Tag Archives: Boxing Predictions

Jorge Linares vs. Anthony Crolla Odds and Prediction

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Repeat or Revenge.

Those are the two possible outcomes for this lightweight title rematch scheduled on March 25th at Manchester Arena.

Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla fought to a twelve round decision when they first met in the same venue. Back then, it was Linares’ first bout in a year. He hurt his hand in the 6th round but managed to finish the fight strong and take the decision. After a bloody bout, he is giving Crolla the opportunity to get that fight back.

Top Lightweight

Jorge Linares has established himself as  one of the best lightweights in the planet. He’s won 10 fights in a row and has not lost since back to back knockout defeats to Antonio De Marco and Sergio Thompson in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Overall, the Venezuelan Golden Boy has a record of 41-3 with 27 knockouts. He won the WBA Lightweight title and the vacant Ring Lightweight title last September with a unanimous decision win over Britain’s Million Dolla Anthony Crolla.

Million Dolla

Crolla is one of Britain’s fast rising stars. After his first title challenge against Darleys Perez ended in a draw in 2015, he captured the WBA title by knocking out Perez in the 5th round of their November 2015 rematch. Crolla bested Linares’ fellow Venezuelan Ismael Barroso in his first title defense. Crolla lost to Linares in his next world title fight. Crolla has never lost back to back fights in his career. He’s hoping it stays that way when he fights Linares again on March 25th.

Odds and Pick

Linares is currently at -245 while the underdog Crolla is at +205. The lines aren’t that wide but personally, I don’t think this fight is ending differently as the first one.

Linares won 117-111, 115-113 and 115-114 but if you watch the fight again, it was clearly a no-contest. Linares outboxed Crolla for 12 rounds and the judges’ scores didn’t reflect that. Linares clearly had more power in his punches, more hand speed and was the better boxer. He also displayed a more varied attack than Crolla. Skillwise, we’re giving it to Linares. Crolla does have the home crowd behind him, but even then, it didn’t help him much in the first bout. I’m not saying Crolla doesn’t have a shot at beating Linares. There was a rematch clause and that is why we’re having this fight. But it’s hard to imagine how Crolla can change the outcome in six months time. We’re picking Linares to win on points, this time by a wider points margin.

USBA Heavyweight Title Preview: Travis Kauffman vs. Amir Mansour Odds and Prediction

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Heavyweight Travis Kauffman will face Amir Mansour for the USBA Heavyweight title at the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania on March 17th.

Road To Heavyweight Championship

The event has been billed as the road to the heavyweight championship as these two veteran fighters have never fought for a world title although both have come close before. Kauffman lost to Chris Arreola by split decision in December of 2015 before that bout was changed to a no-contest after Arreola failed a drug test.

Despite that, Nightmare earned a shot at Deontay Wilder in his next bout. Mansour meanwhile knocked down Dominic Breazeale before retiring on his stool after five rounds. Breazeale went on to challenge Anthony Joshua in his next bout. With missed opportunities like those in the past, a victory be either here should push him closer to that road to the title.

Red Hot

Because the Arreola bout was changed to a no-contest, Kauffman thus enters this fight unbeaten in his last 14 bouts. In his most recent bout, Kauffman stopped Josh Gormley in two rounds last September 2016. Although he doesn’t have many big names in his resume, his red hot streak remains impressive. Kauffman is physically imposing at 6-3 with a reach of 76.

He may not be a special talent like Joshua or Wilder, but he possesses punching power and is a very decently skilled fighter. Kauffman does have a powerful fight hand and if Mansour isn’t careful, things could end early. Kauffman’s last three knockout wins have come under round two.

Father Time

Amir Mansour isn’t just just fighting Travis Kauffman here, he’s also battling Father Time. At 44, Mansour may not have too many opportunities left. In his most recent bout, Mansour looked like he was on the way to upsetting Dominic Breazeale. But he retired on his stool after five rounds due to a bad cut on his mouth. The injury forced him off the ring for the last 13 months and that inactivity may prove to be costly for this aging veteran. Despite his age, Mansour remains to be in shape and as he proved against Breazeale, he still has a lot of punching power left in his fists. Mansour is a pressure fighter who loves to be the aggressor. Five of his last seven wins have been by knockout and it’s likely he’s going for another one against Kauffman.

