Tag Archives: Boxing Predictions

Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker Odds and Prediction

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The first step to unifying boxing’s heavyweight titles takes place on March 31st, 2018 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

Unified IBF, WBA and IBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua faces WBO title holder Joseph Parker in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year.

Heavyweight Title Unification

Joshua is the universally recognized heavyweight champion of the world after beating the legendary Wladimir Klitschko in an epic war last year.

Since winning the IBF heavyweight belt against American Charles Martin in 2016, Joshua has fought four times. Two of those were IBF title defenses against Dominic Breazeale and Carlos Molina. The third one was his unification bout with Klitschko where he annexed the WBA and IBO belts.

Most recently, Joshua knocked out a stubborn Carlos Takam in in 10 rounds last October to keep his belts and his perfect record of  20-0 with 20 knockouts.

At about the same time Joshua won the IBF belt, Joseph Parker captured the WBO heavyweight title with a majority decision win over American Andy Ruiz.

Since then, Parker has made two successful defenses of his belt. Parker beat Razvan Cojanu in an unimpressive unanimous decision victory in May 2017. The Kiwi then beat Hughie Fury via majority decision last September to set-up a date with Joshua.

More than the belts, a rich unification bout with WBC champion Deontay Wilder awaits the winner of this bout. Wilder is coming off a sensational knockout win over Cuban slugger Luis Ortiz last month. The Bronze Bomber is expected to fly to Wales not just to witness this contest but to challenge the winner after the bout.

Best Heavyweight In The Planet

Joshua is the heavy favorite here (-900 at Sportsbetting.ag), while Parker came back as the underdog at +600.

The British is massive at 6-6 with a reach of 82 inches. He is considered as the best heavyweight in the planet today. Joshua isn’t just a powerful puncher, he is also a complete fighter. AJ has the speed, quickness, footwork, hand speed and IQ that not every heavyweight possesses.

Other than the knockdown he suffered against Klitschko, Joshua has shown very little weaknesses so far. Parker meanwhile is a solid boxer himself. He has scored a knockout in 9 of his last 13 fights so there isn’t any question about his punching power. But Parker isn’t too hard to counter and that is considered as his main weakness. Given AJ’s skills, it may not be hard to find the target against Joseph Parker.

But while he’s easier to hit, Parker has proven that he has a granite chin. He’s been  into brawls with Andy Ruiz and Carlos Takam and in both instances, his chin held up. There is a difference though in both skill and power between Anthony Joshua and those two fighters so it will be interesting to see how good Parker really is.

Because he hasn’t faced well known opponents, it’s hard to gauge how good or not Joseph Parker really is. But even if we consider all things equal, Parker still gives up a lot to Joshua in terms of size. Being bigger than his foes has always been Joshua’s main edge over his opponents. This one should be no different.

Joshua is going to break Parker down and wear him out in the middle rounds. Even if Parker’s chin holds, it’s going to be an easy night for AJ. But chances are, Joshua is going to keep his perfect record.

Book another knockout win for Anthony Joshua. We’re picking Joshua to win by knockout. Bring in Deontay Wilder next.

Oscar Valdez vs. Scott Quigg Odds and Prediction

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WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez defends his belt against Scott Quigg on March 10th, 2018 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Potentially Explosive Match-Up

This is another potentially explosive match-up for the two-time Mexican Olympian whose last fight against Filipino challenger Genesis Servania was one of the best in 2017.

In that bout, both Valdez and Servania suffered knockdowns. But in the end, it was Valdez who came up with a hard fought victory to retain his title via unanimous decision.

Valdez is expecting another tough fight as he faces Quigg, a former junior featherweight world champion, who is currently trained by famed tactician Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California.

Quigg has won three fights in a row since losing to Carl Frampton in the only loss of his professional career. Quigg moved up to featherweight after the defeat and has been impressive in his new weight class.

Has The Tools To be Great

The fight will be Valdez’s fourth defense of the title he won against Matias Rueda in July 2016. The 27-year old Valdez is undefeated in 23 fights and has 19 wins by way of knockout.

