Boxing Picks 2024- Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Serhii Bohachuk (Saturday 10th August)

The quality of the card in Los Angeles was decent enough, but a long event under the Riyadh Season banner does make it hard for the fans to remain absorbed. No one will dispute that having Eminem perform is a boost, but perhaps not just ahead of the main event, which started after Midnight on the East Coast and incredibly early in the morning for those of us watching on from the United Kingdom.

Late starts for the main event has been an issue in American Boxing for some time, but timing has to be improved, especially with the loaded cards being produced by the Saudi power brokers.

There was plenty of awards for those power brokers too, which was bizarre to say the least- Turki Alalshikh has been a boost for Boxing over the last twelve months, but being inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame without ever hosting an event in that State is odd and most fans will see it for what it is.

While some are bending over backwards to ensure they are given a piece of the pie, others are less interested in playing ball while losing control of their personal business.

The back and forth between Alalshikh and Canelo Alvarez has made it clear that not all of the biggest names in Boxing are willing to just take the payload and then have their careers dictated to them. There is no doubting the former wants big fights, and the upcoming Canelo contest does seem very one-sided, but that does not mean you cannot appreciate the strength of the Mexican to say 'no' where others are seemingly afraid that it would mean being on the outside looking in.

Canelo putting it on Eddie Hearn just days after the Los Angeles card was also fun to watch and Hearn is going to be in an unenviable position where he is trying to serve two opposite masters. The fact that Terence Crawford has already called out Hearn for appeasing Canelo adds to that and there is a real feeling that the likes of Alalshikh will be looking to by-pass the promoters and make deals with the Boxers themselves in the near future.

As fans we can see the positives of both the Alalshikh and the Canelo sides of the fallout- there is no doubt that the money Saudi have poured into the sport has made the last twelve months very exciting, but Canelo has plenty of money and being able to say 'no' to someone not used to hearing that is refreshing too.

It was interesting that the last post from Turki Alalshikh suggested Canelo only wants 'easy fights' considering big money was put into Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua fighting an opponent who had never fought a professional Boxing fight until that initial fight with Fury. Frances Ngannou deserves respect for earning another shot, but Fury took him lightly and it could not have been any 'easier' for AJ.

In both situations, Canelo Alvarez taking on Edgar Berlanga is a 'harder' fight even if the Mexican is going to be a massive favourite and likely to blitz through someone who hasn't really earned that mega-fight.

Two picks returned 1-1 last week, but with a very slight positive number.

It feels like there was a miss with Martin Bakole, who impressed in dismantling Jared Anderson. He should have some big opportunities ahead, while Andy Ruiz Jr was fortunate to pick up a Draw with Jarrell Miller. We are unlikely to have an immediate rematch, but Miller should be on the same card as the Fury-Usyk rematch in December with Ruiz Jr looking to get his hand healed up.

The Isaac Cruz upset loss means the Tank Davis rematch is not going to be happening, but Pitbull should be looking to clear up the loss to Jose Velenzuela.

This week we have Vergil Ortiz Jr back in action in a very big fight with the WBC Interim World Title at stake in the Light Middleweight Division.

Winning will put Ortiz Jr in line for a big fight on a Saudi run event, but he cannot overlook Serhill Bohachuk who is looking for a seventh win in a row and who won the Interim World Title in March.

Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Serhii Bohachuk

If it wasn't for injury, Vergil Ortiz Jr would have been on the Los Angeles card last week.

Tim Tsyzu was the original opponent, but the Australian suffered a bad cut in his last fight and ultimately that was not healed, which meant Vergil Ortiz Jr had to move in another direction.

The original bout will not have had a World Title attached, Interim or otherwise, so Vergil Ortiz Jr may actually benefit with this fight instead.

Take nothing away from Serhii Bohachuk, who is a very tough opponent, but a big opportunity has opened up for Vergil Ortiz Jr who seems to be the beneficiary of any perceived fallout between Turki Alalshikh and Canelo Alvarez. Instead of looking to put Canelo in with Terence Crawford, Alalshikh has suggested Vergil Ortiz Jr could step in and there is every chance that would be a Unification.

Serhii Bohachuk can only be motivated by this talk though and he has won six straight fights since the Stoppage defeat to Brandon Adams. The Ukrainian had been well up on the cards that night, but he has bounced back effectively and his last win over Brian Mendoza is a solid indicator of form.

He will also feel he is the naturally bigger fighter, while Vergil Ortiz Jr has fought just Two Rounds in two years.

Both fighters are impressive finishers and that is backed up by the fact their combined forty-five wins have been earned with forty-four Stoppages. Only once have either Boxer heard the judges scorecards and that occurred last time out for Serhii Bohachuk in his comfortable win over Mendoza, who has shown considerable toughness throughout his career.

