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Boxing
- Thread starter Sean
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Sean
Well-Known Member
Saturday 2nd December -
Michael Conlan v Jordan Gill
Should be a good fight this one , Conlan (20 Fights - 18 Wins (9 KOs) - 2 Losses) arrives on the back of a loss to Luis Alberto Lopez , prior to that he had put away Karim Guerfi by stoppage and Miguel Marriaga by decision , and before that the unforgettable battle royale with Leigh Wood where he was stopped late on after looking as though he'd done enough up until that point. Jordan Gill (30 Fights - 27 Wins (8 KOs) - 2 Losses - 1 Draw) also comes into this on the back of a loss , a one sided battering by Kiko Martinez , so both have things to prove , which should make for an entertaining fight. Both are moving up in weight and both , in all fairness , have to win this one , to see any chance of being seen as potential contenders , especially Conlan whose now had two cracks at world titles and fallen short both times. Both are decent solid boxers , but i'd say for me Conlan is the better of the two , and given his amateur resume , its a bit surprising that Conlan hasnt gone further than he has tbh. Both have been in proper battles and i think that could well have taken a bit of them , but as this bout is taking place in Belfast i think that will help Conlans cause , and i see him coming out on top. I think theres a fair chance of a stoppage but a points win wouldnt come as the greatest shock i have to be honest , but i think Conlan is going to want to put on a show and stop his opponent if at all possible.
Michael Conlan To Win By Stoppage (Rounds 7-10)
Ryan Garcia v Oscar Duarte
First fight for Garcia (24 Fights - 23 Wins (19 KOs) - 1 Loss) since losing to 'Tank' Davis back in April of this year , so it'll be interesting to see how he fares in his first fight since that loss , hes changed trainers (Left Joe Goosen to go with Derrick James) and from what i can see he looks comfortable and confident so thats a good sign , but until he gets in the ring we wont know for sure it has to be said. His opponent Oscar Duarte (28 Fights - 26 Wins (21 KOs) - 1 Loss - 1 Draw) looks the part on paper , no denying that , and hes not a bad boxer , but he hasnt met anyone of any note in his career as yet , probably the best hes faced to date is Adrian Estrella who handed him his first and only loss thus far , beating him by unanimous decision , theres no denying he has power , with an 80.77% KO ratio , so Garcia has to be careful not to get tagged , but his overall boxing skills imho fall below what Garcia is used to having faced the likes of Gervonta Davis , Luke Campbell et al .. Garcia was hailed as an all beating superstar but came up woefully short against Tank Davis last time , but as Duarte is nowhere near the level of Davis' i'd expect a victory here for Garcia to see him back on track. There are pitfalls though , as i said Duarte can punch , and punch hard , so Garcia is gonna have to be careful not to get tagged , plus hes making his debut in the 140 division so hes not gonna be able to use his height , reach and weight as effectively as he did in the lighter division , in fact Duarte is slightly taller and has the longer reach , but im still finding it hard to see Garcia losing this one given their boxing styles. Garcia has fast hands and is very effective with his left hook , which i noticed that Duarte could well be susceptible to , and as hes an offensive fighter i can see Garcia countering him and catching him multiple times. If back on song , and fully recovered , physically and mentally , from his loss to Davis , then i cant see past Garcia for this one , although Duarte could make it difficult for him along the way.
Ryan Garcia To Win
Michael Conlan v Jordan Gill
Should be a good fight this one , Conlan (20 Fights - 18 Wins (9 KOs) - 2 Losses) arrives on the back of a loss to Luis Alberto Lopez , prior to that he had put away Karim Guerfi by stoppage and Miguel Marriaga by decision , and before that the unforgettable battle royale with Leigh Wood where he was stopped late on after looking as though he'd done enough up until that point. Jordan Gill (30 Fights - 27 Wins (8 KOs) - 2 Losses - 1 Draw) also comes into this on the back of a loss , a one sided battering by Kiko Martinez , so both have things to prove , which should make for an entertaining fight. Both are moving up in weight and both , in all fairness , have to win this one , to see any chance of being seen as potential contenders , especially Conlan whose now had two cracks at world titles and fallen short both times. Both are decent solid boxers , but i'd say for me Conlan is the better of the two , and given his amateur resume , its a bit surprising that Conlan hasnt gone further than he has tbh. Both have been in proper battles and i think that could well have taken a bit of them , but as this bout is taking place in Belfast i think that will help Conlans cause , and i see him coming out on top. I think theres a fair chance of a stoppage but a points win wouldnt come as the greatest shock i have to be honest , but i think Conlan is going to want to put on a show and stop his opponent if at all possible.
Michael Conlan To Win By Stoppage (Rounds 7-10)
Ryan Garcia v Oscar Duarte
First fight for Garcia (24 Fights - 23 Wins (19 KOs) - 1 Loss) since losing to 'Tank' Davis back in April of this year , so it'll be interesting to see how he fares in his first fight since that loss , hes changed trainers (Left Joe Goosen to go with Derrick James) and from what i can see he looks comfortable and confident so thats a good sign , but until he gets in the ring we wont know for sure it has to be said. His opponent Oscar Duarte (28 Fights - 26 Wins (21 KOs) - 1 Loss - 1 Draw) looks the part on paper , no denying that , and hes not a bad boxer , but he hasnt met anyone of any note in his career as yet , probably the best hes faced to date is Adrian Estrella who handed him his first and only loss thus far , beating him by unanimous decision , theres no denying he has power , with an 80.77% KO ratio , so Garcia has to be careful not to get tagged , but his overall boxing skills imho fall below what Garcia is used to having faced the likes of Gervonta Davis , Luke Campbell et al .. Garcia was hailed as an all beating superstar but came up woefully short against Tank Davis last time , but as Duarte is nowhere near the level of Davis' i'd expect a victory here for Garcia to see him back on track. There are pitfalls though , as i said Duarte can punch , and punch hard , so Garcia is gonna have to be careful not to get tagged , plus hes making his debut in the 140 division so hes not gonna be able to use his height , reach and weight as effectively as he did in the lighter division , in fact Duarte is slightly taller and has the longer reach , but im still finding it hard to see Garcia losing this one given their boxing styles. Garcia has fast hands and is very effective with his left hook , which i noticed that Duarte could well be susceptible to , and as hes an offensive fighter i can see Garcia countering him and catching him multiple times. If back on song , and fully recovered , physically and mentally , from his loss to Davis , then i cant see past Garcia for this one , although Duarte could make it difficult for him along the way.
Ryan Garcia To Win
Sean
Well-Known Member
Sean
Well-Known Member
Saturday 9th December -
Regis Prograis v Devin Haney
Looking forward to this one as it should be a good fight between two solid boxers , Prograis (30 Fights - 29 Wins (24 KOs) - 1 Loss) is the current WBC light welterweight champ and is currently on a five match winning streak since losing to Josh Taylor back in 2019 , whilst the unbeaten Haney (30 Fights (15 KOs)) who is currently the unified lightweight champion , holding the IBF,WBO,WBA(Super) and Ring straps , makes his first foray into the super lightweight/light welterweight division to challenge for Prograis' title. As i said at the beginning of the write up this should be a good bout to watch , you have the sleeky skills of Haney against the power of Prograis , which for me makes for an entertaining fight. At 34 Prograis is beginning to show a few signs of slowing down imho , and up against a fast , fleet footed Haney i think hes going to have difficulties closing the gap to land his power punches , Haney has a terrific work rate and whilst not known as a banger he is a very clever and sleek boxer who controls the tempo of the fight and his footwork makes sure he doesnt take to much punishment. He jabs and counters well and i think Prograis may well struggle to dominate and land in this one , i see Haney racking up the points / rounds early on and with his technical ability i can see him being too elusive for Prograis. With Prograis' power theres always a chance of a knockdown or a stoppage but in all honesty i'd be surprised if that happened , but then its boxing and stranger things have happened in the ring ! .. But for me Haney is gonna be too much for Prograis and i see the younger fighter making a successful step up and going home with the belt.
