This Saturday, respectively in Philadelphia and in Sheffield, England, the careers of two of our boxers will be at stake.
Alexis Barrière (12-0, 10 KO) will face Guido Vianello (13-3-1, 11 KO), while Arslanbek Makhmudov (20-2, 19 KO) will go toe-to-toe with Dave Allen (24-7-2, 19 KO).
Two fights where predicting a winner is impossible.
No one can afford to lose at this point in their career.
The winner can dream of glory and millions of dollars. The loser, on the other hand, can dream of an undercard at the Montreal Casino.
Photo: Mark Robinson – Dave Allen and Arslanbek Makhmudov
Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Dave Allen
The British boxer has a lot of charisma and a likeable personality. When asked why he chose to face Arslanbek Makhmudov, he simply replied:
“In the list of six opponents I was given, he’s the only one who terrifies me.”
Dave Allen on Makhmudov:
“I’m scared, to be honest.”
He even added that he expects to get knocked out within the first three rounds. This week, several British panelists have wondered whether this might be one fight too many for Allen, given his opponent.
Early in his career, he was seen as a talented but undisciplined boxer. Today — as we saw in his rematch with Johnny Fischer — he works well behind his jab, goes to the body, and applies intelligent pressure in the ring. He has already faced Dillian Whyte, Luis Ortiz and David Price. He has also sparred with Oleksandr Usyk, Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua. He knows what it means to be in danger in a ring, and hopes for his moment of glory — that moment where he tags Makhmudov and knocks him out, like Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello managed to do.
Photo: Punch Newspapers – Anthony Joshua
Arslanbek Makhmudov has always been the favorite in every one of his fights. He demolished the competition until Agit Kabayel showed us the way to beat him: move, pepper him with punches, and move again.
The only problem is, David Allen doesn’t have the footwork of a Kabayel — not even that of a Vianello. And the Brit loves close-range combat — perfect for catching an uppercut square in the face.
A man of few words, Makhmudov had this to say:
“You will see a lion.”
The stakes in this fight are huge: the winner will be in a strong position to face Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua.
Author’s prediction: Arslanbek Makhmudov in round 2.
Alexis Barrière vs Guido Vianello
The fighter from Saint-Jean gets a perfect spotlight on Jaron Ennis’s undercard to make a name for himself on the international stage. Barrière is part of that generation of heavyweights who move at the speed of a middleweight, with the cardio of a flyweight. A win over Vianello and it’s a breakout moment: rankings, recognition, and a guaranteed top 20 spot on BoxRec.
Alexis is a complete boxer, who excels in every area. He uses his 1-2 combination well and controls distance perfectly. He will need to be technically flawless to come out on top Saturday.
Photo: Canada Fighting – Alexis Barrière
“Alexis Barrière, the best-kept secret in professional boxing! The whole world will discover him on October 11 against IBF #15 and WBC #16 contender Guido Vianello in Philadelphia! Ten rounds for the WBC Continental Americas title. Don’t miss it!” — Yvon Michel
Guido Vianello, nicknamed the Gladiator, was very promising. He signed with Top Rank with much fanfare after the 2016 Olympic Games. Then came a draw against Kingsley Ibeh, a KO loss to Jonathan Rice after the commercial break, and a close decision loss to Efe Ajagba. Against Richard Torrez, in his last bout, he was still competitive.
It’s hard to really gauge the Italian boxer: he’s tall, hits hard, and moves well. Vianello gave a beating to Makhmudov, pushed Ajagba around, and landed solid shots on Torrez.
It’s a huge step up for Alexis Barrière, who only has 12 fights under his belt and is coming off an injury. Not exactly soft matchmaking for our boxer.
Photo: Boxing News – Guido Vianello
Author’s prediction: Guido Vianello by unanimous decision.
In the podcast (heavy edition)
My favorite, Sergey “The Bear Cub” Kuzmin, got knocked out in Russia in the 7th round by prospect Murad Khalidov. A terrifying KO for Kuzmin, who had never been stopped before and seemed to have a granite chin.
In the end, it’s Daniel Dubois who will face Frank Sanchez to become the IBF mandatory challenger — a belt currently held by Oleksandr Usyk — after Efe Ajagba, Moses Itauma, and Richard Torrez all declined.
Rumors are also pointing to Moses Itauma facing Hughie Fury on December 13.
