Boxing Preview: Erislandy Lara vs. Jan Zaveck

Junior middleweights

Erislandy Lara (21-2-2, 12 KOs) vs. Jan Zaveck (35-3, 19 KOs)

Erislandy Lara will put his junior middleweight title on the line for a second time when he meets Jan Zaveck in the headliner of a Premier Boxing Champions card on ESPN Wednesday night. The event takes place at Hialeah Park Racing and Casino in Miami and starts at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on the Worldwide Leader.

Lara, who earned 154-pound gold with a unanimous verdict over Ishe Smith last year, was dominant in his first title defense, as he outpointed Delvin Rodriguez in a lopsided contest on June 12. Zaveck, a former 147-pound champion, has won three straight bouts since falling to Keith Thurman in 2013. A decorated amateur boxer in his native Cuba, Lara figures to have the crowd behind him come fight night in a clash in which he will be heavily favored.

The Matchup: At a glance, this appears to be another creampuff title defense for Lara, who won all 12 rounds and scored one knockdown against an overmatched Rodriguez earlier this year. The 32-year-old Houston based fighter is undoubtedly one of the sport’s great talents, but his slick defensive style is not exactly fan friendly. Considering the advantages he seems to possess over Zaveck, this could very well be another fight in which Lara banks all 12 rounds in a lopsided snoozer.

Zaveck is going to struggle with his southpaw opponent’s reach, speed and technical prowess. The Germany-based Slovenian is past his prime at 39 years old, and his last three victories against the lightly-regarded trio of Sebastien Allais, Ferec Hafner and Sasha Yengoyan do little to inspire confidence that he can threaten the champion. Zaveck will be difficult to put away -- he went the distance with Keith Thurman in his most recent defeat – and is well conditioned, but he will find offense difficult to come by against a proficient counter puncher such as Lara.

The Cuban will put his seven-inch reach advantage to good use as he lands punches before circling out of danger to maintain a comfortable distance. While Zaveck is adept at firing back in combination when hit, it’s unlikely that he will find the quicker Lara waiting for him on the reply.

Lara is most successful when he can bait his foes into chasing him, allowing him to set up his counter left hand. He also uses his jab as a setup, but he can fall victim to inactivity when a savvy adversary refuses to fall into his traps. Lara’s tendency to overlook his own offense while seeking countering opportunities has cost him in the past, most notably in a controversial split decision loss to Canelo Alvarez last year. Of course, Zaveck is no Alvarez, and while the Slovenian boxer owns a sturdy chin and a willing heart, he simply lacks the tools to truly threaten Lara.

The Pick: Zaveck wades forward often enough to allow Lara to rack up a lead with counters en route to an efficient -- but not enthralling -- decision triumph.