Friday, December 12, 2014, Erislandy Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs) and Ishe Smith (26-6, 12 KOs) face off in the “Lonestar Battle” live from San Antonio, TX.
The 12-round WBA Super Welterweight World Championship fight is being promoted by Mayweather Promotions and will air on Showtime starting at 10:15 pm, EST.
Lara is looking to bounce back after dropping a disappointing decision to Mexican star, Canelo Alvarez in his last bout. Smith is looking to capitalize on this opportunity and win another world title.
Read on for RBRBoxing’s staff predictions for Lara vs. Smith and let us know who you think will win!
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Erislandy Lara
vs.
Ishe Smith
Tony Calcara, Staff Writer
I like Erislandy Lara. There are many who believe Lara did enough to beat Canelo Alvarez last summer. I believe Lara is one of the more underrated and unappreciated fighters in the game right now.
I absolutely will not question Ishe Smith’s toughness. He is 5-3 over his last eight fights. If both bring their best, I don’t see any way Smith comes out on top.
Prediction: Lara
Lou Catalano, Senior Writer
My advice would be to grab your favorite warm blanket and nestle up in the coziest corners of your couch for this one.
I myself will use the fight to get my newborn to sleep. If breaking the all-time record for feints in a fight is your idea of a party, then have at it.
If you haven’t guessed by now, I don’t think this fight will be very good. Erislandy Lara will win on points easily, as he’s the far superior fighter, but hopefully he pushes down on the throttle a little bit and we actually get a decent fight. I’m not banking on it.
Prediction: Lara
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
I like Erislandy Lara, but a matchup against Ishe Smith isn’t really going to bring out the most exciting of fights. Lara is a technical master–as are many Cuban fighters–and I think that even if Ishe Smith is at 200 percent, he’ll still come up short against “The American Dream.”
One thing I would like to see is Lara make a statement. I think he has the skill and enough pop to take Smith out of there. A performance like that will go a long way in winning over fans who claim the Cuban style is boring.
Prediction: Lara
