When WBA world super bantamweight champion Scott Quigg (26-0-2, 19 KOs) squares off with Diego Silva (29-2-4, 15 KOs) Saturday afternoon in Manchester, England, the world will see the emergence of Quigg as one of the pound-for-pound toughest fighters in the sport.
This bout will be the opener for the Carl Froch vs. George Groves fight, and the expectations are high that this is the kind of matchup worthy of whipping the crowd into a frenzy for the main event.
Quigg and Silva may not be well-known right now, but on a day filled with the sports world focused on boxing—Manny Pacquiao fights Brandon Rios later in the night—there is little doubt that both men have the opportunity to shine Saturday.
Where: Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England
When: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. local time)
Watch: AWE and Sky Box Office (UK Only)
Live Stream: Sky Box Office (UK Only)
The Book on Quigg
While Quigg may not be a name that casual fans know that well yet, he is one of the brightest young fighters in the sport today.
After successfully retaining his title less than two months ago in a majority draw over Yoandris Salinas, the English fighter will be looking to send a message that he is a dominant brawler in front of his home crowd Saturday.
Quigg has a unique blend of power and speed that leaves his competitors off balance. Using the aggressive nature that helped him keep his loss column unblemished even in the close fights, boxing fans should expect Quigg to hit the ring looking for a knockout.
The experience of Silva will be a factor, but as long as Quigg keeps his hands up while attacking, there is little doubt that the strength and rapidness of the champion’s punches will result in a TKO finish.
The Book on Silva
Silva is the 30-year-old journeyman that the promoters brought in to give Quigg a good test on the undercard, and most don’t expect him to win this fight.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the talent and skill to pull off the upset.
The veteran is coming off a draw with Nestor Paniagua, but had five wins coming into that bout. Add in the fact that three of those five fights ended in a TKO finish, and there is no doubting the punching power of Silva.
Quigg will bring the offense to Silva on Saturday and test his defensive prowess. If Silva can use effective counterpunching while limiting the damage from the champion on the inside, the challenger could last long enough to put the outcome in the judges’ hands.
Prediction: Quigg via Eighth-Round TKO
There is no question that Silva has the in-ring experience to stay in this fight and force a decision, but Quigg won’t let it get to the judges’ scorecards.
Expect Quigg to come out in the first round fast, looking to find his distance and develop a rhythm. Once he locates where and when he wants to attack Silva, Quigg will use the speed to keep his challenger off balance and overpower him with heavy shots from the left and right side.
Silva showed in his third-round knockout loss to Fernando Montiel in 2009 that he is susceptible to heavy hitters, and Quigg will pummel him with a constant barrage of punches.
Quigg’s victory will go over well in front of his fellow Englishmen.
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