Boxing Picks 2018- Oleksandr Usyk vs Tony Bellew (November 10th)

There are some huge fights still to come before the end of the 2018 calendar year, but the biggest event that is going to take place in the United Kingdom comes from the Manchester Arena when Tony Bellew looks to cement his legacy as an all-time British great.

He will do that if he can beat Oleksandr Usyk, the undefeated, undisputed Cruiserweight World Champion with big ambitions of his own.

The World Boxing Super Series concludes the Quarter Final fights from the Season Two tournament on Saturday too, but all eyes of the Boxing world will be on Manchester where we also have a potential eliminator for a shot at Vasyl Lomachenko. Anthony Crolla would love to bring Lomachenko to Manchester in the New Year, but it all depends on whether he can win on Saturday.

David Allen, Josh Kelly and Ricky Burns are also on the undercard at the Manchester Arena ahead of a fight I am very much looking forward to.

David Allen vs Ariel Esteban Bracamonte

David Allen may not be the best technical Boxer out there but he has built himself a big following and is happy to get back in the ring whenever he can.

We may only be around seven weeks out from the end of the 2018 calendar year, but Allen is expected to be going out at least twice with one of those fights taking place on Saturday.

It has been a fun time to back David Allen having been behind him when he beat Nick Webb at the O2 Arena back in July and then stopping Samir Nebo in the First Round last month.

I think it will be another early night for The White Rhino on Saturday as this looks another tick-along fight before a bigger test for Allen in December. His opponent comes from Argentina and will be fighting outside his own country for the firs time in this his tenth professional fight.

Three of the last four Ariel Esteban Bracamonte fights have ended in the First Round including his one defeat. You can't always tell how these fighters will travel and I think David Allen will look to put Bracamonte under pressure from the off and can get another early stoppage to put on his resume.

Backing Allen to get this done in the first couple of Rounds was a productive selection last month and I think it could be the case again on the undercard at the Manchester Arena. At that point I expect Allen to be put in with a live fighter next month as he looks to reposition himself for a shot at the British or Commonwealth Title.

Ricky Burns vs Scott Cardle

This fight has been taken on short notice by Ricky Burns but it is a real crossroads fight for both the Scottish hero and Scott Cardle whose last meaningful fight saw him stopped in Second Round by Lewis Ritson.

It has the makings of a decent fight but I think Burns is still a level above Cardle and I do like his chances to win this one.

He wants to get back into a position to either have a rematch with Anthony Crolla, or perhaps be in an eliminator of his own, and Burns showed he still has something in the tank when losing to Crolla in a good fight.

The question for me is how much does Cardle have in the tank? He came out firing against Lewis Ritson in what were questionable tactics and I am a bit uncomfortable with how long he can last in this one if things start going wrong for him.

At least Cardle won't be overwhelmed by the power of Burns as much as he was against Ritson, but an accumulation of punches could have the referee or the corner thinking about pulling him out of this one.

Burns has fought at a much higher level than Cardle and I think he is going to be too good for him here. The latter could be competitive at times, but I expect Burns is going to pull away in the second half of the fight and he can win a comfortable Decision as long as Cardle is not asked to pull out of this one early.

Anthony Crolla vs Daud Yordan

This looks to be an eliminator for a shot at Vasyl Lomachenko so there is plenty of the line for both Anthony Crolla and Daud Yordan.

The smart money looks to be going down on the home fighter winning this one on a Decision, but Crolla has been making it clear that Yordan deserves plenty of respect.

And so he should be some solid road wins already under his belt, although I do question Yordan's punch resistance.

That's not to say Anthony Crolla is the biggest puncher in the world, but his intense pressure can break opponents and four of his thirteen career stoppages have come in his last eleven fights.

Like I say, the most likely outcome is Crolla gets this done on a Decision, but I am going to have a small interest on the Manchester man pressurising Yordan into a stoppage in the second half of this fight.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tony Bellew

All the marbles are on the line in this Cruiserweight World Title fight and more and more are willing to openly state they are backing Tony Bellew to cause the upset against Oleksandr Usyk.

I am not one of those.

As strong as the wins over David Haye are for Bellew fans to hold onto, Haye is someway off where Usyk is these days and I think Bellew is going to have to produce a career best effort to win this fight.

The Bellew run at Cruiserweight and Heavyweight is impressive, but he has had close Decisions over Nathan Cleverly and Mateusz Mastarnak and this is clearly a much tougher fight than those two. Wins over Haye (twice), BJ Flores and Ilunga Makubu are good ones for Bellew but not half as good as his Sky backers would want you to believe.

