Zepeda vs. Baranchyk

The official Tapology discussion thread for the event!

Zepeda vs. Baranchyk
Ivan Baranchyk, TKO, R8
Good ass fight right here! You've got the no.4 vs no.5 guys at 140lbs facing off in an eliminator for the WBC title. Simple breakdown, I'd say Zepeda is the boxer who likes to jab on the outside and Baranchyk wants his head on your chest throwing hooks n uppercuts and tries to make opponents wilt under pressure. I like Baranchyk here but won't be surprised if Zepeda wins a decision

Flores Jr. vs. Kielczweski
Gabriel Flores Jr., DEC
Stockton Mutha ****a WOT!

Vianello vs. Ibeh
Guido Vianello, TKO, R2
Big Kingsley and his Big Bus Driver Uppercuts is BACK Baby!!! Funny story, I was speakin to Miagi about Kingleys Bus Driver Uppercut "technique" and he thought he was an actual Bus Driver!! Ha! Anyways, I shoyuldn't laugh because Kingsley keeps proving me wrong! Everytime I think he is facing a guy with , say a jab and 3 rounds of cardio, nah Kingsley swangs n bangs his way to victory! I'm actually beyond being pissed and am now impressed! This time tho he faces an actual decent boxer with a vast amateur, Olympic pedigree with solid technque and knockout power. Bye bye Kingsley, back to the Bus Station!

Barnes vs. Sipe
Jimmy Barnes, DEC
I don't know with this 1? 2 MMA Heavyweights. Not particularly good Heavyweights either. Also Sipe, who is the better MMA guy, is more of a wrestler? More confusing? Barnes actually has a boxing win so I'll take him

Moraga vs. Ragan
John Moraga, DEC
Look who has turned up on this weekends Top Rank card, former UFC Flyweight Title challenger Jon Moraga!!!! I did know he was doing some boxing, he absolutely melted some poor guy on card in Arizona at the start of the year. I thought he was going back to MMA though, maybe struggling to get a fight? Anyway, he's taking on a good prospect here so we'll see, I definitely think he can make it tough and maybe upset the prospect and go on a Clay Collard type run!!!! This fight is only rumoured at the moment, I'm still waiting to be 100%.sure it's on but Dan Rafael is usually a reliable source

Moraga vs. Ragan
John Moraga, TKO, R3
Maryvales best !!!!

Gotta give it to you Tapology Members who have predicted for Duke Ragan, who recently made his Professional Boxing debut at 23 Years old and Won by Stoppage in the very 1st Round, to lose this evening to well regarded MMA Flyweight Fighter John Moraga (19 - 7 Professional MMA Record).... Granted Moraga Won his last fight via a 2nd Round TKO against a guy who had very little Professional Boxing experience and a losing record, but for all those who are not aware Duke Ragan was the USA's No 1 Ranked Amateur Featherweight last year and in 2016 and 2018 he Won the USA Amateur National Championships, whilst in 2017 he lost in the Semi Final... Duke Ragan also won silver medals at the 2017 World Championships and the 2019 Pan American Games, both in the bantamweight division. Quite simply, he has a vast amount of Boxing experience, fighting at an Elite Amateur level, fighting hard and Winning Amateur Championships, or at least coming close... In my opinion, Ragan, although a Pro novice will have way too much ability for Ex MMA Fighter, Moraga to handle tonight and as per his loss in MMA to Deiveson Figueredo by 2nd Round Stoppage in recent times, I expect Ragan to get him out of there in either Round 2 or 3 🤔🥊👊👍
Meanwhile, anyone picking Gorwan Karyah to pick up the victory over debutant Haven Brady Jr this evening, again really needs to know more about the Amateur record of Haven Brady Jr, who was deemed a Top 20 Amateur US Lightweight and will be fighting at a lower weight division, so will probably carry a little bit of natural power in the lower weight class 🤔🥊👊👍
I do think Mitchell Sipe will pick up the Win in his bout with the largely untested and smaller framed Jimmy Barnes (1 - 0 Pro Boxing Record)
Guido Vianello is definitely putting slow moving Kingsley Ibeh to sleep, whilst I expect Frevian Gonzalez and Gabriel Florez Jr to pick up wide UD Judges Decisions against tough but limited journeyman type fighters 🥊🥊