The main event should be a fan-friendly affair with neither Boxer likely to be hard to find in the ring- both should be pretty confident with the power they bring and there is a big opportunity at the end of the line which will only motivate.

Vergil Ortiz Jr is being tipped to take that, but Serhii Bohachuk will be looking to not only spoil the plans, but to put himself in the frame instead. However, the defeat to Brandon Adams is a disappointing one and Ortiz Jr is expected to have the power to Stop a fighter that knows how that feels.

He may have to come through some tough moments, especially when you think of the power that Bohachuk brings and Ortiz Jr has sometimes looked a little reckless, willing to take one shot to give one of his own. This should really make this enjoyable for all of the fans tuning and those who have paid at the gate, but eventually Vergil Ortiz Jr may be the last one standing in this firefight.

MY PICKS: Vergil Ortiz Jr to Win by KO/TKO @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2024: 25-42, + 12.41 Units (90 Units Staked, + 13.79% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2020- Kell Brook vs Mark DeLuca (February 8th)

This is the first Boxing Picks being made in the 2020 season as I try and just readjust the sights on the way the selections are being made in the upcoming year.

I have ended in profit for the last couple of years, but the win-loss ratio needs improving to really start piling up the numbers. That is the key for the upcoming year, although Boxing has proven to be a sport which offers some very nice prices on outcomes once you look beyond the simple outright markets where you do tend to get some very heavy favourites week to week.


There are going to be some big fights in the year ahead and the biggest may be the potential two bouts Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will be competing in. The first of those is definitely scheduled for this month and the outcome by decide whether we need to see another later in the year, while the Heavyweights under the Matchroom banner are all going to be in action before the midway point of the 2020 year.

A couple of those potential fights are intriguing, but I think some of the biggest bouts that can be put together come from the lower weights and hopefully 2020 is going to be the year we get to see those.


On Saturday it is the return of Kell Brook having been out of the ring for fourteen months, while Gary Russell Jr insists he will increase his activity in 2020 as he comes out in February with plenty of time to schedule another bout in this calendar year.

The cards in Sheffield and Allentown are not that deep, but it is the start of the Boxing Picks for 2020 and hopefully a positive start to come.

David Allen vs Dorian Darch

A short lived retirement is over for David Allen who returns from his disappointing defeat to David Price back in July.

Once again the White Rhino is looking to put some momentum behind his career, although I am not convinced he should continue fighting after hearing his comments after the defeat to Price.

However it is up to Allen and if he thinks he is ready to come back and compete at a certain level I am not so concerned. I don't want to see him in with opponents who completely overmatch him again and he should be focusing on trying to pick up the British Title (as long as Daniel Dubois isn't Champion) and then call time on his career.

His comeback opponent looks a perfect one as Dorian Darch has long been nothing more than a journeyman. The Welshman has lost six in a row and he has been stopped in all of those with none of those bouts seeing out the Second Round.

It would be a surprise if this one is any different even though Allen is not really known as a big puncher. Very few of his fights have been stopped early, but I am not sure Darch has much left these days and if Allen can put together a couple of big punches he should be very comfortable on the day.

This has the feel of a comeback fight for David Allen and backing him to win in either the first two Rounds is an odds against shout I am happy to back.

Kell Brook vs Mark DeLuca

He looks fit and healthy, but there are still some real questions that Kell Brook is going to have to answer on Saturday in what might be the last time he fights in Sheffield.

Fourteen months have passed since Brook was last seen in the ring as he struggled to beat Michael Zerafa- that win didn't look so bad when Zerafa went on and beat Jeff Horn in August last year, although the latter has since gained some revenge in a Decision win.

Ring rust has to be a concern, but Kell Brook is back in the Ingle gym and he looks like he has put in the hard graft.

This is a big step up for American Mark DeLuca who has a decent 24-1 record, but with nothing standing out on his resume. From largely domestic level DeLuca is heading to Sheffield to take on a former World Champion and I am not happy when I see some of the body language he has displayed in the last week of the fight.

The final face to face is not always a great indicator of how a fighter is feeling, but DeLuca breaking eye contact and wanting to move away from Brook is not a good look no matter how much you feel that is going to be a factor.

Kell Brook does know he has to make a statement and I do think the potential ring rust could be a concern. The fight is likely going to see Brook come out pretty fast and I do think we will learn much about DeLuca very early on and how much he is going to be willing to take in this one.

The Michael Zerafa performance does raise some concerns, but I think Brook will come out ready to make a big time statement.

This should be a chance for him to do that against an opponent who is not half as good as Zerafa. Mark DeLuca has a big chance to announce himself on the world scene, but I am not convince he believes he can do that and backing Kell Brook to win in the first half of this bout.

MY PICKS: David Allen to Win Round One or Two @ 2.14 Bet Victor (2 Units)- Dutch him winning in Round One at 3.75 and Round Two at 5.00 with Victor.

Kell Brook to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)

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)