Boxing

Sean said:

Saturday 25th October

Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley
Gotta say fair play to both fighters for taking this one as they dont have to and as both are interim champions (Parker - WBO and Wardley - WBA) they're putting their position for a chance at Uysk on the line so as far as im concerned both should be applauded for that whatever the outcome. Parker (39 Fights - 36 Wins (24 KOs) - 3 Losses) arrives in fine form and on a bit of a roll and is deservedly the favourite going into this considering his experience and skill compared to Wardleys , he last loss back in 2022 when stopped by Joe Joyce (first and only time hes been stopped in the pro's) , since then he has beaten Jack Massey , Faiga Opelu , Simon Kean , Deontay Wilder , Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole .. alot of people have made alot of noise about the run hes currently on especially the last three names on the list but in all honesty though its a good run with some decent names on there you can pick holes in it , the first three on the list in all fairness aint in the same class as Parker .. Ive never rated Wilder , yes he has that one punch power but thats it , he has nothing else and since the Helenius win hes looked a shell of his former self lets be honest , and aside from his last time out win against Tyrell Herndon he hasnt really looked comfortable pulling the trigger , so what can be read into the win i dunno , not alot i would suggest .. Zhilei Zhang , again he can bang , and he did dropping Parker twice but failing to capatalise on it which allowed Parker to get back into the fight and outbox Zhang , added to that after the early rounds Zhangs gas tank empties , so again how much can be read into that win ? .. and lastly Bakole , again a puncher but one who came in grossly overweight and not match fit at the last minute and Parker duly despatched him .. so for me although he did what he had to do i think all the 'new improved Parker etc ..' hyperbole is a bit OTT , whilst hes done well since that Joyce defeat and looked good lets not get carried away .. He now faces a young , unbeaten and hungry fighter in Wardley (20 Fights - 19 Wins (18 KOs) - 1 Draw) who , if he has Parker in trouble , wont be letting him off the hook like Zhang did .. hes won his last two fights since the Clarke draw , first one in devastating fashion when he stopped Frazier Clarke in the first round (after their previous draw) and then he stopped Justis Huni in the tenth after being outboxed and dominated basically .. The only time he has gone the distance is in his first fight with Frazier Clarke which was a closely fought bout and i thought a draw was a fair decision to be honest and in his debut fight in a four rounder .. his journey from white collar boxing to a possible tilt at the undisputed heavyweight titles is nothing short of remarkable lets be honest and i really would love to see him do it , wouldnt we all ? .. But i think hes gonna have his work cut out tbh , Parkers confident and has been around the top tier of boxing for quite a while now , skill wise hes definatley levels above Wardley imo as is his ring IQ and he usually has a solid game plan to work from which seems to work for him as he / his team obviously pay close attention to the opponents and their strengths and weaknesses .. Wardley definatley seems to be lacking in his defence , and he leaves his hands low at times which is dangerous against someone who can bang , and he seems to struggle with boxers with fast feet / movement .. but he does have that get outta jail power which has helped him numerous times so you definatley cant write his chances off , and although he caught Huni after being thoroughly outboxed i really cant see that happening with Parker , hes too switched on to let his guard down i think .. but i do feel that he has to stay switched on for the full twelve (if it goes that far) or he could pay the price .. hes definatley gonna have to box Wardley as if he tries to outmuscle / out power him it could go the way of the Joe Joyce fight i reckon , but then although Wardley has shown heart and resilience in some of his fights hes yet to come up against a real heavy hitter , i wouldnt necessarily call Parker a heavy hitter but he can definatley bang a bit and Wardleys nose could well open up again after that nasty gash in the Clarke fight. Wardley seems to have problems fighting off the backfoot , so if Parker can be on the offensive then he can stop Wardley loading up , and i can see him causing Wardley all sorts of problems especially if he can get him on the ropes. Another thing about Parker is that hes good at stealing rounds , when theres not much going on he'll use his jab to good effect and use his movement which helps with the points if it goes to a decision. On paper Parker should be winning this , either by a tidy unanimous decision or possibly by a mid to late stoppage but i just cant help thinking that Wardley can do this and carry on his unbeaten run .. and i keep thinking that Dillion Whyte is close to the Wardley camp and who beat Parker ? , admittedly a while ago but he can still offer him some sound advice on the matter i think .. i dunno my head is saying Parker but my heart is saying Wardley but on this occasion im gonna go with my head but i gotta say that i'll be rooting for Wardley and dont mind if i get it wrong !
Joseph Parker To Win