Both fighters are currently at -115 in this pick ‘em bout. But given the age difference and the fact that Kauffman will be fighting in his home town, we’re giving our pick to Travis Kauffman. Not only will he have the crowd cheering on for him but  endurance matters in the heavyweight division. Sure, it was injury that forced Mansour to quit against Breazeale, but he was running out of gas after failing to put Breazeale away after the knockdown. We’re picking Travis Kauffman to win this bout, possibly on points or another ‘No Mas’ from Mansour.

Sammy Vasquez vs. Luis Collazo Odds and Prediction

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Sammy Vasquez and Luis Collazo kick-off the Premier Boxing Champions’ (PBC) 2017 calendar with a 10-round main event welterweight bout on February 2nd at the Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino in Tunica, Mississippi.

Making Collazo Pay

The two were slated to fight each other last July but a calf muscle injury suffered by Collazo forced the cancellation of the fight. As a result, Vasquez went on to face Felix Diaz Jr. in the undercard of Wilder-Arreola and suffered his first ever loss as a professional. Now Vasquez isn’t just eager to get back to his winning ways, the Sergeant is looking to make Collazo pay for playing a part in the derailment of his title bid.

A former National guard who served two tours of duties in Iraq, Vasquez was an undefeated contender who was closing in on a title shot when he got ambushed by Diaz. On the other hand, ex-world champion Collazo is looking to keep his career going after losing to Amir Khan in 2014 and Keith Thurman in 2015.

How Much is Left?

Vasquez has a 68% knockout ratio and he gets his KOs with wicked body shots and relentless combinations. When he lands his power shots, Vasquez is very tough to beat. Vasquez likes to be the aggressor in a bout and he’s proven to have a very good chin. In his last fight, Vasquez took a heavy beating from Diaz, so it will be interesting how he responds after his first career setback.

Collazo, meanwhile, is a tricky opponent who is accurate with his punches. He may no longer be a spring chicken at 36 years of age but he still packs decent power in his punches. Six of his last eight wins have been by knockout and he almost dropped Keith Thurman with a solid body shot during their bout.

Collazo has been in the ring with the best in the business and his experience towers over Vasquez. However, the question with Collazo is how much is left in that tank especially since we haven’t seen him fight since his 2015 defeat to Thurman.

The Pick

Vasquez is a -270 favorite over Collazo who currently stands at +210. Collazo has fought better opposition in his career and will have several tricks to show Vasquez on fight night. However, the younger lion may not only be the hungrier fighter here, he is also the one who can push the pace and dictate the tempo.

Vasquez’s aggressive style and hard punches may overwhelm Collazo whose stamina hasn’t been good enough in recent fights. This fight is going to have a good start but the longer this one goes, Collazo won’t be able to keep up with a hungry contender who may be nearing his prime.

We’re picking Sammy Vasquez to win by decision or stoppage in the second half of the fight. Either way, it’s going to be a dominant win for the Sergeant.

WBO Super Featherweight Preview: Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Nicholas Walters Odds and Pick

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Vasyl Lomachenko continues his quest for greatness as he defends his WBO Super Featherweight championship against former featherweight champion  Nicholas Walters on November 26th, 2016 at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Greatest Amateur Boxer Ever

Lomachenko enters the fight with a deceptive 6-1 professional record, but behind that seemingly inexperienced resume is who many consider to be the greatest amateur fighter of all-time.

A back to back Olympic gold medalist in 2008 and 2012, Lomachenko also won consecutive gold medals in the World Championships in 2009 and 2011. The 28-year old Ukrainian finished his amateur career with a sensational 396-1 record with his only defeat to Albert Selimov avenged twice.

Since turning pro, Lomachenko has fought in a total of six world title bouts, losing once to Orlando Salido in his first attempt at a world title. Since that defeat, Loma’s won five bouts in a row against rapidly increasing level of opposition He’s captured two world titles in two different weight classes and is coming off a 5th round KO of Roman Martinez last June.

Axe Man

Nicholas Walters will be looking to win his second world title in as many weight classes. Known as the Axe Man, the Jamaican slugger is unbeaten in 27 bouts with 26 wins, 1 draw and 21 wins by knockout. After losing his title on the scales during his fight with Miguel Marriaga in June, Walters has moved up in weight. He was ‘robbed’ with a draw in his super featherweight debut against Jason Sosa. But that did not stop him from pursuing a bout with the great Lomachenko.

