Boxing Picks 2025- Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte (Saturday 16th August)

There are some big cards being put together for later in the year, but Boxing always needs crossroads fights and those involving up and coming fighters with real potential who are trying to take the scalp of an old lion.

That is the case in the headline act in Riyadh on Saturday evening when two British Heavyweights main event and there looks to be some decent action on the undercard too.

It has not been a good year for the Boxing Picks, to say the least, but it has been a decent enough year for the sport and with some solid looking fights still to come in the calendar year and beyond.

We are now just four weeks away from the massive Canelo vs Crawford fight headlining in Vegas, but there are also a couple of cards coming together in November that will be very appealing. Hopefully more will be announced in what has been a relatively slow news cycle for the second half of the Boxing year, but the attention of the sport will soon be turning to a Super-Fight in early September.

Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte

After an early loss to Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte rebuilt with some decent wins and ended up picking up an Interim version of the World Title.

Wins over Dereck Chisora (twice) and Joseph Parker are solid performances to put on the resume, while defeats to Joshua and Tyson Fury were perhaps expected.

One loss to Alexander Povetkin was avenged, but a failed drugs test mean Dillian Whyte was unable to try and do the same against old rival Anthony Joshua and to say he has been inactive is an understatement.

He did fight twice last year, but not nearly at the level he is about to step in with, and you do have to wonder how much is left in the tank.

Dillian Whyte has clearly worked hard and he will be fighting at his lowest weight since 2012, but that is also going to have been tough on a 37 year old body.

Looking for speed and movement might be the plan, but Whyte is in with Moses Itauma who looks the best prospect in the Heavyweight Division.

Even calling him a prospect may be underplaying how far Moses Itauma has come in his young career and this next step is a chance to announce himself as a genuine contender. Talk of fighting Oleksandr Usyk is perhaps premature, but Itauma will be in line to fight for a Number 1 contender or a potential vacant World Title with a victory and he looks to have been given this match up at a very good time.

Speed, movement and power from a southpaw stance makes Moses Itauma incredibly dangerous, although there are still some wanting to see how he handles some pushback. That is what Dillian Whyte is supposed to give him on Saturday, but it does feel like the veteran may have lost some of the punch resistance and the lighter weight could make it tough to absorb the same sort of punches that he once did.

The hope for the Moses Itauma team is that Dillian Whyte can help answer some of the questions about their man, while also helping him bank some Rounds. However, the feeling is that this is a big name being sought at the right time and Itauma can put the punches together to force an early Stoppage.

Each of the last three Dillian Whyte defeats have been by Stoppage, but he did go Seven Rounds with Joshua and Six Rounds with Tyson Fury... That was some time ago now though and the inactivity could see the veteran moved aside a little quicker by a young, fresh, hungry opponent.

The undercard features a number of fighters that are perhaps hoping to use the platform to push onto bigger and better bouts.

Nick Ball is the only male World Champion that represents Great Britain, which is quite a shocking indication of where British Boxing currently stands.

He defends his World Title against Sam Goodman, an Australian who is unbeaten but who had two opportunities to fight Naoya Inoue. Both were lost due to injury withdrawals, but Goodman will arrive in Riyadh looking for a big win that may move him to the front of the queue to face The Monster.

It has long been rumoured that Nick Ball would have that shot so there is plenty on the line for both.

The feeling is that Nick Ball can wear down an opponent who has had some decent wins, but who may not have the firepower to deter the British fighter.

Another fighter expected to earn a Stoppage win is Filip Hrgovic who is facing David Adeleye.

The Croatian has all of the attributes to be a top Heavyweight, but has failed to impress at times with some accusing Hrgovic of coasting within bouts.

A firefight with Daniel Dubois ended in a defeat, but David Adeleye is coming up multiple levels and may not be able to stand up to the shots that Filip Hrgovic will hand out.

MY PICKS: Moses Itauma to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.72 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Nick Ball to Win by KO/TKO @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)

Filip Hrgovic to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.20 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Boxing 2025: 18-54, - 30.37 Units (88 Units Staked, - 34.51% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2023- Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius (August 12th)

Every time it feels like Boxing has taken a couple of positive steps forward, negative headlines only feel like they are around the corner.

