Boxing Picks 2025- Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn (Saturday 26th April)

This may not be an event that is going to have repercussions at World level, but there is little doubt that there is a growing interest in seeing the names Eubank and Benn headlining an event.

All eyes are on North London this weekend across the Boxing world, although fans across the pond will have two big cards next weekend, including the shut down of Times Square, which is sadly not open to the wider public.

Canelo Alvarez is back next week too as he makes his debut in Saudi Arabia before likely moving back to the United States to take on Terence Crawford later in the year, assuming he is not upset next Saturday evening.

It has been a disappointing couple of weeks for the Boxing Picks, although things were very close to being significantly different. That is a case of what might have been and the focus now is to turn things around and get the total ticking back towards the black with the selections from the card to come on Saturday.

Credit has to be given to Dalton Smith in continuing his path towards a World Title shot, and he will benefit from having the Rounds in the bank, while Ben Whittaker really did impress with a surprising early finish in the rematch with Liam Cameron.

You could see the pressure valve released at the end of that victory and Ben Whittaker could be in line for another step up in level of opponent when expected to be out in September. Getting his career back on track was very important for Whittaker and it was a solid finish, even if some felt the referee might have been a touch early in stepping in and stopping the fight.

The next opponent could be quite interesting with the balance needed between development, but also not pushing too far ahead too quickly. Ben Whittaker sounds like he would be happy to take on all comers, but fans may still want to see how he handles going deeper into fights and it will be important for his promotion and management team to find someone who can test the relative youngster.

Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn

Two and a half years have passed since Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn were supposed to meet in London.

Just days before they were going to step into the ring, a journalist broke the news that Benn had failed a couple of tests and ultimately the fight had to be cancelled.

There will be plenty of doubters about the Conor Benn story about why he failed his drugs test and this continues to overshadow the contest. Some would love to have seen this narrative buried, but Chris Eubank Jr refuses to play ball and his decision to smash an egg in Benn's face has just sparked a deeper and more personal rivalry.

In reality this was initially a fight built on the legacies that were created by the fathers of each man, and Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn's two fights in the early 1990s continue to be remembered with fondness. Now there is a personal rivalry between the sons with Jr and Conor Benn both making it pretty clear that there is little they like about the other.

No one should confuse this for a fight between two Boxers at the top of their Divisions.

Since returning from the what had been a suspension, Conor Benn has not really impressed and he has been operating way above the 147 pound limit that his promoter continues to point out when suggesting Benn is moving up two weight Divisions. That is simply not the case with Conor Benn last fighting at the Welterweight limit three years ago in April 2022 and questions remain about the failed drugs test because of the struggles in going twenty-two Rounds in earning Decision wins over Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson.

Some of that may be down to moving up against naturally bigger men, but there have to be questions about Conor Benn's power at this weight.

He does look decent enough at the weight, but the inactivity could also be an issue for the unbeaten fighter with so much to prove.

At the same time, you can be critical of Chris Eubank Jr's activity with a single fight last year having failed to follow up the revenge win over Liam Smith in September 2023 as many hoped he would. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Eubank Jr is far from a dislikable fighter, although even his biggest supporters would admit that he has perhaps not fulfilled the kind of career that those around him believed he would.

Chris Eubank Jr has been up and down between the Middleweight and Super Middleweight limit and the weight cut and rehydration clause that has been put in place will be testing the 35 year old. The positive news for Eubank Jr is that he has made the Middleweight limit in each of his last four fights, but it is the uncertainty about the rehydration clause that has frustrated Chris Eubank Sr and meant a falling out between father and son.

It is a potentially dangerous spot for Chris Eubank Jr, but this is a dedicated fighter and it would not be a surprise if he made weight on Friday and then decided to ignore the clause in place and accept the fine.

For all the criticism faced by Chris Eubank Jr, he has faced the tougher opponents compared with Conor Benn and has been involved in big World Title fights. Yes, he has come up short in the biggest moments, but Chris Eubank Jr has some very good wins on his resume too and the naturally bigger man should have an edge (even if he does not want people to talk about size, but instead focus on skill).

