If you’re still craving the sweet science of boxing after last weekend’s shows on a rare Saturday night without the UFC, your port of call will come in once again this weekend. More pugilism is on the way this second weekend in July.
After holding OTX 8 two weeks ago, Overtime Boxing returns to live action this week in the same venue as the June 28 card. OTX 9 will return to Atlanta’s Overtime Elite Arena for a full night of action.
Live coverage begins at 7:30 pm ET/ 4:30 pm PT on DAZN and the DAZN Boxing YouTube channel. All told, barring any late adjustments to the card between now and Friday night, the final version of OTX 9 will feature seven fights inside the squared circle.
Super-Featherweights Do Battle in OTX 9 Main Event
Capping the night of action in the home city of the Falcons is a contest at super-featherweight in the OTX 9 main event. Undefeated Haven Brady Jr. (12-0, 5 KOs) puts his winning streak at stake when he squares off against Jesus Vasquez Jr. (11-2, 3 KOs). At stake: The Vacant WBC United States Silver Super-Featherweight Championship
This contest is an advertised maximum of eight rounds at three minutes per round to close the show. If, however, the fight is declared a draw on the scorecards, it then moves to a ninth round for the purposes of sudden-death overtime, with the victor of that round winning the match, as is the case with all fights in OTX.
Andre Rodriguez just eating those upper cuts 😳 @c4energy #EnergyThatHits #C4Energy pic.twitter.com/LZN4KBXNcm
— Overtime (@overtime) August 5, 2023
Fighter Comparison
Heading into the OTX 9 main event on Friday night, Jesus Vasquez Jr. stands as the taller man at 5-foot-8, compared to the 5-foot-6 frame of Haven Brady Jr. The undefeated Brady owns a 68 1/2-inch reach, with no such information accessible for Vasquez.
Currently, the oddsmakers have yet to release money lines for OTX 9 on Friday night. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Can “The Hitman” Remain Undefeated This Friday Night?
Haven Brady Jr., nicknamed “The Hitman,” has yet to lose thus far in his professional career. A veteran of Bob Arum‘s Top Rank Boxing, he returns to Overtime Boxing looking to build off of a sixth-round TKO victory over Waldemar Carrill (8-1, 4 KOs) back in March.
Two weeks after recording the stoppage of Carrill, Brady sat down with The Boxing Source‘s YouTube channel, discussing his effort.
“I feel like it was a great fight, a great turnout, a great experience,” Brady said. “I learned a lot in that fight. I definitely had adversity in there with the holding, also with him [referee Nate Mann] taking a point away, too. It was just a little different fight, but we still got our job done. I feel like it was a great performance overall. I had fun.”
During round five of the fight, Nate Mann docked a point from Haven Brady on the scorecards after he connected on an illegal punch to the back of Carrill’s head. Subsequently, Mann warned Brady not to land any further punches to the back of the head.
“I feel like he was showing a little favoritism [toward Carrill]”, Brady continued. “It took me a little longer to stop him because I kind of slowed down from the body and I kind of head-hunted because I didn’t want him to take a point or disqualify me because I know how it can be sometimes.”
Will he deliver another knockout performance this Friday?
Vasquez Looking to Overcome Age Difference
In the other corner, Jesus Vasquez Jr., himself a veteran of Top Rank, enters the OTX 9 main event on Friday night having posted a mark of 4-1 over his last five fights. Most recently, he returned to the win column with a third-round triumph (technical decision) against Jaime Garzon (0-8, 0 KOs) on March 22 in Carmen de Apicala, Colombia.
A key statistic to keep in mind here is the discrepancy in age between these two contestants in the headlining bout. Vasquez is 11 years the elder of Brady.
Last year, he talked to Canvas Rebel to discuss how pugilism has helped him along the journey called life.
“Boxing taught me to be mentally strong at a very young age,” Vasquez said. “With that, I became a well disciplined, dedicated, hard worker. I later became more confident in my skills and that [led] me to believe in myself, every level that I reached, I wanted to keep reaching higher and higher until I got to where I am now (a professional).”
He’ll need that discipline to be at a high level on Friday night.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
It’ll be another classic strength versus strength matchup in the OTX 9 main event. Who will win the day?
Haven Brady Jr. is Brutal
Haven Brady is a man who can make any opponent pay at any moment. One need look no further than the video of the fourth round of his win against Jose Argel in March of 2022.
Midway through the period, Brady scored with a combination before landing a punch to the head, causing Argel to fall backwards for a knockdown. Smelling blood in the water, Brady unloaded with a series of right-handed shots, ending with an uppercut to drop Argel to his knees before the referee waved off the action.
Watch for Haven Brady to land those right hands on Friday. If one of those shots happens to land square and true, he’ll have another knockout on his record.
Vasquez Has To Turn Up the Volume
In the other corner, Jesus Vasquez’ key to victory: Maintaining the pace of Haven Brady all the way through the fight on Friday. During his pro debut in 2018 vs. Eberado Lopez in Westminster, CO, Vasquez was quick to land punches, keeping Lopez off-balance and forcing him to go to the clinch several times throughout the match.
Even though Lopez and Vasquez traded combinations late in the first round, this contest was a clear case of one-way traffic during the four rounds that it lasted. Jesus Vasquez utilized his footwork advantageously in this match, giving Eberado Lopez little chance to attempt a counterattack, backing him up against the ring ropes at times.
If Vasquez is quick on the feet on Friday and throws combinations, he can disrupt Haven Brady’s offensive gameplan and turn the scorecards in his favor.
Final Thoughts
This contest looks as though it’ll be a fun scrap to watch. Enjoy the OTX 9 main event.
Prediction: Haven Brady by Fourth-Round Knockout.