Devin Haney To Win .. By Decision
Ebanie Bridges v Miyo Yoshida
Interesting bout this one , Bridges (10 Fights - 9 Wins (4 KOs) - 1 Loss) takes on Yoshida (20 Fights - 16 Wins (0 KOs) - 4 Losses) meet for Bridges' IBF Bantanweight title , and i think it could be a decent fight to watch. Bridges only loss came to Shannon Courtenay in April 2021 when losing by UD , whilst Yoshida has lost three of her last five. The last loss on her resume came in November when she lost to Shuretta Metcalfe by UD for the vacant IBF Inter Continental Female Bantamweight title .. Yoshida is an intelligent boxer , and from what i've seen of her is technically profocient whilst Bridges is basically a brawler more than anything else , but she does use the ring well , she hunts her opponents down and engages them in a dogfight , and i dont think that this will suit Yoshida at all. The fact she has no stoppages at all on her resume suggests she relies solely on her boxing skills , which is fine in itself , but with someone like Bridges dogging you i dont think that thats going to be enough. I see Bridges going for Yoshida from the first bell , cutting off the ring , something she does extremely well , and breaking her down and i expect a stoppage in this one as i cant see Yoshida managing to keep out of the way for ten rounds. Bridges to win by stoppage would be my guess , with rounds 4-7 looking good to me.
Ebanie Bridges To Win .. By Stoppage (Round 4-7)
Robeisy Ramirez v Rafael Espinoza
Looking forward to this one , Ramirez (14 Fights - 13 Wins (8 KOs) - 1 Loss) is someone to keep an eye on , the 29 year old Cuban is a double Olympic champion and back in his amateur days beat the likes of Shakur Stevenson , Michael Conlan , Murodjhon Akhmadaliev and so the list continues .. he had one of the most decorated amateur careers in recent history , and as a Cuban thats saying something. Had a bit of a mare when turning pro , losing his initial fight but since then he hasnt looked back and looks as though hes getting better each fight. Won the vacant WBO Featherweight title in April of this year when beating Isaac Dogboe by unanimous decision , he then defended his title successfully when stopping Satoshi Shimizu in the fifth round back in July. He now has his second defence of the belt against Mexican Espinoza (21 Fights - 21 Wins (18 KOs)) , the unbeaten Espinoza is having his first fight outside his native country since 2015 , and arrives on the back of a second round stoppage against Ally Mwerangi. Hes on a bit of a stoppage streak at the moment with his last five fights ending by way of stoppage , and i think he'll be looking to end this one the same way. Although against someone like Ramirez he's gonna have to be at his very best and pull out all the stops imho. The thing about Espinoza is he's very rangy for a featherweight , tall with a long reach and he'll be looking to utilise these but someone of Ramirez's experience should be able to counter this and i think its gonna be an interesting fight. Espinoza is gonna have to use his jabs to keep Ramirez at bay , look for the opening and then let his power shots go , but because of Ramirez' experience and skill set i dont think hes gonna have too much success , hes fought taller and better fighters than Espinoza and i think he'll be trying to get in on the inside of him , and start breaking him down. I see a good fight with Ramirez keeping his title.
Robeisy Ramirez To Win
Regis Prograis v Devin Haney
Looking forward to this one as it should be a good fight between two solid boxers , Prograis (30 Fights - 29 Wins (24 KOs) - 1 Loss) is the current WBC light welterweight champ and is currently on a five match winning streak since losing to Josh Taylor back in 2019 , whilst the unbeaten Haney (30 Fights (15 KOs)) who is currently the unified lightweight champion , holding the IBF,WBO,WBA(Super) and Ring straps , makes his first foray into the super lightweight/light welterweight division to challenge for Prograis' title. As i said at the beginning of the write up this should be a good bout to watch , you have the sleeky skills of Haney against the power of Prograis , which for me makes for an entertaining fight. At 34 Prograis is beginning to show a few signs of slowing down imho , and up against a fast , fleet footed Haney i think hes going to have difficulties closing the gap to land his power punches , Haney has a terrific work rate and whilst not known as a banger he is a very clever and sleek boxer who controls the tempo of the fight and his footwork makes sure he doesnt take to much punishment. He jabs and counters well and i think Prograis may well struggle to dominate and land in this one , i see Haney racking up the points / rounds early on and with his technical ability i can see him being too elusive for Prograis. With Prograis' power theres always a chance of a knockdown or a stoppage but in all honesty i'd be surprised if that happened , but then its boxing and stranger things have happened in the ring ! .. But for me Haney is gonna be too much for Prograis and i see the younger fighter making a successful step up and going home with the belt.
Devin Haney To Win .. By Decision
Ebanie Bridges v Miyo Yoshida
Interesting bout this one , Bridges (10 Fights - 9 Wins (4 KOs) - 1 Loss) takes on Yoshida (20 Fights - 16 Wins (0 KOs) - 4 Losses) meet for Bridges' IBF Bantanweight title , and i think it could be a decent fight to watch. Bridges only loss came to Shannon Courtenay in April 2021 when losing by UD , whilst Yoshida has lost three of her last five. The last loss on her resume came in November when she lost to Shuretta Metcalfe by UD for the vacant IBF Inter Continental Female Bantamweight title .. Yoshida is an intelligent boxer , and from what i've seen of her is technically profocient whilst Bridges is basically a brawler more than anything else , but she does use the ring well , she hunts her opponents down and engages them in a dogfight , and i dont think that this will suit Yoshida at all. The fact she has no stoppages at all on her resume suggests she relies solely on her boxing skills , which is fine in itself , but with someone like Bridges dogging you i dont think that thats going to be enough. I see Bridges going for Yoshida from the first bell , cutting off the ring , something she does extremely well , and breaking her down and i expect a stoppage in this one as i cant see Yoshida managing to keep out of the way for ten rounds. Bridges to win by stoppage would be my guess , with rounds 4-7 looking good to me.
Ebanie Bridges To Win .. By Stoppage (Round 4-7)
Robeisy Ramirez v Rafael Espinoza
Looking forward to this one , Ramirez (14 Fights - 13 Wins (8 KOs) - 1 Loss) is someone to keep an eye on , the 29 year old Cuban is a double Olympic champion and back in his amateur days beat the likes of Shakur Stevenson , Michael Conlan , Murodjhon Akhmadaliev and so the list continues .. he had one of the most decorated amateur careers in recent history , and as a Cuban thats saying something. Had a bit of a mare when turning pro , losing his initial fight but since then he hasnt looked back and looks as though hes getting better each fight. Won the vacant WBO Featherweight title in April of this year when beating Isaac Dogboe by unanimous decision , he then defended his title successfully when stopping Satoshi Shimizu in the fifth round back in July. He now has his second defence of the belt against Mexican Espinoza (21 Fights - 21 Wins (18 KOs)) , the unbeaten Espinoza is having his first fight outside his native country since 2015 , and arrives on the back of a second round stoppage against Ally Mwerangi. Hes on a bit of a stoppage streak at the moment with his last five fights ending by way of stoppage , and i think he'll be looking to end this one the same way. Although against someone like Ramirez he's gonna have to be at his very best and pull out all the stops imho. The thing about Espinoza is he's very rangy for a featherweight , tall with a long reach and he'll be looking to utilise these but someone of Ramirez's experience should be able to counter this and i think its gonna be an interesting fight. Espinoza is gonna have to use his jabs to keep Ramirez at bay , look for the opening and then let his power shots go , but because of Ramirez' experience and skill set i dont think hes gonna have too much success , hes fought taller and better fighters than Espinoza and i think he'll be trying to get in on the inside of him , and start breaking him down. I see a good fight with Ramirez keeping his title.
