Home News Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens fight preview & analysis

Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens fight preview & analysis

Credit: Golden Boy

This Saturday, Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs) returns to the ring with his one-punch knockout power to face the aggressive up-and-coming prospect Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) in ten rounds of action for the vacant WBC De Las Americas Middleweight Title on the HBO Pay-Per-View portion of the Canelo vs. Khan undercard in Las Vegas on May 7. Curtis has experience and power but Patrick is a younger, more aggressive southpaw. The scouting report for this exciting match-up is below:

Category
Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens
Patrick Teixeira
Age
31
25
Record
27-5 (20 KOs)
26-0 (22 KOs)
Strength
Curtis is a power-puncher that can end the fight with any punch he throws. He is very experienced and has fought much better opposition than Teixeira thus far.
Teixeira has power in both hands and possesses pinpoint accuracy. He puts together good combinations and has an effective jab as well.
Weakness
Stevens has been inactive for over a year, so some ring rust is expected. He also has a tendency to not let his hands go, which could be costly when fighting a high-volume puncher like Teixeira.
Patrick has yet to face any top-level opposition. He also tends to throw wide, looping punches, which can lead to trouble if Stevens is able to sneak in one of his lethal left hooks.
Experience
He has fought the better opposition, including a win over top-ranked middleweight contender Tureano Johnson, and a hard-fought defeat against current middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
He will be at a disadvantage coming into this bout; he has 26 pro bouts under his belt but has yet to face any legitimate contenders. Stevens will be the biggest test of his young career.
Power
Curtis has knockout power in both hands; if he connects clean with any punch it can be a game-changer at any point in the fight.
Patrick has good power in his combinations, he throws vicious body shots and possesses a nasty right hook that has ended many fights for the undefeated southpaw.
Speed
Curtis turns it up a notch when he smells blood, he shows off his quick hands and savage combinations.
Teixeira is quick; he puts his punches together well and maintains a steady pace throughout the fight, which has proven to overwhelm his previous opposition.
Endurance
Stevens is a young veteran of the sport who has proven his endurance; he has gone 10 rounds on four separate occasions and 12 rounds twice.
The Brazilian has gone 10 rounds only twice in his career, but has shown no signs of any stamina issues, even with such a high punch output.
Accuracy
If Curtis can work his way to the inside, he may be able to utilize some accurate bodywork against his much taller opponent.
Patrick has the accuracy advantage; he has demonstrated pinpoint accuracy in his jab and uses his reach effectively in picking apart his opponents from a distance.
Defense
Curtis’s best defense has been his offense, his opponents are usually running from him rather than running towards him.
Teixeira is a rangy fighter who utilizes his reach effectively. It will be a difficult task for any fighter to get on inside on him and do some damage.
Chin
Although Curtis has been stopped in his career, he has a solid chin. He has been knocked down from some big shots by some big punchers, including GGG, and has gotten back to his feet.
Patrick’s chin is still in question. He has not been in any real danger after impressively dominating his opposition thus far.
Style
Curtis is a no-nonsense, in-your-face power puncher who is always looking to end the night early.
Teixeira is a slick and aggressive southpaw who knows how to finish fights. He has a lengthy reach, stiff jab, and throws nasty combinations.
Intangibles
In the prime of his career, Stevens does not believe in tune-up fights. His past four opponents were all former or currently ranked contenders and titleholders. With over a year out of the ring, he has decided against tune-up bouts and will attempt to get his name back in the middleweight mix by taking on a young, undefeated, and dangerous knockout artist in Patrick Teixeira. A win on May 7 instantly makes Curtis a legitimate threat in the middleweight division.
The young Brazilian has chosen to take on a tough task in hopes of moving up the middleweight rankings. Rather than take on a much lesser opponent, he will instead put his undefeated record on the line on the biggest stage of them all, against a fighter in Curtis Stevens who can close the show with any punch he throws. A win over Stevens can catapult him into the top of the middleweight rankings.
Crowd Support
Curtis has been in the bigger fights throughout his career and has a style that is appealing to the fans, so he should have the majority of the crowd in his corner.
Teixeira’s aggressive, come-forward style may earn him some fans before the night ends.
The Match-up
  1. Will ring rust be a problem for Stevens?
  2. Will Teixeira be able to handle Stevens’ power?
  3. Will Curtis be able to handle Patrick’s non-stop come-forward style?
Will Teixeira be ready mentally for his toughest challenge to date?

According to 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “This is the type of fight I would love to see more often: the veteran who is willing to fight anyone, any time and the up-and-coming prospect that is ready to take that step up. I love that neither of these guys know what the words ‘tune-up’ mean. Both fighters have a lot to prove and that could only be a recipe for a great fight in the ring!”