Boxing

[Sean]

Saturday 20th July -

Junto Nakatani v Vincent Astrolabio
If it werent for 'The Monster' Inoue then Junto Nakatani (27 Fights - 27 Wins (20 KOs)) would probably be a name on everyones lips and would certainly be on every Japanese fight fans lips .. has been a champion in three different weight categories to date and took the WBC Bantamweight Title from Alexandro Santiago to add to his collection last time by sixth round TKO .. Vincent Astrolabio (23 Fights - 19 Wins (14 KOs) - 4 Losses) is mandatory challenger and will be up for this after stopping Thai fighter Nawaphon Kaikhana in the 11th round last time , but i feel hes gonna fall short here against Nakatani who i feel will be too much for the Phillipino boxer. He put up a valiant effort against Jason Moloney (a victim of Inoue's back in 2020) in his penultimate fight for the vacant WBO Bantamweight Title but went down by majority decision , he certainly wont go down without a fight but as i say i think Nakatani is gonna prove to much of a handful for him. Nakatani has a height and reach advantage and definatley bangs harder and for me is on a different level to Astrolabio and i see Nakatani stopping Astrolabio in this despite the phillipinos best efforts.

Junto Nakatani To Win .. By Stoppage

Amanada Serrano v Stevie Morgan
Interesting bout that could be a decent watch , Serrano (49 Fights - 46 Wins (30 KOs) - 2 Losses - 1 Draw) needs no introduction does she lets be honest , shes one of the P4P best and shes the only female to hold titles in seven different weight categories , shows you how good she is , the only losses in her illustrious career are an early loss to Frida Walberg back in 2012 and then to the equally talented Katie Taylor back in 2022 (and that was a tight one that could of gone either way to be totally honest) .. Shes due to rematch Taylor in November so im guessing that this is probably a keep busy fight as the pair were due to meet on this card , co main on the Jake Paul/Mike Tyson bout , but due to Tyson having to pull out the bout got put back to November and Morgan stepped in as a replacement. I dont know alot about Morgan (15 Fights - 14 Wins (13 KOs) - 1 Loss) but looking at her record she can certainly bang and merits her moniker of Sledgehammer , so Serrano would have to be careful not to get caught obviously , but on the whole this is a massive step up in class for Morgan whose never faced anyone on the level of Serrano before. For the most part Morgan has had most of her fights in Colombia , this will only be her fourth fight in her native US , shes bigger than Serrano and athletic , and i think she'll be highly motivated for this as its the biggest fight of her career and the chance of beating a multiple world champion would be a massive scalp on her resume but shes up against one of the most talented female fighters to grace the ring , and one who never shys away from a fight. Serrano carries power of her own although she hasnt stopped anyone since 2021 , but as we all know its not just about power its about skill and movement and Serrano has those in abundance and i think shes on another level compared to Morgan , and along with her ring IQ i think Morgan could well be in for a torrid night , obviously theres always the chance she could catch Serrano with a good 'un but i think Serrano outboxes her , setting a high tempo and not letting her opponent settle and though the size difference could be an issue early on i think Serrano overcomes it and comes out on top.

Amanda Serrano To Win
Chantelle Cameron v Elhem Mekhaled
Nice to see Chantelle Cameron (19 Fights - 18 Wins (8 KOs) - 1 LOss) making her comeback , she was last seen losing to Katie Taylor back in May of last year , where Taylor won by majority decision and took the belts back that Cameron had won in their previous encounter , handing Taylor the first loss on her resume , and if im being honest i honestly thought she'd done enough to win the second fight as well. I think a trilogy fight is in order tbh but i guess we'll see what happens in the future , for now shes challenging for the vacant WBC Interim Super Lightweight Championship , her opponent Mekhaled (19 Fights - 17 Wins (3 KOs) - 2 Losses) is looking for her third win in a row , but i dont think shes gonna get that here. For me Cameron is a level above Mekhaled , whose a decent enough boxer but is a little shy of world class for me whereas Cameron is proven at world level and i think she wins this comeback fight comfortably , possibly by stoppage.

Chantelle Cameron To Win
Nathan Heaney v Brad Pauls
A solid good ol' British dust up and its one i cant wait to watch , after their draw back in March of this year (which i personally think Pauls edged , but it was close and a good case could of been made for Heaney and / or the draw) i think both fighters will be looking to prove themselves in this one and come out on top. Heaney (19 Fights - 18 Wins (6 KOs) - 1 Draw) for me is the better boxer , more polished and he showed how good he was when he beat Denzel Bentley for his British Middleweight Title by Majority Decision , and Bentley has since gone onto win the WBO International Middleweight Title. Pauls (20 Fights - 18 Wins (10 KOs) - 1 Loss - 1 Draw) is more heavy handed than Heaney and he felt that power in their first fight and you could tell it troubled him , in their first fight Heaney started well , showing his boxing skills , Pauls couldnt really connect with anything of note and Heaney was catching him on the counter using his reach advantage to good effect but around the fourth/fifth rounds Pauls began to figure him out and started to catch him with heavy shots , which were taking their toll imho. Heaney still had his moments in the fight i have to say but i think the dynamic swayed in Pauls favour and i honestly though that he'd done enough in the end , but a draw was a fair result overall i'd say for a decent scrap and i think we're in store for more of the same in this rematch. Both know a little more about the other , and for me Heaney has to use his skills to win this , whereas Pauls will be coming at him throwing bombs but he has to start faster than he did in their previous encounter. This one is a truly 50/50 fight but because Pauls knows he can hurt Heaney i feel that will give him a bit of impetus and he'll be looking to stop him , although obviously as Heaney is so accurate with his counters this can leave him open and Heaney does have power of his own i have to say and could catch him but i think this one will go the way of Pauls , although its a tough choice and im not that confident.

Brad Pauls To Win

Junto Nakatani Wins By Stoppage
Chantelle Cameron Wins
Brad Pauls Wins
Amanda Serrano Wins

 

[Sean]

Four outta four last night . this morning , happy with that

 

[Sean]

Saturday 27th July -

Joe Joyce v Derek Chisora
As i said when i posted about this fight happening , it came completely outta left field , werent expecting this one at all. To be honest i really cant see what either fighter has to gain from this bout if im being completely honest , a few years ago i could , but now , nope , cant see one upside really. I like both fighters and its kind of a hard one to weigh up imho , Joyce (18 Fights - 16 Wins (15 KOs) - 2 Losses) comes into this on the back of a lack lustre performance last time out when he stopped Kash Ali in the tenth round , before that he has suffered the only losses of his pro career to date when getting stopped by Zhilei Zhang , the last of those being a particularly brutal third round KO , and i do wonder if those two losses have affected Joyces game , before those losses he looked unstoppable , hence 'The Juggernaut' moniker , he just seemed to eat punches and continue to come forward but after the battering Zhang gave him i dont know if hes gonna be the same solid Joyce anymore , he just didnt seem the same boxer against Ali and he seems to have aged overnight. Chisora (47 Fights - 34 Wins (23 KOs) - 13 Losses) is someone i respect as hes never ducked a challenge , up for fighting anyone but i do feel hes been in enough wars and should be hanging up his gloves , when last seen back in August of last year he beat Gerald Washington by unanimous decision , that was a bit of a bore fest tbh , and i hate to say it but Del Boy is past his best i think , although he can still hold his own against most of the current heavyweights out there its obvious that when he steps up against the better ones he falls short , his last six fights have seen him lose four times , but in all fairness against quality opposition , Uysk , Parker (twice) and Fury .. his only other win in that time was against Kubrat Pulev by split decision which was a decent win in all honesty. Both are getting older now (Joyce 38 and Delboy 40) and probably neither are the forces of old but im expecting a war for at least the few rounds , as Chisora only knows one way to fight and thats to come forward and throw hands , whilst Joyce basically is the same , theres really no defence from either of them and i can see both eating a lot of shots , and if it doesnt end early - mid rounds then theres a chance this becomes a bore fest in my opinion. Both have to win this one really , and in think either could do it , if Chisora catches Joyce clean with one of his overhand rights then its very likely lights out , but i feel theres more of a chance that Joyce just plods forward , throwing punches and wears Chisora down and either stopping him or winning a close decision.