Robeisy Ramirez To Win
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Sean
Well-Known Member
Sunday 10th December -
Chris Billam Smith v Mateusz Masternak
Looks a decent match up this one , Billam Smith (19 Fights - 18 Wins (12 KOs) - 1 Loss) puts his WBO Cruiserweight Title on the line when he meets Pole Masternak (52 Fights - 47 Wins (31 KOs) - 5 Losses) and i think it should be a good fight. Since losing to Yuniel Dorticos the challenger has racked up a winning sequence of six fights , three years older and a lot more experienced (turning pro back in 2006) , but to be honest those fights were against what i'd call mediocre opposition , and when he has come up against top class opposition ie Dorticus and Bellew for instance , hes lost , saying that he is a decent enough boxer , and i expect a good solid showing from him here , whilst Billam Smith took the title from the previously unbeaten Lawrence Okolie back in May and the sole loss on his record came back in 2019 when he lost a split decision to Richard Riakporhe , no shame in that one. Billiam Smith has a height and reach advantage which im sure he'll use to good effect , and its interesting i think that this will be Masternaks' first world title shot , hes getting on and though he isnt the force of old imho , he can still knock his opponents out , but think hes going to have difficulty trying to KO Billam Smith tbh , he likes to fight on the outside and use his jab , whilst maintaining a high defense , whereas Billam Smith likes to fight close up and doesnt mind mixing it up , i think he'll try and get Masternak on the back foot and onto the ropes and then get to work. As i say hopefulyl should be a good fight but im going with Billam Smith to retain his belt.
Chris Billam Smith To Win
Chris Billam Smith v Mateusz Masternak
Looks a decent match up this one , Billam Smith (19 Fights - 18 Wins (12 KOs) - 1 Loss) puts his WBO Cruiserweight Title on the line when he meets Pole Masternak (52 Fights - 47 Wins (31 KOs) - 5 Losses) and i think it should be a good fight. Since losing to Yuniel Dorticos the challenger has racked up a winning sequence of six fights , three years older and a lot more experienced (turning pro back in 2006) , but to be honest those fights were against what i'd call mediocre opposition , and when he has come up against top class opposition ie Dorticus and Bellew for instance , hes lost , saying that he is a decent enough boxer , and i expect a good solid showing from him here , whilst Billam Smith took the title from the previously unbeaten Lawrence Okolie back in May and the sole loss on his record came back in 2019 when he lost a split decision to Richard Riakporhe , no shame in that one. Billiam Smith has a height and reach advantage which im sure he'll use to good effect , and its interesting i think that this will be Masternaks' first world title shot , hes getting on and though he isnt the force of old imho , he can still knock his opponents out , but think hes going to have difficulty trying to KO Billam Smith tbh , he likes to fight on the outside and use his jab , whilst maintaining a high defense , whereas Billam Smith likes to fight close up and doesnt mind mixing it up , i think he'll try and get Masternak on the back foot and onto the ropes and then get to work. As i say hopefulyl should be a good fight but im going with Billam Smith to retain his belt.
Chris Billam Smith To Win
Sean
Well-Known Member
Devin Haney wins by decision
Rafael Espinoza wins by decision
Miyo Yushido wins by decision
Sean
Well-Known Member
Sean
Well-Known Member
Saturday 16th December -
Jesse Rodriquez v Sunny Edwards
Great looking fight this one and one i'm looking forward to i have to say , two very competent boxers who are putting their respective belts on the line , Rodriquez (18 Fights - 18 Wins (11 KOs)) won the WBO Flyweight belt in his last fight when he beat Christian Gonzalez by UD , whereas Edwards has held the IBF title since beating Moruti Mthlane back in April of 2021 , and has subsequently successfully defended the title four times , the last time was against Andres Campos who he beat by Unanimous Decision. Both fighters are unbeaten , which adds that little bit of flavour to the fight as one of them is going to lose their '0' , and both are technically sound , but Rodriquez carries more snap to his punches whereas , for me anyway , Edwards is probably the better boxer , and has better movement. Rodriquez has the height advantage and quite an advantage in the reach department which i can see him making good use of. When winning the title last time Rodriquez suffered a broken jaw (in the sixth round) so to go the distance and win shows what a tough fella he is , and it also shows the grit and determination he has , so Edwards is going to have to be at his very best here if hes to beat Rodriquez. This is a real 50/50 bout , it could easily go either way , as a Brit i obviously want Edwards to win , and i do rate him highly , but i also like Rodriquez , Edwards has yet to face someone like Rodriquez , who in all honesty will probably be his bets opponent to date , but on the flip side 'Bam' has yet to face anyone like Edwards who has a very frustrating and elusive style which makes him hard to tag cleanly , but he does seem to lack punching power which 'Bam' does possess , alongside a decent skill set and boxing brain. Im finding this one incredibly hard to make a decision about but .. im going to go for Bam Rodriquez , although im not that confident and could of easily sided with Edwards.
Jesse Rodriquez To Win
Murodjon Akhmadaliev v Kevin Gonzalez
Akhmadaliev (12 Fights - 11 Won (8 KOs) - 1 Loss) is coming into this after losing his WBA (Super) and IBF Super bantamweight belts to Marlon Tapales by split decision , in all fairness that could of gone either way tbh , so although he lost the belts he werent knocked out and / or out classed / outboxed and as hes only had the twelve fights to date i think theres still plenty of time for him to come good again , he took the belts from the decent Daniel Roman back in 2020 in only his eighth pro fight so that tells you that hes a talented fighter and he carries natural power , made three successful defences before losing to Tapales , his opponent is Mexican Kevin Gonzales (27 Fights - 26 Wins (13 KOs) - 1 Draw) , who is , at yet , unbeaten , the only 'blemish' on his record thus far is the draw against Adalberto Covarrubias back in 2018 , now although hes unbeaten he has yet to come up against some one of Akhmadalievs' calibre imho , hes fought some decent opponents like Antonio Guzman , who he stopped , and Akhmadaliev is gonna want to make a statement here and get back on track , so i think its gonna be a good fight to watch hopefully with both men going for it , but i think if hes at his best Akhmadaliev is going to prove to be too good for Gonzalez , although he wont go down without a fight , and may well cause a few problems along the way , but i see Akhmadaliev emerging the victor in this one.
Murodjan Akhmadaliev To Win
Jesse Rodriquez v Sunny Edwards
Great looking fight this one and one i'm looking forward to i have to say , two very competent boxers who are putting their respective belts on the line , Rodriquez (18 Fights - 18 Wins (11 KOs)) won the WBO Flyweight belt in his last fight when he beat Christian Gonzalez by UD , whereas Edwards has held the IBF title since beating Moruti Mthlane back in April of 2021 , and has subsequently successfully defended the title four times , the last time was against Andres Campos who he beat by Unanimous Decision. Both fighters are unbeaten , which adds that little bit of flavour to the fight as one of them is going to lose their '0' , and both are technically sound , but Rodriquez carries more snap to his punches whereas , for me anyway , Edwards is probably the better boxer , and has better movement. Rodriquez has the height advantage and quite an advantage in the reach department which i can see him making good use of. When winning the title last time Rodriquez suffered a broken jaw (in the sixth round) so to go the distance and win shows what a tough fella he is , and it also shows the grit and determination he has , so Edwards is going to have to be at his very best here if hes to beat Rodriquez. This is a real 50/50 bout , it could easily go either way , as a Brit i obviously want Edwards to win , and i do rate him highly , but i also like Rodriquez , Edwards has yet to face someone like Rodriquez , who in all honesty will probably be his bets opponent to date , but on the flip side 'Bam' has yet to face anyone like Edwards who has a very frustrating and elusive style which makes him hard to tag cleanly , but he does seem to lack punching power which 'Bam' does possess , alongside a decent skill set and boxing brain. Im finding this one incredibly hard to make a decision about but .. im going to go for Bam Rodriquez , although im not that confident and could of easily sided with Edwards.
