IBF junior middleweight champion Jarrett Hurd is looking to be the best at 154. In order to be the man, you have to beat the man.
Hurd(21-0, 15 KOs)hopes to do that on April 7 against WBA champion Erislandy Lara((25-2-2, 14 KOs) in an unification fight at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas(SHOWTIME).
Hurd, 27, believes he can put the same type of pressure on Lara that Alfredo Angulo did when Angulo dropped Lara twice in their fight back in 2013. Ultimately, Lara would win the fight, but Angulo had his moments.
According to Hurd, who is on a seven fight knockout streak, he brings more to the table than Angulo:
“As far as the past Angulo thing, nothing to take away from Angulo,” Hurd said during a conference call on Thursday. “He’s a great fighter, he’s done great things, but I’m much faster than Angulo, much sharp than Angulo, hit harder than Angulo and I’m a much bigger guy.
“So, physically, when I’m in there, on him in the ring, he’s going to feel it. He couldn’t take the pressure and the style from Angulo. He’s going to be in for a long night when he fights me.”
However, Lara, 34, who is the longest reigning champion at 154, is not concerned about Hurd’s pressure:
“Well, Angulo connected on me twice, but don’t forget how that fight finished,” Lara said via a translator. “I ended Angulo’s career. I ruined his career, and I put him out of the top level of boxing.
“If Jarrett Hurd thinks he’s going to come like that, I’m going to end his career too, at 27- years-old. So come April 7, I’m hoping he puts that pressure so I could ruin his career for all the talking that he’s been doing.”
Lara likes to box; Hurd likes to bang. As we know, styles make fights! We’ll see what styles prevails on April 7.
Photo: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
