Lateef Kayode vs Felix Cora Jr.

Nigerian cruiserweight prospect Lateef “Power” Kayode (left) remained unbeaten Saturday night on ShoBox from Hinckley, Minn. but he was partially exposed by Felix Cora Jr. and looked less than ready for a world title shot. It’s a far cry from one year ago when a string of KOs had Freddie Roach protege looking like the next big thing at heavyweight. At this point Kayode would be no match for the likes of Steve Cunningham or Antonio Tarver at 200 lbs.

Cora’s best days are behind him but he possessed enough boxing skill and physical ability to challenge Kayode, whose power has evaporated as his competition improves. Kayode spent much of the fight moving backward, a distinct reversal from his earlier, menacing style in the ring. His right looked sloppy and he rarely landed it to good effect. If he wants to win a world title some serious soul-searching is required. Perhaps the folks at the Wild Card Gym have spent too much emphasizing boxing, when they should make it clear to Lateef that the first objective is to win.