The defeat to Liam Smith in the manner it came was stunning, but Chris Eubank Jr made amends by beating the Liverpudlian in the rematch and his victory over Kamil Szeremeta last October is solid, if unspectacular, form.

Chris Eubank Jr hits plenty hard and Conor Benn is likely going to want to come out steaming and throwing plenty of leather of his own.

A smaller ring size has been agreed and the feeling is that both men are going to want to fight, rather than box, and that could lead to a fun, entertaining contest for all tuning in on Saturday evening.

It really does feel like it will come down to how much the weight cut has taken from Chris Eubank Jr, especially without being able to refuel as he would like in the hours afterwards. That raises some doubt and Conor Benn looks pretty solid, but the power has not looked as destructive as it was in the fights before the failed drugs test and that is very hard to ignore.

He will come forward and that should create an entertaining evening, but that could also be dangerous if Chris Eubank Jr is near to his top level. Since losing to George Groves back in 2018, Eubank Jr has had nine fights and he has regularly put opponents on the canvas in those.

Stoppage wins in his last two will have given Chris Eubank Jr some momentum and he might be able to come through the early pressure Conor Benn provides to start catching him with big shots as he comes forward. It may see the bigger man pick his shots and start putting enough combinations together to break down Benn and the feeling is that Chris Eubank Jr can push through for a second half Stoppage in this rivalry bout, perhaps the first of two between them this year.

The reality is that the weigh in drama from Friday makes it much more difficult to back that outcome with any real certainty- everything has been designed to drag Chris Eubank Jr down and you can understand why his father has been so disgusted with all around this fight. The rules should have mandated a Middleweight fight without all of the extra clauses about rehydration and amount that can be put on the morning of the fight, especially as this is a non-title bout.

The feeling remains that Eubank Jr may just show his qualities- Conor Benn now has an excuse about weight being missed- but you just hope that both fighters return home without any lasting damage sustained.

This is the first Ring Magazine card that has been put together and they have some big events coming up.

It has been made clear that the events are only considering solid fights from top to bottom and the undercard at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a decent one.

Opening up with Chris Billam-Smith returning from losing his World Title underlines the point.

The Gentleman considered his future in the sport for a brief moment when losing to Gilberto Ramirez in a pretty one-sided contest, but he is still highly Ranked and a win on Saturday may actually push Billam-Smith in line to fight for the WBC World Title in his next outing.

However, as mentioned, the card is put together by a team that wants to see good fights and Chris Billam-Smith is up against Brandon Glanton who is a top five World Ranked opponent with a couple of the organisations. A Split Decision loss to David Light likely cost Glanton an opportunity to face Lawrence Okolie for a World Title, but he has won his last three fights and all by Stoppage and the 33 year old American is looking for one more opportunity.

You have to mention the fact that those wins have not been against anyone that is of the level of the British fighter and so this is a big step up for Brandon Glanton.

Chris Billam-Smith clearly still speaks with real motivation to win World Titles and his resume is much deeper than the one the opponent brings into the ring. You can perhaps have some concern about how much is left in the tank after the loss to Gilberto Ramirez at the end of a run of tough fights, but the feeling is that Billam-Smith may still have enough to grit through this contest.

Having someone like Shane McGuigan in his corner is a huge help and you have to believe Billam-Smith will be well advised. He will be careful about Brandon Glanton who carries his power as late as it is needed, but Chris Billam-Smith may just show off his own experience at the top level and this could be one of the fights of the night with the former World Champion coming out on top with a Stoppage victory after a back and forth contest.

In December 2024, Cheavon Clarke lost his unbeaten record and was not able to win the vacant European Cruiserweight Title.

He was Knocked Down in the First Round and all credit has to be given to him for managing to hear the final bell at the end of the Twelve Rounds, although he was well beaten on the night and the Split Decision was harsh on his opponent.