Jesse Rodriquez To Win
Murodjon Akhmadaliev v Kevin Gonzalez
Akhmadaliev (12 Fights - 11 Won (8 KOs) - 1 Loss) is coming into this after losing his WBA (Super) and IBF Super bantamweight belts to Marlon Tapales by split decision , in all fairness that could of gone either way tbh , so although he lost the belts he werent knocked out and / or out classed / outboxed and as hes only had the twelve fights to date i think theres still plenty of time for him to come good again , he took the belts from the decent Daniel Roman back in 2020 in only his eighth pro fight so that tells you that hes a talented fighter and he carries natural power , made three successful defences before losing to Tapales , his opponent is Mexican Kevin Gonzales (27 Fights - 26 Wins (13 KOs) - 1 Draw) , who is , at yet , unbeaten , the only 'blemish' on his record thus far is the draw against Adalberto Covarrubias back in 2018 , now although hes unbeaten he has yet to come up against some one of Akhmadalievs' calibre imho , hes fought some decent opponents like Antonio Guzman , who he stopped , and Akhmadaliev is gonna want to make a statement here and get back on track , so i think its gonna be a good fight to watch hopefully with both men going for it , but i think if hes at his best Akhmadaliev is going to prove to be too good for Gonzalez , although he wont go down without a fight , and may well cause a few problems along the way , but i see Akhmadaliev emerging the victor in this one.
Murodjan Akhmadaliev To Win
Sean
Well-Known Member
Sean
Well-Known Member
Saturday 23rd December -
Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin
Looking forward to this card in Riyadh as theres some tasty looking bouts on offer , and one of those is Anthony Joshua (29 Fights - 26 Wins (23 KOs) - 3 Losses) taking on Otto Wallin (28 Fights - 26 Wins (14 KOs) - 1 Loss - 1 NC) , looks like an intriguing match up to me as these pair have met twice in the amateurs with Joshua coming out on top both times , so is it gonna be three from three for AJ or is Wallin gonna gain a bit of revenge now they're in the pro's ? .. I know you cant really go by their previous amateur fights but in the first one Joshua dominated , second one was a lot closer and im expecting this fight to be more like the latter. Joshua hasnt looked like the fighter of old since losing to Andy Ruiz Jr imho , and since losing to Uysk twice , he looks alot more tentative than he used to be , and until his last fight against Robert Helenius he hadnt really let his hands go. Wallin Is a good solid boxer as is evident by his record , hes good at the fundamentals , hes not known as a huge puncher but he doesnt mind a war and he can box coming forward and off the back foot , hes also a southpaw , which alot of orthodox boxers can have problems with. The only loss in his career was to Tyson Fury and in all honesty he caused Fury all sorts of problems , and hes coming into this after beating the decent Murat Gassiev , so i think he'll be full of confidence , i doubt that his previous losses to Joshua will be on his mind and he'll know that if he beats AJ then hes that bit closer to a title shot possibly. I think Joshua will win , especially as he now has Ben Davison in his corner , but im not 100% it has to be said , i think he needs to let his right hand go , Wallin doesnt move his too much so if AJ can set it up a big right hander could well finish the fight , Wallin seems to be able to take a punch though so it wont be easy by any stretch of the imagination , and its entirely possible he causes as many problems for Joshua as he did for Fury , and as he is more than capable of landing a decent punch , its not beyond the realms of possibilty that he can stop AJ. Anyways , as hard to call as it is , i'll come down on the side of AJ , as if he wants to remain relevant this is a must win and he knows it.
Anthony Joshua To Win
Daniel Dubois v Jarrell Miller
And another one from the 'super' card in Riyadh , Britains Daniel Dubois (21 Fights - 19 Wins (18 KOs) - 2 Losses) arrives on the back of a loss to current WBA (Super) , IBF , WBO , IBO and The Ring Champ Olesander Uysk , no great shame in that and he held his own long enough in that fight to think he should be able to manage the unbeaten Miller (27 Fights - 26 Wins (22 KOs) - 1 Draw) or least hold his own , the only other loss on his record was to The Juggernaut , so again no shame in that , everyone else aside from Kevin Johnson hes stopped , so whoever he faces theres always a good chance he can stop them due to his power. However Miller is an old hand , 35 now , and been around the block (as well as boxing he also has a decent kick boxing record) , beat Lucas Browne by sixth round TKO back in March of this year , which was his first fight for almost a year , to be honest although hes had a fair number of fights i'd say that he hasnt faced anyone of any significance as yet , Gerald Washington and Lucas Browne are probably the best names on his resume imo so i'd say that he has yet to be tested by a top tier heavyweight. Whether DDD can take him out of his comfort zone is yet to be seen as i honestly dont think he is top tier heavy either but i would say that hes probably the best Millers faced to date. Dubois has good fundamentals , and is a solid enough fighter but i dunno i sometimes think he lacks confidence , its as though if the fights not going well he kinda doubts himself and starts to lose confidence , and this is one fight where i think that things probably wont go according to plan. Miller is the opposite of DDD in that hes full of self confidence , and was supposed to fight back Anthony Joshua back in 2019 before failing a drugs test , hes a solid boxer , and is good with his jab , he pressures fighters and snaps his jabs out and though i wouldnt say that he has the explosive power of some heavyweights his shots seem to have more of a cumulative effect wearing his opponents down. For me Dubois has to try and finish this one early , as the longer the fight goes on the more i see Miller coming into the fight , and putting it on Dubois , and with that comes the question , will Dubois quit again ? , hes done it twice already (Joyce and Uysk) , so its not beyond the realms of possibilty lets be honest , but i'd hope that hes set his stall out by the mid rounds and is dominating Miller and not letting him pressurize him. Another thing im trying to consider is the pre bout banter , Miller is adept at all the fun n games that precede a fight whereas Dubois looks very uncomfortable with it all (cant say im a big fan either) , but will all that have an effect in him mentally ? .. hard to tell tbh , but it could do and that would seep into his psyche and hence his performance .. this is a hard one to call , and like a couple of other fights ive posted recently i am truly 50/50 .. but im hoping that Dubois can come out on top , he was doing well against Uysk and if he starts the same way here i can see him winning , but he has to keep the pressure constant and unload those heavy bombs , if he doesnt then Miller takes it i think . Anyways im gonna let my heart rule my head and say Dubois wins.