Joe Joyce To Win

Vanessa Lepage Joanisse v Clarissa Shields
Self proclaimed GWOAT Clarissa Shields (14 Fights - 14 Wins (2 KOs)) is stepping up to the heavies when she takes on reigning champ Canadian Vanessa Joanisse (8 Fights - 7 Wins (2 KOs) - 1 Loss) and its an interesting bout given the decision of Shields to go from Middleweight to Heavyweight. Theres no doubting the skills and class of Shields , how hard she works in and out of the ring makes her one of the P4P best , was last seen beating Maricela Cornejo where she retained her undisputed title. Before that she beat the talented British fighter Savannah Marshall in a a great match up. Joanisse isnt on the level of Shields skill wise , nowhere near imho although she is decent , won by split decision last time when she beat the Argentinian Abril Vidal .. shes only been back into boxing since early 2023 , took time out after suffering her first loss (TKO to Alejandra Jimenez) back in 2017 , since that return shes had four fights , winning them all but this one is gonna be by far her hardest task to date. I dont know a whole lot about her tbh , but i think her only chance is to make it uncomfortable for Shields , impose her size ,slow her down/smother her , but i think Shields is levels up above and too shrewd , she will use her slick skills and speed to fight and i see outboxing Joanisse from distance. Shields will probably come in lighter than Joanisse , but she does have a height advantage and im sure she'll be using this to her advantage when she can. At the end of the day i can only see one outcome here and thats a Clarissa Shields win , probably by decision as neither fighter possesses devastating knockout power.

Clarissa Shields To Win

Moses Itauma v Mariusz Wach

Interesting match up this one , unbeaten and exciting Brit Moses Itauma 9 Fights - 9 Wins (7 KOs)) arrives after a second round TKO of Ilja Mecenzev back in May of this year where he walked away with the vacant WBO Intercontinental Title , that was the longest he'd gone in his last five fights with the previous four all ending in first round stoppages. Itauma really is an exciting prospect in the Heavyweight division , if he keeps on doing what hes doing and stays focussed i think he'll reach the top , hes only 19 so theres plenty of time for him. Wach (48 Fights - 38 Wins (20 KOs) - 10 Losses) is an old hand and at the age of 44 is nearing the end of his career to be fair but hes certainly Itaumas toughest opponent to date , and it'd be risky to just write off his chances out of hand but i do think he could be up against it here as i think southpaw Itauma could cause him all sorts of problems despite having been there , seen it and done it. Wach comes into this on the back of a decision win over Michal Boloz last year (someone who Itauma put away in the first round) , but hes lost more than hes won over recent times , although the losses have come against decent enough opposition on the whole .. Jarrel Miller , Martin Bakole , Kevin Lerena , Alexander Povetkin , Artur Szpilka , Dillian Whyte , Hughie Fury ... Itauma is aggressive , very technically proficient and can bang , and i dont think Wach is gonna be able to keep up in all honesty , its possibly a bit of a mis match , but i think Wach is in there as an experienced fighter to see where Itauma is at at the moment , maybe to get some rounds in as he has a decent chin but im expecting Itauma to try to be getting him outta there , the only people to have stopped Wach so far are Bakole , Miller , Makhmudov and Povetkin so if he manages it he'll be amongst good company. Itauma is on an upward trajectory and i think he will frustrate Wach and stop him , i cant see this one going the distance tbh.

Moses Itauma To Win .. By Stoppage

 

[slick]

Four outta four last night . this morning , happy with that

Excellent, well done Sean

 

[Sean]

Added Moses Itauma vs Mariusz Wach to the 27th July post

 

[Sean]

Saturday 27th July -

Joe Joyce v Derek Chisora
As i said when i posted about this fight happening , it came completely outta left field , werent expecting this one at all. To be honest i really cant see what either fighter has to gain from this bout if im being completely honest , a few years ago i could , but now , nope , cant see one upside really. I like both fighters and its kind of a hard one to weigh up imho , Joyce (18 Fights - 16 Wins (15 KOs) - 2 Losses) comes into this on the back of a lack lustre performance last time out when he stopped Kash Ali in the tenth round , before that he has suffered the only losses of his pro career to date when getting stopped by Zhilei Zhang , the last of those being a particularly brutal third round KO , and i do wonder if those two losses have affected Joyces game , before those losses he looked unstoppable , hence 'The Juggernaut' moniker , he just seemed to eat punches and continue to come forward but after the battering Zhang gave him i dont know if hes gonna be the same solid Joyce anymore , he just didnt seem the same boxer against Ali and he seems to have aged overnight. Chisora (47 Fights - 34 Wins (23 KOs) - 13 Losses) is someone i respect as hes never ducked a challenge , up for fighting anyone but i do feel hes been in enough wars and should be hanging up his gloves , when last seen back in August of last year he beat Gerald Washington by unanimous decision , that was a bit of a bore fest tbh , and i hate to say it but Del Boy is past his best i think , although he can still hold his own against most of the current heavyweights out there its obvious that when he steps up against the better ones he falls short , his last six fights have seen him lose four times , but in all fairness against quality opposition , Uysk , Parker (twice) and Fury .. his only other win in that time was against Kubrat Pulev by split decision which was a decent win in all honesty. Both are getting older now (Joyce 38 and Delboy 40) and probably neither are the forces of old but im expecting a war for at least the few rounds , as Chisora only knows one way to fight and thats to come forward and throw hands , whilst Joyce basically is the same , theres really no defence from either of them and i can see both eating a lot of shots , and if it doesnt end early - mid rounds then theres a chance this becomes a bore fest in my opinion. Both have to win this one really , and in think either could do it , if Chisora catches Joyce clean with one of his overhand rights then its very likely lights out , but i feel theres more of a chance that Joyce just plods forward , throwing punches and wears Chisora down and either stopping him or winning a close decision.

Joe Joyce To Win

Vanessa Lepage Joanisse v Clarissa Shields
Self proclaimed GWOAT Clarissa Shields (14 Fights - 14 Wins (2 KOs)) is stepping up to the heavies when she takes on reigning champ Canadian Vanessa Joanisse (8 Fights - 7 Wins (2 KOs) - 1 Loss) and its an interesting bout given the decision of Shields to go from Middleweight to Heavyweight. Theres no doubting the skills and class of Shields , how hard she works in and out of the ring makes her one of the P4P best , was last seen beating Maricela Cornejo where she retained her undisputed title. Before that she beat the talented British fighter Savannah Marshall in a a great match up. Joanisse isnt on the level of Shields skill wise , nowhere near imho although she is decent , won by split decision last time when she beat the Argentinian Abril Vidal .. shes only been back into boxing since early 2023 , took time out after suffering her first loss (TKO to Alejandra Jimenez) back in 2017 , since that return shes had four fights , winning them all but this one is gonna be by far her hardest task to date. I dont know a whole lot about her tbh , but i think her only chance is to make it uncomfortable for Shields , impose her size ,slow her down/smother her , but i think Shields is levels up above and too shrewd , she will use her slick skills and speed to fight and i see outboxing Joanisse from distance. Shields will probably come in lighter than Joanisse , but she does have a height advantage and im sure she'll be using this to her advantage when she can. At the end of the day i can only see one outcome here and thats a Clarissa Shields win , probably by decision as neither fighter possesses devastating knockout power.

