Stevens vs. N’Dam Preview and Prediction

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    downloadCurtis Stevens (27-4 20 KO’s) the Panamanian, American Boxer from Brooklyn is aiming for another chance at a Middleweight world title. He will first have to get through Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (30-1 KO’s 18) the former WBO Middleweight world titleholder whose only defeat came from the hands of Peter Quillen. Both Stevens and N’Dam are two talented fighters who know a victory here will be an important step forward in their careers. The fight is scheduled is take place in Santa Monica, California and aired on ESPN2 on Oct. 1.

    Here is the Breakdown of the Fight:

    Physical Stature

    Stevens/N’Dam

    Curtis Stevens standing at 5’7 will be much shorter than his opponent Hassan N’Dam who stands at 5’11. This will play a critical role in the fight given each fighter’s style. N’Dam is a boxer who utilizes his reach and footwork in the middle of the ring which will create problems for Stevens. It will be up to Stevens to cut the distance and force N’Dam to exchange on the inside. Stevens is not known to be extremely talented in closing the gap, but N’Dam is a fighter who doesn’t shy away from exchanges on the inside at certain points in the fight.

    Power and Chin

    Stevens

    Stevens has very solid power as his record indicates. Even if he falls behind in the scorecards, he always has a puncher’s chance to score a knockdown. N’Dam does not have the sturdiest chin, but seems to have the ability to recover well when staggered. N’Dam was knocked down six times in his fight against Peter Quillin, but surprisingly still managed to win the majority of the rounds according to Showtime’s unofficial scoring at ringside. He undoubtedly lost the fight because he lost too many points on the knockdowns he suffered, but he showed he knows how to utilize his legs, fight back, and shake off any cobwebs after being hurt.

    N’Dam

    N’Dam does not punch as hard as Stevens, but still maintains enough power to gain his opponent’s respect. Given the fact Stevens was staggered multiple times by Jesse Brinkley a fighter who is not known to be a big puncher, it will not come as a shock if N’Dam can put Stevens on the canvas. If N’Dam does score a knockdown it will likely come from an accumulation of punches throughout the fight. The ability to score a one-punch knockout has not been evident in the arsenal of N’Dam.

    Defense

    Stevens

    Curtis Stevens’ defensive style is to maintain the high guard, and use subtle foot and head movement to avoid punches. At times Stevens finds himself in a predicament when he remains stationary with a high guard and allows his opponent to throw a multitude of punches, while only trying to counter with single shots. The problem with this is when Stevens answers back with a single punch and not a combination of his own, this allows his opponent to win rounds based off activity. Also Stevens is not a defensive wizard, his high guard can be penetrated especially to the body.

    N’Dam

    N’Dam has solid defense. He utilizes his footwork and is very reactive to everything his opponent does, meaning he hardly loses his focus in a fight. N’Dam also knows how to fight from a safe range where he can land punches without being hit back. The biggest issue N’Dam faces is his susceptibility to let himself be drawn into exchanges on the inside. Despite doing great work from the outside, N’Dam has the tendency to get in the inside and have small exchanges. This can be his downfall against Stevens. N’Dam has also shown to be vulnerable to lunging left hooks, which is a punch Stevens throws multiple times in a fight. Quillin was able to land this particular punch many times on N’Dam.

    Speed

    Stevens/N’Dam

    Curtin Stevens and Hassan N’Dam are nearly identical in regards to hand speed. N’Dam’s only advantage in this department is his footwork. He is a lot lighter on his feet than Stevens, which should assist him in avoiding punches, and setting up his offense. N’Dam’s footwork compliments his fighting style.

    Combinations

    Stevens

    Curtis Stevens does best when he initiates the action. This is what he will have to do against N’Dam. One of the biggest liabilities for Stevens is the tendency to behave as a counterpuncher. There have been large portions of the fight where he waits for his opponent to throw a combination to throw his own punches. He does this to try and force his opponent to get into exchanges, or to create traps. Stevens tends to rely on his left hook on the inside during exchanges. He tends to try and counter with short hooks, which is a difficult punch to land on a taller, rangier fighter. This can cause N’Dam to control a lot of rounds by throwing his punches from a safe distance from the outside. Fortunately for Stevens, N’Dam has the tendency to get into exchanges on the inside even when he doesn’t have to.

    N’Dam

    N’Dam is a good fighter on the outside because he has a very effective stiff jab. The issue is he doesn’t use his jab as much in the later rounds. N’Dam is a fighter who sometimes does not shy away from exchanges, even if he gets caught in the middle of a combination. This can cause him to get into a lot of trouble against Stevens. N’Dam is a very good combination puncher, but can sometimes get careless.

    Conclusion

    Hassan N’Dam is the more likely candidate to walk away with a unanimous decision  victory. He will utilize his footwork, size, and jab to outbox Stevens in the center of the ring. When N’Dam does get into exchanges on the inside he may go down, but he has shown the ability to get back up and continue with the game plan. Stevens will remain a very dangerous fighter throughout the fight, but can still go down if N’Dam lands his own combinations. At the end of the night both fighters have a legitimate chance of getting a victory, but N’Dam’s style should prevail in a competitive fight.