Tag Archives: Boxing Predictions

Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux Odds and Prediction

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Vasyl Lomachenko defends his WBO super featherweight title against Guillermo Rigondeaux at the Madison Square Garden on December 9th, 2017.

This is a fight between two of the best pure boxers in the business and two former amateur superstars. It may not have the appeal as Canelo vs. Golovkin or even Mayweather vs. McGregor, but this is one of the most anticipated bouts of the year.

Undefeated Fighters

Lomachenko enters the fight with a deceiving 9-1 record. Despite just 10 fights under his belt, he’s already won two world titles in different weight classes. Lomachenko has not lost since losing a controversial decision to Orlando Salido in 2014. He will be fighting for the third time this year and making the fourth defense of his title.

Like Lomachenko, Rigondeaux is undefeated as a pro at 17-0 with 11 KOs. He is coming off a no-contest against Moises Flores in June 2017. Rigondeaux has boxed just a total of three rounds after 2015.  He is moving up two weight classes in search of the biggest conquest of his career.

About The Weight

Lomachenko opened as a huge -500 favorite with Rigondeaux coming back as the underdog ay +350. The line may look surprising but actually it is not. Rigondeaux is moving up two weight classes to challenge Lomachenko so more than skill and talent, the odds are about the difference in weight.

Rigondeaux boxed as a bantamweight during his amateur days and has been fighting at super bantamweight in the pros. However, he is skipping the featherweight weight class and will be going straight up to  super featherweight to challenge Lomachenko for the latter’s WBO title.

Can Be Dropped

There is a absolutely no questioning Rigondeaux’s skills and abilities but the sudden jump from 122 pounds to 130 pounds cannot be ignored.

Another factor to consider is that while Rigondeaux is a terrific defensive fighter, he gets dropped when he gets tagged.  Offensive fighters Nonito Donaire, Hisashi Amagasa and Ricardo Cordoba each put Rigo on the floor. Given that he is facing a bigger, stronger and maybe faster boxer in Loma, that might be a problem.

Lomachenko might be the best pound for pound fighter in the sport today. He is the total package. Loma has a very high boxing IQ, quick footwork and is one of the best in boxing from a distance. He is also a very efficient counter puncher because of his head movement and ability to slip punches.

More Punching Power

Rigondeaux isn’t a pushover but given that he’s moving up in weight and fighting perhaps the best boxer today, he’s got his work cut for him. Lomachenko has more punching power than anybody Rigo has faced and that may be the difference here.

This is going to be a great fight, no doubt. But we’ll have to pick Vasyl Lomachenko to win this fight because he is the bigger puncher here. Vasyl Lomachenko by late stoppage or close unanimous decision.

Miguel Cotto vs. Sadam Ali Odds and Prediction

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Miguel Cotto fights Sadam Ali on December 2nd, 2017 at New York’s Madison Square Garden in what is expected to be the final bout of Cotto’s glorious boxing career.

Cotto is the most decorated Puerto Rican boxer of all-time. The Caguas native has won a total of six boxing world titles in his career and is the current WBO light middleweight champion. He is the only fighter from Puerto Rico to win world titles in four different weight classes.

A Surprise Choice

Earlier this year, Cotto announced that he would be retiring at the end of the year. After winning the WBO 154-pound title, Cotto hoped to fight one more time and face the winner between the middleweight showdown between Saul Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. But with both headed to a rematch, Cotto decided to look elsewhere. Many were surprised that he picked Sadam Ali.

Known as the World Kid, Sadam Ali was a top amateur prospect who competed for the U.S at the 2008 Olympics. Since turning pro, Ali’s just suffered one loss in 26 fights. That loss was to Jessie Vargas in 2016 for the vacant WBO 147-pound title. Since that defeat, Ali has won two in a row with his most recent win coming over former interim 140-pound title holder Johan Perez last July.

Ali has never fought above welterweight before and it was surprising that Cotto’s camp picked him as the Puerto Rican’s final ring opponent. Cotto, meanwhile, has fought as heavy as middleweight and with this bout for the WBO 154-pound title, Sadam Ali may be David to Cotto’s Goliath.

