Julio Ceja

When you get a 19 year old with more than a handful of fights you tend to get a little bit excited and with Mexicans it maybe a little expected but sometimes there is just something about the fighter that makes you more than a little bit interested and that's what we have in Julio Ceja who at 19 has a record of 17-0 (16).

Ceja made his debut in 2009 aged just 16 and stopped Floro Carranza in the opening round before being taken 4 rounds by Fernando Curiel in September 2009, the fight with Curiel has been the one and only time that Ceja has had to hear the final bell as he has ran through opponents with alarming ease. By the end of 2009 Ceja had moved to 5-0 (4) with 3 opening round wins. The following year Ceja would add 7 more wins, each of those coming by KO/TKO with another 2 coming in the opening round as he swiftly moved to 12-0 (11).

Now I won't pretend that Ceja's first 12 opponents were anything to right home about, most were unknown fighters with only a handful of rounds of experience though in 2011 Ceja proved that he could face a better quality of opponent and still impress. In his 15th fight Ceja fought Cesar Javier Gandara (who entered 14-1) in a bout for the vacant WBC FECARBOX Super Flyweight title, Gandara, like 13 men before him was stopped as Ceja continued his tear through the ranks. In his next fight Ceja stopped the then 12-0 Alejandro Morales in just 1 round.

Whilst it is fair to say that Grandara and Morales weren't that experienced themselves despite having solid looking paper records it's now time that Ceja did face his first real test and this coming weekend he faces Ronald Barrera (30-8-2, 19). Barrera of Barranquilla, Colombia is a talented southpaw who has repeatedly challenged for world titles over the past few years (and arguably beat the great Ivan Calderon back in 2007). Although he has yet to win a world title has has faced Yutaka Niida (WBA Minimumweight champion), Ivan Calderon (WBO Minimumweight champion), Raul Garcia (IBF Minimumweight champion), Omar Nino Romero (WBC Light Flyweigth champion) and  Juan Carlos Reveco (WBA Interim Light Flyweight champion) with 6 of his 8 losses coming to these men.

Whilst Ceja may prove to be too big, strong and too good for Barrera the bout is a decent test for the Mexican Super Flyweight against a talented and proven fighter. Whilst I'd expect Ceja to add another stoppage victim to his record this is easily going to be the most impressive opponent he will have faced in his short and impressive career.

Note an updated piece on Ceja can be found at http://www.boxingprospects.info/1/post/2012/04/julio-ceja.html

Footage below thanks to marvinkbox

Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna

The Super Middleweight division is one of boxing's hottest divisions and of course boxing fan is looking forward to the up coming Super 6 Final between Andre Ward and Carl Froch. As we all know it's not only Froch and Ward that hold a lot of interest from fans but we also have fighters like the IBF champion Lucian Bute, the 2 time former champion Mikkel Kessler, former title challenger Andre Dirrell, WBO title holder Robert Stieglitz, former Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and emerging British stars George Groves and James DeGale. Though we also have a number of lesser well known fighters who are slowly but surely emerging as serious threats, one of which is Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna.

Maderna is from La Plata, Buenos Aires and really has Argentinian boxing fans drooling at his combination of skill and raw power which has seen him advance to a record of 16-0 (12) since turning professional in 2008. Before he turned professional however Maderna was a world level amateur fighter having won Bronze at the 2006 South American games before going to both the 2007 World Amateur Championships and the 2008 Olympics.

After being beaten in the Beijing games by Shawn Estrada of the US Maderna would turn professional and debuted in December 2008. On his debut he defeated Guillermo Pablo Armani over a 4 round decision this victory was followed up just 3 weeks later when Maderna defeated Victor Hugo Peralta, also by decision. Through 2009 and 2010 Maderna would add a number of wins to his record and actually moved to 12-0 (9) by defeating relatively obscure fighters in his homeland. Though it was in 2011 that he really stepped up a level and showed he was a fighter who needed to be followed.

In Maderna's first fight of 2011 he defeated former world title contender Ruben Eduardo Acosta via a 10 round decision. It was the first time Maderna had been beyond 5 rounds in his career and he passed the test by beating a tough fighter in Acosta in a fight that would see Maderna crowned the Argentinian Super Middleweight champion. Since then Maderna has added the interim WBO Latino Super Middleweight title to his waist by stopping Martin Abel Bruer inside a round and defending both of his titles once.

Stylistically Maderna seems to be a very intelligent fighter who appears to be huge for a Super Middleweight (he was dwarfing over Jorge Rodriguez when the two men met earlier this year). It's not just that Maderna is a massive fighter but he also uses his height well, especially using his jab to establish distance. Rather than being an out and out power puncher Maderna seems to be able to break opponents down well before stepping in with the heavy artillery. As you can see in the video below Maderna does have a lot going for him and when he lands that straight right hand he may well have one of the best punches in the Super Middleweight division.

Whilst Maderna has been on a tear through the C level Super Middleweights in 2011 he has been racing up the rankings. He is currently #21 in the IBO's computerised rankings, and #24 on Boxrec.com though most impressive is his #9 ranking with the WBO. These rankings have helped push him into being one of the top Argentinian boxing prospects.

Video thanks to boxeola1

Carlos Negron

Last weekend we saw 2 power punching prospects beaten for the first time. Firstly we the very likeable and humble David Lemieux (25-1, 14KO's) lose to the experienced veteran Marco Antonio Rubio (50-5-1, 43KO's) by 7^th round TKO. The fight saw Lemieux's trainer Russ Abner throwing in the towel to protect his charge as the experienced Rubio took charge of the fight and dropped Lemieux. The following night was had James Kirkland (27-1, 24KO's) beaten in a single round by Japanese fighter Nabuhiro Ishida (23-6-2, 8KO's). For boxing prospects these two results should act as a big wake up call.

