Junior middleweight Shawn Michael Sarembock is scheduled to face Jesus Emmanuel Villa on Friday at the Grand Hotel in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Villa is a tough experienced opponent.
Sarembock, a 32 year old from Arizona, boasts a record of 8-0 with 8 KOs. A poised and patient fighter, Shawn has fought all of his bouts in Tijuana. He earns most of his knockouts with precise punch placement and timing. He last fought this past March scoring a fourth round TKO against Miguel Reyes.
Villa (5-8-2, one KO) is much better than his record suggests. The 29 year old from Mexico City started his career 1-4 but has greatly improved since. He is 2-0-2 in his last four fights against opponents with a combined record of 24-1-3. Villa is three years younger, but has more pro experience than Sarembock, has been more active, and has faced the better opposition.
A man of many names, Jesus often fights under the name of Emmanuel Villa. He had gone by the nickname "Jaguar" when he landed a stunning knockout with a left hook during an exchange in the third round of his debut against Brian Perez in 2013. Incidentally, Perez won his next eight fights. Villa, however, lost his next four.
The low point likely came against Isaac Rivas in 2017. Villa never got into the fight against the 2-6 Rivas and ate combinations until the fight was stopped a minute and half after it began. Villa complained about the stoppage, but he had performed poorly.
Villa then beat a 3-0 guy and a 1-0 foe before dropping a decision in Canada to Montreal's Hamza Khabbaz. In the second round of Villa's next fight, Diego Carmona landed a picture perfect uppercut that momentarily froze the "Jaguar" before he fell backwards to the canvas for a spectacular knockout.
Villa, who now uses the less terrifying nickname "Morgan," came back to give Albert "Suavecito" Paredes and Luis "Cotto" Vidales two competitive fights. Morgan Villa's left hook continued to be his best punch. His hands were active if not always purposeful. A headhunter, Villa throws away several punches just to land the right. Paredes and Vidales both thrived when they forced Villa to fight off the backfoot. Those fights were eight and ten rounds respectively, so both Paredes and Vidales slowed in the middle rounds allowing for Villa to come forward and successfully bang.
Dariniel Sanchez, 8-1 at the time, tried to box "Morgan" in their November, 2021 fight. That strategy played right into Villa's hands as he controlled center ring and threw power shots while Sanchez mostly jabbed. Though Villa was the underdog, the judges in Mexico rewarded his activity. Villa's last three fights were all against undefeated opponents and have all taken place since Sarembock last fought.
Defensively, Sarembock is far superior. Villa is quite hittable, but while his chin is not quite made of granite, it's likely made of some slightly less indestructible rock, something along the lines of basalt. He'll rely on that basalt chin because he doesn't concern himself much with blocking or slipping incoming fire. Villa's height has never been listed, but he's always the shorter man, so Shawn will have the height and reach advantage. Sarembock also possesses the better skills, technique, and ring IQ.
Sarembock-Villa is scheduled for six rounds.
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