Clarissa Shields To Win

Moses Itauma v Mariusz Wach

Interesting match up this one , unbeaten and exciting Brit Moses Itauma 9 Fights - 9 Wins (7 KOs)) arrives after a second round TKO of Ilja Mecenzev back in May of this year where he walked away with the vacant WBO Intercontinental Title , that was the longest he'd gone in his last five fights with the previous four all ending in first round stoppages. Itauma really is an exciting prospect in the Heavyweight division , if he keeps on doing what hes doing and stays focussed i think he'll reach the top , hes only 19 so theres plenty of time for him. Wach (48 Fights - 38 Wins (20 KOs) - 10 Losses) is an old hand and at the age of 44 is nearing the end of his career to be fair but hes certainly Itaumas toughest opponent to date , and it'd be risky to just write off his chances out of hand but i do think he could be up against it here as i think southpaw Itauma could cause him all sorts of problems despite having been there , seen it and done it. Wach comes into this on the back of a decision win over Michal Boloz last year (someone who Itauma put away in the first round) , but hes lost more than hes won over recent times , although the losses have come against decent enough opposition on the whole .. Jarrel Miller , Martin Bakole , Kevin Lerena , Alexander Povetkin , Artur Szpilka , Dillian Whyte , Hughie Fury ... Itauma is aggressive , very technically proficient and can bang , and i dont think Wach is gonna be able to keep up in all honesty , its possibly a bit of a mis match , but i think Wach is in there as an experienced fighter to see where Itauma is at at the moment , maybe to get some rounds in as he has a decent chin but im expecting Itauma to try to be getting him outta there , the only people to have stopped Wach so far are Bakole , Miller , Makhmudov and Povetkin so if he manages it he'll be amongst good company. Itauma is on an upward trajectory and i think he will frustrate Wach and stop him , i cant see this one going the distance tbh.

Moses Itauma To Win .. By Stoppage

Moses Itauma Wins By Stoppage
Derek Chisora Wins
Clarissa Shields Wins

 

[Sean]

Saturday 3rd August -

Terence Crawford v Israel Madrimov
One of the P4P best Terence Crawford (40 Fights - 40 Wins (31 KOs) returns to action after just over a year out , last seen demolishing Errol Spence Jr , he now returns entering the fray into a new weight category (his fourth) , meeting the unbeaten Uzbek fighter Israel Madrimov (11 Fights - 10 Wins (7 KOs) - 1 Draw) for his WBA Super Welterweight Title which he won in his last fight against Magomed Kurbanov by fifth round TKO. Madrimov is gonna come to fight , everything ive seen of him to date would suggest that anyway , hes strong , powerful and has good skills but he does have a tendency to drop his hands which i see Crawford taking full advantage of , and given he has quite a reach advantage over Madrimov id say that he better brush up on his defence as Crawford will jump on any flaws that he shows. I dont think its gonna be all one way traffic , Madrimov hits hard , very hard , and its an unknown as to how Crawford will cope / react to those heavy shots , he can be hurt , we've seen that in the past and its gonna be interesting to see how he copes when hes caught by Madrimov , and he will get caught at some point. For me Crawford is levels above Madrimov , but two concerns are hes getting on in age and going up to a new category , and also hes been out of the ring for a year. Hes an elite fighter and im sure im worrying about nothing , but they are rattling around in my head as hes up against a young , hungry fighter whose gonna bring it from the first bell .. and in the early rounds i see it pretty much as a 50/50 fight , but i think Crawford starts to figure him out from around the mid rounds and then start to get on top. I think hes too clever , ring efficient and skilled at the end of the day , and i think he'll prove to good for Madrimov.

Terence Crawford To Win

Martin Bakole v Jared Anderson
Interesting match up this one and one im looking forward to if im being honest , Jared 'Big Baby' Anderson (17 Fights - 17 Wins (15 KOs)) has been hailed as the next great American heavyweight in many quarters , and whilst hes not bad i have to be honest and say im yet to be convinced of that , though not losing a fight yet thats more to do with the fact that hes been carefully matched than any great talent imho , he looked okay up until he fought Charles Martin back in July of 2023 , where he looked lacklustre and was seriously exposed and was rocked on a couple of occasions , he then stopped Andriy Rudenko , and last time (April 2024) put in another poor effort when beating Cruiserweight Ryad Merhy by unanimous decision , he should be putting these kind of opponents away or at least beating them convincingly and theres a chance that Martin Bakole (21 Fights - 20 Wins (15 KOs) - 1 Loss) could put a stop to the hype train in this one. I think hes slightly better than Anderson at this stage , he hits hard and if theres any flaws in Anderson then Bakole will find them and exploit them , he was last seen stopping Carlos Takam in the fourth round on the undercard of the Fury / Ngannou bout back in October 2023 , that was a decent win and hes stopped three of his last four opponents , winning the other against Tony Yoka by majority decision. Aside from his loss to Michael Hunter in 2018 the only other fighter who caused him any trouble really was Sergey Kuzmin (Bakole won by UD) and both of those are better than Anderson imho. In all honesty this could go either way , i think if Bakole comes into this fit and properly tuned up then he wins but he had been putting on alot of weight which i would be worried about if he turned up out of shape but wont know that until nearer the day unfortunatley .. but still hes a big solid unit and he'll be looking to win this i would think , and tbf he did weigh in at his heaviest last time , almost 300lb , and handled Yoka just fine so i may be worrying about nothing (we shall see). If Anderson is to stand a chance i think he has to brush up on his defence , and as he doesnt seem to be an effective counter puncher having to lead to be effective this could well play into Bakoles gloves unless he can start fighting on the back foot. Theres alot of ifs and buts about this bout which is what makes it difficult to weigh up but from everything ive seen to date i say Bakole puts a stop to the hype train and hands Anderson his first loss unless hes improved markedly from his last few fights.

Martin Bakole To Win

Isaac Cruz v Jose Valenzuela
Should be a corking fight this one and i'm definatley looking forward to it , 'Pitbull' Cruz (29 Fights - 26 Wins (18 KOs) - 2 Losses - 1 Draw) comes into this on the back of a punch perfect display last time , stopping Roly Romero by TKO in the 8th round taking his WBA Super Lightweight Title into the bargain , and as ive said before he certainly lives upto his nickname , hes tenacious , has a solid work and output rate and comes to fight , since his loss to Gervonta Davis back in 2021 hes won all four bouts , three if them by stoppages , and i think it shows how tough and durable he is whne you consider that he lost to Davis by unanimous decision , only the second person to take Davis the full distance (the other being Meraz back in 2014 !) .. Valenzuela (15 Fights - 13 Wins (9 KOs) - 2 Losses) arrives after knocking out Chris Colbert last time (in revenge for his penultimate fight where Colbert beat him by unanimous decision) , and before that he lost for the first time when Edwin De La Santos stopped him. Both of these can punch but i'd favour Cruz to be the more powerful , and as ive said his work rate is second to none. The two things that Valenzuela has in his favour are a big height advantage and a big reach advantage , which i think hes gonna have to capitalise on , but the drawback is that he likes to fight on the inside and as Cruz is smaller this would give him the adavantage and in all honesty i dont see that ending well for Valenzuela , so hes gonna have to keep Cruz at distance if he can. I think this is gonna be an entertaining fight and both hold a chance of walking away the victor but im favouring Cruz to continue his winning streak and beat Valenzuela.

