for counter punches.
Tonight he was tagged most often with Tsurkan’s right. If he had been fighting someone with a good left hook, the fight would have ended much sooner, as Jesse loves to throw right hands……..lead rights, doubled-up rights, etc., which many times leaves him off balance, and leaning to his left. If Tsurkan would have slipped Jesse’s right to his left (or to the outside), and then come back with the left hook, he would have ended things much earlier. (For a relatively recent example of how this counter should work, check out Evander Holyfield vs. Lou Savarese.) As it was, the referee could stand no more, and halted the thumping at 1:17 of round eight.
Announcer Joe Tessitore and color commentator Teddy Atlas both emphasized how much respect they have for Feliciano, but they also expressed their concern for his physical well-being. They mentioned Jesse is only 25 yrs old, but in boxing years is much older, because of the severe punishment he has taken. Teddy said the boxing commission and medical people should make sure Jesse gets a long rest before he is allowed back in the ring. Hopefully Jesse will agree and follow their advice.
As far as what this wins means to Tsurkan, it’s probably mixed. He put on a strong and exciting show, but hardly a skilled performance. He takes too many punches, and his speed isn’t going to overwhelm any of the top fighters in his class.