Other Fights On The Card
Arnie Dawson vs Mitchell Smith - Should be a decent bout this one , Dawson is undefeated whilst Smith only has the one defeat on his record to date .. both have 50% Ko rations and both are decent boxers , im slightly favouring Dawson as hes fresh and active , this will be his fourth fight of the year whilst this will be Smiths second fight of the year but he has been very inactive , since his loss to George Jupp back in 2015 hes only had five fights .. one in 2016 , one in 2017 , one in 2022 , another in 2024 and then the one earlier in the year .. im not sure of the reason but i would like to see him alot more active than he has been.
Arnie Dawson To Win

Danny Quartermaine vs Royston Barney Smith - Going for Barney Smith in this one , looked good so far and i think he'll take his record to 15-0 , Quartermaine wont be a pushover and it might take a round or two for Barney Smith to figure him out but he'll get there.
Royston Barney Smith To Win

Jurgen Uldedaj vs Rolly Lambert - Can see this one being a very mediocre fight tbh , think the Albanian Uldedaj will take the win but from what ive seen of the pair so far i dont expect an exciting fight , i hope im wrong but i cant see it.
Jurgen Uldedaj To Win

Ezra Taylor vs Steed Woodhall - Gotta say disappointed that Lewis Edmondson pulled out of the fight as i was really looking forward to seeing him and Taylor going at it but it is what it is and fair play to Woodhall for stepping up to the plate on late notice. Cant see past a Taylor win here , probably by a stoppage and very probably before the 6/7th round. Nothing against Woodhall he'll fight anyone anytime , as shown by his willingness to step in here and hes faced some decent opposition in the past but Taylor looks a decent prospect and i expect him to the job here.
Ezra Taylor To Win

Jimmydean Wood vs Artjom Spartar - Cant see past a Wood win here , should be too good for his Estonian opponent.
Jimmydean Wood To Win

George Crotty vs Bahadur Karami - Crotty should be making it 5-0 in this one , cant see his Iranian born opponent posing too many problems for him if im being honest.
George Crotty To Win

Zayn Ahmed vs Engel Gomez - Pro debutant Ahmed had a decent amateur record 18 wins and 4 losses and i think he should be making a winning debut here , his Nicaraguan opponent has lost his last six fights though just before that he did beat debutant Rory O'Hara causing a bit of a shock , but i think that was a one off tbh so im gonna go with a Ahmed win.
Zayn Ahmed To Win

Anton Esson vs Jordan Ellison - Esson hasnt looked too bad in his four fights to date , and i think he'll prove to good for the North East lad.
Anton Esson To Win

Tony Curtis vs Lakshmy Zaragoza Contreras - Sarf Londons Curtis should have too much for the Mexican lad i think , although you cant write of Mexicans as they do have a habit of upsetting the odds at times but i really cant see that happening here tbh.
Tony Curtis To Win

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Sean said:

Thursday 30th October

Mikaela Mayer vs Mary Spencer
This one sees Mikaela Mayer moving up to 154 to take on Canadian Mary Spencer for her WBA Super Welterweight title , should be an interesting fight i think. Since her losses to Femke Hermans , when she challenged for the IBO and IBF Light Middleweight titles , Spencer (12 Fights - 10 Wins (6 KOs) - 2 Losses) has won all three of her bouts picking up the interim WBA Light Middleweight title against Naomi Mannes and then after Terri Harper vacated the title she was elevated to full champion and made her first defence against Venzuelan Ogliedis Suarez earlier this year , winning by a comfortable unanimous decision. Mayer (22 Fights - 20 Wins (5 KOs) - 2 Losses) arrives on the back of two wins against our own Sandy Ryan , in the first bout she won Ryans' WBO Female Welterweight title and in the second she defended it successfully , both fights were close affairs , the first one a majority decision in which i think Ryan won and the second by UD , but again a very close fight for me. before that she unsuccessfully fought Natasha Jonas for the IBF Female Welterweight title , losing that one by a split decision (tbh i thought she won that fight) .. her only other loss came to the talented Alycia Baumgardner back in 2022 where she lost the WBO , IBF and Ring Super Featherweight titles and failed to gain the WBC and IBO titles - again it was a tight fight and she lost by split decision. Spencer is naturally bigger than Mayer and is a decent boxer with a solid jab and a good hook but shes not a volume puncher and i think Mayer will be firing alot of punches at her and backing her up as she doesnt seem to do well off the back foot , also think that if Mayer applies the pressure the cardio could come into play and it will be interesting to see if Spencer can go with that or tire .. Imo Mayer is gonna prove to good for Spencer , think she'll overwhelm her and break her down and will take the belt home , probably by a unanimous decision
Mikaela Mayer To Win