Isaac Cruz To Win

David Morrell Jr v Radivoje Kalajdzic
Cuban David Morrell Jr (10 Fights - 10 Wins (9 KOs)) continues his progress in the pro's by fighting Radivoje Kalajdzic (31 Fights - 29 Wins (21 KOs) - 2 Losses) for the vacant WBA Light Heavyweight title in his first bout at Light Heavy , he defended his WBA (Regular) Super Middle Weight Title (which he won in only his third pro fight) by beating Sena Agbeko by second round TKO , before that he beat Brazilian Yamaguchi Falcao by a first round knockout , in fact hes stopped everyone of his last seven opponents , since winning the Super MW title back in 2020 by unanimous decision when beating Lennox Allen. He has a fearsome reputation and rightly so , in 2022 he knocked out the Khazak fighter Aidos Yerbooynuly in the twelfth round and he had to be placed in a medically induced coma (thankfully as far as im aware hes now made a full recovery) . He really is an exciting prospect i think , good solid skills and ring IQ and can certainly bang , he came into the pro's as is often the case with Cubans after an excellent career in the amateurs where he racked up a 130 - 5 record , and he is only 26 so plenty of time for him to hit the heights , and from what ive seen so far im sure he will. Admittedly he hasnt faced the best yet or anything like but its early on in his career and hes faced some decent opposition and he has been after the likes of Benevidez , Canelo , Plant etc .. but none of them have shown an interest in facing him , whether thats because hes a relative newbie with nothing to bring to the table or because they realise he has the potential to be a major threat i dont know but i think its probably a wise move on his part to go up to 175lb if he wants to fight better opposition/win belts. Kalajdzic comes into this on a four fight TKO winning streak , since his decision win over Denis Grachev back in 2020 , hes a decent boxer with good fundamentals and has a decent punch on him , i think Kalajdzic will give it his best but ultimately fall short. Has a decent chin on him with his only stoppage loss coming against Artur Beterbiev , so hes a tough operator and i think this will be Morrell Jrs biggest test to date and it'll be interesting to see how he fares against someone who punches hard ,with the extra power from a proven banger at 175lb. Should be an entertaining bout , and i can see maybe one or two knockdowns along the way given their power and the way they fight , although im not sure that a knockout/stoppage is on the cards , i think if it happens it'll be round 6/7 or afterwards but this could well go to the judges cards but for me Morrell Jr should come out on top , and has to if he wants to continue his rise to the top.

David Morrell Jr To Win

Andy Ruiz Jr v Jarrell Miller
The battle of the heavies .. literally !! Interesting match up thats proving difficult to weigh up tbh as surely both have to want to win this to have any standing left on the heavyweight scene .. Ruiz Jr (37 Fights - 35 Wins (22 KOs) - 2 Losses) hasnt been seen since September 2022 when he beat Luis Ortiz by unanimous decision , and thats a long time to be out of the ring , think the main reason is because hes been waiting for a payday but thats been a long time coming and i just hope that hes been training hard and readying himself as it wont be a walk in the park against Miller (28 Fights - 26 Wins (22 KOs) - 1 Loss - 1 Draw) who was last seen in December of last year losing to Daniel Dubois by TKO. Ruiz is probably best known for coming in on short notice and toppling Anthony Joshua back in 2019 , and then losing the rematch , and to be honest he hasnt really done alot since then only getting in the ring twice. Miller himself hasnt been in the ring much due to positive drug tests , bizarrely Miller was due to fight Joshua in that aforementioned fight , failed drug test and Ruiz came in to replace him , so there may well be a bit if needle to this match , what could of been for Miller etc etc .. Millers had four fights since returning from suspension , pretty much low level affairs until the DDD bout which he lost. Ruiz is a solid boxer with good technique and he has very fast hands which i think could trouble Miller , he also seems to 'show up' for the bigger fights .. Miller in all honesty would of done alot better in the Dubois fight if he'd of come in a tad lighter at the weights imho , i think the weight told in the end so im hoping hes in better shape for this one , and that goes for Ruiz as well tbh. If both come in wanting to win this it should be a good scrap , Miller comes forward and throws and for me Ruiz is the better and more skilful boxer and i see him countering and catching him all night long , Miller gave DDD a rough night for the most part but was gassing towards the end of the fight and i pretty much see that happening again unless hes alot trimmer than he was. Ruiz has never been stopped , both his losses coming by way of decision , and despite being a mauler / puncher i dont think Miller has the attributes to hand Ruiz his first stoppage (although his lack of recent ring activity could change that admittedly) , i see the early rounds being a bit of a dog fight , back and forth , but i think Ruiz starts to dominate Miller and comes out on top , i think theres a possibilty of a stoppage for Ruiz here , probably after round 7 id say , but im not sure , but i do think that Ruiz Jr prevails in this particular battle.

Andy Ruiz Jr To Win

Andy Cruz v Antonio Moran
Interesting match up this one , Andy Cruz (3 Fights - 3 Wins (1 KO)) is fairly new to the pro ranks but his amateur pedigree is second to none , two golds in the Pan American games , 3 Golds in the World Championships and hes the current Olympic Gold Medallist , having won it in the Tokyo Olympics back in 2020 , in all in his amateur career he won 135 fights and lost 9 .. and hes Cuban , quite a few Cubans making the pro ranks over the last few years and Cruz , for me , is one of the best of them. Professionally this is a huge step up for Cruz , as Moran (37 Fights - 30 Wins (21 KOs) - 6 Losses - 1 Draw) has been up against some decent opposition in his time Devin Haney , Arnold Barboza Jr , Jermaine Ortiz ... he lost those but the only time hes been stopped is against Devin Haney so hes a tough as teak Mexican fighter whose got a decent chin. Altho on paper it looks a bit of a mis match , when you take into consideration Cruz' amateur career and what hes achieved i really dont think it is personally , hes a really talented and exciting recruit to the pro ranks imho and i think he can go far. I can see Cruz using his jab and his ring IQ and just outboxing Moran , although you couldnt totally write off Morans chances as hes no mug but i feel that Cruz could be something special and i feel that hes just gonna be too good for him.

Andy Cruz To Win

Caroline Dubois v Maira Moneo

Interesting match up this one and its a fight im looking forward to .. Im a big fan of Dubois (9 Fights - 9 Wins (5 KOs)) who i think has the potential to be an elite fighter in the womans game , she comes from a solid amateur background winning gold in the youth olympics back in 2018 , and being European youth champion four times along with numerous other titles .. very technically proficient she seems to get better with each fight and her skillset is top grade , as is her boxing IQ which to me seems to be beyond her years sometimes , she also carries some decent power and i think at only 23 she really is a name for the future and is set for the top. Her opponent is Maira Moneo (15 Fights - 14 Wins (3 KOs) - 1 Loss) who travels from her native Uruguay for this and to be honest i dont know alot about her , shes older and more experienced than Dubois but looking through her resume i cant see that shes faced anyone of Dubois' calibre and whilst she has decent basics and doesnt mind mixing it up i think she may well come up short here , and this will be her first fight outside of her native country so that could well have a deciding factor on the outcome. I see Dubois powering her way to victory and taking the fight on the way to bigger and better things.