The rebuild starts this week and the Arsenal fan is defending the British Cruiserweight Title against an unbeaten Viddal Riley, a Tottenham Hotspur fan who believes it is his destiny to win that Belt in his favourite team's home Stadium.

There has been some uncertainty as to what kind of a professional career that Riley wants, but the win over Mikael Lawal is arguably the best either fighter has produced.

However, it feels like Cheavon Clarke is being overlooked after the defeat last time out and his amateur pedigree should give the underdog, and Champion, the edge. It is something of a surprise that Viddal Riley is such a big favourite and the Champion may just spring the upset thanks to his stronger professional and amateur experience.

Another underdog on the card is Liam Smith and he is ending a run of over eighteen months since he was last in the ring losing to Chris Eubank Jr in their rematch. Last year he was supposed to face Josh Kelly on the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois card at Wembley, but an illness forced a late withdrawal and there are questions about how much is left in the tank.

The same was asked of brother Callum Smith before his upset of Joshua Buatsi earlier in the year and Liam Smith still feels he has enough motivation to end the run of an unbeaten fighter in front of him.

Aaron McKenna has won all nineteen previous fights and is looking to take the next step in his development by getting the better of a former World Champion.

It does feel like a big step upwards in terms of level of opponent, but McKenna will be confident with the belief that he is the naturally bigger man.

Neither is going to need to go looking for the other, but the veteran Liam Smith may still have one more big run in him. He has shown he can upset the odds before with wins over up and comers as well as those of his own generation and Smith may just have the know-how to break down McKenna in this one.

Again, the money has seemingly come in on his opponent, but Liam Smith will not care one jot about that and can push his way to the front of the queue when it comes to World Title shots in what has been an open Division for a long time now.

Finally, the undercard is expected to be rounded off by Anthony Yarde facing Lyndon Arthur for a third time having split two previous bouts.

Just after the Covid pandemic, Lyndon Arthur was able to upset an out-of-sorts Anthony Yarde in December 2020 as he earned the nod on the cards. While excuses are not something that Yarde relies upon, it was clear that he had other things on his mind and the flatness of an occasion without fans did not help the Londoner from really getting down to the task at hand.

The rematch came almost exactly a year after their first fight and this time Anthony Yarde had something to prove with a Fourth Round Stoppage.

Another World Title shot ended in a late Stoppage defeat, this time to Artur Beterbiev, but Anthony Yarde did not capitalise on what many felt was a top performance. A fallout with promoter Frank Warren has not only meant inactivity, but Anthony Yarde has not had the big fights so many expected following that battling loss to what was then considered the best Light-Heavyweight in the world.

Anthony Yarde had two easy enough wins in 2024, but the idea is to produce a statement and then call out some of the top names in the Division. We know the top two are busy, but the likes of Callum Smith and David Benavidez bring great interest, while some will still want to see the Yarde-Joshua Buatsi fight that has long been talked about.

Following the loss to Yarde the second time around, Lyndon Arthur won four fights in a row and took Dmitry Bivol the full Twelve Rounds in a loss to the now Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion. The Mancunian has had one fight since that defeat in December 2023 when earning a Split Decision win over Liam Cameron in June last year and that inactivity has to be a concern.

He has felt the power that Anthony Yarde has so the game plan for Arthur may be to try and frustrate the favourite, but that feels like it is going to be a tough one to execute with the ring size that has been agreed between the main event fighters.

Keeping away from an Anthony Yarde that comes swinging from the opening bell will be tough and Lyndon Arthur may not have all of the skills he needs to survive much longer than when losing to this opponent in December 2021.

A first half Stoppage looks likely for a second time in a row between these fighters and we may yet have some kind of face off to suggest what Anthony Yarde will be thinking of doing next time out.

MY PICKS: Chris Eubank Jr to Win Between 7-12 @ 6.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Chris Billam-Smith to Win by KO/TKO @ 6.50 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Cheavon Clarke to Win @ 2.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Liam Smith to Win @ 2.37 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Anthony Yarde to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2025: 15-36, - 15.73 Units (63 Units Staked, - 24.97% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2024- Hamzah Sheeraz vs Liam Williams (February 10th)

Domestic action will take the lead this weekend for Boxing fans and there are a couple of cards being run by Queensberry and Matchroom promotions.

