Boxing Picks 2018- Terence Crawford vs Jose Benavidez (October 13th)

The World Boxing Super Series Season One finished with a flourish a couple of weeks ago as Callum Smith fulfilled the potential most believed he had by knocking out George Groves and becoming the Number 1 Super Middleweight in the World.

The doors have been opened for Smith who should be involved in some big fights in that Division over the next eighteen months before perhaps moving up to Light-Heavyweight where there are more big fights waiting for the Brit.

Much like Oleksandr Usyk, Callum Smith will have seen how big the World Boxing Super Series could be for his career and that will mean a lot for all those Boxers who have entered Season Two which began last week.

Naoya Inouhe opened the new Season with a fantastic Knock Out of Juan Carlos Payano and I do think there are going to be more memorable fights in a tournament that has captured the imagination of the Boxing fans. My only issue at the moment is that there hasn't been a confirmed UK company that will be featuring Season Two of what had been a brilliant Season One, although that could change prior to Josh Taylor and Ryan Burnett's opening bouts in early November.


There is a long-term problem with the World Boxing Super Series in whether they can continue to put together the kind of fields they have over the last twelve months. Some have asked for the Heavyweights to be involved, but the top tier of that Division would not participate in my opinion, while other top Divisions like the Welterweights and Middleweights are also not likely to bring the very best together in the field.

For now I am just loving the kind of fights we are getting to see and the potential fights that are going to be set up over the next twelve months thanks to a tournament that has exceeded all expectations that fans may have had for the World Boxing Super Series.


I didn't have any Boxing Picks last weekend because I didn't really get to look at the markets for the fights that were taking place in Chicago and Yokohama. I did watch the cards and I am surprised that Jessie Vargas is being placed in an IBF eliminator off the back of two draws.

It was a close fight that he would have nicked last week if not for a flash Knock Down in the final thirty seconds of the Twelfth Round, but I am not sure that is enough for Vargas to potentially have an opportunity to take on Errol Spence Jr.

Jarrell Miller did what was expected against a veteran whose best days are long behind him, while I was very impressed with Callum Johnson even in a losing effort.

There is a great interview in the Red News, a Manchester United fanzine, with Johnson and I do think he comes against after becoming the first fighter to put Artur Bertebiev down.


This week we have a couple of decent cards in England and Russia before seeing arguably the Number 1 pound for pound fighter in the world Terence Crawford in his first defence of his WBO Welterweight Title.

Hopefully Crawford will be lining up some huge Unification fights over the next year, but his focus will be first to get through this defence with a statement win over an unbeaten challenger.

Two more World Boxing Super Series Quarter Final bouts also take place this weekend and it should be a fun night for Boxing fans.

David Allen vs Samir Nebo

David Allen was a big outsider in his last fight in July against Nick Webb, but he came through for me by winning with an impressive Knock Out.

It was a fun that has just got the juices flowing again for Allen who is looking to at least become a British Champion over the next twelve months.

I do think that is possible for him and as much as I like Allen as a character I am also aware of the limitations he has. Allen is tough, rugged and willing to come forward and take chances, but he will be the first to admit there is a clear ceiling for his skill levels and he will do everything he can to at least reach that point in his career while making a decent earning for himself.

This isn't much more than a stay busy fight for Allen who is looking for a much bigger name when he is expected back out in December, potentially on the Dillian Whyte undercard again.

Samir Nebo is back in the ring eight months after being Knocked Out by Tom Schwarz, but the veteran won't be expected to really make a big impact in this one. It is his first fight outside of Germany in five years and I think Allen is going to walk him down and make sure he puts out a statement with a fairly comfortable win.

I am simply not sure how much resistance Allen will face and I can see him getting this done in the first half of the scheduled Ten Rounder. Allen may be 6-4-1 in his last eleven fights, but all of his six wins have come in the first Four Rounds and it looks a big price for the White Rhino to extend that sequence with another early stoppage in this bout.

Lewis Ritson vs Francesco Patera

For his fans this may not be a surprise, but for most Lewis Ritson has really announced himself on the British Boxing scene over the last twelve months beginning with a huge win over Robbie Barrett to win the British Lightweight Title.

I have really enjoyed watching Ritson fight with some immense power destroying the likes of Joe Murray and Scott Cardle before doing the same against Paul Hyland Jr which means he wins the British Title outright.

It is no surprise to see him headlining a card in his home town Newcastle on Saturday and the step up has now been made to European level. The World Lightweight scene is a tough one but Ritson does feel he can go further and perhaps his dream to fight at St James' Park will be against someone like Vasyl Lomachenko.