Quigg will be making his U.S. debut. The 29-year old Bury, Manchester, England native is 34-1-2 with 25 knockouts. Quigg won the WBA Super Bantamweight title in June 2012 and made six successful title defenses before relinquishing the belt to Frampton in February of 2016.

The champion Valdez is the huge favorite in this fight (-450 at Bovada), while the challenger Quigg came back at +325. Valdez has the tools to become one of the best pound for pound fighters in the planet. He throws great combinations, has good movement, applies enough pressure and has tremendous punching power.

Both Power Punchers

Although his last two fights have ended in decision, Valdez has one punch knockout power which is uncommon in these lower weight classes.

Valdez has knocked out eight of his last 11 opponents and the only knack on Valdez really is the lack of big names in his resume. That’s not his fault though as not many souls are brave enough to challenge a power punching ‘small guy’ like him. Quigg though is an exception.

The Englishman is tough as they come. He likes to fight on the inside and has great body work which slows down his opponents.

Like Valdez, he also has one punch KO power. And despite moving up in weight recently, he has the power to drop anyone in this new weight class. The problem with Quigg is that he can be wild with his offense and leave himself open for counters. That was his problem against Frampton. It will be the same with Valdez.

Prediction

Valdez has the advantages in quickness, hand speed, movement and power here. If he boxes to the best of his abilities, there is no doubt that he is going to win this fight. Valdez is the better overall boxer and may be just beginning to tap into his potentials. It’s hard to bet against someone who is just making his ascent in the sport.

But if Valdez fights like he did in his last two bouts and gets enticed to a brawl, he could be in real danger against Scott Quigg. Quigg is bigger and has more experience. His pressure style can also cause problems for the young champion. If this becomes a slugfest, Quigg’s chances of winning are much higher.

However, Valdez is too smart of a fighter to be lured into that. He knows who he’s up against and he has what it takes to beat Scott Quigg. We’re picking Oscar Valdez to win this fight and remain unbeaten.

Can Sergey Rabchenko Stage a Massive Upset Over Kell Brook?

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Former welterweight champion Kell Brook hopes to end a two fight losing skid as he faces Sergey Rabchenko in his hometown of Sheffield, England.

Brook will be coming to the fight after back to back losses to Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence.  In both bouts, Brook fractured his orbital bone and in both times, he needed surgery to repair the damage. Brook is 36-2 with 25 stoppages. Majority of his fights have been in England and this is yet another one of them.

Looking For A Big Win

Brook isn’t really a knockout artist but he does have plenty of pop in his punches. Nine of Brook’s last 12 wins have come by stoppage. He is looking to get a big win by scoring another a big knockout to get back in the winning column and remain relevant. But it may not be a walk in the park against a tough customer like Rabchenko

Since getting knocked out by Tony Harrison in an IBF title eliminator in 2016, Rabchenko has won back to back fights but against lesser known opponents. The former EBU light middleweight champion has a record of 29-2 with 22 knockouts. Although he will be fighting on hostile ground, this is Rabchenko’s seventh bout in England.

Concerns on Brook

Although Brook is a huge -1850 favorite at BetOnline (Rabchenko is the +925 underdog), this is a tricky fight for the Special One. He is coming off back to back losses for the first time in his career and he is trying to get back in the winning column by moving up to light middleweight.

There is also concern about Kell Brook’s right eye socket which was broken against Errol Spence and required surgery. While he has been cleared to fight, who knows how that eye is going to react once it gets hit multiple times again, now by a bigger opponent.

Must Win Situation

To his credit though, Brook’s two losses came against Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence, two of the most avoided fighters in the planet. All things considered normal, Brook is going to be back in his element, fighting with a high IQ and counterpunching very well against a bigger and slower opponent.