Not A Mismatch

Lomachenko is a big -500 favorite over Walters who is at +400 in many sports books. But don’t let the numbers think this is going to be a mismatch. Walters is a legit foe and has exceptional athleticism and overall punching power. He has fast hands, quick feet and has finished all but two of his last eleven opponents. He’s proven that he can take care of a good technical boxer when he knocked out Nonito Donaire in 2014. Against Lomachenko though, he must be wary with counters as his defense has a tendency to slip at times. An interesting fact here is that this will be Walters’ first bout in Las Vegas.

Total Package

Lomachenko is the total package. Not only does he possess a high level boxing IQ, he also has excellent defense. Like Walters, he has quick hands and feet. Between them though, he has the better combinations and is the smarter counter puncher.

Coincidentally, both fighters have a similar connect percentage of 37.9% ( Per Compubox ) but Lomachenko has more output per fight at 177.4 punches landed per fight against Walters’ 159.6. But while they don’t have much difference in offensive numbers, Lomachenko’s defensive prowess stands out. Lomachenko’s opponents only land 16.4% of their punches on him while Walters allows a higher 21.5% Both numbers are good really but in a chess match like this, that could spell the difference.

Who Wins

Given his attributes, it hard not to look at Walters at +400. He may be the smarter bet if you want to gamble. But in the end, it’s likely Lomachenko who gets the victory here. Loma’s just too smart a boxer against Walters. He can adjust his game plan in between rounds and has too many ways to win bouts. Walters only knows one way to fight and that ram right through his opponents. He’s moving up in weight and may not be as powerful as he was in the lower ranks. Having said that, if you’re betting to win go with Lomachenko here.

Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward Boxing Odds and Fight Prediction

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A potential Fight of the Year candidate awaits boxing fans on November 19th as unified Light Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev defends his titles against former super middleweight king, Andre Ward .

Boxer vs Puncher

Known as the Krusher for his knack of knocking out his opponents, Sergey Kovalev has 26 knockouts in 30 total wins. Ward, on the other hand, is one of the sport’s best boxers. He’s accumulated a professional record of 30-0 with 15 knockouts. In his last 10 bouts, Ward has recorded just two knockouts. On the other hand, Kovalev has failed to stop just two fighters in his last 10 bouts.

Their game plans are as obvious as their records. Kovalev would love to engage Ward in a slugfest for the ages. Ward, meanwhile, will be looking to hit and not get hit by the power punching Russian Krusher. With two fighters who excel in their respective fighting styles, this one’s pretty much a toss-up in the truest sense of the word. The oddsmakers agree.

Hard To Pick

Ward opened as a -150 favorite against Kovalev’s +120. Again, these are two Top 5 pound for pound fighters fighting each other in their primes. But in a close call like this, experts tend to think that the safer money is with the better boxer which in this case is Andre Ward. Two months later, the lines have narrowed further at -137 to +110 but still favor Andre Ward.

As for the method of victory, the oddsmakers have set Ward winning by decision at +110 and Kovalev by KO or disqualification at +200. Many boxing experts feel that if the fight is going the distance, it will favor the boxer Ward while if it’s ending abruptly, it’s gonna be the hard hitting Kovalev who comes out victorious.

Weight Difference

Weight will not be an issue for Andre Ward but without doubt he will be facing a naturally bigger man on November 19. This will only be Ward’s third bout at light heavyweight while Kovalev has resided here since 2009. And Kovalev won’t be just another light heavyweight in the roster, he is the best in the division and is the hardest hitter in the weight class. Sure Ward is an expert in not getting hit, but once he gets hit will be the question. How Ward takes Kovalev’s punches will be the key in this bout. If he can take Kovalev’s punches though, the Krusher may be in for a long night.

Can Box Too

By Saying that Kovalev will primarily win by KO doesn’t mean he can’t box. Kovalev famously outboxed Bernard Hopkins in a career defining fight in 2014. That victory though is a two way school of thought against Andre Ward. Kovalev  dropped Hopkins but couldn’t finish him off. So Ward, being a sound technical boxer like Hopkins, could go the distance with Kovalev too and have the better shot at beating Kovalev.

Having said that, the longer this fight goes, the more it favors Andre Ward. If this fight is going the distance, Andre Ward is going to pick up that decision win.

Daniel Jacobs vs. Sergio Mora II Odds and Prediction

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Sergio Mora gets another crack at Daniel Jacobs when the two fight again on September 9th for the WBA Regular Middleweight title at the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania:

Ended in Injury

Jacobs fought Mora last August at the Barclays Center in New York in what was Jacobs’ second defense of the WBA title he won in 2014 by knocking out Jarrod Fletcher. Jacobs won that fight by second round knockout but on a strange note. Both fighters came out firing in round one and exchanged knockdowns before Mora slipped on the canvass and broke his ankle. With Mora unable to continue, Jacobs was awarded the victory.