Both events are taking place in London and it is the Queensberry card headed up by Hamzah Sheeraz and Liam Williams which is going to potentially take a young star to the next level. That will be the hope, but Williams will know that this is his last chance to try and get back into the mix with the elite fighters at Middleweight having come up short previously.

A number of young fighters are hoping to show they are ready for the next step in their careers, but overlooking opponents can cause a slip and that can slow down any progress being made.

While these fights are not of the level we were hoping to see next week, they are solid events and will certainly have fans tuning in to see how prospects are developing.

Hamzah Sheeraz vs Liam Williams

There are a couple of young prospects coming through who were born in Slough, but Hamzah Sheeraz fights out of East London rather than his birthplace like Adam Azim.

Last weekend Azim continued his rise and this weekend it is Hamzah Sheeraz who gets the chance to impress as he continues pushing up the Middleweight Rankings.

He was fortunate to get away with some foul play against Bradley Skeete in 2021, but that was a fight at Light Middleweight and Sheeraz clearly felt his best would be seen at the Division above. The move has been rewarded with four straight wins and there is no doubt that he has looked very strong as he continues to grow into his body.

This is another step up for Hamzah Sheeraz as he goes up against Liam Williams, who has fought for a World Title previously.

It is a last chance opportunity for Liam Williams who suffered back to back defeats to Demetrius Andrade and Chris Eubank Jr and the Welshman has had just three Rounds in the last two years. The defeat to Andrade was spirited, but Liam Williams was dropped four times by Chris Eubank Jr and there are clear questions about his punch resistance ahead of a bout with an opponent who hits very hard.

Nobody has heard the bell for the Sixth Round against Hamzah Sheeraz since he moved into the Middleweight Division.

This is the toughest test Sheeraz will have had in the weight class, but the feeling is that Liam Williams has been selected at a time when the belief is that his best days are behind him and the resistance may not be anywhere near it once was.

Unlike Chris Eubank Jr or Demetrius Andrade, it is unlikely that a young, hungry, fresher fighter is going to take a backwards step if he has Williams in trouble. With the power that Hamzah Sheeraz continues to display, this feels like an opportunity for him to really make a statement as he moves closer to the mandatory position in both the WBO and WBC organisations.

There is a real belief behind Hamzah Sheeraz and how far he can go as a professional and he looks to be in the right Division with the void at the top of the Middleweight Rankings. Janibek AlimKhanuly looks to be the man to beat, but Queensberry have seen him at close hand when Denzel Bentley faced him and there is a confidence that Sheeraz is the man that can unseat the Unified Champion in the next eighteen months.

Winning impressively will give Hamzah Sheeraz an opportunity to call out some of the bigger names in the Division and he has the power to get the better of a veteran that should not be that hard to find.

Inactivity is always a disappointment to see and that has to be the only negative against Anthony Yarde who has shown he is capable of mixing with the very best in the Light Heavyweight Division.

However, he has not really backed up his position after pushing Artur Beterbiev harder than most and this is only his second fight in thirteen months since that great effort.

Bigger fights are on the horizon if reports are to be believed- both Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi have been linked with Yarde- and he should be able to win this very early against an opponent who has mixed in the Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Divisions. There is a big gap for Marko Nikolic to bridge and that looks incredibly unlikely against a big hitting opponent.

Masood Abdulah should have too much for Qais Ashfaq in a scheduled Ten Rounder and the former has shown he has Stoppage power since turning pro.

Of course Ashfaq has shown his own amateur pedigree as a pro, but he has not been able to hold a shot and Abdulah could finish this without the judges to really make a statement to domestic rivals.

There is also a big fight at the domestic level between Sam Noakes and Lewis Sylvester and both bring unbeaten records into the contest.