After two mammoth events featuring some of the elite boxers in the world, last week the news came out that Dillian Whyte was not going to be allowed to go on with his rematch with Anthony Joshua after failing a VADA test in preparation for the big fight in London.

Once again these are issues within the sport that continue to hurt all of the athletes involved- so many casual fans must get put off by these stories and wonder about the state of the sport, while even those who have never failed a test will be tarnished by these reports.

There is no doubt that the failed test is a disappointment for Anthony Joshua, who had been preparing very hard for the rematch, and the fans who had bought tickets for the event (like me). Robert Helenius is going to be talked up by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, but this is the same fighter they considered past it BEFORE he was Knocked Out in the First Round by Deontay Wilder having been critical of that fight.

Anthony Joshua needs to be active though and it is better to face somebody, rather than sitting out for a few more months hoping for the Deontay Wilder fight to materialise.

The biggest fight of the night will actually be taking place in the United States where Emanuel Navarrete takes on Oscar Valdez for the WBO World Super Featherweight Title. This was a fight that was due to take place earlier in the year, but they finally will meet in the ring and it is a fight that should produce fireworks and very quickly too.

Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius

The excitement of the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte is no longer a factor, but it is only good news for Joshua to actually get another fight under Derrick James under his belt.

While there has been an opponent change, Robert Helenius is perhaps at a similar stage of his career as Whyte and this is someone who can help make Anthony Joshua look good after the criticisms of the performance in the win over Jermaine Franklin in April.

Yes, Helenius is a bit taller than Whyte and he is coming in off a victory last week, but this is someone who is very much on the downward slope in his career and who has struggled to deal with the big shots as well as he once would.

The Deontay Wilder wipeout will be very much on the mind's of most fans and that does put some pressure on Anthony Joshua, although this tall, European style has proven to be one that Joshua has enjoyed facing and produced some of his best performances.

Accusations of being 'gun shy' will be levelled at Joshua again if he is not more positive than he was in the win over Franklin, although I do think the latter has shown he has a decent chin, good movement and can dip much lower than Robert Helenius will be able to do.

Those big time Knock Out losses suffered by Robert Helenius are hard to shift from the mind and the fact he is someone who will take a risk to get forward can only work to Anthony Joshua's advantage.

If this fight moves into the second half, it will be a big surprise and Anthony Joshua can earn a first Knock Out win since December 2020.

Criticisms of Heavyweight fighters is not going to be unfamiliar to one of those on the undercard as Filip Hrgovic returns after a year out of the ring.

He has been waiting to see if his mandatory IBF World Title position would be called, but inactivity is disappointing as he takes on unbeaten Demsey McKean.

Filip Hrgovic is fortunate to still be an unbeaten fighter after his win over Zhilei Zhang last August, but he has admitted his camp had been anything but ideal ahead of that fight as he was hurt time and time again.

This time he is facing an opponent who is not nearly as experienced as Zhang and Filip Hrgovic's power should make a difference for him against the unbeaten Australian.

Demsey McKean has not been much more active than Hrgovic and has been taking on lower level opponents with this being a big step up compared to those previous opponents.

The expectation is that El Animal can just remind the fans of his abilities and wipe out the memory of his last performance. He hits hard and very early on and Filip Hrgovic should just show that he deserves to be the next big contender for the World Titles when the Undisputed fight is finally signed off.

There is also an ultimate crossroads fight for two veterans Derek Chisora and Gerald Washington who have lost more than they have won in recent fights.

Out of the two, Chisora looks to have a bit more left in the tank and has been a lot more active than the American who was rumoured to be stepping in for Dillian Whyte in the main event before Robert Helenius in the main event.

It might not be the most pleasant fight to watch, but it could end up developing into a shoot-out as energy dissipates for two big, older fighters with plenty of miles on the clock. The feeling is that Derek Chisora's ability to take a bit more of a punch and still chug forward may wear down Gerald Washington and see the British fighter force the Stoppage.

And in another Heavyweight clash on a big hitting night, Johnny Fisher is expected to get the better of Harry Armstrong for the Southern Area Title and it could be a relatively early night for the up and coming Romford Bull.

Over in the United States, the fight between Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez is finally going to take place for the WBO World Title in the Super Featherweight Division.

Shakur Stevenson has left the 130 pound Division behind, and the winner of this one could quickly be heading into Unification bouts in a decent weight class.