Going Out in A Blaze of Glory

Cotto is the massive favorite here at -900 while Ali is the underdog at +450. Sadam Ali is a decent boxer but he is way over his head in fighting Miguel Cotto. Cotto doesn’t just have the much better resume and boxing skills, he is also the much bigger fighter here. Having said that, it’s hard to find an area where Ali has the advantage except perhaps in age, height and length.

This is Miguel Cotto’s final bout and he wants to ride into the sunset on a winning note. Ali doesn’t have a good resume and hasn’t proven that he can hang with elite boxers. His biggest fight was against Jessie Vargas and he was outclassed rather easily. Miguel Cotto isn’t just better than Vargas. He punches a lot harder than him.

Cotto’s fighting with diminished skills. He isn’t the feared boxer he was when he was in his prime. Despite that, he is still a much better boxer than Sadam Ali. He’s going to use his power to bully Ali until the latter weakens. Miguel Cotto’s going out in a blaze of glory. We’re picking Miguel Cotto to win by stoppage.

Can Sergey Kovalev Reclaim His Status As Light Heavyweight Champion?

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Sergey Kovalev looks to regain the first world title he won as a professional boxer when he faces  Vyacheslav Shabranskyy on November 25th, 2017 at the Theater in Madison Square Garden, New York., USA.

Started It All

The WBO lightweight title is one that has sentimental value to the man known as the Russian Krusher because it was the first of three light heavyweight belts he won during his long reign as unified light heavyweight champion. Kovalev won that belt in 2013 when knocked out Nathan Cleverly in Wales. Krusher defended the belt eight times before losing it to Andre Ward in the first of their two fights.

Kovalev’s first loss to Ward was close and as some would say controversial. But Ward knocked out Kovalev in a rematch to settle their score. The losses to Ward were the first in the 34-year old Kovalev’s career and he looks to bounce back not only with a win over Shabranskyy but by reclaiming the belt that started it all.

Big Opportunity

Ukrainian Vyacheslav Shabranskyy is staring at a big opportunity against Kovalev. Not only is the 30-year old about to get a shot at a big name like Kovalev, he also has the opportunity to win his first ever world title after this originally 10 rounder was promoted to the WBO title fight after Ward’s retirement.

Shabranskyy has lost just one time in 20 bouts and that defeat was a knockout loss against Sullivan Barrera last December. Since that defeat he’s racked up two successive victories and will be fighting for the third time this year. Like Kovalev, he is known for his punching power with 16 KOs in 19 wins.

Prediction

This is going to be a slugfest but of two fighters with different styles. Shabranskyy is an aggressive slugger who throws volume punches to the body. Kovalev meanwhile picks his spots first before getting into a slug of war. Shabranskyy is the taller fighter here and because of that, there is a room for upset.

However, Kovalev is the more polished boxer and has the better all around skills. Although he’s coming off back to back losses, those were to the best fighter in the planet. With Ward now retired Kovalev is the man to beat at light heavyweight. Shabranskyy will try to rush in and overwhelm Kovalev but the Krusher has excellent IQ to counter that. He’s going to take his time and try to outbox his opponent. But if Shabranskyy gets too sloppy, Kovalev’s going to end his night early.

We’re picking Kovalev to win by unanimous decision or stoppage in the championship rounds.

Anthony Joshua vs. Carlos Takam Preview and Prediction

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With Kubrat Pulev out, world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua gets a new opponent for his October 28th, 2017 bout at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

AJ was expected to make a mandatory defense against Kubrat Pulev but the Bulgarian pulled out of their encounter after suffering a torn muscle in his right shoulder area. Joshua will now defend his belts against the next highest fighter on the IBF’s heavyweight rankings.

Replacement Foe

That man is 3rd ranked Carlos Takam, who lost to WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker in a competitive bout in 2015.  Takam has a record of 35-3-1 with 27 KOs. The Frenchman has won two in a row since losing to Parker. He will be challenging for a world title for the second time in his career.

