Boxing Preview: Joan Guzman – Antonio Davis

Guzman Goes Home For The Holidays

Tonight, WBO Super Featherweight titlist Joan “Sycuan Warrior” Guzman defends his belt against Antonio “T-Rex” Davis at the Palacio Virgilio Travieso Soto in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This fight will mark the first time that Guzman has defended his title in his hometown. Roughly 12,000 Dominicans will be on hand to root for arguably the island’s most popular pugilist.

Joan Guzman’s road to the upper echelon of this sport has been long and arduous. Born into abject poverty in the Guachupita neighborhood of Santo Domingo, Guzman’s enticement with the sweet science was a natural extension of his childhood. “I was a rough kid”, stated Guzman. “I learned to fight because it was part of growing up”.

An extensive amateur career soon followed, culminating with a Gold Medal at the Pan American Games. With such sterling amateur credentials, a relatively logical decision to turn pro was made and Guzman has been fighting to make his mark ever since.

Guzman’s professional career has been plagued by turmoil and inactivity. A chance encounter with Brooklyn businessman Jose Nuñez instantly changed all of that and Nuñez should be credited with recognizing Guzman’s star potential. After teaming up with Sycuan Promotions, who in turn have partnered up with Golden Boy Promotions, Guzman has been a mainstay on some very lucrative PPV undercards.

Unfortunately, his highly anticipated featherweight championship fight with Scotland’s Scott Harrison never came to fruition due to Harrison’s much reported legal troubles. Undaunted by the multiple postponements, Guzman moved up in weight to compete in the more lucrative super featherweight class and hasn’t looked back since.

Guzman’s opponent for tonight’s bout, Antonio Davis, does not need boxing; by all accounts he is a very intelligent man and his computer science degree from Coppin State in Baltimore, MD would echo those sentiments. So, the age old question is again pondered, why on earth would someone choose to lace up the gloves and put their life on the line in the squared circle?

The answer may lie in Davis’s considerable athletic gifts. The 34 year old was born in the very anti-boxing hotbed that is South Carolina and it was apparent that he was going to forge a living using sports as a means. He excelled at wrestling and won the South Carolina high school wrestling title at 119 pounds.

It was while training in the gym that Davis’s interest in the boxing was born. Despite a very mediocre amateur career that ended with a 30-5 record, Davis did manage to win a Bronze Medal at the 2002 Pan American Games.

Davis’s professional career has been less than stellar to say the least, the result of poor management and bad bout selection, and he has yet to achieve the fame and success that Guzman has attained. Although
Davis has only two losses on his ledger, both came against name opponents, which doesn’t speak well of his record in regard to greater competition.

But this isn’t entirely Davis’s fault, as he was handled poorly and fought hard hitting Edner Cherry in only his fifth pro fight, and it was no surprise that Davis was blown out in only two rounds. Davis’s old trainer, the acclaimed Ronnie Shields, once said that “T-Rex” had the tools to become a world champion. Such talent from Davis has yet to be seen, but don’t count out an upset tonight.

Guzman will be fighting in front of a large hometown audience and the effects of doing so on a boxer should never be underestimated. It either empowers them to do something spectacular, such as Kelly Pavlik’s recent fight in Youngstown, OH, or have disastrous, unforeseen consequences, such as Cory Spinks KO loss to Zab Judah in St. Louis last year. As there will be a bevy of Dominican celebrities and dignitaries at ringside, look for Guzman to attempt to make a statement by trying to win in impressive fashion.

Joan Guzman’s greatest asset is his blinding hand speed. It’s almost uncanny and rivals any boxer out there right now. Not primarily know as a puncher, the dazzling salvos fired off by Guzman are as formable as any one punch power shot. Not that the “Sycuan Warrior” is purely an offensive minded fighter, as subtle feints and shoulder rolls speak well of Guzman’s defensive prowess and ensures a difficult outing for any of his opponents.

Look for Guzman to press the attack from the opening bell and put on a boxing clinic in front of his countrymen. Davis will have to maintain 100 percent focus and bring the fight of his life if he hopes to leave the Caribbean with a title added to his name. No easy task and given that Davis is a self described boxer-puncher, I don’t foresee any Buster Douglas like upset. Then again, this is boxing and with that comes the great theater of the unexpected.

So pass the pasteles en hoja and pour the ponche de ron because Joan Guzman is coming home for the holidays.