Picking a winner is not easy- Emanuel Navarrete has looked like he has the dimensions to be a strong fighter in the Division and his power has carried, while Oscar Valdez is plenty experienced at World class level. However, Valdez has not really looked the same at this weight class and this is where Navarrete looks to have an edge and he might be able to find a late Stoppage in a firefight.

MY PICKS: Anthony Joshua to Win Between 1-6 @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Filip Hrgovic to Win Between 1-6 @ 3.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Derek Chisora to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Johnny Fisher to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Emmanuel Navarrete to Win Between 7-12 @ 8.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Boxing Update: 36-64, - 18.02 Units (188 Units Staked, - 9.59% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2020- Devin Haney vs Yuriorkis Gamboa (November 7th)

I know he may not be for everybody, but I was seriously gutted that Dillian Whyte's rematch with Alexander Povetkin was postponed until January. That came just a couple of days before the latest lockdown in the United Kingdom and I was looking forward to that card in the middle of the month and a couple of weeks before we have a few more freedoms to enjoy before Christmas.

At this time it all about staying safe, but it is important to have elite sport still being shown on television to give people something to think about other than the US elections or the Coronavirus headlines which have been with us for so many months now.

I remain hopeful that 2021 is going to be a much, much better year all around for everyone I know, but for now I am just trying to tick along like so many others.

Last weekend was a wonderful one for Boxing fans around the world with some special fights in the United Kingdom and the United States and the chance to see some of the very best in the sport. Competitive bouts is the only way you can keep Boxing relevant and we have seen some of those with more to come before the year is out.

This week is perhaps not of the level of the last one, but there are some big names getting ready to make a move in their respective Divisions and also the return of King Kong Luis Ortiz who is looking to find his way into one more shot for a World Title having come up short against Deontay Wilder twice before.

A big Matchroom United States card will potentially set up some big Heavyweight fights down the line and also the return of Devin Haney in what is a red-hot Division that has been brought alive by the likes of Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis over the last month.

Filip Hrgovic vs Rydell Booker

Later this year Anthony Joshua is going to be clearing his latest IBF mandatory, but that won't be discouraging Filip Hrgovic from forcing his way into that position after Kubrat Pulev.

He will continue on his path up the World Rankings and is a very, very strong favourite to beat Rydell Booker on Saturday on the Devin Haney undercard.

Filip Hrgovic has changed his nickname to Stone Man, but El Animal has been vicious in the ring and opponents have simply not been able to stand up to the obvious power he possesses. Eleven straight wins have been earned and nine of those have come via stoppage, while the last four opponents since Kevin Johnson have not made it out of the Third Round.

Both opponents who have managed to escape the Fourth Round have gone the distance with Hrgovic so there is a question of whether his power remains strong into the later stages of a bout.

Rydell Booker has shown he is resilient, but at 39 years old his best days are clearly behind him.

Despite that, Booker did manage to hear the final bell in his last bout twelve months ago and that was against the aforementioned Pulev, although the veteran American was well beaten on the cards.

Another unbeaten Heavyweight, Jermaine Franklin, also beat Rydell Booker on the cards in 2019 and you do have to respect the fact that the veteran could have enough wiles and resistance to at least get through what is likely to be a very early onslaught from the favourite and heavy handed Croatian.

It's 'only' a Ten Rounder so you do wonder if Filip Hrgovic is going to have to go to the cards for the third time in his career, but I do think Rydell Booker will find it hard to cope with the pace set by the younger man. Another year in the body makes it difficult and I think Booker is going to be worn down in this one, although I do believe he is capable of getting through the early stages before that happens.

He may go into survival mode fairly early, but I do think Filip Hrgovic has to be looking to put his foot on the gas and make a statement by becoming the first man to stop Rydell Booker. James Toney put him down in the second half of his bout with Booker back in 2004 and I do think Hrgovic hits harder than both Franklin and Pulev who were taken to points by the veteran.

Looking for Filip Hrgovic to perhaps put enough together to get the referee taking a second look is the call here, but I do think this may be the latest stoppage the Croatian has been able to secure in his professional career. Much depends on how much resiliency Booker has left, but I do think there will be enough to hear the bell for the Sixth Round, although I don't believe he hears the final one.