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Sean said:

Saturday 1st November

Joshua Buatsi vs Zach Parker
Not a bad match up this one i think and its gonna be interesting how it plays out as Buatsi beat Parker back in 2014 in the amateurs in the quarter finals of the English Championships so i think Parker will be looking to put that right here. Buatsi (20 Fights - 19 Wins (13 KOs) - 1 Loss) comes into this on the back of his first career loss which came to Callum Smith back in February of 2025 , by UD , and he'll be looking to get back on track on whats his first fight under the Queensbury banner , but Parker (27 Fights - 26 Wins 18 KOs) - 1 Loss) isnt gonna be an easy opponent i feel. Hes been on a good run since losing to John Ryder back in 2022 when he challenged for the vacant WBO Interim Super Middleweight title which he lost when he had to retire in the fifth round due to a broken hand , but he moved up in weight and hasnt looked back since , beating Tyrone Zeuge , Jack Armfield and Mickael Dalileo .. has looked okay and comfortable at the new weight , has looked a tad laboured at times though for me , and he did get dropped by Zeuge in the second round and against someone like Buatsi , who is heavy handed when he wants to be , makes me think can he survive if Buatsi goes for it , not sure would be my honest answer but he has alot of heart and determination so he wont be going down without a fight. Im favouring Buatsi in this one , mainly because hes the naturally bigger and stronger fighter and i think he'll be looking to cut the ring off and throw singles and short combinations , using his jab to set up his right hand. Parker , i think , will try to box at range , use his speed and he'll probably try to force Buatsi into defensive mistakes so he can land his left hook. But usually Buatsi is pretty defensively responsible so its gonna be interesting to see how that pans out tbh. Both are solid boxers but i think Buatsi edges it skillwise , he has a good jab which he uses to good effect but he does tend to back off at times which allows his opponents to pressure him , he cant afford to do that against Parker who thrives on pressure and will try to force the pace and to force Buatsi into exchanges. Like i say i think Buatsi is the techncially more gifted fighter but for me he has kind of underwhelmed in his career thus far , hes good enough theres no doubt , but he just hasnt seemed to give his career 100% imho , he does just enough to win when he could in reality do alot more. I wanna see him step up on that , do more , and i think hes gonna have to as after that last time loss to Callum Smith hes gonna have to come to win to re establish his name in a top heavy division ie Bivol , Beterbiev , Benavidez etc .. if hes gonna stand any chance of fighting for a world title .. and i think that loss will have come as sort of wake up call so im expecting Buatsi to come in to this determined to do a job and show his class. Parker wont make it easy and i can see him giving Buatsi problems early doors but ultimatley i see Buatsi coming through that.
Joshua Buatsi To Win