Daniel Dubois To Win
Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker
And another one from the stacked Riyadh card , if all these happen its gonna be a tremendous night of boxing i think , and this is one of the highlights for me , two ex world champions going at it. Wilder (46 Fights - 43 Wins (42 KOs) - 2 Losses - 1 Draw) will have been out of the ring for over a year coming into this fight , which isnt great i'd of much preferred it if he'd had at least one fight in the interim , last time we saw him was back in October 2022 and we didnt get to see much of him as he KO'd Robert Helenius in the first round with a stunning right hand , so thats one round since October 2021 which is when he had his last fight with Fury. Whereas Parker (36 Fights - 33 Wins (23 KOs) - 3 Losses) has already fought three times this year , after his loss to Joe Joyce , last time he stopped Simon Kean in the third round with a huge uppercut. Its an interesting bout i reckon , Parker has been there , see it and done it , and for me is the better , all rounded boxer .. Wilder on the other hand is a decent enough boxer but has unbelievable power in that right hand , and no matter which way i look at this fight i cant see Parker avoiding that huge right hand for 12 rounds. He has a decent chin on him , with Joe Joyce being the only one to stop him , and hes been in with some solid punchers in his career , but i really do think that if Wilder catches him clean , its fight over. He does possess decent power of his own , and Wilder is susceptible to a decent punch as proven by Tyson Fury , who isnt the biggest of punchers it has to be said. Both have decent handspeed , which isnt often recognised imho , but as i say in skill and ring savvy i think Parker has it , hes gonna have to stay focused all the time , and work off the jab .. Aside from Fury , Parker is probably Wilders best opponent thus far , and for me this is probably the most intriguing match up on the whole card , and its a hard puzzle to try and work out .. I think Parker could well take this , given his skill set , but in the back of my mind i just cant see him staying out of range of Wilders' bombs for twelve rounds and thats the big question can he handle the power .. and i think the answer is no , if he gets caught proper , hes gone .. i can see him ahead on points and getting caught , as in other Wilder fights , and thats what im gonna go with , Wilder by KO .. but i do think that Parker could well win if he plays it clever and cagey.
Deontay Wilder To Win .. By KO
Jai Opetaia v Ellis Zorro
Gotta be honest and say that for me , and probably a few others as well , this looks to be total mismatch .. Jai Opetaia (23 Fights - 23 Wins (18 KOs)) is the current IBF and Ring Cruiserweight belt holder after beating previous holder Maris Breidis back in July 2022 by unanimous decision , his only fight since then was in September of this year when he stopped Mancunian Jordan Thompson in the fourth round , his Brit challenger Ellis Zorro (17 Fights - 17 Wins (7 KOs)) beat Italian Luca D'Ortenzi last time but no one on his resume so far is gonna prepare him for someone of Opetaia's calibre. He'll go there to fight but i think Opetaia is gonna be too much for him and i can only see an early night for Zorro , have to be honest and say i'll be very surprised if this goes the distance , and to be brutally blunt , it'll surprise me if it goes past six rounds. I think Opetaia is levels above Zorro , and it'll probably show on the night , as i say bit of a mis match for me and cant see past an Opetaia stoppage in this one.
Jai Opetaia To Win .. By Stoppage (Within Six Rounds)
Dmitry Bivol v Lyndon Arthur
And as with the previous fight write up , i'm looking at this one as another mis match if i'm being totally honest , Bivol (21 Fights - 21 Wins (11 KOs) is the current WBA (Super) Light Heavyweight title holder , a belt hes held since 2017 , and for me is one of the best P4P boxers out there today , the way he schooled Canelo Alvarez in their encounter back in May 2022 handing him his first loss since 2013 to Floyd Mayweather Jr , tells you how good the fella really is. Arthur (24 Fights - 23 Wins (16 KOs) - 1 Loss) is a fundamentally sound boxer and has won all four fights since losing to Anthony Yarde in 2021 , and whilst i think he'll give it his best shot hes never met anyone of Bivols' calibre and i just think that Bivol is levels above Arthur , in skill , technique and basically all round boxing prowess tbh. I like Arthur , and he'll give it his all and go out on his shield , but for me , hes domestic / european level , and i think hes gonna come up short against an elite fighter like Bivol. I honestly cant see past Bivol for this one.
Dmitry Bivol To Win
Filip Hrgovic v Mark De Mori
Quite how this bout come about i have no idea , this is another one of those total mis matches as far as i'm concerned. Hgrovic (16 Fights - 16 Wins (13 KOs)) is , i would say , a level or two above challenger De Mori (45 Fights - 41 Wins (36 KOs) - 2 Losses - 2 Draws) , Undefeated Hgrovic stopped the previously unbeaten Demsey McKean last time by TKO , and before that came out on top in a hard fought battle against Zhilei Zhang .. despite having a good looking record on paper De Mori has fallen flat the only time hes met anyone of any note (David Haye back in 2016) imho , who stopped him in the first round. I cant see how De Mori beats Hrgovic here if i'm being honest , i just dont think hes good enough , obviously as heavyweights they have a punchers chance but i'd be very surprised if he managed to catch Hrgovic well enough to stop him. Hgrovic can be a bit slow out of the blocks , but i think he beats De Mori handily here.
Filip Hrgovic To Win
Arslanbek Makhmudov v Agit Kabayel
Bit of an intriguing fight this one i think , both come into this fight unbeaten , so one of them is gonna lose their '0' (unless its a draw). Makhmudov (18 Fights - 18 Wins (17 KOs) , has held the WBC - NABF Heavyweight title since 2019 with his latest defence coming in October of this year when he stopped Junior Anthony Wright in the first round. Kabayel (23 Fights - 23 Wins (15 KOs)) took the vacant European Heavyweight title in his last fight when beating Agron Smakici by TKO in the third round. For me this has the potential to be , possibly , the most boring fight on the card , as despite his name often being thrown around as a potential HW contender Kabayel is a very negative fighter imo , the biggest name on his resume to date is Del Chisora who he beat by Majority Decision back in 2017 , other than Del Boy imho the only other decent fighter hes faced is Kevin Johnson and maybe Andriy Rudenko. Makhmudov has a good height and reach advantage , and whilst for me , he isnt a world beater and is a bit cumbersome , hes going to utilise these and take the fight to Kabayel. I think Makhmudov eventually stops Kabayel , probably mid rounds , as i cant see Kabayel being competitive enough here.
Arslanbek Makhmudov To Win
Frank Sanchez v Junior Fa
Firstly i have to say that for me this one is the worst fight on the entire card , not particularly interested in this one at all tbh. Saying that Frank Sanchez (24 Fights - 23 Wins (16 KOs) - 1 No Contest) is a decent fighter , as are most Cubans tbh , hes got good solid fundamentals , good footwork and has decent pop in his punches , and has held the WBC Continental Americas HW title since 2020 , Junior Fa (22 Fights - 20 Wins (11 KOs) - 2 Losses) hasnt been seen since October 2022 when he beat Tussi Afao by first round knockout , before that he lost twice in succession , first to Joseph Parker and then to gatekeeper Lucas Browne , who put him away in the first round. I personally think that Fa is mediocre at best and i really cant see him troubling Sanchez if im being honest. Im kinda hoping that Sanchez can knock him out early other wise i see a long drawn out tedious fight which Sanchez eventually wins. Whichever way it pans out Sanchez should take this.