Ok, I am looking too far ahead there, but I have been that impressed by Ritson over the last year although I do think it is going to be interesting to see if his power transfers up to the tougher challengers that he will face at the European level.

Ritson is fighting for the European Lightweight Title on Saturday, but no one should be thinking Francesco Patera is going to provide a pass to another belt.

Patera doesn't have a great record with his losses to Sean Dodd and Yvan Mendy likely going to encourage Ritson. He has yet to be stopped though and that is the big question for Ritson who has won his last eight fights inside the distance.

The punching power Ritson has displayed suggests he can, but I am not so sure that he will continue the run of early Knock Outs in this bout. The Geordie himself has admitted he feels this will go longer than his recent fights and he fancies a late stoppage and I am not really going to argue against that.

At some point I feel Ritson will get close enough and will hurt Patera to the body and it may be the referee or corner who step in and take their man out of the fire. I expect the power to start telling in the mid-Rounds and then Ritson should move into another gear and really start breaking down his opponent.

Patera has looked durable enough to be given respect and so a small interest on Ritson getting this done in the Championship Rounds is my pick.

Ruslan Fayfer vs Andrew Tabiti

There are three Divisions in the World Boxing Super Series in Season Two and fans will be hoping the Cruiserweight boxers can provide the same fireworks as those in Season One did.

It might not be the same class of field as last season but this is still a decent tournament which opens up with Ruslan Fayfer taking on Andrew Tabiti in Russia.

Both fighters are unbeaten which means they will both come in with confidence although it is Tabiti who has arguably the better wins on his record even if that is not by a wide margin.

This is a heavy hitting Division and both of these fighters can hit hard with decent Knock Out percentages in their unbeaten start to their career.

The winner of this one will be hoping they can begin to make a big name for themselves in the Boxing world and I am leaning towards Tabiti in this one.

While both are making a step up compared to their usual level of opponent, I do think Tabiti may have the better skills which should see him able to set up his shots a little better. That could be the key in what could develop into something of a fire fight and I think it will be the slightly better skills that allows Tabiti to come away with a win on the road.

Ruslan Fayfer is at home and is unbeaten so he won't go quietly, but he has more to prove and I am going to back Tabiti to find the stoppage at some point in this Quarter Final.

Zolani Tete vs Mikhail Aloyan

If the four favourites in the Bantamweight Division of the World Boxing Super Series are all able to progress as expected then we could be in line for two amazing Semi Final bouts as well as the Final in a fascinating tournament.

Last week Naoya Inouhe made a big statement with a blow out win to move through to the Semi Final and Zolani Tete will have been aware of what happened and look to do the same.

It may be a tough ask against Mikhail Aloyan who is being fast tracked on the professional circuit having been an amateur enjoying real success up to the age of 28. The Russian has won all four fights and his last three opponents had a combined record of 46-1-2 as pros before being beaten by Aloyan.

However it has not been the Vasyl Lomachenko domination of opponents that Aloyan would have hoped for and he has needed a Split Decision to win his last two fights. Now he also steps up to take on a World Champion who has not lost a fight in over six years and who has really built some momentum under the guidance of Frank Warren.

The highlight reel Knock Out of Siboniso Gonya really brought Tete to the attention of the United Kingdom public and his last five fights have been in that country with the hope of a Unification with Ryan Burnett high on the wish list of the fighters and the public.

Tete has also shown he is more than a puncher though and his height and reach means he can be a real problem for others in the Bantamweight Division. He is considerably taller than Aloyan and I think Tete is going to work his attributes in this one and make sure he breaks down his unbeaten opponent.

We can't really tell what kind of punch resistance Aloyan will have in this one, but he will need to show some of that against a big hitter like Tete. Ultimately I think the favourite is going to look to just pick his shots and make sure he uses his reach and height to control Aloyan and win this by a comfortable margin on the cards.

Making a statement like Inouhe did last week will be on the mind of Tete, but there are some big fights ahead and I can see him building the lead on the cards and then being told by his corner to not make any mistakes. The cards have been needed to see Tete win two of his last three fights and I can see a 118-111 kind of score for the South African to make it through to the Semi Final.

Terence Crawford vs Jose Benavidez Jr

It started with a clash back in February when Jose Benavidez Jr confronted Terence Crawford and accused him of 'ducking' a potential fight with him.

