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Ghana’s experienced southpaw boxer,Maxwell Awuku has been offered the opportunity to rekindle his ambition of becoming a world champion with a crucial fight against the WBC Super Featherweight Champion Miguel “El Alarcran” Berchelt on Saturday in Cancun,Mexico.
Awuku came through as a substitute when opponents scheduled for the champion who is making his second defense fell out.Berchelt won his WBC Super Featherweight title via a stoppage in 2017 against Francisco Vargas before defending it against Takashi Miura of Japan 6 months later.
Tale of the tape:
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Miguel Berchelt,the champion,mounts the ring with an impressive record of 33 fights, 1 defeat, no draw with 28 of those wins came by way of knockouts.He made his debut as a professional boxer in 2010.The Orthodox boxer comes with a hight of 5′ 7″ and 71″ reach.He has so far fought 122 rounds of boxing with 85% KOs record.
Maxwell Awuku,the Challenger,brings to the ring a remarkable record of 48 fights, 3 losses, 1 draw with 30 of those wins came by way of knockouts.He made his debut as a professional boxer in 2002.The southpaw boxer comes with a hight of 5′ 8 1/2″ and 73″ reach.He has so far fought 276 rounds of boxing with 63% KOs record.
Strengths:
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Miguel Berchelt tasted only one defeat in his career as against three by his opponent.He is noted to have a solid chin and punching power that can give an opponent a lot of work to do by absorbing and countering punches.Fighting in front of his teaming fans at home could be a massive advantage.
Maxwell Awuku who has tasted three defeats in his career with only one in Ghana and the remaining two outside Ghana,stands the chance to make a statement in Saturday’s fight considering his past experiences. In his career,Awuku has never been defeated by knockout.Against Berchelt,Awuku is expected to ride on the advantages of height and longer reach.Awuku is very disciplined in the ring and have the ability to trade punches,take punches,defend very well and perseveres when needed.
Weaknesses:
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Berchelt is vulnerable to defeat especially against a durable boxer like Awuku.His only defeat came by a knockout.
Entering into his second defense,there is so much pressure on the WBC Champion to win this fight because he’s anticipating a mouthwatering unification bout against pound for pound boxer, Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine who holds the WBO version of the world title at the super featherweight.
Awuku even though was excited for the opportunity but will be under an intense pressure to redeem his image after years of fruitless world title pursuit.Coming from a defeat suffered by his colleague Habib Ahmed in the hands of a Mexican boxe(Gilberto Ramirez),Awuku will be pressurised to turn the tables this time around.
The reality:
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The Mexican boxer is very much aware that Ghana has rich history of producing world champions including the likes of D.K Poison,Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey,Alfred Kotey,Nana Yaw Konadu Joshua Clottey and Joseph Agbeko something which the durable Awuku will be riding on when they share the ring on Saturday.
Awuku is also very much aware of how credible Mexican boxers are and how they can push their foes to the rope when they least expected.Both Isaac Dogbeo and Habib Ahmed fights against Mexican boxers could be used by the camp of Awuku for fight technical analysis.
Boxers bragging right:
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Berchelt is looking forward to make history and will make everything possible to win..he has this to say…
“We are ready for whomever, I have prepared myself at the top, it’s good that Awuku is coming to create an upset and wants to offer a great fight to my audience. My emotions grow knowing that I will be fulfilling my dream on Saturday night,” said Berchelt.
Southpaw Awuku is in no doubt that he will shock the Mexican crowd and return home to Ghana with the WBC world championship belt around his waist….he has this to say……
“The Mexicans believe that they will take me by surprise and that I am not prepared, they have made a big mistake, I will spoil the party for their people, I will knock out their champion and then I will go to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Cancun,” – Maxwell Awuku.
Wish both boxers the best of luck.