Frank Sanchez To Win
Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin
Looking forward to this card in Riyadh as theres some tasty looking bouts on offer , and one of those is Anthony Joshua (29 Fights - 26 Wins (23 KOs) - 3 Losses) taking on Otto Wallin (28 Fights - 26 Wins (14 KOs) - 1 Loss - 1 NC) , looks like an intriguing match up to me as these pair have met twice in the amateurs with Joshua coming out on top both times , so is it gonna be three from three for AJ or is Wallin gonna gain a bit of revenge now they're in the pro's ? .. I know you cant really go by their previous amateur fights but in the first one Joshua dominated , second one was a lot closer and im expecting this fight to be more like the latter. Joshua hasnt looked like the fighter of old since losing to Andy Ruiz Jr imho , and since losing to Uysk twice , he looks alot more tentative than he used to be , and until his last fight against Robert Helenius he hadnt really let his hands go. Wallin Is a good solid boxer as is evident by his record , hes good at the fundamentals , hes not known as a huge puncher but he doesnt mind a war and he can box coming forward and off the back foot , hes also a southpaw , which alot of orthodox boxers can have problems with. The only loss in his career was to Tyson Fury and in all honesty he caused Fury all sorts of problems , and hes coming into this after beating the decent Murat Gassiev , so i think he'll be full of confidence , i doubt that his previous losses to Joshua will be on his mind and he'll know that if he beats AJ then hes that bit closer to a title shot possibly. I think Joshua will win , especially as he now has Ben Davison in his corner , but im not 100% it has to be said , i think he needs to let his right hand go , Wallin doesnt move his too much so if AJ can set it up a big right hander could well finish the fight , Wallin seems to be able to take a punch though so it wont be easy by any stretch of the imagination , and its entirely possible he causes as many problems for Joshua as he did for Fury , and as he is more than capable of landing a decent punch , its not beyond the realms of possibilty that he can stop AJ. Anyways , as hard to call as it is , i'll come down on the side of AJ , as if he wants to remain relevant this is a must win and he knows it.
Anthony Joshua To Win
Daniel Dubois v Jarrell Miller
And another one from the 'super' card in Riyadh , Britains Daniel Dubois (21 Fights - 19 Wins (18 KOs) - 2 Losses) arrives on the back of a loss to current WBA (Super) , IBF , WBO , IBO and The Ring Champ Olesander Uysk , no great shame in that and he held his own long enough in that fight to think he should be able to manage the unbeaten Miller (27 Fights - 26 Wins (22 KOs) - 1 Draw) or least hold his own , the only other loss on his record was to The Juggernaut , so again no shame in that , everyone else aside from Kevin Johnson hes stopped , so whoever he faces theres always a good chance he can stop them due to his power. However Miller is an old hand , 35 now , and been around the block (as well as boxing he also has a decent kick boxing record) , beat Lucas Browne by sixth round TKO back in March of this year , which was his first fight for almost a year , to be honest although hes had a fair number of fights i'd say that he hasnt faced anyone of any significance as yet , Gerald Washington and Lucas Browne are probably the best names on his resume imo so i'd say that he has yet to be tested by a top tier heavyweight. Whether DDD can take him out of his comfort zone is yet to be seen as i honestly dont think he is top tier heavy either but i would say that hes probably the best Millers faced to date. Dubois has good fundamentals , and is a solid enough fighter but i dunno i sometimes think he lacks confidence , its as though if the fights not going well he kinda doubts himself and starts to lose confidence , and this is one fight where i think that things probably wont go according to plan. Miller is the opposite of DDD in that hes full of self confidence , and was supposed to fight back Anthony Joshua back in 2019 before failing a drugs test , hes a solid boxer , and is good with his jab , he pressures fighters and snaps his jabs out and though i wouldnt say that he has the explosive power of some heavyweights his shots seem to have more of a cumulative effect wearing his opponents down. For me Dubois has to try and finish this one early , as the longer the fight goes on the more i see Miller coming into the fight , and putting it on Dubois , and with that comes the question , will Dubois quit again ? , hes done it twice already (Joyce and Uysk) , so its not beyond the realms of possibilty lets be honest , but i'd hope that hes set his stall out by the mid rounds and is dominating Miller and not letting him pressurize him. Another thing im trying to consider is the pre bout banter , Miller is adept at all the fun n games that precede a fight whereas Dubois looks very uncomfortable with it all (cant say im a big fan either) , but will all that have an effect in him mentally ? .. hard to tell tbh , but it could do and that would seep into his psyche and hence his performance .. this is a hard one to call , and like a couple of other fights ive posted recently i am truly 50/50 .. but im hoping that Dubois can come out on top , he was doing well against Uysk and if he starts the same way here i can see him winning , but he has to keep the pressure constant and unload those heavy bombs , if he doesnt then Miller takes it i think . Anyways im gonna let my heart rule my head and say Dubois wins.
Daniel Dubois To Win
Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker
And another one from the stacked Riyadh card , if all these happen its gonna be a tremendous night of boxing i think , and this is one of the highlights for me , two ex world champions going at it. Wilder (46 Fights - 43 Wins (42 KOs) - 2 Losses - 1 Draw) will have been out of the ring for over a year coming into this fight , which isnt great i'd of much preferred it if he'd had at least one fight in the interim , last time we saw him was back in October 2022 and we didnt get to see much of him as he KO'd Robert Helenius in the first round with a stunning right hand , so thats one round since October 2021 which is when he had his last fight with Fury. Whereas Parker (36 Fights - 33 Wins (23 KOs) - 3 Losses) has already fought three times this year , after his loss to Joe Joyce , last time he stopped Simon Kean in the third round with a huge uppercut. Its an interesting bout i reckon , Parker has been there , see it and done it , and for me is the better , all rounded boxer .. Wilder on the other hand is a decent enough boxer but has unbelievable power in that right hand , and no matter which way i look at this fight i cant see Parker avoiding that huge right hand for 12 rounds. He has a decent chin on him , with Joe Joyce being the only one to stop him , and hes been in with some solid punchers in his career , but i really do think that if Wilder catches him clean , its fight over. He does possess decent power of his own , and Wilder is susceptible to a decent punch as proven by Tyson Fury , who isnt the biggest of punchers it has to be said. Both have decent handspeed , which isnt often recognised imho , but as i say in skill and ring savvy i think Parker has it , hes gonna have to stay focused all the time , and work off the jab .. Aside from Fury , Parker is probably Wilders best opponent thus far , and for me this is probably the most intriguing match up on the whole card , and its a hard puzzle to try and work out .. I think Parker could well take this , given his skill set , but in the back of my mind i just cant see him staying out of range of Wilders' bombs for twelve rounds and thats the big question can he handle the power .. and i think the answer is no , if he gets caught proper , hes gone .. i can see him ahead on points and getting caught , as in other Wilder fights , and thats what im gonna go with , Wilder by KO .. but i do think that Parker could well win if he plays it clever and cagey.
Deontay Wilder To Win .. By KO
Jai Opetaia v Ellis Zorro
Gotta be honest and say that for me , and probably a few others as well , this looks to be total mismatch .. Jai Opetaia (23 Fights - 23 Wins (18 KOs)) is the current IBF and Ring Cruiserweight belt holder after beating previous holder Maris Breidis back in July 2022 by unanimous decision , his only fight since then was in September of this year when he stopped Mancunian Jordan Thompson in the fourth round , his Brit challenger Ellis Zorro (17 Fights - 17 Wins (7 KOs)) beat Italian Luca D'Ortenzi last time but no one on his resume so far is gonna prepare him for someone of Opetaia's calibre. He'll go there to fight but i think Opetaia is gonna be too much for him and i can only see an early night for Zorro , have to be honest and say i'll be very surprised if this goes the distance , and to be brutally blunt , it'll surprise me if it goes past six rounds. I think Opetaia is levels above Zorro , and it'll probably show on the night , as i say bit of a mis match for me and cant see past an Opetaia stoppage in this one.
Jai Opetaia To Win .. By Stoppage (Within Six Rounds)
Dmitry Bivol v Lyndon Arthur
And as with the previous fight write up , i'm looking at this one as another mis match if i'm being totally honest , Bivol (21 Fights - 21 Wins (11 KOs) is the current WBA (Super) Light Heavyweight title holder , a belt hes held since 2017 , and for me is one of the best P4P boxers out there today , the way he schooled Canelo Alvarez in their encounter back in May 2022 handing him his first loss since 2013 to Floyd Mayweather Jr , tells you how good the fella really is. Arthur (24 Fights - 23 Wins (16 KOs) - 1 Loss) is a fundamentally sound boxer and has won all four fights since losing to Anthony Yarde in 2021 , and whilst i think he'll give it his best shot hes never met anyone of Bivols' calibre and i just think that Bivol is levels above Arthur , in skill , technique and basically all round boxing prowess tbh. I like Arthur , and he'll give it his all and go out on his shield , but for me , hes domestic / european level , and i think hes gonna come up short against an elite fighter like Bivol. I honestly cant see past Bivol for this one.