That really came out of left field to be honest and since then Crawford has won the WBO Welterweight Title by stopping Jeff Horn before getting ready to make his first defence against Benavidez Jr.

Like Crawford, I am not convinced Benavidez Jr has done anything to really deserve a shot at the World Title and I am also pretty convinced that 'Bud' is going to win this one fairly comprehensively.

There are attributes to like with Benavidez Jr who is taller and rangier than Crawford but all I see that doing is making the pound for pound top five fighter just have to figure things out in the early Rounds.

After Four I would expect Crawford to start upping the tempo and really begin to pick his punches as he adjusts to the range that Benavidez Jr is offering.

Crawford looked very angry at the weigh in and even threw a punch at Benavidez Jr, but I don't think he will lose his composure in this one. While his opponent feels he is in his head, I think Crawford is playing it up for the cameras and I am not convinced he threw the punch wholeheartedly on Friday and instead is just building some interest around the fight.

I am expecting Crawford to pick apart his bigger opponent during the middle of this fight once he gets to grip with the distance between them. As much as Benavidez Jr is an unbeaten fighter, he has not been at this level and I think there are levels between the two which will show up.

At around Round Seven or Round Eight I expect Crawford to start really beating up Benavidez Jr where it will become unwatchable and the corner or referee will have to step in. It might last a Round or two more than that, but I am expecting Crawford to really begin to put in some nasty work as he makes Benavidez Jr pay for some of the comments ahead of this fight and the American can then look to big time Unification fights going into 2019.

MY PICKS: David Allen to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.75 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Lewis Ritson to Win Between 9-12 @ 5.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Andrew Tabiti to Win by KO, TKO, Disqualification @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Zolani Tete to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.75 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Terence Crawford to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.75 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Boxing 2018: 28-48, + 16.94 Units (116 Units Staked, + 14.60% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Jamie McDonnell vs Naoya Inoue (May 25th-May 26th)

There have been some memorable fights already in 2018 and last weekend provided another when Adonis Stevenson and Badou Jack fought out to a draw.

It wasn't a fight I scored live myself, but it felt like a very close one and the draw was not a massive surprise. In the bout both Stevenson and Jack had been hurt at times although I do have to say it felt Jack won the clearer Rounds and so you could understand his frustration that he has ended up with another draw in a fight where he perhaps felt he had done enough to win.

An old school 15 Rounder would have likely given Jack the time to stop Stevenson and it was only a huge body shot in the Tenth Round which stopped the US based Swede in his tracks when he looked to be peaking in strength in the fight.

Most have called for a rematch but it looks like Stevenson will be going in another direction with the mandatory challenger for his WBC World Title unlikely to step aside.

Either way Stevenson looked a vulnerable Champion on Saturday night and is only going to lose a little more with his best years wasted with inactivity.

Stevenson has said he wants to be more active going forward, but I think his grip on the WBC Title is slipping all the time and a number of challengers will be looking to relieve him of his strap in the months ahead.


I can't move on without praising Josh Warrington and Gary Russell who both had big wins last weekend. Warrington has set himself up for some big domestic fights with the likelihood he shares a ring with Carl Frampton perhaps by the end of the year, while I just hope to see Russell fighting more than once a year.

Lee Selby will move on from the Warrington loss by moving up in weight which was long rumoured for him. The chance to become a two weight World Champion will offer plenty of motivation and I think Selby comes again even against some of the tough challenges that await in the Super Featherweight Division.

Jamie McDonnell vs Naoya Inoue

It is Friday afternoon Boxing for fans in the United Kingdom as Jamie McDonnell travels to Tokyo to take on 'Monster' Naoya Inoue with his WBA Bantamweight World Title on the line. There is plenty on the line for both fighters with the winner likely to be invited into the World Boxing Super Series tournament being set up which already involves three other World Champions.

All of the focus from the fans and the organisers will be on Naoya Inoue who is moving up in weight to become a World Champion in a third Division in just his sixteenth fight. Highlight reel stoppages have increased his exposure and Inoue has already fought in the United States, but he returns home having gotten the chance to bring Jamie McDonnell over.

McDonnell is perhaps fortunate to still hold the World Title having looked like he had lost the fight with Liborio Solis but he has the height and reach advantages against a fighter coming up in weight.

Back to back wins over previously unbeaten Tomoki Kameda will mean the Japanese audience are familiar with McDonnell but this is a much different test for the British fighter. He may proclaim to being the best Bantamweight in the world, but he won't have felt the power Inoue should carry up to this Division and I think McDonnell is going to do very well to see the final bell.

