by James Slater – Confirmed for the under-card of the upcoming November 7th rematch between light-heavyweights Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson, is a match-up of promising talent at light-middleweight. Once-beaten Mexican powerhouse Alfredo Angulo will square off with the undefeated Harry Joe Yorgey of Bridgeport, Pennsylvania. A very good bout on paper, both prospects have a lot to gain and a lot to lose.
Though he was an overall disappointment in his last-but-one outing, when he lost his unbeaten record via a comprehensive points loss at the hands of Kermit Cintron, it’s likely 27-year-old Angulo will start as a slight favourite. “El Perro” was being looked at by good judges as perhaps the next Mexican superstar before he lost to Cintron; and, boy, did Angulo make a statement in his return fight after the May setback that suggests he is still intent on achieving such a lofty standing!
Looking back to his lethal best against the always-dangerous Gabriel Rosado, Angulo tore through his man and got the job done in less than two-rounds.. Maybe the Cintron loss was merely a bad day at the office after all? But against the older yet equally ambitious man in Yorgey, the Mexican who wears a dog collar into the ring will do very well to win as quickly as he did on August 7th.
31-year-old Yorgey is also coming off a very good win. Back in March of this year, against the son of boxing legend Thomas Hearns, Yorgey won his breakthrough fight. Getting up off the floor from a flash knockdown to stop the unbeaten Ronald Hearns in the 9th-round of an exciting battle, Yorgey improved to 22-0-1(10). Though eight months will have passed by the time he gets in there with the 16-1(13) Angulo, Yorgey will be looking to keep the momentum going now that he’s something of an attraction.
A risky fight for both men, November 7th’s loser will have a tough road to climb if he’s to get back to where he is currently. Angulo is the bigger puncher, yet the shaven-headed Yorgey is as tough as they come and he may have better overall skills. There have been whispers that suggest Angulo was a little under the weather going into the Cintron fight and if true we may see another exciting win scored by the Mexican in November. Still, Angulo will do well to stop Yorgey, a fighter who has proven his durability and whose confidence is soaring seeing how he is coming off two wins over previously unbeaten fighters (Jason LeHoullier being out-pointed by Yorgey seven months before Hearns was stopped by him).
Obviously, as hard as he hits and as dangerous as he is, a KO win for Angulo can never be written off. I just feel as though Yorgey is pretty much a well kept boxing secret who in no way should be overlooked – Yorgey has even referred to himself as such. Both men have huge ambition, both are in their prime, and both are excited to be boxing on the big Dawson-Johnson rematch show. This, along with how much is at stake career-wise, will ensure a 100-percent effort by both.
Look for Angulo to come out fast, as always, but with Yorgey right there to meet him with a combination of return fire and smart, on the back foot, boxing. The action promises to be good throughout, and at the end, unless Yorgey makes a mistake that Angulo makes him pay for, “El Perro” will have pounded out a close decision victory.