Boxing Picks 2021- Dereck Chisora vs Joseph Parker (May 1st)

The rumours are that Eddie Hearn is going to be moving his Matchroom stable away from Sky Sports who have helped him develop into the premier Boxing promoter in the United Kingdom and then expanded across to the United States.

Reports say that both Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte will be still pushed on the Sky PPV platform, but the rest of the roster will be only seen on DAZN so I am expecting an increased price soon enough.

With the partnership coming to an end, the suggestions are this May card has been put together to satisfy the remaining clauses in the contract and that meant producing another PPV worthy card for Sky.

Some may disagree, but this is a card that is ridiculous to have to pay extra to watch.

If this was a normal Saturday night card with the subscription fees already paid you would say it is a decent offering, but there is hardly anything of note on the show as far as I am concerned and especially not at the stages of the careers of the headline acts or the match making on the undercard that has been put together that suggests it is worthy of the PPV tag.

And judging by some of the 'drama' of Friday I think the sales are probably not doing anything near where the promoters or broadcasters were expecting.

Dereck Chisora vs Joseph Parker

This is a real crossroads fight for two Heavyweights who have failed to crack through to the elite level in the Division.

That is probably a harsher view on Joseph Parker who has been a World Champion and has a win over Andy Ruiz Jr on his resume, but losses to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte have knocked his standing. He was actually pretty close to beating Whyte and an early head-butt which was counted as a Knock Down proved pivotal in his defeat on the cards.

Joseph Parker has rebuilt with four straight wins and has been calling for a rematch with Whyte, but an awful performance in his win over Junior Fa a couple of months ago has left a bad taste in the mouth. It was a horrible fight and Fa was pretty happy playing spoiler and getting to the cards, but Parker did not do nearly enough and has decided to change his trainer.

Andy Lee was the recommendation of Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker may have been learning to sit down on his shots a little more than he has been used to. For many years people have asked for Parker to be more ruthless if he wants to really move up the World Rankings, although you do wonder how much could he have learned in two months under the tutelage of Lee.

One element that will help Parker is the style of Dereck Chisora who will come forward all night and look to throw big shots and rough up the New Zealander.

The last time we saw Chisora he was having a better than expected performance in his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, although the Ukrainian did rock him hard in the second half of the fight and Chisora looked to be running on fumes in the final three Rounds. That will have taken something out of the tank of the 37 year old, but Chisora knows only one way to approach a fight and it could see him open for something big.

Dereck Chisora is likely going to use the same blueprint that Dillian Whyte did in his win over Parker and I expect some rough moments for the former World Champion. However I expect Chisora to slow down after the first few Rounds and Parker showed in that defeat to Whyte that he does carry power through the latter Rounds and I think he could put something big on Dereck Chisora once he slows down.

Most will look for Joseph Parker to get this done on the cards, but I think he has the chance of stepping forward in the mould that Andy Lee will want and really put it on a slowing Dereck Chisora as we tick into the second half. The last two times that Chisora has been stopped has come in the second half of a fight and there are some nervy rumours running about his preparation for this one.

I expect Chisora to put it all on the line early, but that may see him ripe for the stoppage late.

Andy Ruiz Jr vs Chris Arreola

Two Heavyweights of Mexican heritage meet in the main event of a big card in the United States this evening and the reality is that feels like nothing more than a showcase event for Andy Ruiz Jr.

The former World Champion took plenty of criticism for turning up out of shape for his rematch with Anthony Joshua and he was comfortably out-pointed over the distance and dropped his belts.

That was in December 2019 and Andy Ruiz Jr has been out of the ring ever since, but he looks to have made some key changes outside of the ring and the desire to the return to the top of the mountain is evident. Joining Eddy Reynoso and working alongside Canelo has to be the inspiration for Ruiz Jr and if things don't fall into place now they never will.

His opponent Chris Arreola never earned the World Titles, but he has reached a pretty good level in his career although at 40 years old you do have to wonder if there is anything left in the tank. He has come in at a career lowest weight, and I do think the desire is there, but Arreola has spent even longer out of the ring than Andy Ruiz Jr and he has tended to be found out at the highest level.

I don't think it will be hard to find Chris Arreola and that does play against him with the faster, more accurate Andy Ruiz Jr likely to have some big opportunities.

After an early tussle, I think Ruiz Jr will start breaking down Arreola and the key for the former World Champion is going to try and show off his return by getting rid of this opponent quicker than Deontay Wilder, a potential opponent for later this year.

I think he may just do that with Arreola fading, but backing Ruiz Jr to win this fight in the mid-Rounds is the way to go for me.

Bermane Stiverne beat Chris Arreola in Six and Wilder did it in Eight and I expect Ruiz Jr to finish the job around the same time after a firefight.

