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
