A few hurdles on the path and a few steep learning curves—that’s how a boxer’s career shaped up. Canelo Alvarez went through the same. But he once faced a 17-year-old high school kid during sparring, and a decade later, that kid is on the same route—learn and upskill. And now only a fight or two separates Alexis Rocha from fighting for the world title. Can he follow in the footsteps of the Mexican champion and climb to the top? Or will he take a tumble against an undefeated prospect, Raul Curiel?

The fans will find it out when the two boxers clash in an unofficial title eliminator on December 14 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. The fight offers fans an exciting bout where the winner will be well placed to challenge for the title next, with the WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. But who will win it? Before the two fighters walk to the center of the ring, let’s have a look at how they stack up.

Alexis Rocha vs Raul Curiel: comparison of stats

Rocha, 27, is your typical aggressive and coming forward fighter, but in a southpaw stance with a heavy left. You can easily visualize him putting pressure on opponents with his quick pair of hand-swift footwork. While he amassed tremendous success, he also suffered two losses as opponents found him out. However, the American fighter managed to reinvent himself every time and now boasts a splendid record of 25-2 with 16 KOs. That’s the reason he has a KO ratio of 64%, which suggests his newfound balance of calculated aggression.

In addition, the Santa Ana native is skilled at imposing his physicality and body dimensions to have his way with his competitors. He stands tall at 5’10” (178 cm) and has a reach of 70.0″ (178 cm), which, as you can expect, allows him to control the fight’s pace and distance. It all comes together for him when he targets his foes’ midsection and sets them up for power shots. So, where does it leave Curiel?

Curiel, 29, is the elder of the two but has fewer fights under his belt. But when you see him fight, you can understand why he is this close to a title shot already. He is your typical Mexican fighter who brings his big heart and carnage into the fight. You can always expect him to take the fight to his opponents. The Tampico native mustered an unblemished record of 15-0 with 13 KOs. But it’s his penchant for knockouts that will thrill you, as suggested by his KO ratio of 86.67%.

However, Curiel carries a height disadvantage as his height measures 5’8″ (173 cm). Interestingly, he has the same reach as Rocha at 70.0″ (178 cm), which might affect how the fight will play out. He also carries a marginal disadvantage when it comes to weight, as he weighed 146.4 lbs (66.4 kg) compared to Rocha’s 146.5 lbs (66.5 kg). But how will these translate to performance in their fight?

Prediction: who wins it?

When you look at Rocha, you see an aggressive fighter, but we all show a different version of him in the fight with Santiago Dominguez. The more methodical one, the one who employed a jab, the one who was willing to go back on his off foot during the defense, and the one who dominated the fight on both the offense and defense front. That’s the new version of Rocha, who is versatile and adaptive. What’s more? He can use angles using his southpaw stance and land punches from an unorthodox angle.

Whereas, Curiel is your typical technical powerpuncher, who unloads crisp and accurate punches. He also has a high fighting IQ along with solid footwork. You can expect him to come out all guns blazing, with an intent to establish distance and time, whereas Rocha could tackle him with counters, which were on display in his last fight.

Here, the latter’s experience will come in handy, as he would look to wear Curiel down. A physical fight only benefits Rocha, and we have him winning the fight either on cards or a late stoppage. If Curiel can handle the pressure or weather the storm, his skills and ability to adapt can help him rack up a win.

What do you make of this coming fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel? Who do you think will leave the arena with a win? Let us know in the comments below.