On March 12, Yuri Foreman looks to get back into the Junior Middleweight title picture as he fights Pawel Wolak. It should be an interesting fight between contrasting styles, as each fighter looks to advance up the rankings and land a date with one of the big names in the division. The Foreman vs. Wolak fight will be on the undercard of the Showtime PPV headlined by Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga.
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Foreman vs. Wolak – Meet the Fighters
Yuri Foreman: The aspiring rabbi, Foreman’s record is 28-1 with 8 knockouts and 1 no contest. He became well known to most boxing fans when he won the WBA Junior Middleweight Title, defeating Daniel Santos. Once it became clear that Pacquiao was intending to fight at 154 lbs, Foreman’s status as a titleholder put him on a short list of fighters to potentially fight Manny Pacquiao, although he didn’t end up getting the opportunity.
In Foreman’s most recent fight, he lost his WBA title to Miguel Cotto. Foreman slipped and hurt his knee in the 7th round. He limped around the ring, and he was in obvious pain. In the 8th round, Foreman’s corner threw in the towel, but with some very dubious refereeing, the fight continued on anyway. The fight was stopped for good in the 9th round when you could tell Foreman’s knee was getting worse. Following the fight, Foreman had surgery on his knee.
With only 8 knockouts in 28 wins, Foreman may not have a lot of power, but he makes up for it by being a good, slick and tricky boxer. At 5’11”, Foreman has a height and reach advantage over most of his opponents and he uses it well, possessing a good jab to go along with his speedy movement and strong defensive tactics.
Pawel Wolak: Wolak is also 28-1, although he sports an extra 10 KO’s on his resume, giving him 18 knockouts. He also has outside interests as he works as a construction worker between fights. Wolak’s most recent fight was very entertaining against Jose Pinzon. Wolak got off the canvas to come back and finish Pinzon, who suddenly ran out of gas.
Wolak’s 18 knockouts in 28 wins would lead you to think he has some decent power, but his stoppage wins come more from accumulation and determination as opposed to one-punch power. Wolak comes forward landing a hard body shot or two from time to time, but mostly wears guys down, as they expend much of their energy trying to create space from him. It’s worth noting that Wolak’s resume is fairly lackluster, outside of a few recognizable names.
Foreman vs. Wolak Preview
The first thing that jumps out is the height difference with Foreman at 5’11” and Wolak at only 5’8”. Wolak always comes forward and he will look to do damage on the inside against Foreman. The problem is that Wolak has too many flaws. His footwork is poor, he’s extremely easy to hit, and just doesn’t seem to have a plan in the ring except come forward, often without setting up his punches with a jab.
Whether he allows Wolak to come forward so that he can counter him, or he dictates the pace with his own jab, Foreman should be able to control the action. He’ll land and try to get out before Wolak can smother him, and make him work harder than he should.
It’s all about Foreman’s knee. If he is completely healthy, he could have a very easy night. If he isn’t healthy, or has lost a step or two, then the fight could get interesting because Wolak would be able to get inside regularly. Wolak, as with any good fighter who faces Foreman, knows he has a chance, since he knows Foreman isn’t going to knock him out. Realizing that and capitalizing on that are two different things, and the latter is something that most people have not been able to.
Foreman vs. Wolak Prediction
Basically, Wolak will try to do what Miguel Cotto did, but with far less talent, and less power to boot. If the knee holds up, Foreman should get a comfortable decision, and should be in line for a title shot.