Caroline Dubois To Win

 

[Sean]

Well four outta the six British boxers at the Olympics have lost , gotta say some very questionable decisions .. a couple of the British fighters should have won i think especially Delicious Orio who i reckon done enough to see him through

 

[Sean]

Added Caroline vs Maira Moneo to Saturday 3rd's post

 

[Sean]

Saturday 3rd August -

Terence Crawford v Israel Madrimov
One of the P4P best Terence Crawford (40 Fights - 40 Wins (31 KOs) returns to action after just over a year out , last seen demolishing Errol Spence Jr , he now returns entering the fray into a new weight category (his fourth) , meeting the unbeaten Uzbek fighter Israel Madrimov (11 Fights - 10 Wins (7 KOs) - 1 Draw) for his WBA Super Welterweight Title which he won in his last fight against Magomed Kurbanov by fifth round TKO. Madrimov is gonna come to fight , everything ive seen of him to date would suggest that anyway , hes strong , powerful and has good skills but he does have a tendency to drop his hands which i see Crawford taking full advantage of , and given he has quite a reach advantage over Madrimov id say that he better brush up on his defence as Crawford will jump on any flaws that he shows. I dont think its gonna be all one way traffic , Madrimov hits hard , very hard , and its an unknown as to how Crawford will cope / react to those heavy shots , he can be hurt , we've seen that in the past and its gonna be interesting to see how he copes when hes caught by Madrimov , and he will get caught at some point. For me Crawford is levels above Madrimov , but two concerns are hes getting on in age and going up to a new category , and also hes been out of the ring for a year. Hes an elite fighter and im sure im worrying about nothing , but they are rattling around in my head as hes up against a young , hungry fighter whose gonna bring it from the first bell .. and in the early rounds i see it pretty much as a 50/50 fight , but i think Crawford starts to figure him out from around the mid rounds and then start to get on top. I think hes too clever , ring efficient and skilled at the end of the day , and i think he'll prove to good for Madrimov.

Terence Crawford To Win

Martin Bakole v Jared Anderson
Interesting match up this one and one im looking forward to if im being honest , Jared 'Big Baby' Anderson (17 Fights - 17 Wins (15 KOs)) has been hailed as the next great American heavyweight in many quarters , and whilst hes not bad i have to be honest and say im yet to be convinced of that , though not losing a fight yet thats more to do with the fact that hes been carefully matched than any great talent imho , he looked okay up until he fought Charles Martin back in July of 2023 , where he looked lacklustre and was seriously exposed and was rocked on a couple of occasions , he then stopped Andriy Rudenko , and last time (April 2024) put in another poor effort when beating Cruiserweight Ryad Merhy by unanimous decision , he should be putting these kind of opponents away or at least beating them convincingly and theres a chance that Martin Bakole (21 Fights - 20 Wins (15 KOs) - 1 Loss) could put a stop to the hype train in this one. I think hes slightly better than Anderson at this stage , he hits hard and if theres any flaws in Anderson then Bakole will find them and exploit them , he was last seen stopping Carlos Takam in the fourth round on the undercard of the Fury / Ngannou bout back in October 2023 , that was a decent win and hes stopped three of his last four opponents , winning the other against Tony Yoka by majority decision. Aside from his loss to Michael Hunter in 2018 the only other fighter who caused him any trouble really was Sergey Kuzmin (Bakole won by UD) and both of those are better than Anderson imho. In all honesty this could go either way , i think if Bakole comes into this fit and properly tuned up then he wins but he had been putting on alot of weight which i would be worried about if he turned up out of shape but wont know that until nearer the day unfortunatley .. but still hes a big solid unit and he'll be looking to win this i would think , and tbf he did weigh in at his heaviest last time , almost 300lb , and handled Yoka just fine so i may be worrying about nothing (we shall see). If Anderson is to stand a chance i think he has to brush up on his defence , and as he doesnt seem to be an effective counter puncher having to lead to be effective this could well play into Bakoles gloves unless he can start fighting on the back foot. Theres alot of ifs and buts about this bout which is what makes it difficult to weigh up but from everything ive seen to date i say Bakole puts a stop to the hype train and hands Anderson his first loss unless hes improved markedly from his last few fights.

Martin Bakole To Win

Isaac Cruz v Jose Valenzuela
Should be a corking fight this one and i'm definatley looking forward to it , 'Pitbull' Cruz (29 Fights - 26 Wins (18 KOs) - 2 Losses - 1 Draw) comes into this on the back of a punch perfect display last time , stopping Roly Romero by TKO in the 8th round taking his WBA Super Lightweight Title into the bargain , and as ive said before he certainly lives upto his nickname , hes tenacious , has a solid work and output rate and comes to fight , since his loss to Gervonta Davis back in 2021 hes won all four bouts , three if them by stoppages , and i think it shows how tough and durable he is whne you consider that he lost to Davis by unanimous decision , only the second person to take Davis the full distance (the other being Meraz back in 2014 !) .. Valenzuela (15 Fights - 13 Wins (9 KOs) - 2 Losses) arrives after knocking out Chris Colbert last time (in revenge for his penultimate fight where Colbert beat him by unanimous decision) , and before that he lost for the first time when Edwin De La Santos stopped him. Both of these can punch but i'd favour Cruz to be the more powerful , and as ive said his work rate is second to none. The two things that Valenzuela has in his favour are a big height advantage and a big reach advantage , which i think hes gonna have to capitalise on , but the drawback is that he likes to fight on the inside and as Cruz is smaller this would give him the adavantage and in all honesty i dont see that ending well for Valenzuela , so hes gonna have to keep Cruz at distance if he can. I think this is gonna be an entertaining fight and both hold a chance of walking away the victor but im favouring Cruz to continue his winning streak and beat Valenzuela.

Isaac Cruz To Win

David Morrell Jr v Radivoje Kalajdzic
Cuban David Morrell Jr (10 Fights - 10 Wins (9 KOs)) continues his progress in the pro's by fighting Radivoje Kalajdzic (31 Fights - 29 Wins (21 KOs) - 2 Losses) for the vacant WBA Light Heavyweight title in his first bout at Light Heavy , he defended his WBA (Regular) Super Middle Weight Title (which he won in only his third pro fight) by beating Sena Agbeko by second round TKO , before that he beat Brazilian Yamaguchi Falcao by a first round knockout , in fact hes stopped everyone of his last seven opponents , since winning the Super MW title back in 2020 by unanimous decision when beating Lennox Allen. He has a fearsome reputation and rightly so , in 2022 he knocked out the Khazak fighter Aidos Yerbooynuly in the twelfth round and he had to be placed in a medically induced coma (thankfully as far as im aware hes now made a full recovery) . He really is an exciting prospect i think , good solid skills and ring IQ and can certainly bang , he came into the pro's as is often the case with Cubans after an excellent career in the amateurs where he racked up a 130 - 5 record , and he is only 26 so plenty of time for him to hit the heights , and from what ive seen so far im sure he will. Admittedly he hasnt faced the best yet or anything like but its early on in his career and hes faced some decent opposition and he has been after the likes of Benevidez , Canelo , Plant etc .. but none of them have shown an interest in facing him , whether thats because hes a relative newbie with nothing to bring to the table or because they realise he has the potential to be a major threat i dont know but i think its probably a wise move on his part to go up to 175lb if he wants to fight better opposition/win belts. Kalajdzic comes into this on a four fight TKO winning streak , since his decision win over Denis Grachev back in 2020 , hes a decent boxer with good fundamentals and has a decent punch on him , i think Kalajdzic will give it his best but ultimately fall short. Has a decent chin on him with his only stoppage loss coming against Artur Beterbiev , so hes a tough operator and i think this will be Morrell Jrs biggest test to date and it'll be interesting to see how he fares against someone who punches hard ,with the extra power from a proven banger at 175lb. Should be an entertaining bout , and i can see maybe one or two knockdowns along the way given their power and the way they fight , although im not sure that a knockout/stoppage is on the cards , i think if it happens it'll be round 6/7 or afterwards but this could well go to the judges cards but for me Morrell Jr should come out on top , and has to if he wants to continue his rise to the top.