Now he faces the undisputed best at this weight and a fighter who is coming in off two huge wins already in 2018. Oleksandr Usky was challenged by Mairis Breidis, but I think he showed he has a decent set of whiskers on him before completely shutting down Murat Gassiev.

I think both of those fighters would give Bellew all he could handle and I may even think Breidis could beat him. There is clearly some power in the Bellew punches, but I think that may be a touch overrated too and I am looking for Usyk to show why he is considered one of the pound for pound kings in the sport.

Usyk is not a concussive puncher and four of his last six have gone to the cards- I don't think Bellew will allow anyone to stop this fight barring the referee, but I also think Usyk will look to control the tempo and it will be difficult for him to stop the Liverpudlian who will put it all on the line in this one.

I don't know if Bellew has much more than a puncher's chance in this one, but I don't think Usyk is someone who will be caught too many times. He is smart enough to cancel out the Bellew tactics and I think Usyk will come through with a win on the cards even in a country where there have been some strange calls in recent times.

There are some out there who think Usyk forces the stoppage, but I think there are some big things in the pipeline for him and he won't push for it as Bellew tries to close the gap in the second half of the fight. I expect maybe one big push in the final couple of Rounds if Usyk has beaten the fight out of Bellew and the British fighter looks to at least get to the cards, but ultimately I think this will come down to a Usyk points win as he did in the last two World Boxing Super Series fights.

Usyk looks to be too smart to be dragged into a war and I think his adjustments will see him pull away in the second half of the fight.

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

Ricky Burns to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.25 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Anthony Crolla to Win Between 7-12 @ 5.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Oleksandr Usky to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.75 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Mairis Breidis to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Krzysztof Glowacki @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

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)

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- Oleksandr Usyk vs Murat Gassiev (July 21st)

2018 has been a really good year for Boxing fans but the best fight we may get to see in the calendar year may be the Cruiserweight Final of the World Boxing Super Series.

That is a big shout when you think Canelo vs GGG 2 is yet to take place and I have no doubt that may produce the bigger numbers, but this Cruiserweight Final looks really good and features two boxers who could be mixing with the big boys of the Heavyweight Division.

The winner absolutely will be propelled into a big time title shot at Heavyweight within eighteen months, while whoever loses will have the time to rebuild considering the performances produced in the World Boxing Super Series.


There was some scepticism about how the tournament would work in practice when it was first announced, especially as previous tournaments had not really worked as well as the organisers had hoped. But the Cruiserweight and Super Middleweight events were strong and it has all led to this moment as the first of those tournaments is concluded.

The success has whetted the appetite of the fans and the announcement of two very good looking fields at Bantamweight and Light Welterweight is only further good news for the fans. I am writing this before the Draft Gala has been completed, but I think both tournaments are going to set up some huge fights over the next twelve months which is great news for us Boxing fans.


The Usyk-Gassiev fight absolutely is stealing the headlines, but Liam Smith is also in action this weekend as he takes on Jaime Munguia for the WBO Light Middleweight World Title. Smith is a former holder of that belt and has some huge fights in front of him if he can upset Munguia who announced himself in a big way by hammering Sadam Ali back in May.

Munguia is clearly looking to fulfil his mandatory and then take up some huge fights in a stacked Division, but Smith has every chance of upsetting the odds in my opinion. Beefy has already spoken about fighting at Anfield and defending a World Title there, but I don't think he is overlooking the man in front of him and Munguia still has a lot to prove before people really have to accept he is for real.

Fedor Chudinov vs Nadjib Mohammedi

One of the main undercard bouts for the Usyk-Gassiev card features a former World Champion in Fedor Chudinov defending his WBA International Title against an opponent who has mixed in some very prestigious company.

Nadjib Mohammedi has fought the likes of Sergey Kovalev and Oleksandr Gvozdyk at Light Heavyweight, but he is coming back down in weight to take on Chudinov at Super Middleweight.

The last three fights Mohammedi has had have been back down at Super Middleweight, but this is another step up from the kind of level he has been operating at.

Chudinov is best known in the United Kingdom for being stopped by George Groves for the WBA World Title but he has come back strong and this kind of level is one on which he is comfortable. I am not sure Chudinov will ever be a World Champion in what has traditionally been a tough Division, but a win will get him back into position to have another shot perhaps against the World Boxing Super Series winner and a rematch against George Groves or even a chance to take on new Regular Champion Rocky Fielding.

I think the Russian will be able to win this fight on home soil and I think Mohammedi has found it tough when he has taken the step up in competition. Being stopped by the likes of Kovalev and Gvozdyk is no shame for any boxer, but that does mean four of his five losses have come with a stoppage and Chudinov has enough pop to do the same.