Dmitry Bivol To Win
Filip Hrgovic v Mark De Mori
Quite how this bout come about i have no idea , this is another one of those total mis matches as far as i'm concerned. Hgrovic (16 Fights - 16 Wins (13 KOs)) is , i would say , a level or two above challenger De Mori (45 Fights - 41 Wins (36 KOs) - 2 Losses - 2 Draws) , Undefeated Hgrovic stopped the previously unbeaten Demsey McKean last time by TKO , and before that came out on top in a hard fought battle against Zhilei Zhang .. despite having a good looking record on paper De Mori has fallen flat the only time hes met anyone of any note (David Haye back in 2016) imho , who stopped him in the first round. I cant see how De Mori beats Hrgovic here if i'm being honest , i just dont think hes good enough , obviously as heavyweights they have a punchers chance but i'd be very surprised if he managed to catch Hrgovic well enough to stop him. Hgrovic can be a bit slow out of the blocks , but i think he beats De Mori handily here.
Filip Hrgovic To Win
Arslanbek Makhmudov v Agit Kabayel
Bit of an intriguing fight this one i think , both come into this fight unbeaten , so one of them is gonna lose their '0' (unless its a draw). Makhmudov (18 Fights - 18 Wins (17 KOs) , has held the WBC - NABF Heavyweight title since 2019 with his latest defence coming in October of this year when he stopped Junior Anthony Wright in the first round. Kabayel (23 Fights - 23 Wins (15 KOs)) took the vacant European Heavyweight title in his last fight when beating Agron Smakici by TKO in the third round. For me this has the potential to be , possibly , the most boring fight on the card , as despite his name often being thrown around as a potential HW contender Kabayel is a very negative fighter imo , the biggest name on his resume to date is Del Chisora who he beat by Majority Decision back in 2017 , other than Del Boy imho the only other decent fighter hes faced is Kevin Johnson and maybe Andriy Rudenko. Makhmudov has a good height and reach advantage , and whilst for me , he isnt a world beater and is a bit cumbersome , hes going to utilise these and take the fight to Kabayel. I think Makhmudov eventually stops Kabayel , probably mid rounds , as i cant see Kabayel being competitive enough here.
Arslanbek Makhmudov To Win
Frank Sanchez v Junior Fa
Firstly i have to say that for me this one is the worst fight on the entire card , not particularly interested in this one at all tbh. Saying that Frank Sanchez (24 Fights - 23 Wins (16 KOs) - 1 No Contest) is a decent fighter , as are most Cubans tbh , hes got good solid fundamentals , good footwork and has decent pop in his punches , and has held the WBC Continental Americas HW title since 2020 , Junior Fa (22 Fights - 20 Wins (11 KOs) - 2 Losses) hasnt been seen since October 2022 when he beat Tussi Afao by first round knockout , before that he lost twice in succession , first to Joseph Parker and then to gatekeeper Lucas Browne , who put him away in the first round. I personally think that Fa is mediocre at best and i really cant see him troubling Sanchez if im being honest. Im kinda hoping that Sanchez can knock him out early other wise i see a long drawn out tedious fight which Sanchez eventually wins. Whichever way it pans out Sanchez should take this.
Frank Sanchez To Win
.. and hopefully all of them go ahead , some one sided looking bouts imho but on the whole a good card
slick
Administrator
Sean
Well-Known Member
Weigh ins have happened for tomorrows Day Of Reckoning in Saudi Arabia .. Joshua has come in at 251 whilst Wallin was 238.6 .. Joseph Parker come in at 245.3 and Wilder 213 , thats the lowest Wilder has come in at since his first fight with Fury where he weighed 212 .. Danile Dubois hit the scales at 239 and Jarrell Miller was 333 , bit of a weight difference in that one ... looking forward to this one , hopefully be some good bouts to watch and hopefully some of my predicitions can come right , although as ive said most of them especially the heavyweight 'main' bouts are really 50/50 affairs
Sean
Well-Known Member
Jai Opetaia Wins By First Round Stoppage
Agit Kabayel Wins By Stoppage
Daniel Dubois Wins (By stoppage)
Filip Hgrovic Wins (By stoppage)
Dmitry Bivol Wins (By Unanimous Decision)
Joseph Parker Wins By Unanimous Decision
Frank Sanchez Wins (By Stoppage)
Anthony Joshua Wins (By Stoppage)
Last edited:
Sean
Well-Known Member
Tuesday 26th December -
Naoya Inoue v Malon Tapales
Well The Monster is back in action and this time hes looking to unify the 122 division and lets face it hes looked devasting thus far so you wouldnt bet against it happening. Inoue (25 Fights - 25 Wins (22 KOs)) has beaten all before him , and the TKO of Stephen Fulton surely silenced any critics he may have had going into the fight. Whilst Philipino Tapales (40 Fights - 37 Wins (19 KOs) - 3 Losses) beat the previously undefeated Murodjon Akhmadiev last time to take the WBA (Super) and IBF Super bantanweight titles , which surprised many , me included. That was a good , solid performance but hes going to have to dig deep and up his game if hes to beat Inoue here imho. Tapales is a tough durable opponent but i see Inoue doing what he does best , stalking his opponent , wearing them down , throwing bombs and eventually stopping him. And i cant see any other outcome , other than Inoue going home with all four belts. Thats some going really , unified champion in just two fights in this division. Inoue is gonna be too quick , too strong and too powerful for Tapales and the fact that Tapales has lost against boxers who are nowhere near the level of Inoue tells me that he may well struggle , although as i say he is tough and fought well against Akhamdiev , you couldnt totally write his chances off but it would be a major shock should he come out on top in this one i think. I would really like to see Inoue fight outside of his native Japan , gotta be honest , i wanna see how he fares outside of his comfort zone , i dont know if that will ever happen but i for one would like to see it. Anyways like i said i have Inoue to win , by a stoppage , could be earlyish but id be more inclined to go for mid to later rounds.
Naoya Inoue To Win .. By Stoppage
Naoya Inoue v Malon Tapales
Well The Monster is back in action and this time hes looking to unify the 122 division and lets face it hes looked devasting thus far so you wouldnt bet against it happening. Inoue (25 Fights - 25 Wins (22 KOs)) has beaten all before him , and the TKO of Stephen Fulton surely silenced any critics he may have had going into the fight. Whilst Philipino Tapales (40 Fights - 37 Wins (19 KOs) - 3 Losses) beat the previously undefeated Murodjon Akhmadiev last time to take the WBA (Super) and IBF Super bantanweight titles , which surprised many , me included. That was a good , solid performance but hes going to have to dig deep and up his game if hes to beat Inoue here imho. Tapales is a tough durable opponent but i see Inoue doing what he does best , stalking his opponent , wearing them down , throwing bombs and eventually stopping him. And i cant see any other outcome , other than Inoue going home with all four belts. Thats some going really , unified champion in just two fights in this division. Inoue is gonna be too quick , too strong and too powerful for Tapales and the fact that Tapales has lost against boxers who are nowhere near the level of Inoue tells me that he may well struggle , although as i say he is tough and fought well against Akhamdiev , you couldnt totally write his chances off but it would be a major shock should he come out on top in this one i think. I would really like to see Inoue fight outside of his native Japan , gotta be honest , i wanna see how he fares outside of his comfort zone , i dont know if that will ever happen but i for one would like to see it. Anyways like i said i have Inoue to win , by a stoppage , could be earlyish but id be more inclined to go for mid to later rounds.