Rabchenko though is a tough fighter and is going to try and put the pressure on Kell Brook. He knows that Kell is in a must win situation and is pressured to win, especially in front of his countrymen. If Brook isn’t ready to get into a war, we may see an upset. All things considered though, Brook gets the benefit of the doubt. At 31, there is still something left in that tank and Brook is going to show that against Rabchenko.

Kell Brook wins this fight by decision.

Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz Odds and Prediction

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WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder takes on challenger Luis Ortiz on March 3rd, 2018 at the Barclays Center in New York, USA.

The fight is of great significance as the winner could possible face unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in one of the biggest boxing bouts in years. The two were originally booked to fight in November of 2017 but the bout was postponed after Ortiz failed a drug test.

Wilder is undefeated in 39 bouts with 38 knockouts. He is coming off a November knockout of Bermane Stiverne. At 6-7 and with an 83 inch reach, Wilder is one of the game’s most feared punchers. His opponent is likewise known for his punching power. Ortiz is likewise unbeaten in 28 fights with 24 KOs. Ortiz is a 6-4 southpaw with an 84 inch reach.

Most Dangerous Fight

The lines have become wider since the bout was originally scheduled last November. Back then, the Bronze Bomber was a -185 while the Real King Kong came back at +150  when the betting lines opened. Currently, Wilder is a -350 at Bovada against Ortiz’s +265.

This is without doubt the most dangerous fight that Wilder has ever taken and give him props for taking it. While Ortiz is way up there in terms of age, his ring IQ and reach make him a very tough challenge for the American. That’s not even including his best asset which is his one punch knockout power.

Wilder is going to second guess once he feels the power of Ortiz. We’ve seen Wilder run right through all the opponents he’s faced so far but he’s going to fight one that could easily do the same to him. The main concern with Ortiz though is his cardio. If someone pushes the pace against him, this weakness may be exposed.

Making Ortiz Uncomfortable

The problem for Ortiz is that that someone could be Deontay Wilder. Wilder is young, fast and athletic. He can easily control the pace of the fight and the ring with his athleticism and size. Ortiz has been used to walking down his opponents but against a bigger foe like Wilder, he is going to be uncomfortable.

Wilder is no great tactician but he can take advantage of Ortiz’s cardio .The Bronze Bomber isn’t just going to make this a battle of haymakers. He is going to push the tempo and tire Ortiz. Sure, this fight can end in any round but given the importance of this bout with regards to the Joshua unification, both may play it safe early. Wilder is going to pump those jabs though and find his openings early. Ortiz is going to counterpunch well. But once he gets tired, Wilder is going to take over and win this fight.

We’re picking Deontay Wilder to win by knockout in the middle rounds.

George Groves vs. Chris Eubank Jr. Odds and Prediction

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George Groves faces Chris Eubank Jr. for the WBA Super Middleweight title at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England on February 17th, 2018. The bout will serve as one of the semi-finals match-up for the super middleweight division edition of the  World Boxing Super Series.

Coming Off KO Wins

Groves is coming off a 4th round knockout of Jamie Cox during his opening match of the World Boxing Super Series tournament. The fight also served as Groves’ first defense of the WBA super middleweight belt which he won over former champion Fedor Chudinov last May. It was Groves’ first title win in four tries.

Eubank meanwhile reached the semifinals with a third round stoppage of little known Avni Yildirim. Eubank has fought mostly at middleweight and in his most important bout, he dropped a 12 round split decision loss to then British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders.

As Close As It Gets

This is as close as it gets. The betting odds favor Chris Eubank Jr. at -150 but George Groves isn’t far behind at +110. You can easily make a case for both fighters in this bout, that’s the reason why tickets for this one sold out very fast. It’s one of the most highly anticipated bouts of the tournament.

It’s fair to say that George Groves is the better boxer here and has a huge experience advantage over Eubank. Groves is famous for his two bouts against the legendary Carl Froch and although he lost both fights, his familiarity with an event of this magnitude is a big plus for him.

More Stamina

But Eubank is the better athlete and has more stamina. He’s good at pacing himself and keeping something left in the tank for the championship rounds, where he loves to be the aggressor. That’s bad news for someone like Groves who can be wild at times and whom we’ve seen in the past tire himself out after getting lured into a brawl.