Headlines will be made by someone who is continuing to stop opponents as Noakes has been doing, but he will be aware of the qualities that Lewis Sylvester will bring to the ring.

Expect a lot of movement from the underdog, but Sam Noakes has shown he has the punch power to break through opponents and he can finish this one before halfway and then turn his attention to the some of the biggest domestic names in the Division.

The Matchroom card being put out this weekend is not quite up to the same level as the Queensberry one, but Craig Richards is making a long awaited return to the ring.

He should be able to beat Boris Crighton and shake off some ring rust as Spider tries to get back into the mix in the thriving Light Heavyweight Division. Solid performances against Dmitry Bivol and Joshua Buatsi have not been built upon as Craig Richards should have done, but a return early in 2024 should mean a lot more activity from him going forward.

The headliner is Reece Belotti taking on unbeaten Liam Dillon and it feels like the last chance for the former to really fulfil the kind of potential many believed he had.

Three wins in a row offers him a chance to add the British Title to his Commonwealth Featherweight Belt and Reece Belotti is the favourite after beating an unbeaten opponent in his last fight.

Liam Dillon has had a couple of tight wins and may not have the pop to keep Belotti from trucking forward.

It should be a decent main event and the chance for Reece Belotti to put together enough punches to force a Stoppage.

MY PICKS: Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 1-6 @ 3.75 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Anthony Yarde to Win Between 1-2 @ 2.20 Coral (2 Units)

Masood Abdulah to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.66 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Sam Noakes to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.87 William Hill (2 Units)

Reece Belotti to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.87 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing 2024: 5-9, + 0.81 Units (21 Units Staked, + 3.88% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2019- Sergey Kovalev vs Anthony Yarde (August 24th)

There is something of a break in the Boxing Season that takes place for a few weeks in July and August, but we are back with a bang this weekend as Anthony Yarde takes a big risk to travel to Russia in a bid to dethrone the Champion Sergey Kovalev.

Next weekend UK fans are given a real treat when Vasyl Lomachenko fights in London for the first time as a professional and we then go into what could be a strong end to the 2019 year with some big fights in the offing.


The last time I had any picks from a Boxing event it was the weekend of the Dillian Whyte bout against Oscar Rivas, but suffice to say there has been plenty of controversy coming out of the event. While it was said by Eddie Hearn that Whyte had been cleared to fight despite popping positive for a drugs test administered, the lack of information that has come out since then suggests there is more to the story and it really feels like Whyte's career has taken a dent.

It is easy for Eddie Hearn to hide behind legal issues, but I don't remember him being so calm when others have failed tests recently. But then again he doesn't promote those fighters either(!)

Dillian Whyte himself must feel that he should have taken his shot at taking on Anthony Joshua rather than trying to force a mandatory spot, especially if this has been some sort of mistake that takes time to clear up. UKAD have a habit of working through a slow process and it is going to be difficult for Whyte to be out again in 2019 as he wanted which is a real shame at the end of the day.


The Heavyweight Division continues to be in flux as the big fights most wanted are delayed until 2020 at the earliest. Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have apparently signed on to meet in February next year, but Wilder has yet to announce his date for the rematch with Luis Ortiz that is supposed to have taken place in September, but is now looking to land on a November date which does raise questions whether the turnaround to a February fight with Fury really works.

Tyson Fury is back in early September in another fight where he is unlikely to be pushed, but it is not a surprise considering they won't want to blow up the Wilder fight before getting into the ring with the American for a second time.

And of course it has been announced that Anthony Joshua will have the rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr later this year in a fight that has been confirmed for Saudi Arabia. The former World Champion made some controversial remarks both about the way the first fight developed and about perceived critics with the most notable being the 'clown' comment aimed at Lennox Lewis.

It is nice to see a different side of Joshua as he looks to re-fire the passion as he bids to regain the belts he lost at Madison Square Garden, but I would also hope he is doing some strong tactical work to best approach the rematch than seriously believing it was just a 'lucky punch' that cost him that fateful day in June.


