By Ian S Palmer
Unbeaten WBA Light Flyweight Champion Carlos Canizales of Caracas, Venezuela will be defending his title against Mexico’s Esteban Bermudez in Mexico City this Friday, May 28th, two years after last fighting when he beat former WBO Flyweight Champion Sho Kimura of Japan by unanimous decision. Bermudez last saw action in march when he fought to a three-round technical draw with Luis Macias after an accidental headbutt stopped the fight. The bout will be shown live on the FITE network.
The 28-year-old Canizales has a near perfect record of 22-0-1 with 17 Kos. His only blemish so far was a 12-round split decision draw with Ryoichi Taguchi in Japan on New Year’s Eve, 2016 in an attempt to win Taguchi’s WBA crown. Canizales then won the vacant WBA Light Flyweight Title in March of 2018 via a unanimous decision over Reiya Konishi and defended it against Bin Lu by 12th-round stoppage before beating Kimura.
Canizales turned pro in 2014 and has boxed 116 rounds since. He’s got better-than-average power with a current knockout ratio of 74 per cent but has gone the distance in two of his last three fights. The champion stands 5-feet-3-inches tall with a reach of 64.5 inches. He also won the WBA Fedelatin Light Flyweight Title in October of 2015 with an 11-round split decision over Robert Barrera.
Bermudez enters the fight at 13-3-2 with 9 Kos and has a draw, win and loss in his last three outings. He fought to a four-round technical draw with Ivan Sanchez in 2014 while his defeats came at the hands of Francisco Cardenas by first-round stoppage in 2015, by eight-round unanimous decision to Gilberto Parra in 2016 and by 10-round unanimous decision to Rosendo Guarneros last October.
All of Bermudez’s fights have taken place in Mexico and he hasn’t beaten anybody of note as of yet. He made his pro debut in 2013 and has boxed 73 rounds since. The 25-year-old has an unlisted height and reach but carries around a 50 per cent knockout ratio. It’s unclear how he rates a title shot and this fight is basically being used as a tuneup by Canizales after two years of inaction.
Prediction…
Canizales surprised a lot of people by beating Sho Kimura and unfortunately his momentum has been derailed with two years on the sidelines. Canizales has fine boxing skills and power and unless he’s lost it in the last 24 months, shouldn’t have much of a problem retaining his belt against Bermudez.
