When Roiman Villa last entered the ring, he expected himself to go where no one had gone before—handing a defeat to Jaron Ennis. But it didn’t take long before he saw his ambition and will shatter in the second round, where he splattered hot liquid from his nose. He suffered a fractured nose, and it effectively ended the fight before even the fans felt the heat of it. What followed was a 10-round punishment and a knockout. However, the Venezuelan fighter has since recovered after a long break and is now gunning to reach the top again. Will he be able to do it? Or will the scar of the last fight psychologically affect him against Ricardo Salas too?

The fans will witness a pair of aggressive and explosive welterweight boxers take center stage at the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga bill. The fight will feature on the preliminary card but has the potential to seize headlines because of its promising high-octane action. But before that happens, let’s have a look at how the two boxers stack up.

Roiman Villa vs. Ricardo Salas: Tale of Tape

Villa showed the early signs of the next big thing at 147, when he went 19-0 in his career, with all wins coming through a KO. His ability to unload heavy punches with both hands and his relentless pressure and volume punching threatened everyone, who stepped into the ring with him. At 31, he has already perfected his style, and with one unfortunate controversial decision against Marcos Villasana, and a KO loss to ‘Boots,’ he boasts an impressive record of 26-2 with 24 KOs.

What has helped the Rosario native become a formidable threat is his fan-friendly style and his aggression. His staggering KO ratio of 92.31% suggests the power he carries behind his punches. In addition, Villa also carries the size advantage with his tall height of 5’10” (178 cm), which adds to his daunting presence. His reach of 72″ (183 cm) enables him to intercept his opponent’s blows and unleash powerful punches of his own. In sum, Villa is a brute force of nature, with a hunger to return to winning ways. Will he be too much to handle for Salas?

Salas, at 25, is also well-equipped with the same weapons as Villa. He is the perfect embodiment of a Mexican fighter, ready to go to war and fight with a heart. However, his recent outings have produced mixed results, with 2 draws sandwiched between three KOs. Not to mention his loss against Julio Luna Avila in a close encounter that started it all. Yet, the Mexico City native has a splendid record of 19-2 with 14 KOs to show up for his exploits. His KO ratio of 73.68% also hints at his knockout power and his forward-coming style. He seems to compensate for his size disadvantage with power, as he stands tall at 5’6½” (169 cm), which makes him vulnerable to taller foes. Salas’ reach of 70.5″ (179 cm) also puts him on the back foot when comparing dimensions. But it begs a different question. Does he have enough to cause an upset against Villa?

Prediction: Where will the fight be won?

What separates Villa from the rest? He is the complete package and has a penchant for knockouts. ‘Flaco de Oro’s experience makes his case stronger. He also has fought the best that the 147-pound division has to offer, including Ennis. But he is coming off a layoff with the concerns of ring rust affecting his style of play. He could take some time in the fight to adjust to the action, and that’s the time Salas could utilize to dictate the face of the fight.

Salas, on the other hand, is high on confidence as he comes into the fight on the heels of a knockout win. ‘Magic Man’ also has youth and age advantage, which could allow him to resort to volume punching and set up Villa with nasty combinations. But he would have to adjust to the taller dimensions of Villa. If he fails to, he will have a painful and short night in the office. Despite the layoff and activity questions, Villa could bag the win, but Salas won’t make it an easy affair.

What do you make of this coming fight between Roiman Villa and Ricardo Salas? Who do you believe will leave the arena as a victor? Let us know in the comments below.