The League Begins

This Saturday marks the first fight of our league as Jay's Nikolay Valuev takes on John Ruiz for the vacant WBA Heavyweight Championship (interim). The fight is a rematch of a battle which took place in December 2005, when Valuev captured the WBA Title from Ruiz via close decision. Having watched the fight previously, I remember 2 things: Ruiz's speed advantage and Valuev's extremely effective jab. While it is very likely that Ruiz's best days are behind him, Valuev appears to be improving. His recent wins over Jean-Francois Bergeron and Sergei Liakhovich showed that his boxing ability has greatly improved. Valuev is, in my eyes, a significant favorite in this upcoming fight. Valuev has an iron chin. If he combines this with an effective jab and improved mobility, he is looking at either a decisive points victory or a late knockout. My prediction: W 12 Valuev.