Zhilei Zhang vs Devin Vargas

There are a number of Heavyweights who are looking to position themselves in the World Rankings to earn a World Title shot when the picture is a lot clearer in a year from now.

Assuming Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury do get it on for two bouts for the majority of the belts, fighters like Zhilei Zhang are hoping to remain unbeaten and then move in line to take on one of the big names in the Division.

Already we have seen a lot of talk of Zhang potentially headlining a Heavyweight Championship bout in his homeland in China and he would love that to be against Anthony Joshua. Fighting under the Matchroom banner makes things much easier for that bout to be eventually made and it could be a filler if the Tyson Fury fight does not materialise for AJ.

For now Zhang is looking to tick along as he faces Devin Vargas- the veteran American has been beaten when he steps up his level and in his six defeats, five have come by stoppage.

The majority of those have come early as Vargas looks to trade with opponents and I do think that is what we are going to see here. Zhilei Zhang has shown he has the power to beat someone like Devin Vargas having produced sixteen stoppages from his twenty-one wins.

I fully expect Zhang to make a big statement here and I do think Devin Vargas is someone who will play ball by not being hard to find. This one should end relatively early.

Luis Ortiz vs Alexander Flores

It has been a little under twelve months since we last saw King Kong in a ring, but Luis Ortiz still insists he can win a World Title.

One punch ended his second bout against Deontay Wilder and once again it was Ortiz staring up at the lights. The fight had been going his way before that, but at 41 years old the Cuban still believes there is enough in the tank to challenge the best in the Division.

His best hope may be that the belts will fracture over the next twelve months as those World Titles are going to be tied up by Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, but Ortiz can't worry about that and instead has to show that his hasn't gotten too old.

Some will suggest he is considerably older than the 41 years that he admits and a fighter like Alexander Flores is much younger and looking to put himself in a position to earn some big money in the years ahead. Beating King Kong would set Flores up for at least a couple of nice paydays, but this is a Boxer who has come up short when facing Charles Martin and Joseph Parker.

Both of those former World Champions have gotten Flores out of there before the end of the Fourth Round and that has to be the target for Ortiz.

Motivation can sometimes be questioned for Luis Ortiz and we have seen him produce some inconsistent performances. I do think he will understand the importance of looking good and I he is capable of the shots to finish this one relatively early, but there will be some early ring rust to get through.

I do think Alexander Flores is short of the top level, but much will depend on how much he is willing to get through to try and earn the most significant win of his career. I don't think that happens though and a small interest in Luis Ortiz getting this done in the Third or Fourth Round to match the achievements of Parker and Martin is the play.

Devin Haney vs Yuriorkis Gamboa

Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta Davis, Luke Campbell and Ryan Garcia could set up some huge fights in this Division for Devin Haney, but that will all be for nothing if the American is not able to return from a long lay off with a win on Saturday.

The WBC World Title in the 135 pound Division is on the line and Devin Haney is back for the first time in twelve months. Some of the momentum has been lost with the injuries and the impact the other big names in this Division have made, but Haney can take that back with a big win.

He is a considerable favourite to see off the veteran Yuriorkis Gamboa who has only lost three times before and two of those to Gervonta Davis and Terence Crawford. We have yet to really know if Haney is up to that level, but all of the Gamboa defeats have come via stoppage and at 38 years old he is going to struggle to keep his younger, fresher, stronger opponent off of him.

I do expect it will take time for Devin Haney to warm up to the task, but eventually I expect him to begin to land some spiteful, hurtful shots.

Yuriorkis Gamboa has shown tremendous heart in getting to the Twelfth Round in his defeat to Gervonta Davis, especially as he tore his Achilles in the Second Round. The Cuban has been down a number of times throughout the latter stages of his career and he was down numerous times in the defeat to Davis too.

You do have to feel that he is going to have to suffer some punishment in this one, but Devin Haney should find the punches to eventually crack through the defences for good. It is likely going to happen in the second half of the bout as Haney looks to better what Gervonta Davis was able to do against Gamboa.

MY PICKS: Filip Hrgovic to Win Between 6-10 @ 2.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Zhilei Zhang to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Luis Ortiz to Win Between 3-4 @ 3.75 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Devin Haney to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.70 William Hill (1 Unit)