Other fights I am looking forward to later this year are the WBSS Finals which are expected to be finalised shortly- I am attending the Lomachenko-Campbell event at the O2 next weekend, but I am also hoping to have an opportunity to see the Regis Prograis vs Josh Taylor fight here if the rumoured date and venue are confirmed.

There are some other decent events that have been announced which should make for a fun end to the year in what has been an underwhelming one so far. I think I am speaking from the perspective of fans in the United Kingdom when I say that, but the arrival of Lomachenko to these shores and the possibility of one of the World Boxing Super Series Finals being here will certainly make for a positive.


The last set of Boxing Picks had a pretty miserable time and made a serious dent in the season totals. I was very disappointed with the selections to be perfectly honest and I will be looking for a much stronger end to 2019 to ensure back to back years with a profit.

On Saturday the main card that is catching my interest is the one in Russia where Anthony Yarde looks to take a major step in his career by beating Sergey Kovalev in front of his home fans.

There is also a card in Mexico which is headed up by Juan Francisco Estrada fresh off a career best win and who is looking to move into Unification bouts later in the year and into 2020. Liam Smith and Jono Carroll are UK and Irish representatives on the card which will be shown live in the UK, but most here will be focusing on the Anthony Yarde fight which is going to have a ring walk at around 7:30pm London time.

Sergey Kovalev vs Anthony Yarde

When this fight was initially announced as taking place at the end of June I was pretty sure that Anthony Yarde's team had seen something in Sergey Kovalev that made them confident, but personally I felt the fight was coming too soon and with too big a step up from the levels he had been operating at to then take on and beat a strong World Champion.

There is little doubt that Kovalev is not the feared fighter who took on Andre Ward with the two battles against him and the tough two fights with Eleider Alvarez showing a slippage. Some suggested the Russian was not working as hard as he could, while others believed he was just a faded Champion whose unprofessional ways out of the ring had finally caught up with.

I don't think Kovalev is the fighter he once was, but he is still a grizzled veteran who is now working under Buddy McGirt and I think the performance against Alvarez to earn his belts back was a good one. I have to believe the potential huge payday in front of him for taking on another Alvarez, Canelo, should also give Kovalev plenty of motivation and he is also at home.

This is the first professional fight Kovalev will have in Chelyabinsk and I do think it is going to be very difficult for Anthony Yarde to do the kind of inside work he would like in a Russian ring. That might sound controversial or one for the conspiracy theorists out there, but I do think the money that looks to be in front of Kovalev with a potential fight against Canelo is going to see him perhaps looked after like Anthony Joshua was in his win over Joseph Parker.

I will admit that I would love to see Yarde get it done in Russia, but I do think he is going to have to beat Kovalev by Stoppage to take the title home. At this moment we know he can hit hard, but I think the question is whether Yarde can set up his shots with the quality of boxing that Kovalev can produce.

Sergey Kovalev has a very good jab and we are going to be learning much about Anthony Yarde in the fight which makes it difficult to pick him. His team have great personalities and their enthusiasm and belief has certainly been infectious and it has also just made me think twice about my pick.

Part of the reason is I really would love to see Yarde come home as a World Champion, but the head is ruling the heart and my overriding feeling is that this may have come a touch too soon. We know Sergey Kovalev is not the fighter of old, but I think everyone is going to benefit from seeing him take on Canelo Alvarez later this year in a fight I would make the smaller man moving up weights a significant favourite.

For now Kovalev can keep his part of any potential deal alive by winning this fight as I look for a similar performance to the one that took care of Eleider Alvaraz in their rematch. Sergey Kovalev will likely box long and try and showcase his superior talent and he can keep just about enough in the tank to remain out of harms way in the Championship Rounds of this one.

If Anthony Yarde begins to ship too much punishment there is going to be an opportunity for the referee or corner to stop this one, but I actually think he will look the fitter man down the stretch. Ultimately I feel he may leave things too late as he looks for the big equaliser punch to find the Knock Out he needs and Kovalev can ride out one or two hairy moments to secure a win on the cards.