MY PICKS: Joseph Parker to Win Between 7-12 @ 6.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Andry Ruiz Jr to Win Between 5-8 @ 2.75 Sky Bet (2 Units)

James Tennyson to Win Between 1-4 @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Dmitry Bivol to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Chris Eubank Jr to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Katie Taylor to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 1.61 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Erislandy Lara to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.66 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Sebastian Fundora to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing Picks 2018- George Groves vs Callum Smith (September 28th)

September has been a very good month for Boxing fans with a couple of very good main events over the last two weekends, but there is plenty more excitement to come in the months leading up to Christmas.

First this month comes to a close with the conclusion of the World Boxing Super Series Season One with the Final of the Super Middleweight tournament taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday.

It is an all British Final too which will have built up some anticipation back home, but I do think some of the hype has been missing because the fight is taking place on foreign soil. If this had been at the O2 Arena or Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom it would have been a huge occasion, but the money in Saudi Arabia could not be ignored and especially not when the Cruiserweight Final rumoured for Jeddah took place in Moscow.

Local customs means the Final will take place on Friday rather than Saturday as would be the norm, but there are other decent fights taking place this weekend with the likes of Joe Joyce, Jorge Linares and James DeGale in action. Any Boxing Picks from those fights will be added to this thread.


This past week we have also had confirmation of two fights I am very much looking forward to- the first is in Manchester between Oleksandr Usyk and Tony Bellew and the second is the big Heavyweight fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury which has been confirmed for Los Angeles.

It's a very good time to be a Boxing fan to say the least.

And if the rumours are to be believed, there could be at least two more huge fights put together before the end of the year while the start of the Second Season of the World Boxing Super Series is also just a week away.


Last week was another good one for the Boxing Picks with more positive gains made, although it was close to being a huge week if David Price's bicep could have lasted one more Round. His health is obviously more important, but it is another setback for Price although I would expect to see the Liverpudlian back in the ring in 2019.

Hopefully we can keep the positive September gains going through another week with the selections from this weekend's fights.

Chris Eubank Jr vs JJ McDonagh

It is something of a surprise that Chris Eubank Jr has spent so long out of the ring after losing his grudge fight with George Groves in the World Boxing Super Series Semi Final.

He looked to have come out of that fight in better health than the winner, but Eubank Jr's confidence would have been dented and I am guessing he just needed some time to reevaluate where he was heading.

The rumour is that Eubank Jr and James DeGale could be meeting in a grudge fight in December with both fighters in action this weekend. If they both win that could be a fight that is announced next week and I do think this is nothing more than Eubank Jr getting some rust out of himself.

I am sure JJ McDonagh isn't heading to Saudi Arabia to make up the numbers and he is talking a very good game. However this is a huge step up for the Irishman and he i going to have to display some toughness if he is going to give Eubank Jr some Rounds in this one.

There is nothing on the record to suggest McDonagh is going to be able to secure the upset and I think this may be a showcase fight for Eubank Jr. He should be able to let his hands go and I think that could see him end the fight relatively early with the referee perhaps jumping in to stop things.

I do think McDonagh can tough out the first couple of Rounds, but Eubank Jr may keep the fast hands going and earn the stoppage in either Round 3 or Round 4 which is worth a small interest.

George Groves vs Callum Smith

Where the Cruiserweight World Boxing Super Series tournament crowned an undisputed Champion and one who looks to be going on to much bigger things, the Super Middleweight tournament did not have all the belts on the line.

However the tournament has gained such a traction over the last twelve months that Ring Magazine are putting their belt on the winner which means either George Groves or Callum Smith will be considered the Number 1 Super Middleweight in the world.

That will open the door for some huge fights with the likes of James DeGale and Rocky Fielding being considered for December, but neither Groves or Smith can afford to look over this Final.

George Groves has the experience and the superior wins in his career, while also being involved in much bigger fights and occasions than Smith. The only real doubt around the WBA Champion is the shoulder injury he suffered in the win over Chris Eubank Jr in the Semi Final and whether that is fully healed or whether Groves goes into this Final with some doubts.

It is a worry because it was a very bad injury, but Groves has sounded pretty content with his recovery.

A couple of years ago I was pretty high on Callum Smith as the best of a strong fighting family. He looked to be progressing very well but he has underwhelmed in the World Boxing Super Series and that despite not facing top quality opposition either.

I do think Smith will be motivated in this one and that a lack of motivation may have contributed to sub par performances. However I am not convinced he is making weight as well as he would like and this is a big step up on anyone he has faced in his career.

The win over Rocky Fielding looks much better since the latter won a World Title, but Smith has not progressed as I would have liked to have seen since then. The lack of experience of fighting someone of the quality of Groves could come out here and I like the veteran to produce one more good win before contemplating his next move in his career.