One man who although still unbeaten has already had a giant wake up call of his own is Carlos Negron (11-0, 7KO's). Negron is one of this weeks Puerto Rican prospects that we are featuring here this week and despite only being 23 has had a wake up call and managed to come through the rough patches of his career so far.

Stood at 6'6” and with a huge 83” wingspan Negron turned professional in 2009 weighing around 180lbs. He was an incredibly tall Cruiserweight and despite being young he looked skinny and physically immature, he really looked like he needed filling out. After 3 opening round KO's to start his career Negron would be dropped by Gevonte Davis, this was the wake up call that Negron perhaps needed. Although he continued to make the 180's it was only a year later that he weighed in around 194 and looked a much better fighter, he had filled out and no longer looked like a somewhat scrawny fighter.

In late 2010 it was announced that Negron was going to be fighting as a heavyweight in future and for his first fight of 2011 he weighed in at 211lbs. Negron would win his heavyweight debut over Willie Herring by decision as he went 8 rounds for the first time. Almost a year previously Negron had weighed just 181lbs (when he defeated Garrett Wilson). Negron fights for the 2^nd time as a heavyweight this coming weekend when he faces Native American heavyweight Emerson Chasing Bear (4-1-2, 3KO's), a loss for Negron is unthinkable though he has already learned the lessons he's needed. No longer will Negron start fights by thinking his power is all he needs, in fact his power as a heavyweight likely won't really appear for several years instead Negron will start to work with his physical advantages, his imposing figure is something that he has to use. His reach should be his key, it's actually longer than that of Wladimir Klitschko and only 2 inches shorter than Nikolay Valuev's.

Negron though isn't all about his short professional career, a career that has only featured 30 rounds. Carlos was also a brilliant amateur. He had won a silver medal in the 2005 Pan-American games and a bronze at the Central American and Caribbean Games the following year. Although he was unimpressive in the 2008 Olympics he was already having a growing reputation and would sign a professional deal very young. His size, skills and youth are all great aspects to one of Puerto Rico's top prospects and a fighter that all fight fans need to be taking note of.

Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez

Mexican fighters are probably the most fascinating group of boxers out there at the moment. If you wish to just stereotype they are true warriors, they battle until they can't fight on and they often enjoy a good scrap. Although a few more skilled than that, such as current IBF Lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez who prefers to fight on the move with accurate counters and slippery movement, the majority prefer to fight than to box. Though one youngster who can box or bang and is very much one to watch is Gilberto Ramírez Sánchez.

Sanchez aged just 19 looks set to follow in the footsteps of so many other fighters from Mexico and go from being almost unheard of to reaching the top of the boxing tree. He has already sparred with a world champion (the then WBA Light Middleweight champion Rigoberto “Español” Alvarez, older brother of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez) and has already started to gain some form of notoriety as a hard punching youngster.

With a record of 16-0 (14) you could easily assume the 19 year old southpaw has been facing soft touch after soft touch. His record of a mere 43 rounds does suggest that his fights haven't been long gruelling tough affairs. Though below the raw numbers his opponents have been surprisingly solid so far. Since debuting as just an 18 year old back in 2009 Sanchez has faced opponents with a combined record of 123-65-6. Although he has faced several debutants and “career losers” his most recent opponents have been impressive enough fighters in their own right and have included:

Christian Solano (22-19-4 upon entering)-Solano had beaten British fighter John O'Donnell, he had taken Julio Cesar Chavez Jr 10 rounds and Saul Roman the same distance.

The, then unbeaten Rogelio Medina (23-0)

And veteran Antonio Arras (21-9)

Against Medina Sanchez picked up his first title as a professional by winning the vacant WBC Youth World middleweight title. This entitled Sanchez to a WBC ranking (though he is still outside of the top 40 after checking at with the organisation) though his most notable ranking is the #13 ranking he has with the NABO. The independent rankings of the IBO and Boxrec.com place Sanchez at #76 at Middleweight (IBO) and #41 at Middleweight (Boxrec.com) though the rankings hardly matter at this point.

From sources found on the web about Sanchez it's no wonder he is being matched as a professional. He is according to an article on “notifight.com” he was a “national champion and three-time junior national champion elite” as an amateur. Though as a professional those skills haven't really been required. Instead his exceptional power, thunderous aggression and ability to land hard clean shots to both head and body have helped “Zurdo De Oro” create a bit of a buzz.

Fighting out of Sinaloa, Mexico Sanchez will have plenty around him that know the business inside out. Sinaloa is of course the state that contains Los Mochis (think Fernando Montiel) and Culiacán (Julio Cesar Chavez). If Sanchez can emulate either of those two he'll become a name to be remembered, though as a Mexican middleweight/Super Middleweight he'll also have something going for him. Although Marco Antonio Periban is a Mexican Super Middleweight who may end up competing for a world title by the end of 2012 Sanchez, at just 19, will easily out grow the Middleweight division and could easily end up as high at Light Heavyweight. Imagine a Mexican 3 weight champion taking belts at Middleweight, Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight, that really is the potential of young Gilberto Ramírez Sánchez.

Since his debut he has shown fast heavy hands, a patience far beyond his time and an ability to pick the right shots at the right time. The combination of these traits could very easily see him becoming of the modern Mexican greats.

Sources:
Notifight.com

Video below thanks to ZapariBoxing