David Morrell Jr To Win

Andy Ruiz Jr v Jarrell Miller
The battle of the heavies .. literally !! Interesting match up thats proving difficult to weigh up tbh as surely both have to want to win this to have any standing left on the heavyweight scene .. Ruiz Jr (37 Fights - 35 Wins (22 KOs) - 2 Losses) hasnt been seen since September 2022 when he beat Luis Ortiz by unanimous decision , and thats a long time to be out of the ring , think the main reason is because hes been waiting for a payday but thats been a long time coming and i just hope that hes been training hard and readying himself as it wont be a walk in the park against Miller (28 Fights - 26 Wins (22 KOs) - 1 Loss - 1 Draw) who was last seen in December of last year losing to Daniel Dubois by TKO. Ruiz is probably best known for coming in on short notice and toppling Anthony Joshua back in 2019 , and then losing the rematch , and to be honest he hasnt really done alot since then only getting in the ring twice. Miller himself hasnt been in the ring much due to positive drug tests , bizarrely Miller was due to fight Joshua in that aforementioned fight , failed drug test and Ruiz came in to replace him , so there may well be a bit if needle to this match , what could of been for Miller etc etc .. Millers had four fights since returning from suspension , pretty much low level affairs until the DDD bout which he lost. Ruiz is a solid boxer with good technique and he has very fast hands which i think could trouble Miller , he also seems to 'show up' for the bigger fights .. Miller in all honesty would of done alot better in the Dubois fight if he'd of come in a tad lighter at the weights imho , i think the weight told in the end so im hoping hes in better shape for this one , and that goes for Ruiz as well tbh. If both come in wanting to win this it should be a good scrap , Miller comes forward and throws and for me Ruiz is the better and more skilful boxer and i see him countering and catching him all night long , Miller gave DDD a rough night for the most part but was gassing towards the end of the fight and i pretty much see that happening again unless hes alot trimmer than he was. Ruiz has never been stopped , both his losses coming by way of decision , and despite being a mauler / puncher i dont think Miller has the attributes to hand Ruiz his first stoppage (although his lack of recent ring activity could change that admittedly) , i see the early rounds being a bit of a dog fight , back and forth , but i think Ruiz starts to dominate Miller and comes out on top , i think theres a possibilty of a stoppage for Ruiz here , probably after round 7 id say , but im not sure , but i do think that Ruiz Jr prevails in this particular battle.

Andy Ruiz Jr To Win

Andy Cruz v Antonio Moran
Interesting match up this one , Andy Cruz (3 Fights - 3 Wins (1 KO)) is fairly new to the pro ranks but his amateur pedigree is second to none , two golds in the Pan American games , 3 Golds in the World Championships and hes the current Olympic Gold Medallist , having won it in the Tokyo Olympics back in 2020 , in all in his amateur career he won 135 fights and lost 9 .. and hes Cuban , quite a few Cubans making the pro ranks over the last few years and Cruz , for me , is one of the best of them. Professionally this is a huge step up for Cruz , as Moran (37 Fights - 30 Wins (21 KOs) - 6 Losses - 1 Draw) has been up against some decent opposition in his time Devin Haney , Arnold Barboza Jr , Jermaine Ortiz ... he lost those but the only time hes been stopped is against Devin Haney so hes a tough as teak Mexican fighter whose got a decent chin. Altho on paper it looks a bit of a mis match , when you take into consideration Cruz' amateur career and what hes achieved i really dont think it is personally , hes a really talented and exciting recruit to the pro ranks imho and i think he can go far. I can see Cruz using his jab and his ring IQ and just outboxing Moran , although you couldnt totally write off Morans chances as hes no mug but i feel that Cruz could be something special and i feel that hes just gonna be too good for him.

Andy Cruz To Win

Caroline Dubois v Maira Moneo

Interesting match up this one and its a fight im looking forward to .. Im a big fan of Dubois (9 Fights - 9 Wins (5 KOs)) who i think has the potential to be an elite fighter in the womans game , she comes from a solid amateur background winning gold in the youth olympics back in 2018 , and being European youth champion four times along with numerous other titles .. very technically proficient she seems to get better with each fight and her skillset is top grade , as is her boxing IQ which to me seems to be beyond her years sometimes , she also carries some decent power and i think at only 23 she really is a name for the future and is set for the top. Her opponent is Maira Moneo (15 Fights - 14 Wins (3 KOs) - 1 Loss) who travels from her native Uruguay for this and to be honest i dont know alot about her , shes older and more experienced than Dubois but looking through her resume i cant see that shes faced anyone of Dubois' calibre and whilst she has decent basics and doesnt mind mixing it up i think she may well come up short here , and this will be her first fight outside of her native country so that could well have a deciding factor on the outcome. I see Dubois powering her way to victory and taking the fight on the way to bigger and better things.

Caroline Dubois To Win

Caroline Dubois Wins
Andy Cruz Wins
David Morrell Jr Wins
Martin Bakole Wins
Ruiz Jr / Miller Draw
Jose Valenzuela Wins
Terence Crawford Wins

 

[Sean]

Saturday 10th August -

Vergil Ortiz Jr v Serhii Bohachuk
Really looking forward to this one , should be an explosive encounter .. Ukranian Bohachuk (25 Fights - 24 Wins (23 KOs) - 1 Loss) comes into this after beating the durable Brian Mendoza by unanimous decision for the WBC Interim World Super Welterweight Title , that was a solid performance and win .. hes only lost the one fight to date and that was against the decent Brandon Adams back in 2021 , whilst Ortiz Jr (21 Fights - 21 Wins (21 KOs)) has stopped his last two opponents in the first round since going up in weight , and as is evident by his record has stopped every opponent hes ever faced ! So from my perspective this has all the earmarks of a proper banger .. Bohachuk for me is the better boxer and is more versatile whereas Ortiz Jr is better on the outside and throws every punch with intent, When you look at the combined record of the two it reads 46 fights - 45 wins with 44 stoppages so its entirely possible that this one is gonna end before the final bell but i think it could well go to a decision as Bohachuk is probably the best / toughest opponent Ortiz Jr has faced and Ortiz Jr is the hardest hitting and most aggressive that Bohachuk has ever faced. Bohachuk has a reach and height advantage and i think hes gonna need it along with boxing clever , but i do see Ortiz Jr eventually wearing him down and catching him. Its a tough one to call as i really like both boxers but im gonna side with Ortiz Jr.