It is possible Groves still hits hard enough to earn a stoppage, but the most likely outcome feels like the veteran using his wiles to do enough to pile up the Rounds and eventually be awarded the Unanimous Decision. Both fighters could then consider a move up to Light-Heavyweight, but I think Smith will come again like Groves did after losing his first three Title challenges.

MY PICKS: Chris Eubank Jr Win Between 3-4 @ 6.50 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

George Groves @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing 2018 Update: 27-47, + 12.44 Units (113 Units Staked, + 11.01% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2017- Chris Eubank Jr vs Ronald Quinlan (February 4th)

Last week was yet another brilliant night of boxing and it doesn't matter if you haven't called it perfectly. The Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz second fight was just as intriguing as the first and there are obvious calls for the decider later this year, a fight that shouldn't be missed putting together.

The first month of 2017 has been really good with some top fights already in the books, but it should be said that this weekend is not exactly a PPV quality card. The Eubanks always seem to do what they want anyway, but I am not convinced ITV will be impressed with the main event, which was originally the only fight that was going to be on the PPV portion of the card.

The decision makers quickly realised that Ronald Quinlan is not really a name that is going to help attract the numbers and so the undercard has now been moved to the PPV section too. All in all I am not sure this is going to make ITV too impressed regardless of which names the Eubanks call out from the worlds of boxing or MMA.

This is no longer the time to call out the big names, but sign the big contracts although I do think a lot will depend on whether ITV get the big numbers for a card that isn't even worth a lot of time if it was on a free to view channel.

David Price vs Christian Hammer

Arguably the best fight of the night comes from the Heavyweight division in what is effectively a World Title Eliminator.

This should be David Price's last chance to get into a position to win a World Title although we have seen boxers like Audley Harrison just hang around the scene for long enough to talk themselves into a fight. A defeat for Price would remove him from the world scene, but he could always be looked as someone that could be rebuilt and fed to Anthony Joshua later down the line.

However, like I have said, this should be a final chance for a boxer who has underachieved in most people's eyes from where he should have been at this stage of his career. Price has been unfortunate that a couple of the defeats he has suffered have come against boxers who have later tested positively for drug use, but most will look at the Liverpudlian as someone who is perhaps a little fragile and not really a threat to the top names in the Division.

Price himself is obviously still full of belief and this is a good chance for him to see whether he is on the right path when he meets Christian Hammer. British fight fans should remember Hammer as the boxer who took on Tyson Fury in Fury's last fight before taking on Wladimir Klitschko for the World Heavyweight Title and the Romanian was retired in the eighth Round that day.

Hammer has rebuilt himself since that loss, which doesn't look so bad when you see where Fury went after that, and his Split Decision win over Erkan Teper is an interesting result. Teper beat Price in two brutal Rounds, although was later found to have failed a drugs test.

The oddsmakers do have Price as the favourite in this one, but he isn't an overwhelming one and Hammer has shown he can be tough and need to be worn down. I think Price has plenty of power, but Hammer managed to take what Teper was able to hand out and that will give him confidence in this one.

Hammer has usually found the world level beyond his capabilities but Price is yet to prove he is going to be able reach that level himself. I do think Price is likely to be the stronger fighter, but Hammer is durable enough to take this one into the second half of the fight as he showed against the likes of Teper and Fury.

A lot of Price's wins have come early in fights when is power is very evident, but I think he may have to bide his time. I do think Price can match the kind of win Fury had over Hammer and I will have a small interest on this fight being stopped in the second half.

Chris Eubank Jr vs Renold Quinlan

There will be some trying to indicate that this is a genuine contest between evenly matched opponents, but don't be fooled for a moment that Chris Eubank Jr isn't handpicking someone he should be taking out with some comfort.

As much as we want to point to Renold Quinlan's win over Daniel Geale as meaning something, the latter is a veteran on the slide and the Australian heading overseas for the first time with an 11-1 record is not going to get too many people backing him for the upset. Quinlan will talk a good game, but there is nothing on his resume to think he is anything more than a chance for Eubank to showcase his talent.

But anyone who thinks this is going to entice the biggest names to fight Eubank Jr is going to be disappointed until the Eubanks realise they are not the 'A' side of any of the fights they have called for. Instead they keep pushing for the lion share of things and that is not going to happen until Eubank Jr can beat someone of note.

That isn't Quinlan and I think this is going to be an easy day in the office for Eubank Jr.

Much will depend on what Eubank Jr wants to prove as to how long this fight is going to last, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if it is an early night for the British fighter. Backing Chris Eubank Jr to win this one inside the first three Rounds looks very possible in this one and is worth a small interest.

MY PICKS: David Price Win Between 7-12 @ 4.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Chris Eubank Jr Win Between 1-3 @ 4.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)