I will be having a small interest in Chudinov getting it done inside the distance in this undercard bout.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Murat Gassiev

This has to be the most exciting fight of the year as the World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight tournament comes to a close with the potential to unify all four titles in this Division.

This will be the second Division which has all the belts being held by one fighter having seen Terence Crawford do the same at Light Welterweight earlier in the year, but the potential for the winner of Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev is arguably even bigger than Crawford's.

Ultimately the Heavyweight Division is the star Division in Boxing and the winner of this one will propel themselves into that Division and into the big fights from the off.

I'm guessing most Boxing fans are feeling what Usyk did before his Semi Final against Mairis Briedes.

'I am feel. I am very feel'.

No one will be underestimating Murat Gassiev who has had two impressive wins to move into the Final himself and the closer the fight has come the more people seem to have fallen behind the young Russian. Being trained alongside Gennady Golovkin has only helped Gassiev who has all the tools to come back even if he was to lose this fight.

With that in mind I do feel there is more on the line for Usyk who has to be a road warrior for the third time in this tournament and being Ukrainian will be put under more pressure by the Russian home crowd. I don't think that will bother Usyk at all and I think he is the all around superior boxer, although Gassiev may have the edge when it comes to the power stakes.

Usyk is the older man and it will be that much tougher to rebuild with a strong reputation he has from the amateurs when opponents simply won't want to fight him coming off a loss. He still has time to do that, but I think it will be 'easier' for Gassiev to bounce back and that additional motivation for Usyk may just tip him over the edge in what looks like being a 'Fight of the Year contender'.

The layers are finding it hard to split the fighters now and I think it will come down to one of two scenarios.

Either Gassiev finds the big punches to slow down Usyk and stop him late or I think the Ukrainian will just use his superior angles and shot selection to just pepper Gassiev back and win this one on points.

Controversy is a concern with a Ukrainian fighting in Moscow and all the political tensions between the two countries, but I think the World Boxing Super Series banner will erase the chance of a 'dodgy scorecard' from ruining what has been a fabulous tournament.

My feeling from day one of this tournament was that it was a coming out party for Usyk before the move up to Heavyweight to take on the really big challenges out there. I still lean towards him, although Gassiev has arguably been the most impressive fighter in the tournament and I think Usyk does enough to win this one on points.

However I will just back him to win the fight in any way at odds against.

Jaime Munguia vs Liam Smith

The WBO Light Middleweight Title is on the line in Las Vegas as Jaime Munguia defends the Title he won by hammering Sadam Ali back in May.

It should have been Liam Smith taking on Ali, but the British fighter had to pull out just two weeks before the event and Munguia took full advantage.

That was the end of a remarkable month for the young Mexican who was deemed 'not worthy' to fight Gennady Golovkin for the Middleweight Title in replacement of Canelo Alvarez. He then showed enough against Ali to really raise his stock and now he is a huge favourite to beat Liam Smith, far shorter than he was against Ali when he was a slight underdog.

I am not sure I buy into that just yet.

Liam Smith may not be a world beater, but he is a former World Champion and his one loss has come against Canelo. He hasn't exactly lit things up since then with his three wins, especially as two of them were very close against Liam Williams.

In saying that he is the toughest fight Munguia would have had and I think Beefy is not as big an underdog as the layers think he should be.

This is the toughest test Munguia would have had and I am not going to anoint him the next big thing in boxing for obliterating what was effectively a Welterweight at Light Middle. I expect Smith to weather an early storm and then perhaps see a tired Munguia down the stretch struggling once his power is perhaps not what it was and I will back the Liverpudlian to once again become a World Champion.

MY PICKS: Fedor Chudinov to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Oleksandr Usyk @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Liam Smith @ 7.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Boxing 2018 Update: 17-32, + 4.90 Units (75 Units Staked, + 6.53% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Murat Gassiev vs Yunier Dorticos (February 3rd)

Anyone who loves Boxing had to be fascinated by the brilliant fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Mairis Breidis in the opener of the World Boxing Super Series Semi Final bouts to take place over the month.

It was an incredibly close fight and Breidis showed tremendous heart in the middle of the fight when it looked like Usyk was about to take over.

I do think the right boxer progressed to the Cruiserweight Final, but both Murat Gassiev and Yunier Dorticos are going to feel it is a winnable fight against Usky in May. I still think Usyk will go in as the favourite in the Final, but the odds are likely to be much closer than they would have been eight days ago and could be even tighter if the second Semi Final is decided spectacularly.