Bradley Rea vs Lyndon Arthur
Another decent looking bout imo , Rea (22 Fights - 21 Wins (10 KOs) - 1 Loss) makes the first defence of his EBU Light Heavyweight title against Arthur (27 Fights - 24 Wins (16 KOs) - 3 Losses) and like ive already said it should be a decent fight. Rea won the title last time out when he beat the decent Shakan Pitters , and before that he beat Tim Hepple and his only loss came to Tyler Denny back in 2022 .. whilst Arthur has lost two of his last three , last time he lost to Anthony Yarde in the trilogy fight , before that he beat Liam Cameron but in all fairness that could of gone either way and in the fight before that he lost , as you'd expect , to Bivol. For me Arthur has looked poor in those last three fights , and im wondering if hes coming to the end of his career , hes now 34 and i think it all depends on how much he has left in the tank , on his day if hes fully focussed and up for it Arthur can give most a good run for their money but looking at those last three fights the question has to be , are you gonna get the highly motivated Lyndon Arthur ? .. Arthur has been operating at a slightly higher level than Rea and both are decent enough boxers in their own right although i think Arthur is the more proven of the pair .. Both are gonna be looking for a statement win , Rea so he establishes himself in the division and looks to kick on his career and Arthur to say that he aint done yet and that hes still a relevant threat in the division .. its a tough call tbh. Arthur has a potent jab and he is gonna have to use that to good effect which hes more than capable of and , for me , hes gonna to improve on his recent outings to take this .. Rea is obviously on a high coming in off that Pitters win and taking the EBU belt and hes more than capable of taking this and hes going to want to propel himself into those big name fights , definatley a 50/50 if both at their best but im gonna give the nod to the current underdog Lyndon Arthur , i think he can eke out a win if he comes into this meaning business but its a tight one and i certainly wouldnt rule out a Rea win.
Lyndon Arthur To Win
Liam Cameron vs Troy Jones
Liam Cameron (32 Fights - 23 Wins (10 KOs) - 7 Losses - 1 Draw - 1 No Contest) comes into this on the back of his two outings against Ben Whittaker , the first one ended in farce lets be honest but Cameron was winning that fight and should of got the win imho , the second one was a bit of an anti climax with Cameron losing by a second round TKO , didnt look the same fighter to me in that rematch and it makes me wonder which version of Cameron are we gonna get in this one especially as hes a replacement in this for the injured Daniel Lapin .. Jones (14 Fights - 13 Wins (6 KOs) - 1 Loss) had his first loss in the pros in his penultimate fight , against Ezra Taylor and we all saw what hes capable of when he beat Steed Woodhall last weekend , think Jones done well to get to the end of the fight tbh , going down by a UD .. put that loss behind him when he beat Bahadur Karami and will be looking to get further back on track in this one .. Cameron is a wily ol fighter whose fought at a higher level than Jones but the younger and fresher Jones is hungry and i think will probably want it more .. difficult one to weigh up , but i think Jones can get the job done but its probably gonna be a close one and a Cameron win wouldnt come as a huge shock tbh
Troy Jones To Win

Pat Brown vs Felix Valera
Looking forward to this one as Pat Brown (4 Fights - 4 Wins (4 KOs) makes his US debut , and takes on the experienced Felix Valera (32 Fights - 24 Wins (21 KOs) - 8 Losses) .. definatley a step up for Brown on his previous opponents but Valera has shown signs thats nowhere near as good as he was , hes now 37 years old and has lost three of his last four fights , two of those by stoppage .. think Brown takes his record to 5-0 all by stoppage , will be too much for the Dominican boxer i think
Pat Brown To Win

Lenier Pero vs Jordan Thompson
Cuban Lenier Pero (12 Fights - 12 Wins (8 KOs)) has looked good in his fights so far , as you'd expect from someone with his amateur pedigree whilst his British opponent Jordan Thompson (16 Fights - 15 Wins (12 KOs) - 1 Loss) had been campaigning at Cruiserweight and had looked decent until he met his last opponent , Jai Opetaia , back in September of 2023 , that didnt end well for Thompson with a 4th round stoppage .. maybe a bit soon to be facing that level of opponent imho , but he hasnt been seen since which i think is a bit of a concern , that amount of ring inactivity and his first fight at the weight in against a boxer like Pero i can only see one outcome if im being honest. Like i say Thompson had looked a decent enough prospect before the Opetaia bout , how much that set him back or took out of him is yet to be seen , i would of liked to have seen him in at least one fight prior to this but it is what it is , as it stands i can only go with a Pero win , probably by stoppage.
Lenier Pero To Win

Other Bouts
Omari Jones vs Yusuph Metu - Young up n coming prospect Jones looks to make it four from four and though this will be the hardest fight of his pro career to date i fulyl expect him to add to his tally here. Metu is an experienced and tough operator , never been stopped , but i think Jones is gonna use his height and reach advantage and could possibly be the first one to stop the Tanzanian.
Omari Jones To Win

