It’s a game of fine margins. If you want to ask someone how close you could come to becoming a world champion, only to miss it by a whisker, you should probably dial up Giovani Santillan. But the American fighter is ready to put his past behind him and make a fresh start. After all, a couple of wins could again land him the opportunity to lay hands on the gold strap. Will he be able to give another push to his title ambitions, or will Frederick Lawson rise to the occasion and shock the boxing world?

The fans will get the answer when the two welterweights clash on the undercard of Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez on December 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. The fight offers fans a classic, high-paced action encounter with implications for the title picture. Before the two boxers walk to the squared circle, let’s have a look at how they stack up.

Giovani Santillan vs. Frederick Lawson: Tale of Tape

Santillan, 32, is your no-nonsense fighter, who has eyes on the prize, and he is willing to get to it by engaging in exchanges and putting on a charge. He has swayed fans with his technical prowess and a sharp flow of heavy punches. It’s no wonder he didn’t lose a single fight until he met Brian Norman Jr. in his last fight, where a gushing fountain from his face affected his performance, and the bloody affair ended in a loss for him. But the San Diego native still boasts an impressive record of 32-1 with 17 KOs. His KO ratio of 53.13% also suggested his focus on aggression and a perfect balance between defense and offense.

How does Santillan do that? By forcing his way into the inside. And he utilizes his body dimensions to do it. He stands tall at 5’8″ (173 cm), which allows him to stand and impose his will on his competitors. His reach of 68½”(174 cm) enables him to take the offensive route and stack punches behind the jab. Meanwhile, Lawson stands in contrast to him.

Lawson, 35, is the older of the two and is more experienced. The Ghanaian fighter has more fights under his belt, and his jabs and counter-attach-centric approach make him a tough foe inside the ring. Despite the initial promise, he failed to convert his skills into a world title challenge. His recent 2-fight loss slump also paints a similar picture, which pushed him down the division hierarchy and to a record of 30-5 with 22 KOs. But when you look at his fights, his power catches up with surprise.

The Accra native packs a lot of power behind his right punch, and you can realize the same after looking at his KO ratio of 73.33%. In addition, he also carries the size advantage. His height measures 5’9″ (175 cm), and his reach of 70″ (178 cm) gives him a two-inch reach advantage because of his long levers. This gives him an advantage, at least on the paper. But how will the fight pan out?

Prediction: who wins it?

It’s a straight toss-up between Santillan’s relentless pressure and volume punching and Lawson’s technical boxing and counter-punching ability. You could expect Santillan to put in a high work rate, come inside, target the body, and unload combinations to break down Lawson. The latter will happily sit back, launch jabs, and look for openings to land his heavy counters. His defensive awareness and adaptability allow him to do it. What’s more? If you look at Lawson’s resume, he has fought the likes of Vergil Ortiz Jr., and that experience will come in handy. ‘General Okunka’s experience is the key for him to bag a win.

But Lawson’s slump is also a concern. Whereas, Santillan is looking to bounce back from his fresh loss. ‘Gallo de Oro’ would rely on his durability and ring-cutting ability to disrupt the fight’s rhythm. He could wear down Lawson this way and seize the win, and that’s how we see the action unfold in the night. But you can’t simply count Lawson out because of his tactical ability and his skills.

What do you make of this coming fight between Giovani Santillan and Frederick Lawson? Who do you think will leave the arena with a win? Let us know in the comments below.