The Main Event Fight between Jose Zepeda and Ivan Baranchyk is a top quality match up that I am personally really looking forward to... These two Super Lightweight's (140lbs / 10 Stone) are definitely Top 10 in the division at present and some would argue Top 5 / 6 (thats where Boxrec currently has them anyway)... This fight really is a version of the Bull Vs The Matador in every sense of the word... Zepeda is a clever, stylistic, awkward Southpaw, who can punch, move, defend, but then swiftly attack, whereas Baranchyk is a pressure fighter, who has a huge gas tank and swings for the fences whenever he his in range... Baranchyk is super muscular, but also well conditioned and his fights against Anthony Yigit (when he Won the vacant IBF Super Lightweight via a TKO Stoppage) and against Josh Taylor when he lost his belt last May, courtesy of the World Boxing Super Series Elimination Event, truly showed me that Baranchyk is capable of fighting a tough 12 Round bout at pace, whilst carrying power late... Baranchyk is the more natural Super Lightweight, whereas Zepeda claims he could still make Lightweight... I expect a close and competitive affair between the two fighters through the first 6 - 7 Rounds, with Zepeda maybe being slightly ahead on the Scorecards, but he tends to tire down the stretch, which I have witnessed on a number of occasions in recent fights, including his last fight and Win in the Summer of this year against an over matched Kendo Castaneda, who caught Zepeda with a couple of big punches... Although I expect Zepeda to be sharp and focused through the first half of the fight, with Baranchyk chasing him around the Ring, trying to stalk him into corners, so that he can throw bombs, I just don't think he will hold up down the championship Rounds, especially from Round 9 and ultimately if Baranchyk is on his A Game, I see him finding a shot, or a culmination in shots to get a Stoppage between Rounds 10 - 12...I just feel that the relentless pressure that Baranchyk possesses will be too much on the night, in this tale of two halves for Zepeda to handle, unless Baranchyk injures his hand, arm or shower, or Zepeda his fully on his A Game, whilst Baranchyk has an off night.... Baranchyk wants his World Title back and I  just can't see Zepeda being able to stand in his way for the full12Rounds 🤔🥊👊👍Well done to Top Rank for putting this excellent match up together 👏👏🥊

*Shoulder* 🤔🤣

Also, in the Words of well renowned Promoter and Boxing Manager Lou Dibella in recent days 'It’s a sensational fight, honestly,” DiBella said. “It’s a truly competitive fight, with the outcome in doubt. It’s a terrific fight. It’s exactly the kind of fight that, as a fan, you wanna see. And it’s the kind of style matchup you wanna see. There’s no way in the world Zepeda can hide from Baranchyk. He’s gonna be out there trying to confuse and out-box Ivan, and Ivan’s gonna be trying to take his f*cking head off. It’s a boxing fan’s kind of fight.”... Very well said Lou, I agree 🤔👏👏🥊👊👍

Zepeda vs. Baranchyk
I choose Ivan Baranchyk at -180. He has a luxurious uppercut and a faux hammerfist. Baranchyk is gonna kiss the humiliating defeat.

Flores Jr. vs. Kielczweski
I am all about Gabriel Flores Jr. at -5000. He has a quintessential chin. Flores Jr. must unseat the cake.

Vianello vs. Ibeh
I predict Guido Vianello at -2200. He has a passionate high kick. Vianello can clinch the ring announcer.

^ DAMN!!

Seriously if you love fighting, which you must if you're on here!!! Go and find a replay of the Jose Zepeda vs Ivan Baranchyk fight,,,, WAR!!!!
WOW!!!!! 5 rounds of fury, 9 knockdowns, HARD knockdowns! Zepeda down 4x, baranchyk 5x. You thought 1 guy was about to get the finish then BANG he's down!!! Then the opposite happens!  And the finish, man it was actually pretty scary!!!! Reminded me of the Marquez KO over Pacquiao, sniper in the stands!
Honestly, I can't do this fight justice with my words. Go and find it and watch the craziness yourself 

Haha..  ok, I’ll watch

* Edited at 10.04.2020, 11:53 AM ET *

Just rewatched the whole thing and I'm still as impressed. WHAT.......A..........FIGHT!!!!!!!

And to think, most people on this site were watching Yorgan De Castro hug his way to a loss while this craziness was happening 

Just re-watching the early Undercard action that I unfortunately missed, whilst watching the recent Holly Holm Vs Irene Aldana UFC Fight Night Event, on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi (which was action packed and an excellent spectacle by the way), this past Saturday Night, 03.10.2020...Gotta say, after watching the first two bouts, JJ Mariano put on an excellent quick performance, scoring two heavy knockdowns, before despatching his younger ex MMA opponent, who had unfortunately come into the contest slightly overweight and was made to take leather very early, as the fight was finished by Mariano inside of 2 minutes of the very 1st Round... Mariano looked really good for a novice Professional Boxer, putting his punches together in clusters, shooting for the body, catching Reed with a check left hook, that he didn't see coming to cause the first knockdown... Mariano if matched right looks like he could have a bright future in the squared circle... Meanwhile, I told you guys Not to sleep on Haven 'The Hitman' Brady Jr, cos the boy has skills... He maybe only 18, but he had an excellent and relatively extensive short Amateur Career with much success and his turning over produced an excellent dominant performance against his much older opponent, winning every round, despite the 1 point deduction for an unfortunate and accidental 2nd low blow in Round 2 (1 falling stray in both 1 and 2, arguably due to his opponent's fighting style)...Brady Jr went on to continue dominating the action, throwing some heavy leather, standing in the pocket, using his speed and his reflexes to great effect and I for one was highly impressed that after forcing his opponent towards the Ropes in the 4th and final Round, he put an excellent combination of punches together to force the Referee to make the Stoppage at the very end of the Round to start his Career off in fantastic fashion... 🤔🥊👊👊🥊👍👏👏