Nishant Dev vs Juan Medina - Indian Dev is 3-0 and theres every chance hes gonna make it 4-0 against his Mexican opponent , cant say that ive been overly impressed with Dev but he should be able to get through Medina with little to no trouble.
Nishant Dev To Win

Yoelvis Gomez vs Antravaeous Ingram - Interesting match up this one i think , Cuban Gomez comes into this with a record of 9-1 , been in good form since that UD loss back in 2023 with three wins since , two of those by stoppage. Ingram comes in with a perfect 12-0 record and has stopped four of his last five opponents , though i think Gomez will be a tougher test than those opponents .. tough one to call but im gonna side with the Cuban.
Yoelvis Gomez To Win

Carlos De Leon vs Wilner Soto - Should be another win for the unbeaten De Leon against journeyman Soto , Puerto Rican should be taking his record to 6-0 as i cant see De Leon troubling him
Carlos De Leon To Win

Ryan Santiago vs Maro Betancourt - Newcomer Santiago looks to have found an easy debut here i think , Betancourt has failed to win either of his two fights to date and has been stopped in both so im expecting a winning debut possibly by stoppage.
Ryan Santiago To Win

Khaleel Majid vs David Ryan - Majid has looked decent and i think hes gonna go 16-0 against his Irish opponent Ryan , he hasnt looked half bad but tbh that was against mediocre opposition and when he stepped it up a tad last time against Colin Cairney he was stopped in the first round , and i think that this one could well go the same way.
Khaleel Majid To Win

Leighton Birchall vs Wilbert Panttin - Lancashire lad Birchall should be extending his run to 4-0 against his Nigaraguan opponent whose lost three of his last four.
Leighton Birchall To Win

Stephen Clarke vs Jose Aguirre - Scouser Stephen Clarke should have to much for his Costa Rican opponent whose only managed to win two of his 19 fights to date , cant see past a Clarke win here
Stephen Clarke To Win

Brad Casey vs Antonio Borovina - Think Yorkshireman Brad Casey will be making it two wins from two , should prove too good for his Croatian opponent whose won 2 and lost 4 but its worth pointing out that those two wins came in his last two fights against the same opponent , Bosnian Zelimir Krezic who is yet to win a fight in twelve attempts .. details matter lol .. anyways Casey should be winning this one i think
Brad Casey To Win

Jermaine Dhliwayo vs Cesar Ignacio Paredes - Good to see a young up n coming fighter keeping active , this will be Dhliwayo's fourth fight of the year , was last seen stopping his opponent a couple of weeks ago on the Conway vs Liddard undercard and i see this bout going the same way tbh , think i read or heard somewhere that hes a relative of Del Chisora so fighting will be in the genes .. cant see his Peruvian opponent troubling him , should be making it 8-0
Jermaine Dhliwayo To Win

Leon Hughes vs Pavol Garaj - Hughes should be taking this one in whats essentially a run out against a journeyman , cant see past a Hughes win here
Leon Hughes To Win

John Tom Varey vs Brandon Gallardo - Varey makes his debut here , decent enough amateur record and looking at his opponents record , lost his last six , he should be making it a winning one
John Tom Varey To Win

Luke Prior vs Eduardo Vera - Hailing from Liverpool , Prior is another one whose making his pro debut , and again it should be a winning one .. finished his amateur career with a win in the 2025 Senior Three Nations Final , should have too much about him for his Mexican opponent.
Luke Prior To Win

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JERMAINE DHLIWAYO WINS LEON HUGHES WINS BRAD CASEY WINS LUKE PRIOR WINS LEIGHTON BIRCHALL WINS JOHN TOM VAREY WINS STEPHEN CLARKE WINS LIAM CAMERON WINS LYNDON ARTHUR WINS JOSHUA BUATSI WINS KHALEEL MAJID WINS RYAN SANTIAGO WINS NISHANT DEV WINS CARLOS DE LEON WINS YOELVIS GOMEZ vs ANTRAVAEOUS INGRAM - DRAW PAT BROWN WINS OMARI JONES WINS LENIER PERO WINS

Sean said:

