Is the end drawing near for Urango?
By Benny Henderson Jr - A.K.A "Big Dog" (Jan 16, 2007) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © RedlineMediaGroup)
As the IBF junior welterweight championship clash between the two undefeated combatants Juan Urango, 17-0-1 (13), and Ricky Hatton, 41-0 (30), draws to near you can’t help but wonder, who keeps their seat on the victory train and which one has a one-stop shop at destination defeat?

This Saturday night January 20th 9:45 PM ET/6:45 PM PT on HBO’s championship boxing coming at yah live from Sin City’s Paris Hilton in Las Vegas, NV making his first title defense of his IBF junior welterweight strap, Juan Urango will have his
hands full when he takes on the two division world champion Ricky Hatton in what has been billed as ‘Total Domination’. Question is, as the fight draws to a near does Urango’s era draw near an end as well?

You have the titleholder Juan Urango here, a Columbian born brawler solid as a rock when it comes to brute force, a mobile muscle with gloves that has stopped 76% of his opposition, but on two occasions has been handed out the old hometown gift decision, one being for the hardware he straps around his waist today, the same crown that is up for grabs this Saturday night.

The ‘Iron Twin’ went head to head against the then undefeated Greek Mike Arnaoutis in the summer of 2004. After a solid bout of close competition where many felt ‘Mighty’ Mike should have gotten the nod – including a ringside spectator who writes for the Doghouse – the fight was declared a draw. No bad, at least it wasn’t a solid robbery, which was to come nearly two years down the road.

June of ’06 ESPN televised the twelve round match-up between once-beaten Australian Naoufel Ben Rabah and the adopted hometown hero Juan Urango. Up for grabs was the vacant IBF junior welterweight strap, and once again the hideous head of improper calculation reared up giving Urango a gift decision. For twelve rounds Rabah was on the retreat picking off shots at the stalking Urango, who although was backing up Rabah was landing little and eating a ton compared to what he had grounded. Flinging out looping wild power shots for the majority of the night missing most and eating endless countering combinations, it was clear in the minds of most that Rabah was on his way to victory. After the decision was announced, which was as controversial as all get out, the judges gave the fight unanimously to Urango. The punch stats told the truth, with Rabah landing 32% of his shots while Urango was whittled down to 17%. His very own fans booed the decision and ESPN announcer Teddy Atlas went on a tear.

So now, forget the past, look to the future, and what does it hold for Urango?

A hard-hitting Englishman who has laid out a solid foundation of foe carving his way to the top, once holding the very title Urango now has in his grasp until he vacated to move up in weight. Hatton, a household name in his home country of England, rose to worldwide stardom with an eleventh round TKO over former world champion Kostya Tszyu in their summer of ’05 scrap when Tszyu failed to come out for the twelfth and final round.

Hatton had a little controversy of his on when he had his third throw down on American soil this past May when he unanimously defeated New Yorker Luis Collazo for the WBA welterweight title. Hatton scored a flash knockdown in the opening round but the bout went back and fourth and Hatton was wobbled before the final bell but held on to earn the W in what can be defined as a close quartered ugly fight.

So now, we have a throwdown at hand, and we declare, no more gift decisions!

Hatton who has fought the majority of his career on his home soil, Urango who makes his home in Miami, FL, and has had all his fights in his adopted home since moving to the states in 2004. They both now meet on neutral ground in Las Vegas, so hopefully the old ‘gift decision’ won’t be handed out. And with a combined record of 58-0-1 (43), and 74% of their opponents never reaching the final bell (stats compliments of Fred Sternburg), it is safe to say there may be no final bell sounded out or room for miscalculated scoring in this match-up!

So who wins the war?

This would appear to be more of a barroom brawl than a boxing clinic with these two. Hatton has this smothering, in-your-face style while Urango pretty much poses a one-dimensional method with a punch. It was shown in the Rabah fight that Urango could be picked off easily fighting at angles but if fought in close quarters as Hatton did with Tszyu and Collazo it could make for a very interesting night.

Opinions vary, but to be honest Urango shouldn’t even have this title or even be in this position to defend against Hatton, but the powers that be had their say so, so…in my opinion Urango’s short lived championship reign will come to a halt this Saturday night. This won’t be a shoe-in of course; I expect a good competitive match-up that will have some thrills and spills to add to the entertainment value, but with the experience Hatton possesses over Urango I see ‘The Hitman’ being able to change up his style and adapt when necessary to take back his title with a late round TKO over the Columbian.

Either way, it should be a good scrap!


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