The layers are feeling a stoppage for either fighter is the most likely outcome, but I think Kovalev will want to avoid being dragged into a war. If he can win a Decision without needing to invest too much into a scrap, he should be ready to come out again in December to fight Canelo Alvarez.

MY PICKS: Sergey Kovalev to Win by Decision/Technical Decison @ 4.50 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Boxing 2019: 19-36, + 1.87 Units (86 Units Staked, + 2.17% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Demetrius Andrade vs Walter Kautondokwa (October 20th)

This should have been one of the more intriguing fights this month when Billy Joe Saunders was set to defend his WBO Middleweight Title against Demetrius Andrade in Boston.

The fight looked to be an almost pick 'em bout and the winner would certainly have moved into the mix with some top fights to come.

A VADA test has put an end to that Title fight though as the Commission refused to give Saunders a licence to fight in Boston and that means Andrade is fighting for the now vacant WBO Title.

We could see Saunders and Andrade at some point in 2019, but it is disappointing to see this fight set aside for now.


There are a couple of other cards of interest this weekend with the World Boxing Super Series continuing in Orlando and a potential Gennady Golovkin opponent fighting in Las Vegas where Ryota Murata takes on Rob Brandt in the main event.

Anthony Yarde is also out again as the British Light Heavyweight prospect takes another step in his development before entering 2019 looking for the big fights in a loaded Division.


Last weekend was another positive one for the Boxing Picks with three winners from the five Picks which keeps the momentum going.

Terence Crawford was the big winner last week as he underlined his pound for pound status, but I was not overly impressed and I really do think Errol Spence Jr will be the man to stop his run. As far as I am concerned I think Spence is the best in the tough Welterweight Division, although it would be nice if someone steps up to the plate and gives the Texan his chance for another big fight.

Being more active would be good for Spence too and I am hopeful 2019 is going to be the year when he really announces himself at the very top of the sport.

We also heard the huge deal that Canelo Alvarez signed with DAZN which will begin with a move up to Super Middleweight to challenge Rocky Fielding. That looks an interesting clash on the size difference alone, but Canelo should be able to pick up a Title in another Division and then it will be interesting as to the direction he goes with some huge possibilities both up at Super Middleweight and back down at Middleweight.

Anthony Yarde vs Walter Gabriel Sequeira

The Light Heavyweight Division looks a very strong one both Worldwide and in the UK domestic scene and one of the leading prospects is Anthony Yarde who returns to the ring on Saturday.

There are a number of people arguing that Yarde is being protected and needs to step up his level of competition but the fighter is happy with his development and not worrying about anyone else. He continues to show he can finish fights before reaching the cards and it will be interesting as to how soon it is before Frank Warren puts Yarde in with someone like Frank Buglioni.

Joshua Buatsi has been impressing with two strong finishes since Yarde has last been in the ring and there will be comparisons between the two undefeated fighters. That would have especially been the case last week when Buatsi was able to stop Tony Averlant in the First Round, a fighter who had gone Seven Rounds with Yarde back in February.

The triangle theory rarely applies in Boxing, but casual fans will look at those two fights and put them side by side.

Yarde himself has made it clear he doesn't care what others think but is doing the best for his own career and that makes all the sense in the world to me. While he has been a strong favourite in his last few fights, Yarde has not exactly been fighting against no-hopers and he should be happy with the development.

He is in for another test on Saturday against Walter Gabriel Sequeira, although one that Yarde is going to be able to break him down as far as I am concerned.

This is only the second time Sequeira has fought outside of Argentina, but I expect him to be rugged and at least put a few more Rounds into the bank for Yarde. The last couple of fights have seen Yarde break down opponents on his way to a Seventh Round stoppage and I think this fight will go a similar distance.

Backing Yarde to come through in the second half of this Ten Rounder looks the selection here even if most will be looking for the British fighter to produce a stunning win much like Buatsi has in his last two outings.

Yunier Dorticos vs Mateusz Masternak

The Cruiserweight World Boxing Super Series Season Two got underway last week in a snooze-fest in Russia, but Yunier Dorticos is back after impressing in Season One.

