good right hand
03-26-2008, 11:35 PM
if arturo gatti was the pepino quevas of the mid ninetees with his exiting style and crushing left hook then i would say that leija was the carlos palomino of the super featherweight division with a very slick ducking defense and tight boxing skills.
like palomino and cuevas, leija and gatti never met in their respected primes.
i knew about gatti a long long time ago, just like virtually every boxing fan out there,
but after i saw leija's fights with azumah nelson, i was very impressed. well, he may not have been able to avoid the precise, fast punches of dela hoya, but in his prime he was very slippery against a old but still formidable nelson and just maybe the poison to a power punching winger like gatti.
gatti had exellent power, size, strength and heart as well as although sometimes iffy, a fairly sturdy chin
leija's main strength was that he was smart, patient, good movement, slick and fast hands
to me its seems almost 50/50 that either leija will win by decision or gatti by knock out.
but i think leija may edge this one in 94 simply because even though gatti may have a argument of punching just as hard if not harder then a lightweight dela hoya. gatti punches where more looping and not as precise. i think leija could avoid the bombs, flurry and be cautious enough to win a very close decision, like ivan robinson.
like palomino and cuevas, leija and gatti never met in their respected primes.
i knew about gatti a long long time ago, just like virtually every boxing fan out there,
but after i saw leija's fights with azumah nelson, i was very impressed. well, he may not have been able to avoid the precise, fast punches of dela hoya, but in his prime he was very slippery against a old but still formidable nelson and just maybe the poison to a power punching winger like gatti.
gatti had exellent power, size, strength and heart as well as although sometimes iffy, a fairly sturdy chin
leija's main strength was that he was smart, patient, good movement, slick and fast hands
to me its seems almost 50/50 that either leija will win by decision or gatti by knock out.
but i think leija may edge this one in 94 simply because even though gatti may have a argument of punching just as hard if not harder then a lightweight dela hoya. gatti punches where more looping and not as precise. i think leija could avoid the bombs, flurry and be cautious enough to win a very close decision, like ivan robinson.