Keep an eye for Eubank’s uppercuts, they might end this fight in the later rounds. It’s going to be fun and exciting as everyone else expected. But in the end, it’s going to be Chris Eubank Jr. who will be moving one fight closer to winning the Ali Trophy. We’re picking Chris Eubank Jr. to in by late stoppage or close decision.

Murat Gassiev vs. Yunier Dorticos Odds and Prediction

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IBF cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev takes on WBA cruiserweight kingpin Yunier Dorticos in the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series’ cruiserweight division. The fight will be held at Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi, Russia on February 3rd, 2018.

Unbeaten Champions

The 24-year old Gassiev is the youngest member of the cruiserweight field. He has an impressive record of 25-0 with 28 knockouts. Gassiev has knocked out nine of his last 10 opponents, with only Denis Lebedev going the distance with him. In his most recent bout at the WBSS quarterfinals, he needed just three rounds to dispose of Krzysztopf Wlodarczyk.

Like Gassiev, Dorticos is unbeaten in 22 fights. The 31-year old Havana, Cuba native has knocked out all but one of his 22 opponents inside the ring. In his quarterfinals bout, Dorticos outslugged Dmitry Kudryashov in just two rounds to retain his belt and move on to the semifinals of this cruiserweight tournament.

KO Doctor

Dorticos isn’t called the knockout doctor for nothing. Nine of his last 11 bouts have lasted four rounds or fewer and over the period, only Edison Miranda survived his powerful straight. When you talk about pure power, Dorticos may be the top guy in this weight class. At 6-3 and with a reach of 80 inches, Dorticos has excellent size for a cruiserweight.

But Gassiev is also a behemoth himself. He is 6-3 with a reach of 76 inches. Gassiev likes to pressure his opponents. He loves to come forward with hard, compact punches that have one-punch knockout power. Gassiev may have the most feared right hand in the division and at just 24, he has the chance to become the man to beat at this weight class.

More Skilled

Gassiev is the slight favorite here at -150 while Dorticos the underdog at +120. This has the makings of a classic with two big punchers carrying unbeaten records going head to head. It also has the potential to be an early fight of the year candidate because these punchers have a high knockout ratio.

But as far as picking a winner here, we’re going with the betting favorite Gassiev. Not only is he fighting on home turf, he is also the more skilled boxer between the two. While Dorticos can be sometimes wild with his punches and leave himself open for counters, Gassiev throws compact and powerful punches without sacrificing his defense.

Dorticos’ size has always been his advantage over his opponents but in this fight, he won’t have the benefit of that size edge because Gassiev is one of the few cruiserweights who can match him in terms of size. So for as long as Gassiev fights smart and avoids getting hit by Dorticos’ haymaker, he’s going to win this fight. We’re picking Murat Gassiev to beat Yunier Dorticos in an exciting battle.

Errol Spence vs. Lamont Peterson Odds and Prediction

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Errol Spence defends his IBF welterweight title against Lamont Peterson on January 20th, 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Fighting At Barclays

The 27-year old Spence, a native of Dallas, Texas, traveled all the way to England to dethrone Kell Brook as the IBF welterweight champion in May of 2017.

Spence fulfilled his promise to become world champion by pummeling Brook, breaking his orbital bone in the process en route to an 11th round TKO win. This will be Spence’s third appearance at the Barclays Center and in his most recent outing there, he stopped former world champion, Chris Algieri.

Two division champion Lamont Peterson has faced some of the biggest names in the sport, including Amir Khan, Danny Garcia and Timothy Bradley Jr. Peterson won the WBA 147-pound title last February but relinquished it in order to challenge Spence. Peterson has lost just once in his last five fights and two of his most recent wins have come at the Barclays Center. It will be interesting to see who wins at the Barclays this time around.