At first I expect McDonnell will try and frustrate Inoue by keeping out of range and boxing the shorter man, but Solis was able to close the gap and unload some big shots and I expect the Japanese superstar to be able to do the same. I can see Inoue breaking down McDonnell round by round and his power wearing down a fighter who could come again if he is not absorbing too much of a beating.

Solis should have beaten McDonnell and he is shorter than Inoue who still has some skills to learn which poses a question for me. He will need to find a way to close the ring off to McDonnell and I think that comes later in the fight as the body shots begin to take a toll and so any stoppage will come in the second half of the fight as far as I am concerned.

McDonnell has never been stopped, but Kameda put him down in their first fight and Inoue is the hardest puncher he would have faced. Not many have gone into the second half of the fight with Inoue, but I think McDonnell may get there before the power of his opponent breaks him down for a stoppage.

Khalid Yafai vs David Carmona

This is the US debut for Khalid Yafai and I think the British fighter can defend his WBA World Title and then put himself in line for some big fights in the Super Flyweight Division.

Some of those names have been thrown around for the future for Yafai, but the fighter himself knows the importance of looking good to make sure his name is truly placed alongside the best in the Division.

Yafai has a chance to look good against David Carmona who will come to fight, but the British fighter has to be careful against an opponent who will feel this is his last chance to become a World Champion.

He may get another shot down the line, but Carmona has found himself unable to beat the elite although he is a tough character that won't go down easily.

I expect the better boxing will come from Yafai and he will want to make a statement by stopping Carmona. However the last three wins have all come by Unanimous Decision and I think Yafai will end up putting another comfortable win in the books to keep himself in line for Unified Championship bouts going forward.

The layers expect the stoppage to come, but I will back Yafai to win on points.

MY PICKS: Naoua Inoue to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.87 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Khalid Yafai to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.25 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Boxing Picks 2018- Anthony Joshua vs Joseph Parker (March 31st)

I wasn't in the United Kingdom for the Dillian Whyte versus Lucas Browne fight, but managed to catch the highlight of a showreel Knock Out produced by the British fighter who is now in line to be named the Number 1 contender for the WBC Heavyweight Title held by Deontay Wilder.

The performance as a whole sounded very impressive from Whyte, even if Browne was criticised for his own performance, and there is no doubt that Whyte has rebuilt his name to the point he would be considered a viable option for a rematch against Anthony Joshua if the Wilder fight does not materialise.

Forget all the gum-flapping, I have little doubt that Eddie Hearn is not at all interested in setting up the huge Unification between Wilder and Joshua that so many have called for. Ultimately Hearn would much rather see Wilder face Whyte and the undercurrent of talk about Jarrell Miller or a mandatory defence against Alexander Povetkin has to be considered a much more viable route for Joshua to take unless of course he is upset by Joseph Parker on Saturday.

I've considered for some time that any Wilder versus Joshua clash would not happen before 2019 and the fact that Hearn is pushing for Whyte to be named the mandatory to Wilder for his WBC crown is the clearest indication of where Matchroom want this Division to go, at least for the immediate future.

Hearn might have been shocked, but I was less surprised Wilder has refused to come over to the UK when it was made clear he would not be allowed to get into the ring to face off against Joshua if the latter won on Saturday. Like Wilder, I am of firm belief that the photo opportunity with Whyte would have been pushed forward instead and the American is not willing to play those games even if I think he would dismiss the challenge of Whyte.


If the likes of David Price and David Haye can win big fights in the next month, Joshua will have Whyte, Price and Haye ready for big defences and talk of 'freezing out' Wilder is more than a sound-byte for me. I actually think Joshua would make a defence against Price or Haye if they win their fights and then perhaps head to America to face someone like Miller in 2018 (you can switch those fights the other way around too).

Eddie Hearn would love to potentially have Whyte versus Wilder in the meantime to keep the American occupied too and I actually believe any Joshua versus Wilder fight is still some way away.

I would love to be wrong about that, but I think there has been enough talk about other fights for Joshua to take to think the Wilder deal is not something Hearn is pushing for as much as he likes to tell the media he is.


Joseph Parker would love to spoil all of the talk with an upset on Saturday, but I simply can't see that happening. I like Parker, but he has to produce something special to upset the apple-cart and I am not convinced he has that in the locker.

Parker will be able to come again, and I hope he does surprise me, but a solid looking card from Cardiff should still be a fun night for the fans in the Stadium as well as those watching around the world.