On Saturday we also have a decent card at the O2 Arena which is headlined by Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain in a long standing 'British Beef'. The two Cruiserweight boxers may not be at the level of those competing in the World Boxing Super Series, but the winner will take the next step in his career as they look to get to that level.

With the likes of Usyk, Breidis and Gassiev all perhaps looking up at the Heavyweight Ranks in the near future, there will be a void to fill at the top of the Cruiserweight Ranks and the winner of Okolie versus Chamberlain will feel they can get to that level to do that.

Ted Cheeseman vs Carson Jones

There is a lot of potential in Ted Cheeseman and this is the kind of fight that will determine how quickly he is going to reach what most expect of him.

The 22 year old is in for the toughest test of his career when he comes up against veteran Carson Jones who should be familiar to most British boxing fans.

Jones has stopped Brian Rose on these shores in an upset and also narrowly lost to Kell Brook in their first bout while unbeaten Ben Hall was also stopped by the American. Brook did stop Jones in the second fight and Rose came back to beat Jones on points in their second bout, but there is no doubt that Cheeseman is in for a really tough bout to show where he stands.

It is going to be a learning curve and I think most would expect Jones to cause problems during the fight, although the younger fighter should be able to out-work Jones over the distance.

One issue for Jones is the lack of activity over the last fifteen months since beating Hall with his one fight ending in a Technical Decision in Mexico as Jones was controversially beaten by Antonio Margarito.

How far has Jones slipped in that time? He is saying all the right things and I don't think he is going to be as 'old and slow' as Cheeseman has suggested. There is still some fire burning inside of Jones and he has shown coming over to Britain and being anything but an easy day in the office is something that he clearly enjoys.

I do like Cheeseman though and I think he is going to out work Jones over the distance. There will be some tough moments when Cheeseman will have to show what kind of heart and character he has, but I think he is ready to take the next step in his career with the most notable win on his resume.

Stopping Jones is not easy with only three of his twelve defeats coming in that manner. Backing Cheeseman to win this one on a Decision is the call.

Lawrence Okolie vs Isaac Chamberlain

This has been a fight that has been brewing for a while with two unbeaten British prospects from London clearly wanting to prove they are better than the other.

Both Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain will feel this is the biggest test of their professional careers and I think the losing fighter has every chance of coming again. However neither Okolie or Chamberlain are thinking about losing with this much pride on the line and the fighter that deals with the emotions the best is going to come out with the win.

From the outside it does feel like Chamberlain is perhaps the calmer of the two fighters, but I think the situation has not changed.

Okolie has the power and the feeling is he can blow past Chamberlain very early... Failing to do that will likely see the momentum shift to Chamberlain who is arguably the better boxer and could get into a position to take this fight on a Decision or a late stoppage if Okolie begins to get a little tired.

The former Olympian Okolie has to make sure he is not exerting too much energy too early and needs to pick his shots, but it is his power versus the boxing skills of Chamberlain that will be on show here.

I am leaning towards the power proving to be the difference maker- Chamberlain has to try and stay away from Okolie at least early in the fight, but I am not sure that he isn't able to keep himself away from a dust up if he is caught by the power of Okolie.

Chamberlain is still learning his craft and the lack of experience may be an issue if dragged into a fight and I do think Okolie will be willing to take a shot to give a shot in this one. He is very dangerous early in the fight and while there are some questions for both men to answer, I think Okolie can use his power to get this done early.

It will have to be early as Chamberlain's confidence will grow if he can get out of the first three Rounds without being tagged, but Okolie looks like a man who is destined for bigger things. The stories about the way sparring has gone suggests Okolie is very ready for this one and even the confidence of Chamberlain this week is not enough to sway me towards the underdog.

I think a small interest in Okolie getting Chamberlain out here in the first half of the fight is worth taking.

Murat Gassiev vs Yunier Dorticos

War.

The second World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight Semi Final promises to be an all out war with both Murat Gassiev and Yunier Dorticos convinced their power makes the difference in this fight.

You can't blame either fighter for that belief with Knock Outs a huge part of their unbeaten resume, but trying to work out which one of these men can stand up to the power of the other is more difficult.

The stand out wins have come from Gassiev, but Dorticos was expected to be exposed some time ago and instead has continued knocking out every one who gets into the ring with him.

Unsurprisingly the layers are expecting another stoppage in this one, although the favourite is Gassiev who has shown the better technique and perhaps even a sturdier chin. He also has the more recognisable wins on the resume, but that takes nothing away from Dorticos who has tremendous power.

While it would be a surprise to see this fight go the distance with the way Dorticos approaches things, I would say that Gassiev is likely to get the better of the bout if it comes down to points. However I think Gassiev is also the more likely to secure the stoppage most people are expecting in this fight simply because of the better technique and the better shot absorbing ability.