Vergil Ortiz Jr To Win

Luis Alberto Lopez v Angelo Leo

Decent fight in prospect here , Luis Lopez (32 Fights - 30 Wins (17 KOs) - 2 Losses) should be a name familiar to British boxing fans as he beat Josh Warrington (in Leeds) to take his IBF Featherweight title and then in his first defence stopped Irishman Michael Conlan in the fifth round in Belfast , since then he has defended his title twice , winning both times. Angelo Leo (25 Fights - 24 Wins (11 KOs) - 1 Loss) currently holds the WBA Continental (North America) Featherweight title , he stopped Mike Plania in the third round in his penultimate fight and defended his title successfully when beating Eduardi Baez last time by unanimous decision. The only loss on his record came to Stephen Fulton , no shame in that , when he lost his WBO Junior Featherweight title back in 2021. Neither boxer are renowned for their power but Lopez has stopped five of his last seven opponents giving him a 56.7% KO rate whilst Leo has stopped two of his last three , so theres a possibility of them not seeing the final bell. Both seem to have decent chins and both dont mind letting their hands go and trading so it should be an entertaining fight , i think they're pretty evenly matched skillwise tbh but i think Lopez' aggressive and awkward style will see him come out on top.

Luis Alberto Lopez To Win

 

[Sean]

Saturday 10th August -

Vergil Ortiz Jr v Serhii Bohachuk
Really looking forward to this one , should be an explosive encounter .. Ukranian Bohachuk (25 Fights - 24 Wins (23 KOs) - 1 Loss) comes into this after beating the durable Brian Mendoza by unanimous decision for the WBC Interim World Super Welterweight Title , that was a solid performance and win .. hes only lost the one fight to date and that was against the decent Brandon Adams back in 2021 , whilst Ortiz Jr (21 Fights - 21 Wins (21 KOs)) has stopped his last two opponents in the first round since going up in weight , and as is evident by his record has stopped every opponent hes ever faced ! So from my perspective this has all the earmarks of a proper banger .. Bohachuk for me is the better boxer and is more versatile whereas Ortiz Jr is better on the outside and throws every punch with intent, When you look at the combined record of the two it reads 46 fights - 45 wins with 44 stoppages so its entirely possible that this one is gonna end before the final bell but i think it could well go to a decision as Bohachuk is probably the best / toughest opponent Ortiz Jr has faced and Ortiz Jr is the hardest hitting and most aggressive that Bohachuk has ever faced. Bohachuk has a reach and height advantage and i think hes gonna need it along with boxing clever , but i do see Ortiz Jr eventually wearing him down and catching him. Its a tough one to call as i really like both boxers but im gonna side with Ortiz Jr.

Vergil Ortiz Jr To Win

Luis Alberto Lopez v Angelo Leo

Decent fight in prospect here , Luis Lopez (32 Fights - 30 Wins (17 KOs) - 2 Losses) should be a name familiar to British boxing fans as he beat Josh Warrington (in Leeds) to take his IBF Featherweight title and then in his first defence stopped Irishman Michael Conlan in the fifth round in Belfast , since then he has defended his title twice , winning both times. Angelo Leo (25 Fights - 24 Wins (11 KOs) - 1 Loss) currently holds the WBA Continental (North America) Featherweight title , he stopped Mike Plania in the third round in his penultimate fight and defended his title successfully when beating Eduardi Baez last time by unanimous decision. The only loss on his record came to Stephen Fulton , no shame in that , when he lost his WBO Junior Featherweight title back in 2021. Neither boxer are renowned for their power but Lopez has stopped five of his last seven opponents giving him a 56.7% KO rate whilst Leo has stopped two of his last three , so theres a possibility of them not seeing the final bell. Both seem to have decent chins and both dont mind letting their hands go and trading so it should be an entertaining fight , i think they're pretty evenly matched skillwise tbh but i think Lopez' aggressive and awkward style will see him come out on top.

Luis Alberto Lopez To Win

Vergil Ortiz Jr Wins
Angelo Leo Wins

 

[Sean]

Saturday 17th August - Christian Mbilli v Sergiy Derevyanchenko

This one should be a good scrap .. the unbeaten Mbilli (27 Fights - 27 Wins (23 KOs)) is coming into this fresh on the back of a first round knock out of Brit Mark Heffron whilst Derevyanchenko (20 Fights - 20 Wins - 15 Wins (10 KOs) arrives after a unanimous decision against Vaughan Alexander back in April. This will definatley be Mbilli's sternest test yet as although at first glance Derevyanchenko's figures dont look all that , when you see who the losses have been against Golovkin , Jacobs , Charlo , Adames and in his penultimate fight Jamie Munguia then you begin to see hes lost against some of the best fighters around .. and he gave Munguia his toughest fight (maybe save the Canelo fight which he lost) to date , and hes tough as teak none of these boxers managed to stop him and considering the stopping power of GGG and Munguia thats some going and shows you how tough he is. Mbilli is known for his punching power so its gonna be interesting to see how he copes with the experienced Derevyanchenko (400 amateur wins before turning pro). Mbilli throws alot of leather , and is relentless , and thats not gonna bother Derevyanchenko who fights fire with fire , and for me is probably more technically proficient. Mbilli has a 4 inch reach advantage and is nine years younger than Derevyanchenko which could play a part in the outcome. Hard one to call definatley , i like both fighters , but i have an inkling that Mbilli might prove to much for Derevyanchenko although he will have his moments in the fight and test Mbilli i have no doubt. Whether he can stop him is another matter , as i said earlier Derevyanchenko has never been stopped and if he can manage that then Mbilli has to be taken as the real deal , but as it stands i'll just say that i think Mbilli wins.

Christian Mbilli To Win

 

[Sean]

Saturday 17th August - Christian Mbilli v Sergiy Derevyanchenko

This one should be a good scrap .. the unbeaten Mbilli (27 Fights - 27 Wins (23 KOs)) is coming into this fresh on the back of a first round knock out of Brit Mark Heffron whilst Derevyanchenko (20 Fights - 20 Wins - 15 Wins (10 KOs) arrives after a unanimous decision against Vaughan Alexander back in April. This will definatley be Mbilli's sternest test yet as although at first glance Derevyanchenko's figures dont look all that , when you see who the losses have been against Golovkin , Jacobs , Charlo , Adames and in his penultimate fight Jamie Munguia then you begin to see hes lost against some of the best fighters around .. and he gave Munguia his toughest fight (maybe save the Canelo fight which he lost) to date , and hes tough as teak none of these boxers managed to stop him and considering the stopping power of GGG and Munguia thats some going and shows you how tough he is. Mbilli is known for his punching power so its gonna be interesting to see how he copes with the experienced Derevyanchenko (400 amateur wins before turning pro). Mbilli throws alot of leather , and is relentless , and thats not gonna bother Derevyanchenko who fights fire with fire , and for me is probably more technically proficient. Mbilli has a 4 inch reach advantage and is nine years younger than Derevyanchenko which could play a part in the outcome. Hard one to call definatley , i like both fighters , but i have an inkling that Mbilli might prove to much for Derevyanchenko although he will have his moments in the fight and test Mbilli i have no doubt. Whether he can stop him is another matter , as i said earlier Derevyanchenko has never been stopped and if he can manage that then Mbilli has to be taken as the real deal , but as it stands i'll just say that i think Mbilli wins.