Naoya Inoue To Win .. By Stoppage
Sean
Well-Known Member
Well six from the eight bouts correct , and some cracking fights i thought .. as i said the Parker / Wilder was a proper 50/50 bout , Parker outboxed Wilder , kept to the game plan and never gave him a chance .. outstanding stuff , Wilder never had a chance to land cleanly
Just the one fight left for the year and thats on boxing day when Inoue meets Tapales (write up above) .. another one to look forward to
Just the one fight left for the year and thats on boxing day when Inoue meets Tapales (write up above) .. another one to look forward to
Sean
Well-Known Member
Sean
Well-Known Member
Saturday 6th January -
Virgil Ortiz Jr v Frederick Lawson
This one shouldnt be a bad fight , and half decent bout to start off the new year. Ortiz Jr (19 Fights - 19 Wins (19 KOs)) is a knockout specialist and comes into this unbeaten and with a stoppage in every one of his 19 fights to date. He won the WBO International Welterweight Title back in March 2021 when he stopped Maurice Hooker in the seventh round , since then hes successfully defended his title twice , the last time being in August 2022 handing British fighter Michael McKinson his first loss , stopping him in the ninth round. Lawson (33 Fights - 30 Wins (22 KOs) - 3 Losses) comes into this on the back of a unanimous decision over Estevan Villalobos in April of last year. As i said this should be a decent fight to watch , hes a solid boxer who carries decent power and is a standing dish in the class as someone who knows what theyre about. Ortiz Jr is making his debut in this weight class , but the thing that concerns me most is the fact hes been on the sidelines for a year and a half due to illness , rhabdomyolysis which is when muscle tissue breaks down and releases its contents into the blood stream so hopefully he has now fully recovered from that. Hes a good boxer , doesnt look much but has unbelievable power , as is obvious by his record , but he has good skills , and fights on the inside very well and sets traps to set up his power shots. Hes also game as they come , doesnt mind being drawn into a dog fight , the only down side for me is that he can be emotional in that if he gets hit with a good shot he looks to respond immediatley , which can play into the opponents gloves at times. Lawson shouldnt be under estimated , as i say he has power and he has a decent jab although he doesnt use it as much as he perhaps he could , hes a good boxer but i think he takes too many punches and against someone as powerful as Ortiz Jr you just cant do that. Ortiz Jr has reach and height advantage plus he has 8 years on Lawson , the only downside as i say is hes been out of the ring for so long , but i cant see him coming into the ring if he and his trainer didnt think he was match fit. I take Ortiz Jr to continue his winning streak and make a succesful debut at junior middleweight , and a stoppage around the middle t late rounds would be my guess.
Virgil Ortiz Jr To Win .. By Stoppage
OHara Davies v Ismael Barroso
British fighter Ohara Davies (27 Fights - 25 Wins (18 KOs) - 2 Losses) meets veteran Venezuelan Ismael Barroso (30 Fights - 24 Wins (22 KOs) - 4 Losses - 2 Draws) in an intriguing match up. Davies arrives on the back of a KO victory over Lewis Ritson in March of 2023 and will be going for his 8th straight win since losing to Jack Catterall by unanimous decision back in 2018 (his only other loss came to Josh Taylor in 2017) whereas Barroso comes into this after a 9th round TKO loss to Rolando Romero , and he'll be looking to get back to winning ways here. I think Barroso was winning that fight until the stoppage came , so hes not to be taken lightly , but i feel that Davies is gonna have to much in the locker for him here. As well as age being on his side , Davies also has a fair reach advantage on his side , and he has an awkward style that can trouble anyone. I feel that although southpaw Barroso is a decent enough boxer , i think that Davies stands a good chance of getting him out of there , his punch resistance doesnt seem to be what it was imho , and if Davies catches him and follows up with a flurry of punches then i can see Barroso being stopped. He wont go down without a fight though , and possesses some decent power of his own , but Davies is hungry and will be eager to stamp his authority on the fight and unless Barroso can produce something out of the bag then i see this bout going Davies' way.
Ohara Davies To Win
Virgil Ortiz Jr v Frederick Lawson
This one shouldnt be a bad fight , and half decent bout to start off the new year. Ortiz Jr (19 Fights - 19 Wins (19 KOs)) is a knockout specialist and comes into this unbeaten and with a stoppage in every one of his 19 fights to date. He won the WBO International Welterweight Title back in March 2021 when he stopped Maurice Hooker in the seventh round , since then hes successfully defended his title twice , the last time being in August 2022 handing British fighter Michael McKinson his first loss , stopping him in the ninth round. Lawson (33 Fights - 30 Wins (22 KOs) - 3 Losses) comes into this on the back of a unanimous decision over Estevan Villalobos in April of last year. As i said this should be a decent fight to watch , hes a solid boxer who carries decent power and is a standing dish in the class as someone who knows what theyre about. Ortiz Jr is making his debut in this weight class , but the thing that concerns me most is the fact hes been on the sidelines for a year and a half due to illness , rhabdomyolysis which is when muscle tissue breaks down and releases its contents into the blood stream so hopefully he has now fully recovered from that. Hes a good boxer , doesnt look much but has unbelievable power , as is obvious by his record , but he has good skills , and fights on the inside very well and sets traps to set up his power shots. Hes also game as they come , doesnt mind being drawn into a dog fight , the only down side for me is that he can be emotional in that if he gets hit with a good shot he looks to respond immediatley , which can play into the opponents gloves at times. Lawson shouldnt be under estimated , as i say he has power and he has a decent jab although he doesnt use it as much as he perhaps he could , hes a good boxer but i think he takes too many punches and against someone as powerful as Ortiz Jr you just cant do that. Ortiz Jr has reach and height advantage plus he has 8 years on Lawson , the only downside as i say is hes been out of the ring for so long , but i cant see him coming into the ring if he and his trainer didnt think he was match fit. I take Ortiz Jr to continue his winning streak and make a succesful debut at junior middleweight , and a stoppage around the middle t late rounds would be my guess.
Virgil Ortiz Jr To Win .. By Stoppage
OHara Davies v Ismael Barroso
British fighter Ohara Davies (27 Fights - 25 Wins (18 KOs) - 2 Losses) meets veteran Venezuelan Ismael Barroso (30 Fights - 24 Wins (22 KOs) - 4 Losses - 2 Draws) in an intriguing match up. Davies arrives on the back of a KO victory over Lewis Ritson in March of 2023 and will be going for his 8th straight win since losing to Jack Catterall by unanimous decision back in 2018 (his only other loss came to Josh Taylor in 2017) whereas Barroso comes into this after a 9th round TKO loss to Rolando Romero , and he'll be looking to get back to winning ways here. I think Barroso was winning that fight until the stoppage came , so hes not to be taken lightly , but i feel that Davies is gonna have to much in the locker for him here. As well as age being on his side , Davies also has a fair reach advantage on his side , and he has an awkward style that can trouble anyone. I feel that although southpaw Barroso is a decent enough boxer , i think that Davies stands a good chance of getting him out of there , his punch resistance doesnt seem to be what it was imho , and if Davies catches him and follows up with a flurry of punches then i can see Barroso being stopped. He wont go down without a fight though , and possesses some decent power of his own , but Davies is hungry and will be eager to stamp his authority on the fight and unless Barroso can produce something out of the bag then i see this bout going Davies' way.
Ohara Davies To Win