By Sevak Sarkisian: Yesterday I was curious to know who will be fighting on the upcoming Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley undercard, and to my surprise there was one match-up that actually seems to have the potential to be a competitive fight. To be honest, I’m a little surprised the promoters decided to put it on the undercard. Truthfully, they could have used the opportunity to once again showcase a young prospect against a faded veteran.
But instead, we will be seeing a title fight between top contender Mike Jones taking on the experienced Randall Bailey for the vacant IBF welterweight title.
Both fighters present a legitimate threat to one another in very different ways. Randall Bailey is a huge puncher and possesses knockout power especially in his right hand. The right uppercut and the right cross are his best punches and he’s KO’d plenty of people with them. 36 of his 42 wins have come by knockout. However, he sometimes makes it to obvious that he’s looking for that one big punch and abandons his game plan looking for that one shot.
However, his opponent Mike Jones possess good hand speed and above average skills. Jones also possesses unique physical gifts for the weight class standing at 6’0 feet tall with a 72 inch reach. But just like any other fighter to ever live, Mike Jones has his shortcomings and limitations as well. He has shown in the past that he is capable of getting caught up in the moment and letting emotion get the best of him. He has to stay poised and relaxed, and think long term against a dangerous puncher like Bailey. Mike Jones has to avoid getting hit with that big right hand and make sure he puts his big speed advantage to good use. He also has to make sure he doesn’t get caught up in a brawl and take advantage of his boxing skills.
If Jones fights a “smart” fight he should be able to handle business on June 9th in Las Vegas against the older puncher. However, history tells us that’s not a guarantee and if the seasoned veteran can take advantage of those moments and land his money punch it can be lights out for Mike Jones. I must admit I expect Mike to take advantage of his natural attributes and not make the fight harder than it should be and win the fight in a competitive well-earned championship win.