A Huge Favorite

Spence is a huge -1600 favorite over the veteran Peterson, who came back at +1150. Although this is only Spence’s first title defense, he proved in his last fight that he is for real and not just hype. Spence’s demolition of Kell Brook last May showed that he should be ranked among the best pound-for-pound boxers on the planet.

The 5-9 southpaw has an impressive 72-inch reach advantage and possesses power in both hands. Spence likes to work the body and does so with consistency until his opponent wears down. But unlike some elite punchers, he isn’t a free swinger. He’s a high IQ fighter who has excellent defensive instincts.

Best Welterweight Today

Peterson is no pushover. He is an excellent athlete and a former world champion. He moves well around the ring and has very decent punching power. He likes to work on the inside with his fast hands and can put up some great combinations if he finds a rhythm. Peterson’s been knocked out just once in three losses, so he’s a tough cookie to crack too.

But Spence is on a roll and is probably the best welterweight in the sport today despite the lack of big fights in his resume. Peterson is soon to be 34 and at that age, he may not be able to keep up with a hungry pitbull like Spence.

Peterson’s going to have his moments here but it’s going to be Spence who will open 2018 with a bang. Whether it’s a  late stoppage or a dominant unanimous decision win, we’re picking Errol Spence to win and keep his belt.

Robert Easter Jr. vs. Javier Fortuna Odds and Prediction

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Robert Easter Jr. will defend his IBF lightweight title against Javier Fortuna on January 20th, 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

One of the sport’s rising stars, Easter is unbeaten in 20 bouts with 14 KOs. The Toledo, Ohio native is coming off back to back successful title defenses against Luis Crus and Denis Shafikov. He will be looking to repulse a third challenger in the person of Javier Fortuna, who is making the leap from 130 pounds to challenge for the world title.

The 28-year old Fortuna briefly held the WBA (regular) 130-pound title before relinquishing it to Jason Sosa in the only loss of his professional boxing career. The Dominican Republic born fighter also held the interim WBA featherweight belt in 2012 but lost it on the scales in his first title defense.

Big Size Advantage

Easter is the favorite here at -400 while Fortuna is the underdog at +340. The champion has a huge 5 inch advantage in height and an eight inch reach advantage over his challenger. For someone like Fortuna who is moving up in weight for this fight, that difference may be too much.

But it’s not just the physical advantages that make Robert Easter the betting choice here. The champ also has excellent hand speed, footwork and a proven chin. With his athleticism, Easter is most probably the best lightweight in the world today and that’s no easy assignment for Fortuna.

Make Or Break Fight

It’s safe to say that Fortuna is over his 2016 loss to Jason Sosa because he hasn’t lost since that bout. But he hasn’t faced a marquee name in his last four bouts and is coming off a September win over unknown Nicolas Polanco.  

Like Easter, Fortuna has power in both hands. He has great movement and has an explosive offensive attack. But he’s known as someone who’s great against lesser known foes. He will have to step up his game big time to match Easter’s game.

You’ve got to like Fortuna’s spunk and energy but against the best lightweight in the world, he will need more than what he’s shown so far. It’s going to be a make or break fight for Fortuna. If he wins, he belongs to the elite. If not, he is just a gatekeeper.

Fighting At A Distance

Easter’s size advantage is too much to make up for, especially if the champ can move out of harm’s way and box intelligently from the outside. There’s not much that Fortuna can do if Easter chooses to keep the fight at a distance. If that’s what happens, it will be easy picking, with Easter running away with a wide unanimous decision victory.

But if somehow Easter falls into the trap of brawling, then things could get exciting. Easter has a bad reputation for making easy fights more complicated. He can’t do that against Fortuna because he might be surprised. However, given all things, it’s safe to bet on Robert Easter.

We’re picking Robert Easter to win by a wide decision here.

Billie Joe Saunders vs. David Lemieux Odds and Prediction

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The WBO middleweight title fight between Billie Joe Saunders and David Lemieux will take place on December 16th, 2017 in Montreal, Canada.