Since then, Jacobs went on to shock Peter Quillin in the Battle of New York last December 5. In a battle between two popular New York natives, Jacobs outgunned Quillin in a fast start and knocked out Kid Chocolate in the first round. Since then, Jacobs has been inactive and unable to secure a good fight. Many were expecting Jacobs to choose a better quality foe with his next fight. In the end though, the Miracle Man has decided to finally beat Mora with his punches not with an injury.

Contender Winner

Sergio Mora is the former winner of the boxing reality show “The Contender”. The Latin Snake defeated Peter Manfredo via decision to become the show’s inaugural winner. Mora would go on to beat Vernon Forrest by majority decision to become the WBC Light Heavyweight champion in 2008. Mora lost the title to Forrest in his next fight and went 2-3-1 in his next six bouts. Mora then found his second wind by winning 5 bouts in a row to return to the title picture.

It was unfortunate that his last title shot ended in an injury. After Jacobs dropped him in the first round, Mora returned the favor by knocking down Jacobs moments later. If you looked at the replays, Jacobs looked more hurt than Mora was when he got knocked down. His legs were wobbly until the round ended. Jacobs was doing well in the second round when the injury happened. But had Mora not been hurt, who knows how that bout would have ended.

Taking a Step Back

Jacobs is red hot with 11 straight victories since getting knocked out by Dmitry Pirog in 2011. All of those 11 wins were by KO and experts feel he should be building up on his big win over Quillin.

Sure, Jacobs has unfinished business with Mora and wanting this fight was understandable. However, fighting Mora is like taking a step back. Not only is the Latin Snake coming off an injury but he’s no longer the same fighter who beat Vernon Forrest. Mora has had his moments, but has never had consistency throughout his career.

Mora was a +775 underdog against the -1200 favorite Jacobs during their first bout. The odds for the rematch haven’t been set yet, although it’s likely not to deviate much from that of their first bout.

Roman Gonzalez vs. Carlos Cuadras Odds and Prediction

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Chocolatito is rolling. And he’s eyeing another weight class.

Roman Gonzalez, the Pound for Pound best boxer in the planet, will be moving up a couple of pounds for his next world title fight. As announced by K2 Promotions last Wednesday, Chocolatito will be challenging 115-pound champion Carlos Cuadras on September 10th at the Forum in Inglewood, California:

Chasing A Fourth Weight Class

Aside from being the Ring’s #1 Pound for Pound fighter, Gonzalez is currently the WBC, Lineal and Ring Flyweight champion.

Previously, Chocolatito held world titles in the minimum weight and light flyweight division. But having almost cleaned house in those three weight divisions, Gonzalez has decided to chase a fourth weight class and enhance his status as the best fighter in the planet.

Gonzalez is only the second boxing world champion from Nicaragua, with his mentor and idol Alexis Arguello as the other. He is unbeaten in 45 bouts and has an 84% KO ratio or a total of 38 wins by way of knockout.

After fighting mostly in Nicaragua, Mexico and Japan, Gonzalez made his first U.S. mainstream appearance in May of 2015, defeating former champion Edgar Sosa in two rounds at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Since then, Gonzalez has defended his flyweight titles two more times against former world champions Brian Viloria and McWilliams Arroyo, beating both ex-champs in dominating fashion.

First US TV Fight

Like Gonzalez, his opponent is a newcomer in the US market. Carlos Quadras will be making his second US appearance but this will be the first time that he will be fighting on a televised card and a big HBO event at that.

The 27-year old Mexican won the WBC Super Flyweight title by defeating Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2014. He has since defended the belt a total of six times.

Like Gonzazes, Cuadras in unbeaten  at 35-0 with 27 KOs but has one draw in his record. That solitary blemish happened during his first title defense against Jose Salgado. The bout ended in a technical draw after Cuadras was unable to continue following an accidental clash of heads in Round 4. Otherwise, Cuadras has been just as destructive as Chocolatito.

A former 2007 Pan American Games gold medalist, Cuadras is coming off an emphatic 8th round stoppage of FIlipino challenger Richie Mepranum last April 23rd. Gonzalez opened as a solid -600 favorite to dethrone his Mexican opponent who came at +400 in most sportsbooks.