The Cuban doesn't do boring fights and his Knock Out power is very, very impressive.

Of course you have to question how Dorticos feels after suffering the first professional loss of his career in a Fight of the Year candidate against Murat Gassiev. He did look to run out of gas a little bit in that fight, but Gassiev is better than Mateusz Masternak even if the Pole is coming in off a five fight winning run.

It does feel like Masternak has a limit to his abilities and his step up fights against Grigory Drozd and Tony Bellew. He was stopped late in one, and looked close to being stopped late on in the other and I think it could be argued quite convincingly that Dorticos is the biggest puncher Masternak has faced.

There have been plenty of early stoppages on the Dorticos record, but I do want to give Masternak some credit for the toughness he can display. It may also take Dorticos a few Rounds to build his rhythm up having been out of the ring since February, but eventually I would expect the power to wear down and break down Masternak.

Demetrius Andrade vs Walter Kautondokwa

The Billy Joe Saunders situation will overshadow this WBO World Title fight but neither Demetrius Andrade or Walter Kautondokwa will be losing any sleep over it.

The winner will likely know they are going to have to face Saunders at some point in 2019, but they will also be well placed to take on some of the other big names in a tough Division with Canelo Alvarez the ultimate prize at the moment.

For now the concentration has to be on this fight for Andrade and I think he is going to know about as much about Walter Kautondokwa as most do outside of Namibia.

Kautondokwa is unbeaten and has Knocked Out 16 of 17 opponents, but only one of those fights have taken place outside his home country. You can't rule him out being a surprise, but at 33 years old it would need to be a big surprise although Julius Indongo came out of Namibia and reached a Unification with Terence Crawford on his journey through the Lightweight Division.

I expect Kautondokwa to be tough and Andrade to just have to figure out a few problems against an orthodox fighter after preparing for a southpaw. That may take a few Rounds but then I would expect Andrade, who has shown some power up at Middleweight, to begin to pepper Kautondokwa.

The Namibian is likely to be a tough character, but it's hard to know much more about him and I think Andrade is going force a stoppage late in the fight. There will be some unfinished business against Saunders to settle in 2019, but for now Demetrius Andrade can call himself a Middleweight World Champion by taking home the WBO Title.

Ryota Murata vs Rob Brant

There is much on the line for Ryota Murata when he defends his WBA 'Regular' World Title at Middleweight in Las Vegas. This is the just the second time he will be fighting in the United States and Murata is looking to make a statement with suggestions he is being lined up for a fight against Gennady Golovkin in the spring of 2019.

That would be a huge fight for Murata with Bob Arum discussing taking that to Japan, but he can't afford to overlook Rob Brant who was last seen in a real competitive fight in the World Boxing Super Series last year.

The American decided to move up to Super Middleweight to compete in that tournament, but he was beaten in the Quarter Final and has come back down to Middleweight. Brant has had just one fight since the loss to Juergen Braehmer and that last a single Round so I am not sure preparation is ideal to take on a big hitter like Murata.

Brant has shown toughness, but he hasn't really stepped up to this kind of level of opponent too often.

He has to know he may be the home fighter in terms of the country of the fight, but Murata is the one being positioned for a big fight and that likely means going to the cards would be a defeat for Brant.

I am not sure he will take the risks needed to win this fight and it just depends whether he can stand up to the Murata power.

So far that has been a tough ask for the majority of the Murata opponents and he has found a way to break down fighters. It won't be easy to do that against a decent boxer like Brant, but Murata may begin to find more and more success which leads to a corner pull out or a referee intervention once Brant looks to be some way behind in the fight.

MY PICKS: Anthony Yarde to Win Between 6-10 @ 2.75 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Yunier Dorticos to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Demetrius Andrade to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Ryota Murata to Win by KO, TKO, Disqualification @ 2.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing 2018: 31-50, + 24.44 Units (125 Units Staked, + 19.55% Yield)