One last thing- I heard what Deontay Wilder said about having a 'body on his record'... I am a Wilder fan, but that was crossing the line and a terrible look in the sport. I don't think he wanted it to come across as it did, but it was a comment in poor taste and I hope Wilder learns from that going forward.

There are much better ways to make the point of being a different person in the ring than out of the ring, which is what Wilder was trying to say, but that specific comment wasn't a good look.

Josh Kelly vs Carlos Molina

There is no doubt this is a step up in class for Josh Kelly, but 'Pretty Boy' looks to be someone who is destined for the very top of the sport.

His opponent Carlos Molina has been in with some big names in his career, but at 34 years old his best days are some way behind him. Some of those fights came at the right time for him, but Molina has not been in with top fighters since 2014 and he was beaten by rising star Carlos Adames and also Ahmed El Mousaoui in his last couple of fights.

Molina has never been stopped so the challenge for Kelly is to try and make it five straight stoppages in his young career and I do think he is capable of doing that.

It is a 10 Round fight, but Kelly hits tremendously hard and Molina is definitely on the way out of the sport. Any Mexican fighter is unlikely to go down without a fight, but I am looking for Kelly to make a statement by becoming the first man to stop Molina and I think he can use his power to wear down Molina and either force the referee to call a halt to proceedings or for the corner to pull their man out.

Molina is someone who has tasted the canvas in his career with the likes of Adames and Cornelius Bundrage putting him down and I am high on 'Pretty Boy' and what he is capable of achieving in the sport.

It might take a bit of time to really deliver the big punches to take the fight out of the older Molina and I will have a small interest on a second half stoppage from Kelly.

Anthony Crolla vs Edson Ramirez

Anthony Crolla has been used to headlining Arena shows, but he will be happy to be on the undercard for a huge Stadium fight as he continues on his road back from consecutive losses to Jorge Linares.

A crossroads fight victory over Ricky Burns means Crolla is likely to be positioned for a World Title opportunity at some point either later in 2018 or early 2019, but he can't afford to overlook Edson Ramirez who will come to upset the show.

Ramirez is another tough Mexican who has never been stopped nor put down in his career and so there is going to be some confidence in his camp. However you can't dispute the fact this is a considerable step up in class for Ramirez and I do wonder if he will be able to handle the atmosphere and the superior fighter in Crolla.

The layers are looking for a Decision win for Crolla who has not been known for his ability to stop opponents, although that ignores the fact that four of his last six wins have come by a stoppage. Being unable to do that against Ricky Burns is no surprise considering how tough the Scot is, but I am not sure if we know enough about Ramirez' ability to take some of the quality shots Crolla can produce over the whole 10 Round distance.

It does feel like this could be a comfortable win on the cards from Crolla, but I think the step up for Ramirez may see the Manchester man just put together enough combinations to get the referee or corner to step in during the second half of the fight.

Any Mexican can be a tough out and they like going out on their shield, but I will look for Crolla to perhaps earn the stoppage in between Round 6 and 10 in this one.

Ryan Burnett vs Yonfrez Parejo

There have been rumours swirling that the next World Boxing Super Series tournament will involve the Bantamweight Division with Ryan Burnett already being spoken to about the possibility of joining in.

Burnett would be a big draw for the tournament as the WBA and IBF Bantamweight World Champion and so there is plenty on the line for the British fighter when he defends those belts against Yonfrez Parejo.

All of the belts could be on the line in the World Boxing Super Series so the winner of this one is going to be in a position to really raise their stock considering the success of that tournament in both the Super-Middleweight and Cruiserweight Division.

I don't think it is much of a surprise that Burnett is the favourite as the unbeaten Unified Champion, but Parejo has fought at World level and won't be an easy out.

Parejo lost a Split Decision to Zhanat Zhakiyanov for the interim WBA World Title and Zhakiyanov was last seen being beaten in a Unanimous Decision by Burnett.

In Boxing there isn't much weight to be put into Boxer A beat Boxer B, Boxer C then beat Boxer A so should also beat Boxer B. However Burnett has looked like a proper World Champion and I expect the Belfast man to display all of his skill and work through Parejo.

Stopping Parejo won't be easy barring the corner deciding their man has had enough when down by a wide margin on the card, but I do think the most likely outcome is Burnett dominating with a comfortable points win. That will put Burnett in a strong position to join the World Boxing Super Series potential Bantamweight tournament where he would likely be the Number 1 Seed with his two belts, and I think he will come through with a Unanimous Decision on the cards in this one.