Joshua has made three successful defenses of the IBF heavyweight title he won from Charles Martin in 2016. The 28-year old British superstar knocked out Dominic Breazeale in in seven rounds, Eric Molina in three and then sent Klitschko to retirement last April 29th in the leading 2017 Fight of the Year candidate.

Total Package

Anthony Joshua is a -6600 favorite against Takam, who is currently listed at +200. AJ is considered to be the best heavyweight in the planet and is the total package as a fighter. He has power, hand speed, footwork and boxing IQ. He’s shown few weaknesses so far, although he was dropped by Klitschko during their bout.

Takam is almost nine years older than Joshua and is much shorter than the champion. He has knockout power too and has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage. He has a come forward style but tends to lose steam after a couple of rounds. His best chance against AJ would be in the opening rounds of the bout.

Perfect Record

Given his age and his tendency to drop his hands, his stamina and durability should be a problem if this goes to the middle rounds. But don’t think he is out of shape because even before Pulev pulled out, Takam was already a standby opponent so he is ready. Problem is, Joshua looks unstoppable right now. He has a perfect record of 19-0 with 19 KOs.

Look for Anthony Joshua to send Takam packing early. It’s going to be a quick night in Wales. Nobody’s perfect but AJ will keep his clean slate. Anthony Joshua by knockout before round six.

Battle Of The Liams: Will Williams Get His Revenge on Smith?

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Here we go again. The battle of two of Britain’s up and coming boxing superstars, both named Liam.

Liam Smith and Liam Williams will square off again after their thrilling first encounter ended in controversy. The two will lock horns one more time at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England on November 11th, 2017 in what the WBO has announced as a title eliminator for their 154-pound belt.

Unfortunate Ending

Smith and Williams engaged in a dogfight last April at the Manchester Arena in England. The bout came to a sudden end after Liam Williams was pulled from the bout after nine rounds because of an eye injury. It was a sorry loss for Williams who was up by one point in all three of the judges scorecards.

Because of the unfortunate ending, an immediate rematch between the two was set and it was initially penciled for October 28th, 2017. But with heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua fighting on that same date, the Liams agreed to move their fight to November 11th, 2017 and settle their dispute once again inside the ring.

Title Eliminator

Their first bout was for the WBO 154-pound title but Smith did not win it because he failed to make the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds during the weigh-ins. Instead, the title was disputed by Miguel Cotto and Yoshihiro Kamegai last August. Cotto won it and will defend the crown against Sadam Ali on December 2nd. As this bout is a title eliminator, the winner between Smith and Williams will fight for the title next.

The WBO title once belonged to Liam Smith before he was beaten by Saul Canelo Alvarez. Liam Williams, meanwhile, is the British and Commonwealth 154-pound champion and the 2016 Young Boxer of the Year by the British Boxing Writers association. He is looking for his first world title and once again, that road leads to Liam Smith.

Loser is Favorite

Despite losing their first encounter, Liam Williams is the slight favorite here at -120, while Liam Smith is at even money +100. If not for that eye injury, Liam Williams would’ve likely won that fight on points. Williams looked too sharp for Smith in the early goings and kept his more experienced opponent off him with laser jabs.

Don’t forget that Williams had his best round of the fight in Round 8 before the accidental clash of heads in Round 9 forced the Williams corner to step in and save their fighter’s eye from further damage. To his credit, Smith fought back and turned it into a bloody brawl before the accidental headbutt occurred.

Prediction

We know how tough a veteran Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith is and we acknowledge him being a former world champion. But Liam Smith is probably the best 154-pounder in England right now. He has the skills and power to be a world champion.

Again, Williams has the better jab and more powerful punches. Those should be the key. Barring any unfortunate injury in the rematch, Liam Williams should exact revenge on Liam Smith. Williams by unanimous decision or late knockout.

Can Bermane Stiverne Beat Deontay Wilder This Time?

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WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will now defend his belt against the man he won it from – Canadian fighter Bermane Stiverne. Stiverne replaces the power punching Luis “King Kong” Ortiz who failed a drug test last week.