Saturday 8th November

Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Erickson Lubin
Not a bad match up this one to be honest , Ortiz Jr is the favourite going into this but i wouldnt write Lubins chances off personally. Ortiz Jr (23 Fights - 23 Wins (21 KOs) comes into the fight on the back of a win over the decent Madrimov last time and before that Bohachuck , both decent scalps on his resume. Lubin had his first fight since September 2023 when he beat Andreal Holmes by an eleventh round stoppage earlier this year .. He beat the previously unbeaten Jesus Ramon in that September '23 bout by UD , the two times hes stepped it up hes come unstuck , the first time being against Jermell Charlo who knocked him out in the first round back in 2017 and then against Sebastian Fundora in 2022 when he retired in the ninth round. Ortiz made hard work of beating Madrimov to be honest , thought it was a very close fight and he showed grit and determination in beatings Bohachuck after he was dropped , hes kind of a throwback fighter , will fight anyone and just go for it .. knows only one way to fight and thats coming forward throwing , the Madrimov bout looks even better since he ran Crawford close in most peoples opinions. Lubin is a decent boxer and he uses his jab well , and as he has a good reach advantage here i think he'll be using this to good effect , not only to set up his shots but to frustrate Ortiz Jr , who only knows one way to fight and that to come forward and throw , both to the head and to the body , but he has to get inside so that jab could prove pivotal in this i think. Think this is gonna be an entertaining fight to watch personally , i see Lubin doing well early doors , especially as Ortiz Jr can be a slow starter at times , and i can see that Lubins style proving awkward for Ortiz Jr but i also think that his volume and relentless pressure , coming forward will eventually pay dividends as he starts to work out and wear down Lubin .. both can punch with Lubin having a 70% KO percentage and Ortiz Jr a 91% KO percentage so im thinking that this may well not go the distance regardless of who wins , and as both of Lubins losses have come by way of stoppages im thinking that it'll be Ortiz Jr who comes out of this the winner.
Vergil Ortiz Jr To Win

Other Bouts
Darius Fulghum vs David Stevens - Not a bad bout this one featuring two fighters with solid amateur credentials especially Fulghum (15 Fights - 14 Wins (12 KOs) - 1 Loss) whose a former US National Champion .. arrives on the back of his first pro loss , by UD to the Uzbek Bektemir Melikuziev , but before that had looked good in beating his opponents to date .. Stevens ((17 Fights - 15 Wins (10 KOs) - 2 Losses) won his last fight , beating Petr Khamukov , but has only won two of his last four fights , lost to Melikuziev by decision in his penultimate fight , beat Sergio Lopez by a first round stoppage and lost to Joeshon James by a first round knockout .. both can box and both carry power but i think Fulghum is better in both departments tbh and hes also more technically gifted imho , i think Stevens will start strong but i feel that as the rounds go by Fulghum will start to find his range and start to slowly break Stevens down , Stevens is alot better offensively than defencively and he has a habit of forgetting his defence when looking for the stoppage , leaving him open to counters and thats dangerous against someone like Fulghum. Fulghum also keeps his cool when under fire so i cant see Stevens troubling him too much , think as the fight goes on Fulghum will begin to dominate and think theres every chance of a stoppage.
Darius Fulghum To Win

Joshua Edwards vs Zeno Vooris - Think this one is gonna go the way of the unbeaten Edwards who i feel can make it 5-0 .. Has looked a decent prospect thus far and i expect him to be too good for Vooris
Joshua Edwards To Win

Amari Jones vs Shady Gamhour - Unbeaten Jones should have too much for Gamhour , Jones has very quick hands and feet , and has a high volume style that doesnt allow his opponents to settle into a rhythm , im finding it hard to see a way that Gamhour can win this tbh tho he does work well off his lead hand which could cause a few problems for Jones but not enough for the upset imo
Amari Jones To Win

Eric Priest vs Esneiker Correa - Priest should be making it 17-0 against this level of opposition , Correa has won one and drawn one of his last six and i fail to see how he can beat Priest , take him a few rounds maybe but hes been stopped in four of his six losses to date so entirely feasible that Priest could get the stoppage although hes not the biggest of punchers tbh
Eric Priest To Win

Robin Safar vs Derek Miller Jr - Think that Safar should be winning this although i wouldnt write Miller Jr's chances off completely , Safar has the better resume for me including a win over an aging Kovalev last year , has under rated power i think and i just reckon hes gonna be too much for Miller Jr , can see a late Safar stoppage here
Robin Safar To Win

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