Alexander Povetkin vs David Price

The main support fight for the big event in Cardiff is also in the Heavyweight Division and the winner of this one could potentially be in line to be the next challenger to Anthony Joshua assuming the latter wins later in the evening.

For Alexander Povetkin there is more on the line as he is currently the Number 1 contender for two of the three belts that will be up for grabs later in the evening.

However he will feel this is a risk worth taking to announce himself to the United Kingdom audience if the fight with Joshua does materialise later in 2018. Only Wladimir Klitschko has beaten Povetkin and the Russian managed to last the distance against the dominant Champion of his time.

Personally I am not a fan of someone who has failed the number of drug tests that Povetkin has and I do like David Price so my heart would love to see the Liverpudlian find a way to win this fight.

Unfortunately I don't think that is going to happen.

Price punches hard enough to be respected, but stamina issues remain a problem at the highest level while Price's own punch resistance is not up to the level needed.

I think this fight is going to play out in the same manner with two potential outcomes- I think Price is going to come out and try and win this fight with a stoppage very early and I believe he will throw the kitchen sink at Povetkin in the first three Rounds to try and earn the victory.

I don't think Price will believe he can win this over a longer distance and Povetkin may just look to weather the early storm before turning the screw against someone who has shown how quick things can fall apart for him once the gas tank is emptied.

So the two outcomes are either Price winning this one very early with the storm he brings or Povetkin will be able to weather that storm and then take control before stopping Price himself.

My feeling is the latter will happen as the Russian begins to find plenty of success against a fatigued fighter who has shown he can be stopped throughout his career once his initial attack is repelled. Price is a big puncher, but Klitschko couldn't stop Povetkin and I don't think Price will be able to do that even if he does come out to get after Povetkin very early.

You never know in Heavyweight boxing, but I expect Povetkin will eventually turn things in his favour and land some big shots as Price tires which leads to a mid-fight stoppage.

I would love to see Price land the monster shot to win this one, but I think he will perhaps have almost nothing left before the halfway mark and Povetkin can step on the gas to force the stoppage. I'll look for Povetkin to perhaps need to weather an early storm before producing a big stoppage that will set him up for the potential clash with Anthony Joshua later in the year.

Anthony Joshua vs Joseph Parker

The main event in Cardiff sees three of the Heavyweight Titles on the line and one of the biggest stars in boxing continues to help fill out huge Stadiums in the United Kingdom.

Anthony Joshua won't be looking past Joseph Parker, but there are some huge fights in front of him if he can win this fight. He has said all the right things, looks in great shape and anything other than a Joshua win would be a huge surprise.

I have time for Parker too, but I think it is almost impossible to ignore that he hasn't progressed through the gears as the competition has ramped up for him.

Maybe Team Parker are being genuine when they say Joshua is made for their man much better than the horribly awkward Hughie Fury, but I don't think it is harsh to say that Parker has not impressed in his most recent fights compared with earlier in his career.

He has come in close to a career lowest weight, but most of the attributes lean towards Joshua.

The biggest question is the durability of Parker which has been described as a big advantage for the New Zealander. However I would guess he hasn't fought someone who can hit as hard as Joshua and I do worry about the way Parker can lean forward when putting his shots together, something that is ripe for the signature Joshua uppercut to deliver a 21st win and stoppage.

I just don't know whether Parker believes in his ability as much as he says and I don't want to be caught up in the hype of the fight.

Ultimately I think Joshua is performing at a level above Parker and I am not convinced the latter will be able to bridge that gap. I will give Parker some credit in thinking he will give this a big effort and he will take some early shots from Joshua and show some durability, and perhaps even stun Joshua early in the fight.

However it is Joshua who has the reach, the size and the power and I liked the weight with the Gold Medalist likely to be able to match Parker's movement and speed.

Parker has never been dropped, as we have been reminded repeatedly, but this is the biggest puncher he has faced and I think Joshua wears him down in a firefight. Perhaps the referee jumps in and saves Parker from himself, or the corner look for their man to come back and fight another day, but I think Joshua will win this fight in the mid-Rounds of this Title fight.

It should be a fun night while it lasts, but it should be Joshua who makes sure he sends his fans home happy.

MY PICKS: Josh Kelly to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.00 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Anthony Crolla to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.60 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Ryan Burnett to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.05 Bet365 (2 Units)
Alexander Povetkin to Win Between 5-8 @ 4.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Anthony Joshua to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.10 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Boxing 2018 Update: 10-10, + 17.28 Units (33 Units Staked, + 52.36% Yield)