Stiverne was supposed to fight fellow contender Dominic Breazeale in the undercard. Instead he will now face Wilder in the main event of this Showtime event  on November 4th, 2017 at the Barclays Center in New York.

Rematch

Wilder and Stiverne met in 2015 under different circumstances. Stiverne was the champion and Wilder the challenger. The latter won the contest via unanimous decision and took the WBC belt home to Tuscaloosa , Alabama.  Wilder has since defended the belt successfully five times.

Wilder was supposed to fight Ortiz to silence  his detractors who have always criticized his level of competition. But the Cuban tested positive for two diuretic drugs chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide, which are used to treat high blood pressure but which can be used as masking agents for steroids. Ortiz said it was used for the former but didn’t ask for medical exemption from VADA.

Size Advantage

Just as he was in their first bout, Wilder is the favorite here. The Bronze Bomber is a -700 against Stiverne who is at +425 for this rematch. We saw what Wilder did in the first bout. Wilder used his size advantage over Stiverne to dictate the fight from the outside.

Before their first bout, Wilder was 32-0 with 32 KOs and many people thought he was all about knocking people out. But against Stiverne, he used every inch of his 83 inch reach advantage to keep the hard hitting Canadian at bay. Wilder dominated the fight with his jab and continued to pepper Stiverne with big right hands. He won handily in the scorecards.

Can’t Get Going

Stiverne is a conservative counter puncher and he won’t win this fight fighting at a distance because he gives up too much size against Deontay Wilder. He has to take this fight close since his best punches are the compact hooks which he throws from the inside. To get inside though, he must take chances and risk getting hit by Wilder’s bombs.

Stiverne successfully avoided getting floored or knocked out in the first bout. However, he wasn’t able to get his offense going because he was busy fending off Wilder’s punches. We’re not saying that Stiverne has no shot at winning this because he does have power in both hands.

However, Wilder beat him two years ago, when the Bronze Bomber was a raw talent. With Wilder now smarter and more intelligent, an older Stiverne is in for all sorts of problems.

Prediction

It’s not Deontay Wilder’s fault that he will be fighting Bermane Stiverne. Luis Ortiz couldn’t do his part. Now Wilder says that Stiverne is  going to pay for Oritz’s miscues. Doesn’t get any worse for Bermane Stiverne.

We’re picking Deontay Wilder to win this fight. f there’s a man to beat Wider, it won’t be Stiverne.  He already knows what Stiverne brings to the table and he has improved so much in the last couple of years. So don’t be surprised if Wilder is going to win this one by knockout.

Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev Odds and Prediction

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Anthony Joshua puts his heavyweight world titles on the line against Kubrat Pulev at Cardiff’s Principal Stadium on October 28th, 2017.

Joshua will defend his WBA and IBF belts against the Pulev, who is the IBF’s mandatory challenger. Pulev has won 25 of 26 bouts with his only loss coming at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. Since that defeat, Pulev has won five fights in a row including victories over Dereck Chisora, Samuel Peter and Kevin Johnson.

Next Big Thing

Pulev is a 6-4 fighter who utilizes his range very well. He is a smart boxer who doesn’t allow his opponents to box from the inside. He makes them fight his style and he’s good at finding holes in their defense. Although he isn’t known for his punching power, Pulev has recorded a knockout in six of his last 10 bouts.

Joshua, meanwhile, is the next big thing in the sport. He owns a perfect record of 19-0 with 19 KOs. Widely considered as the best heavyweight today, he possesses freak physical attributes. Joshua is large and masculine but he is fast, quick and agile. What makes him more dangerous is that he has natural punching power in both hands. There aren’t too many weaknesses in his game.

Massive Favorite

A.J. opened as a massive -5000 favorite at Bovada, while the Bulgarian brute came back as the +1400 underdog. Joshua should win this fight because he is the most physically gifted heavyweight in the business today. A.J.’s combination of size, speed, power and athleticism are rarely seen. We saw that on full display during his April 2017 victory over the great Wladimir Klitschko.

