When the match-up was initially made, I was fairly confident in Quigg to win against Munroe. Yet, the more I think about it, the more I'm beginning to side with Munroe.
We all know what Munroe is about. His average boxing attributes are counteracted by unbound stamina, iron resilience, a large will to win and his freakish strength at super bantamweight. His work in the ring might not be pretty, but it is effective and has established him as a dangerous fighter on the fringes of world class. Although he has failed to impress in recent fights with Isaeu and Miyagi, I don't see that as a sign that Munroe is fading; more so that he was unmotivated for those contests.
As for Quigg, I've been watching his progression closely since he stopped Voronin a few years ago. He has impressed me virtually every time I've seen him fight. Hard compact shots, swift offensive footwork, a tight guard, all the basics covered etc. Even against the plucky Gavin Reid he showed the ability to, somewhat, work on the back foot, opting to have a trial run with that game plan.
However, going back to footwork, I think that could be the key to this fight. As mentioned, offensively, Quigg's footwork is very good. He cuts the ring off well, moves and pivots to create angles for himself and is a good judge of range. Yet, it is his footwork when on the defensive that could be the most important factor. There's no doubt in my mind that, at some point, Quigg will have to go to war with Munroe in the latter stages of the fight, something he has not had to do so far in his boxing career. If he gets trapped on the ropes and allows Munroe to do his thing, it could prove ominous. If Quigg can manoeuvre himself away from the ropes and keep the action in the centre of the ring, it could prove decisive in his favour.
Other than being dropped by Schroeder and Arthur, and struggling with the latter in the early stages, Quigg has had it easy despite fighting a decent calibre of opposition. Being a big super bantamweight, he has always had the physical advantages, as well. But when he faces Munroe, he is not only facing a man that matches his physical attributes, but one that is by far and away his best opponent to date, a fighter that will not stop bringing the action to him and applying an unrelenting amount of pressure. Is Quigg really ready for such a step-up in class?
I fully believe Quigg has the right mental attributes and tools to succeed in this one, but I'm not convinced if he has the experience required to beat Munroe at this stage.
Quigg points or Munroe late stoppage are the methods of victory I've narrowed it down to, but I've yet to decide which one I'm going for.
atsch My bad.
