By Napoleon Fly
09/29/24
Ring Magazine’s Jake Donovan confirmed reports that a fight between WBO strawweight champion Oscar Collazo and WBA strawweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart is confirmed for the November 16th “Latino Night” card. Collazo was initially expected to face Edwin Cano Hernandez, but a substantial offer was made to CP Freshmart to replace Cano (Cano is guaranteed a shot at the winner).
In addition to the WBA and WBO titles, the Ring Magazine title will be on the line. This will be the first strawweight unification since the 2014 classic between WBO and IBF champions Francisco Rodriguez Jr and Katsunari Takayama. It will also be the first Ring title in strawweight history (the last lineal champion was Ricardo Lopez, who reigned while Ring Magazine suspended its championship in the 1990s).
The Making of Knockout CP Freshmart
CP Freshmart made his debut in 2012 after a career in Muay Thai, maneuvering himself to a shot at the interim WBA strawweight title against Carlos Buitrago in 2014. CP Freshmart won an extremely close decision against Buitrago, and was eventually granted a shot at full WBA champion Byron Rojas in 2016, whom he dethroned in another close fight. Since beating Rojas, CP Freshmart has defended strawweight title 12 times.
After defeating rival Wanheng Menayothin in July of 2022, CP Freshmart was ordered to face his mandatory, WBA regular strawweight champion Erick Rosa in March of 2023. However, visa issues by Rosa led to a last minute cancelation, despite attempts by promoter Petchinydee to resuscitate the fight by clearing Rosa through Thai customs. Attempts to reschedule the fight failed, as neither could come to mutually negotiated terms and promoters showed limited interest in the fight. Rosa eventually moved up in weight to pursue competing in the light flyweight division, leaving CP Freshmart without a fight for over two years.
CP Freshmart has since returned this September, knocking the ring rust off against top prospect Alex Winwood in Australia in a competitive fight. While CP Freshmart’s level of competition has been inconsistent throughout his reign, he holds 8 TBRB top ten wins: Buitrago (X2), Rojas (X2), Alexis Diaz, Chaozhong Xiong, Menayothin and Winwood, providing him experience against a wide variety of styles and attributes.
The Rise of Oscar Collazo
Photo Credit: Golden Boy
Collazo debuted in 2020 after a standout amateur career. He quickly rose to prominence by dominating TBRB #9 ranked former titleist Vic Saludar in 2022. After Saludar, Collazo stopped TBRB #3 ranked WBO champion (and current WBC champion) Melvin Jerusalem in 7 rounds in 2023, forcing Jerusalem to quit on the stool. Since his dynamite performance against Jerusalem, Collazo has remained active against regional contenders Garen Diagan, Reyneris Guttierez and the rugged Gerardo Zapata. Zapata gave Collazo his toughest fight yet where, despite winning clearly, Collazo showed moments of vulnerability.
What’s At Stake?
A Collazo/CP Freshmart fight offers both men a chance at a legacy defining win. It would be the biggest win of either man’s careers yet and would cement the winner’s status as the man of the division and a pound for pound fighter. Should the young Puerto Rican lion beat the established Thai champion it will be the capstone of a meteoric ascent at strawweight. For CP Freshmart, beating Colazo will cement his legacy as the greatest strawweight of the last decade and elevate him in all time strawweight discussions. More importantly, it will disprove criticisms of his willingness to fight the best which have dogged his career.
How Do They Match Up?
Photo Credit: Golden Boy
Stylistically, Collazo resembles Vasyl Lomachenko: an educated, dynamic pressure fighter with power, punch variety, unorthodox angles and brilliant footwork. CP Freshmart’s style has been compared to an orthodox Manny Pacquiao. While the comparison is valid, CP Freshmart is a versatile fighter capable of making adjustments and fighting different styles. Against Amit Panghal he was a mauling inside fighter. Against Robert Paradero he was a counterpuncher willing to shell up and absorb punches to measure and time his opponent. Against Winwood he was a low volume, hard punching Caneloesque stalker. Whether CP Freshmart’s historically prodigious workrate is still around unclear, but even if not his ring IQ and versatility will challenge Collazo.
Who Wins?
Both men have the same reach while Collazo is one inch taller, Collazo a southpaw and CP Freshmart orthodox. Who wins will be difficult to know, but my guess is that Collazo will overcome difficulties in the middle rounds to win a decision.
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