That is where I think the home fighter will find the difference and he has the finishing ability to put Dorticos away especially as the Cuban will not be afraid to keep swinging even if he has been hurt.

It really is a fight that could finish at any time, but I like Gassiev to come through. Dorticos has to be respected with the punching power he has demonstrated throughout his career, but his one failure to get a stoppage was against Edison Miranda and I just think that could be telling.

'Iron' Murat Gassiev might be the toughest opponent Dorticos has faced and I like the Russian to come out with a stoppage at some point.

MY PICKS: Ted Cheeseman to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.25 William Hill (2 Units)

Lawrence Okolie to Win Between 1-5 @ 4.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Murat Gassiev to Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing Update 2018: 2-1, + 2.80 Units (6 Units Staked, + 46.67% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Oleksandr Usyk vs Mairis Breidis (January 27th)

I mentioned last week ahead of Errol Spence Jr's first defence of his IBF Welterweight Title that there has been some excellent fights already signed off in the first half of the 2018 year.

Showtime came out with an event to highlight some of the fights they have arranged earlier this week and adding Erislandy Lara versus Jarrett Hurd and Adonis Stevenson vs Badou Jack to an already loaded calendar is only good news for the Boxing fans around the world.


This weekend is no different with the start of the World Boxing Super Series Semi Final fights which take place over the next month. The two Cruiserweight Semi Finals are up over the next two weekends before attention turns back to the Super-Middleweight Semi Finals and a tournament that has got the fans salivating has produced four top Semi Final bouts.

That ahead of the two Finals which are set for May to continue the trend for big time Boxing fights in 2018.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Mairis Breidis

Some are suggesting this Cruiserweight Semi Final is effectively the Final with the winner likely to go forward as a big favourite to win the tournament in May.

In saying that, Oleksandr Usyk is a very big favourite to see off Mairis Breidis despite having to travel to the unbeaten Latvian's home for this fight.

Both fighters are unbeaten and bring a belt into this unification which looks like it has the makings of a really good fight, but the edge has rightly been given to Olympic Gold Medalist Usyk. He looks to be the superior boxer and has the size and awkwardness of being a southpaw to give Breidis some tough looks and I am expecting the Ukrainian to be able to pick off his opponent.

The superior boxing is a big advantage when you think of this match up and I also think Usyk may carry a little more power than Breidis despite the latter being a big hitter himself. I mean you can't ignore the fact that Breidis knocked out Manuel Charr who has recovered to win the WBA Heavyweight Title since then and that shows the Latvian is able to produce the goods.

However their mutual opponent in Marco Huck saw Breidis beat him in a Unanimous Decision a few months before Usky was able to stop the German in the World Boxing Super Series Quarter Final. It is Usky who also holds the higher KO percentage and I do think he will be able to load up and produce some punishing shots in this one once he has Breidis perhaps feeling sorry for himself after being out-boxed.

Both men have spoken about making a statement, and you can understand why with the other Finalist also going to be an unbeaten Cruiserweight Champion. For Usky this tournament is a chance to announce himself to a wider audience before looking to make the move up to Heavyweight which is almost certainly to come if the Ukrainian can Unify the Cruiserweight belts.

Breidis will be dangerous early in the fight and I think Usyk will look to out-box the home hope and frustrate him. The Ukrainian is the bigger man and should be able to use that to dictate the tempo of the fight, but I also think he will begin to unload his combinations in the second half of the fight once demoralising his opponent.

That is where I think Usyk will be able to either force the referee to step in or the Breidis corner to withdraw their man from taking a lot more punishment. There is power in the Usyk shots to force the stoppage and I think he will be looking to underline his dominance of this fight by making sure he doesn't leave anything to chance by going to the scorecards.

In reality I think the majority of people would expect to see a Usyk Unanimous Decision and there are some suggestions that the former standout amateur will not take risks until he is fully convinced his opponent has lost some belief in the work he is doing. That won't be enough to take into the Heavyweight Ranks although I do note the two previous unbeaten fighter Usyk has taken on have been the two who have avoided the stoppage defeat.

I just don't think Breidis is going to want to run and slowly work to a points defeat. If things are not going his way I think the unbeaten home fighter will take risks and that could see him at the wrong end of something big delivered by Usyk.

The punching power of Breidis has to be respected too, but Usyk can take away his heart in the first half of the fight and I am going to back him to earn a stoppage late on.

MY PICKS: Oleksandr Usyk to Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 3.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing 2018 Update: 2-0, + 4.80 Units (4 Units Staked, + 120% Yield)