3 Punch Combo: Introducing Bogdan Dinu (Say Who?), a Road Map for Usyk and More

THREE PUNCH COMBO: Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (22-0-1, 19 KO’s) headlines a card on DAZN this week from the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, KS. Originally, the aim was for him to fight Fres Oquendo but when Oquendo declined the fight a new opponent was needed. And that opponent is Bogdan Dinu (18-0, 14 KO’s) of Romania. So just who is Dinu and can he potentially threaten Miller’s rise in the heavyweight division?

Dinu, 32, did have some mild amateur success before turning pro in 2008. As a pro, he has fought in his native Romania as well as Canada, but against subpar opposition in a career that has been slow to progress. The two most recognizable names on his ledger are journeymen Kertson Manswell and Ed Perry, both of whom were dispatched in two rounds. Even the most ardent fans in the sport would not be familiar with most of the other foes Dinu has faced.

Dinu stands 6’5” and generally weighs in around 240 pounds. In watching YouTube clips, Dinu is a classic boxer- puncher who fights from the orthodox stance. He likes to work behind the left jab, circling his opponents and uses that jab as more or less a range finder. It would certainly not be described as a “stiff” jab.

In the clips I watched, the right hand is the punch that most often comes in spots behind the jab. It is only thrown occasionally and only when Dinu sees an opening. It is thrown in a looping motion and though it is a punch that has hurt inferior foes it does not seem like a punch that the better heavyweights would fear.

Defensively, there are some areas of concern. In all the clips I watched, Dinu often held his left hand low. Maybe this was a tactic to bait opponents into throwing but against better heavyweights this could be disastrous. And head movement seems nonexistent.

Bogdan Dinu may have a glossy record but frankly I think Miller’s last opponent, 41-year-old Tomasz Adamek, posed more of a threat. The power of Dinu is not as good as the record indicates, he doesn’t possess much in terms of hand speed and he is just not that athletic inside the ring. Defensively, unless he tightens some things up he will be easy pickings for the heavy handed Miller. To my eyes, this fight ends whenever “Big Baby” wants it to end.

The “Mean Machine” Faces a Dangerous Test

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN returns this week from the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, OK. The card is headlined by WBO 140-pound champion Maurice Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KO’s) making his first title defense against Oklahoma City’s own Alex Saucedo (28-0, 18 KO’s). While this should be a very good fight, it is the main undercard bout that has more of my interest. That contest features a battle of undefeated welterweights when Egidijus “The Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KO’s) takes on Roberto Arriaza (17-0, 13 KO’s).

Those who know me know that for quite some time I have been very high on Kavaliauskas. Coming up the ladder, there just seemed to be something potentially very special about him. It just wasn’t that he was winning and knocking opponents out, it was the way he was knocking them out that was opening eyes. Kavaliauskas was displaying eye popping heavy handed power along with speed that had some, including myself, thinking not only that he’d be a future champion but a future superstar wrecking ball in the mode of Gennady Golovkin.

However, despite the fact the he has kept on winning, Kavaliauskas, now 30, has not looked as dominant as he has stepped up in class. The power just has not looked the same and he does not appear to be growing as a fighter. Most recently, he struggled against veteran Juan Carlos Abreu. Kavaliauskas was unable to cut off the ring, often was too squared up to land an effective punch, and lacked head movement which resulted in him getting caught clean in spots. The lack of progression at this stage in his career has to be concerning for him and his team.

In Arriaza, a 28-year-old Nicaraguan, Kavaliauskas is facing his most dangerous opponent to date. Arriaza is a big strong welterweight and an aggressive fighter by nature. But it is not reckless aggression. He will look to get into the range of his opponents using a stiff well timed left jab. Once in range, he will look to land the right hand. That right hand has scored some highlight reel knockouts including one this past May in a quick destruction of then 13-1 Sammy Valentin.

This has the potential, given the aggressive styles and punching power of both fighters, to be quite a barnburner. It is also a high stakes welterweight fight with the winner being rumored to get in the mix to be the next to fight Terence Crawford. For Kavaliauskas in particular, it’s sink or swim time.

If Usyk Moves To Heavyweight, Who Could He Fight Next?

Unified cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (16-0, 12 KO’s) scored an emphatic eighth round knockout of Tony Bellew this past Saturday night. With the win, Usyk has now basically defeated all top contenders in the cruiserweight division. His next challenge appears to be north in the heavyweight division. Here are some possible opponents for his first fight as a heavyweight.

Trevor Bryan (20-0, 14 KO’s)

Bryan’s name is going to start coming up more and more as an opponent for the elite heavyweights. He is undefeated, has an interim title belt and is not tied contractually to any of the various television outlets. He would be the perfect choice for Usyk as he is a smallish heavyweight and Usyk would be fighting for some sort of belt right off the bat. Plus, although undefeated, Bryan would be a step down from anyone Usyk has fought in the last couple of years.

Andrey Fedosov (31-3, 25 KO’s)

Fedosov has won seven straight since losing to Bryant Jennings in 2013. He won the ESPN Boxcino Tournament in 2015 and is coming off a career best win against Joey Dawejko. Like Bryan, Fedosov is a smaller heavyweight and has no television contracts to impede a fight. Though solid, Fedosov is a plodding fighter who is easy to hit and stylistically makes for a good opponent for Usyk to test the waters in the division.

Bryant Jennings (24-2, 14 KO’s)

Usyk has a history of jumping right into the thick of things. If he wants to fight a top heavyweight contender right away, that opponent could very well be Jennings who is on a five fight winning streak since suffering back to back losses in 2015 to Wladimir Klitschko and Luis Ortiz. Like the others on this list, Jennings is also not a big heavyweight. Cutting a deal with Jennings would mean finding a way to work things out with Top Rank/ESPN. This could get a bit tricky but nothing that couldn’t be overcome. A dominant win against Jennings would instantly make Usyk a viable contender for the elites in the division.

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