Christian Mbilli To Win

Christian Mbilli Wins

 

[Sean]

Friday 30th August -

Dina Thorslund v Terumi Nuki
Im a big fan of the unbeaten Danish fighter Dina Thorslund (22 Fights - 22 Wins (9 KOs)) and i have been reading that its been announced that this could well be her last fight which is a shame as far as im concerned , her opponent Japanese fighter Terumi Nuki (20 Fights - 15 Wins (10 KOs) - 5 Losses) hopes to relinquish Thorslund of her WBC and WBO World Bantamweight titles but i think Thorslund is gonna prove to be too good for the challenger here. Looking through her resume Nuki hasnt faced anyone of Thorslunds calibre as yet and i think shes gonna fall short in this bout , thats not saying she wont give it a good go of course but i feel the Dane will prove to be technically superior and will outbox her , plus if this is gonna be her last fight then i cant see her wanting to go out on a loss so i feel she'll be well up for this one and that she'll retire (if the rumours are true) undefeated.

Dina Thorslund To Win

 

[Sean]

Friday 30th August -

Dina Thorslund v Terumi Nuki
Im a big fan of the unbeaten Danish fighter Dina Thorslund (22 Fights - 22 Wins (9 KOs)) and i have been reading that its been announced that this could well be her last fight which is a shame as far as im concerned , her opponent Japanese fighter Terumi Nuki (20 Fights - 15 Wins (10 KOs) - 5 Losses) hopes to relinquish Thorslund of her WBC and WBO World Bantamweight titles but i think Thorslund is gonna prove to be too good for the challenger here. Looking through her resume Nuki hasnt faced anyone of Thorslunds calibre as yet and i think shes gonna fall short in this bout , thats not saying she wont give it a good go of course but i feel the Dane will prove to be technically superior and will outbox her , plus if this is gonna be her last fight then i cant see her wanting to go out on a loss so i feel she'll be well up for this one and that she'll retire (if the rumours are true) undefeated.

Dina Thorslund To Win

Postponed , Thorslund has suffered a cut in training and the bout has bene pushed back to Friday 25th October

 

[Sean]

Tuesday 3rd September - Naoya Inoue v TJ Doheny

Well the Monsters back to defend his titles and in all honesty i really cant see him relinquishing them to his opponent in this one , the unbeaten Inoue (27 Fights - 27 Wins (24 KOs)) comes into this on the back of a sixth round stoppage of Luis Nery last time , in that bout he suffered a shock knockdown in the opening round but got up and got on with it , not taking anything away from Nery but i honestly think it was more down to a lapse on Inoues part than anything that Nery threw , despite this he got up and got on with the job in hand , dropping Nery numerous times before the stoppage. Doheny (30 Fights - 26 Wins (20 KOs) - 4 Losses) has won his last three fights , all in Japan , before that he lost to Sam Goodman who is supposed to be a future opponent of Inoue , hes also lost to Daniel Roman , Ionut Baluta and Michael Conlan , however hes never been stopped in those four losses so its gonna be interesting to see how he copes with Inoues power as i think this is the hardest hes ever gonna get hit in the ring personally , and with the volume of punches that are gonna be thrown at him , hes in for a proper battle and whilst i see him holding his own for a while i think , like all those before him , he eventually succumbs to those punches. I dont think he has the power to trouble Inoue but hes a decent enough boxer (not on Inoues level though imho) so hes gonna have to play it cagey and stay out of range if he stands any chance of winning this (or last until the final bell) as if he tries to mix it then i see only one outcome. But as i said earlier i can only see one result here and thats Inoue holding onto his titles and emerging the winner by a stoppage.

Naoya Inoue To Win .. By Stoppage

 

[Sean]

Tuesday 3rd September - Naoya Inoue v TJ Doheny

Well the Monsters back to defend his titles and in all honesty i really cant see him relinquishing them to his opponent in this one , the unbeaten Inoue (27 Fights - 27 Wins (24 KOs)) comes into this on the back of a sixth round stoppage of Luis Nery last time , in that bout he suffered a shock knockdown in the opening round but got up and got on with it , not taking anything away from Nery but i honestly think it was more down to a lapse on Inoues part than anything that Nery threw , despite this he got up and got on with the job in hand , dropping Nery numerous times before the stoppage. Doheny (30 Fights - 26 Wins (20 KOs) - 4 Losses) has won his last three fights , all in Japan , before that he lost to Sam Goodman who is supposed to be a future opponent of Inoue , hes also lost to Daniel Roman , Ionut Baluta and Michael Conlan , however hes never been stopped in those four losses so its gonna be interesting to see how he copes with Inoues power as i think this is the hardest hes ever gonna get hit in the ring personally , and with the volume of punches that are gonna be thrown at him , hes in for a proper battle and whilst i see him holding his own for a while i think , like all those before him , he eventually succumbs to those punches. I dont think he has the power to trouble Inoue but hes a decent enough boxer (not on Inoues level though imho) so hes gonna have to play it cagey and stay out of range if he stands any chance of winning this (or last until the final bell) as if he tries to mix it then i see only one outcome. But as i said earlier i can only see one result here and thats Inoue holding onto his titles and emerging the winner by a stoppage.

Naoya Inoue To Win .. By Stoppage

Naoya Inoue Wins .. By Stoppage

 

[Sean]

Saturday 14th September - Canelo Alvarez v Edgar Berlanga

Gotta be honest not really that enthused about this one to be honest , I really wanna see Canelo (65 Fights - 61 Wins (39 KOs) - 2 Losses - 2 Draws) take on his mandatorys rather than hand picking who he fights in his title defences .. the IBF have stripped him and i honestly think that its about time the others do the same. From what i read this fight was between Berlanga and Eubanks Jr , neither of whom deserve a shot in my honest opinion when you have people like Benevidez and Morrell waiting in the wings. Anyways it is what it is and i think Berlanga (22 Fights - 22 Wins (17 KOs)) is a slightly better choice of opponent than Eubank Jr , but not by much. Berlanga is un beaten and hes got heart but this is gonna be his toughest test to date , he might have decent power but from what ive seen to date he does seem pretty limited and i see Canelo being far too skilful for him in this bout and unless he gets lucky and catches Alvarez flush (which i really cant see happening if im being honest) then this is only gonna go one way and thats a win for Canelo.

Canelo Alvarez To Win

 

[Sean]

Friday 6th September - Sam Noakes v Gianluca Ceglia

Shame on me , forgot about this one for this weekend , unbeaten Brit Sam Noakes (14 Fights - 14 Wins (13 KOs)) defends his EBU Lightweight title against Italian fighter Gianluca Ceglia (26 Fights - 21 Wins (4 KOs) - 4 Losses - 1 Draw) and though i think it'll be entertaining i think Noakes will have far too much for the Italian challenger. Noakes beat Yvan Mendy by unanimous decision last time , that was the first time he'd gone the distance in any of his fights and it was basically a masterclass with Noakes dominating and controlling the fight from the off , that was a solid display against a seasoned fighter who'd been up against some decent opponents (and he has Ceglia's scalp on his resume as well). Before this , as i said , hes stopped every other opponent , and whilst Ceglia has only been stopped once in those four losses i think theres a chance that he may well get stopped again as Noakes is very heavy handed for a lightweight. He beat the well touted and unbeaten Lewis Sylvester back in February of this year , with Sylvesters corner throwing in the towel after the fourth round , after being dropped in the third and fourth. Ceglias a decent enough boxer tbh but he hasnt got the tools or the firepower that Noakes possesses and i honestly cant see him coming out on top here , in any scenario ive run through my head. Noakes for the win.

Sam Noakes To Win