While many say that Joshua beat an over the hill old guy in Klitschko, it wasn’t easy. Wlad dominated the heavyweight division for over a decade and despite his advanced age, he didn’t show signs of slowing down. It was just that he faced a phenomenal athlete in Joshua and lost to him.

Too Much To Handle

Joshua’s defense isn’t very good. We saw Klitschko take advantage of that. Pulev fights a little like Klitschko. He uses his jab to set up his power right hand. Being an accomplished amateur boxer, Pulev is also a good boxer by heavyweight standards. As such, he can give Joshua some problems but in the end we think Joshua’s too much of a physical specimen for Pulev to handle.

Pulev will try to take advantage of Joshua’s defensive lapses but he too doesn’t have elite defense as well. Look for Joshua to unload his big bombs early in this fight. Not a question of the winner really. The odds are picking Joshua by a mile and we agree. As to how this fight will end, that’s more interesting. We’re picking Anthony Joshua to win by knockout in the first half of the fight.

Joseph Parker vs. Hughie Fury: Which Undefeated Fighter Will Finally Lose?

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Joseph Parker defends his WBO Heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Hughie Fury at the Manchester Arena in England on September 23rd, 2017.

Battle of Unbeaten Heavyweights

This is a battle between two young, up and coming unbeaten heavyweights. Parker boasts a record of 23-0 with 18 KOs while Fury is 20-0 with 10 KOs. These two were first booked to fight last April but the fight was moved to May after Fury was reluctant to travel to New Zealand. The May affair bombed out after Fury pulled out with a back injury.

Finally, the two agreed on a September date in England, with Parker making the second defense of the WBO title he won against Andy Ruiz in December of 2016. Fury will be fighting in a world title bout for the first time in his career and he surely is glad it will be in England and not in Auckland.

A 50-50 Fight?

The champion Joseph Parker is the favorite here at – 125 while the challenger Fury is close by at -105 at Bovada. A lot of people (including British heavyweight David Haye) believe this is a 50-50 fight, but we disagree. Parker is the much better boxer between these two gentlemen and he is more battle tested, having faced better opposition.

The Kiwi has passed all tests thrown in front of him and he’s done so with flying colors. He isn’t hard to counter, that’s a weakness, but considering he withstood heavy hitters like Andy Ruiz Jr. and Carlos Takam proves that he has a solid chin.

On the other hand, Hughie Fury will be fighting only for the third time since 2013 and the first time this year. He hasn’t really faced world class competition before so this is definitely his biggest test to date. The big question for Fury is whether his chin will hold up against world level quality. If he does, this could be the 50-50 fight that some are calling it.

Parker’s consistency

But even then, surviving Joseph Parker’s power is one thing, but beating him is another. Parker has fought consistently, taking at least three bouts every year. His level of competition has grown with each fight and he’s beaten every man put in front of him. In fact, Parker has knocked out 9 of his last 11 opponents.

Parker has fought mostly in New Zealand and this will be his first bout in England. Fury will have the crowd behind him but he’ll need more than crowd support to unseat the champion. Overall, Parker’s just better. He’s going to remain undefeated and keep his belt. We’re picking Joseph Parker to win this fight.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin: Who will Reign Supreme?

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Mexico’s Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will face Kazakhstan’s Gennady ‘Triple G’ Golovkin for the unified boxing middleweight titles on September 16th, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The superfight has been billed as ‘Supremacy’ as the winner will walk away with all but two of the major middleweight belts available. Golovkin is the current unified WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and IBO middleweight champion, while Alvarez is both the Ring and lineal middleweight title holder.

After the big McGregor vs. Mayweather fight stole the show in August, all eyes will be on this bout come September.

Mexican Superstar

Alvarez is Mexico’s biggest boxing superstar and the flagship fighter of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. The 27-year old Guadalajara native sports an impressive record of 49-1-1 with 34 knockouts, with his only loss coming at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Alvarez is a two-division champion, having held the 154-pound title twice.

