Windhoek
Without going into the usual fight previewing details, New Era Sport will today provide some analysis on some finer points and various strengths and weaknesses of Vikapita ‘Beast Master’ Meroro ahead of his fight against Russian opponent Dmitry Kudryashov.
Billed as the mega fight at the Luzhanki Sports Centre in Moscow, Russia – Meroro will tonight challenge Kudryashov for the WBA Cruiserweight International title.
Facing an undefeated fighter who has won all his 17 fights by way of knockout, Meroro will have to rely heavily on some of his natural attributes such as his power, solid defence and strong jab, if he is to overpower the bulky Russian.
Speaking of power and his knockout ability, Meroro has enormous strength and is a highly feared power puncher, qualities which should bring him on par with whatever Kudryashov might have in store.
Meroro’s right hand, uppercut and hook are dangerous and among the best, and he should be well advised to fully, without mercy, apply that weaponry against the no-nonsense Russian.
The Namibian has defeated 14 of his 28 opponents by way of knockout and that speaks volumes in terms of his overall power at that level.
Another advantage Meroro has, which many boxing pundits haven’t noticed, is his impressive defence skills and overall ability to attack while defending.
Blessed with gigantic shoulders and muscular rotator cuffs, Meroro many a time perfectly hides his chin and head behind his shoulders and quickly strives with his strong right hand while under pressure.
One dangerous disadvantage going into tonight’s fight is Meroro’s height, as the strongly built Russian stands a few inches above the Namibian and that might cause a bit of problems for Meroro when attacking from the centre of the ring.
But with his strong side jabs and a beautifully-timed right lead, he should be able to transact with Kudryashov from a healthy distance and that would also ease pressure on him, as long as he constantly applies his strong jab.
Finally, another area where Meroro is impressive is his steady footwork and ability to keep his ground even when under pressure. His lead left foot is often expertly placed forward to allow him time and space to fight but he must improve on his upper body speed as the equally dangerous Kudryashov will time and again be aiming for his head.