The undefeated Saunders is coming off back to back title defenses of the WBO belt he won from Andy Lee in 2015. In his standout career, Saunders defeated Chris Eubank Jr., Gary Sullivan and Willie Monroe Jr.

Huge Motivation

Lemieux captured the IBF middleweight title by knocking out Hassan N’Dam in 2015. Since his loss to Gennady Golovkin, Lemieux has won four in a row including a knockout of the year candidate against Curtis Stevens.

According to promoter Oscar De La Hoya, Lemieux would be in line to fight Canelo Alvarez if the latter’s rematch with Golovkin fizzles. That’s of course if he beats Saunders convincingly so that’s a huge motivation for the Canadian slugger.

Tough Fight

Saunders is the mild favorite here at -120, while Lemieux is at even money (+100). This is going to be a very tough test for Billie Joe Saunders not only in terms of the quality of the opponent but because he is fighting outside his home country for the first time in his career.

Lemieux meanwhile will be fighting in front of his countrymen. And although Lemieux  has two losses in Canada, both of those fights were in 2011. Lemieux has racked nine consecutive wins in Canada and with the crowd behind him, it’s got to play a big factor here.

More Punching Power

But given Lemieux’s shaky chin, Saunders has a good shot at winning this bout by knockout. Two of Lemieux’s three losses were by knockout so given his high work rate and combinations, he may be able to topple Lemieux.

However, Lemieux has more punching power and has the ability to walk down his opponents and personally, that should be what decides this fight. Both men are going to land their shots but Lemieux will hit and land harder.

This is a battle between two aggressive fighters and the one who has more power should be victorious. We’re picking David Lemieux to win this fight by stoppage.

Jeff Horn vs. Gary Corcoran Odds and Prediction

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Jeff Horn will make the first defense of his WBO welterweight title against England’s Gary Corcoran on December 13th, 2017 at the Brisbane Convention Center in Brisbane, Australia.

Battle of Brisbane 2

Dubbed as the Battle of Brisbane II, Horn will be fighting for the first time since his upset victory over Filipino 8 division world champion Manny Pacquiao last July 2nd. That bout was the original Battle of Brisbane where Horn rose to prominence by dethroning Pacquiao via controversial unanimous decision.

Pacquiao had a rematch clause and was expected to exercise it this November. But Pacman changed his mind due to his busy schedule as a senator in his native Philippines. So Horn will now defend it against Corcoran who will be fighting outside British soil for the first time in his career.

Corcoran is virtually untested as a pro but has won two in a row since suffering an 11th round knockout loss to Liam Williams in July of 2016. The Englishman has a 17-1 record with 7 KOs. In his most recent bout, Corcoran defeated Larry Ekundayo who is considered as Nigeria’s top boxer.

Tough and Gritty

Horn is the solid favorite here at -600, while the challenger Corcoran is the underdog at +350.  Horn’s upset win over Manny Pacquiao clearly had a lot to say about this line. But to Horn’s credit, he proved that despite his lack of athleticism, he is a tough and gritty fighter.

Horn can take a beating yet still stay in the fight. He is an accurate brawler and he is able to slip in short but crisp power shots that make him effective as a counter puncher. Against Corcoran, Horn not only has the advantage in toughness but also in punching power.

Power Is A Factor

Corcoran is a pressure fighter who likes to swarm his opponent from start to finish. Like Horn, he has an aggressive fighting style but unlike the Aussie, he doesn’t pack as much power in his punches. That may be a huge factor in this fight because if the two ever get toe to toe, which is likely given their style, Horn has the power to put Corcoran to sleep.

Horn isn’t really an elite fighter. With all due respect to him, he won the Pacquiao fight with a hometown decision. Still, Corcoran hasn’t fought anybody at Horn’s level. This is the Englishman’s first world title fight and he isn’t just fighting outside England for the first time; he is fighting the champion in his own backyard.

Having said those, we’re picking Jeff Horn to remain unbeaten and keep his title. He won’t need a hometown decision here. It’s going to be his coming out party. Jeff Horn by a tough but clear unanimous decision.