Alvarez used to be known as the catchweight king after having fought a series of bouts at a catchweight of 155 pounds. The weight was even dubbed as ‘canelo-weight’ in reference to the obvious. But after Alvarez fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at a catchweight of 165 pounds at this year’s Cinco de Mayo Weekend, he agreed to fight Golovkin at the middleweight limit of 160.

Kazakh Destroyer

Golovkin is the Kazakh destroyer also known as the god of war. Triple G is unbeaten in 37 bouts and has 33 knockouts. His 89.8% knockout rate is the highest in middleweight championship history. Golovkin knocked out an impressive 23 straight opponents from 2008-2017 to gain the reputation as one of the sport’s most feared punchers. He had been eyeing Alvarez for two years now and with Canelo finally doing away with the catchweight, the true super fight is finally happening.

Odds and Prediction

This one could go either way, really, and could be a tough spot to make money betting on boxing. Golovkin is currently the slight favorite at -170 and Canelo the underdog at +150.

Golovkin has never been knocked down either in the amateurs or in the pros. But while he has an iron chin, he is not hard to hit. Golovkin loves to bait his opponents by taking clean punches from his opponents in order to land his haymakers. No problem there, because as we said, his jaw is granite.

But against an excellent counter puncher like Canelo Alvarez who can work the body as well as the head, Golovkin’s 35-year old body could wear out. And even if it doesn’t, Alvarez will feast on him with a lot of scoring punches. Canelo also has better movement and defense to avoid Golovkin’s big shots.

This is going to be a real super fight, far better than Mayweather-Pacquiao. It will be Golovkin’s power versus Canelo’s finesse. Unless Golovkin shows better defense, Alvarez should score all night on him. GGG will find it hard to knock out a moving boxer like Canelo. Both will have their share of highlights in this bout but in the end, the better boxer should win.

We’re picking Canelo Alvarez to come out victorious via decision. It could be close, though.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Marco Huck: Can Huck Win The WBO Title Again?

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Oleksandr Usyk defends his WBO cruiserweight title against Marco Huck in the cruiserweight quarterfinals of the World Boxing Super Series. The fight will be held at the Max Schmeling Halle in Berlin, Germany.

World Boxing Super Series

The World Boxing Super Series is the first major boxing tournament since the Super Six World Boxing Classic of 2009. It’s a joint venture by Sauerland Promotions and former Golden Boy President Richard Schaeffer. The tournament has two weight classes: super middleweight and cruiserweight.

In the cruiserweight division, Oleksandr Usyk is among the four champion in the tournament. The winner of Usyk vs Huck will go on to face the winner of the WBC title bout between champion Mairis Briedis and challenger Mike Perez in the semifinals.

WBO champions

Usyk is unbeaten in 12 professional bouts and has 10 wins via knockout. He won the WBO belt in his 10th bout and after defeating  Krzysztof Głowacki in 2016. Usyk has defended the title twice and is coming off a decision win over Michael Hunter last April.

Marco Huck is the second longest reigning cruiserweight title of all-time, making 13 defenses of the WBO title from 2009-2015 before losing it to Glowacki. Huck is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision loss to WBC champion Mairis Briedis and is looking to win another world title. He faces a daunting task against the formidable Ukrainian.

Odds and Prediction

Usyk is a heavy -3500 favorite to defeat Huck who is currently at +1200 at Bovada. As far as names are concerned, this sounds like a marquee match-up. This is boxing though and Usyk has so many advantages against his opponent. Usyk is younger and bigger than Huck. He also has better movement and more punching power. He may also be too quick for the slow German.

Usyk and Huck have a common opponent in Krzysztof Glowacki. Glowacki knocked out Huck in 11 rounds while Usyk simply toyed around and gave him a boxing lesson for 12 rounds. Huck has let many of his opponents dictate the pace of the fight and has struggled against southpaws throughout his career. He has the home court advantage but it’s not going to be enough.

Oleksandr Usyk is going to remain unbeaten. We’re picking Usyk to defeat Marco Huck by a wide decision.