Boxing Picks 2018- Dillian Whyte vs Joseph Parker (July 28th)

For the second time in a couple of months I will be heading down to the O2 Arena to watch another big Heavyweight Fight with long-term implications.

Two months ago Tony Bellew was ending David Haye's career in that Arena and he has now set himself up to potentially take on Oleksandr Usyk who won the World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight tournament last weekend. That would most definitely be a fight the wider Boxing circle would appreciate and one I would circle as a 'must see' fight to round out 2018.

This weekend it is Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker who headline the O2 Arena and I very much believe the winner of this fight will take on Anthony Joshua, assuming he wins his next fight against Alexander Povetkin, next April.

I've always doubted that Deontay Wilder-Joshua fight would be made for this year and I have a feeling they may still be around fifteen months from getting in the ring together which means the April Wembley date announced by Matchroom would need to be filled. Of course Eddie Hearn will be hoping his home fighter wins this one, but a stunning Joseph Parker performance may just get some momentum behind him which could see fans looking to see Joshua-Parker II despite the poor first fight between them.

Neither Whyte or Parker can look beyond a tough challenge that has been laid out in front of them though and the Heavyweight Division will also see the return of the likes of Carlos Takam, who takes on Dereck Chisora on the undercard, and Luis Ortiz who fights on the Mikey Garcia-Robert Easter undercard.

Garcia-Easter is the big offering from the United States this weekend in a Unification fight, but at the time of writing I am stunned to see no UK broadcaster has picked up that fight.


Last weekend I went 1-2 for the Boxing Picks but the main pick of Oleksandr Usyk beating Murat Gassiev prevented any losses from taking place. It would be good to get on a run of winners to really start improving the season totals, but a winning number is always better than a losing one and I have a positive number to build upon.

Onto the Picks from a busy Saturday of Boxing.

Anthony Fowler vs Craig O'Brien

It is hard to really know how to judge a fighter like Anthony Fowler until he begins to step up his opposition and that is what he is going to be doing in the next few months.

Facing off against an unbeaten fighter with more fights under his belt will be a new test for Fowler and there has been an edge to this one thanks to comments made by Craig O'Brien in the build up to the contest.

O'Brien has to be feeling confident having won all eight fights he has had, but I think there are levels to this fight and Fowler looks to be above him.

The Liverpudlian will hit harder than O'Brien and I can only see another stoppage being added to the ledger as Fowler then moves on to take on someone like Scott Fitzgerald who is another unbeaten fighter.

The bigger question is when Fowler will get to O'Brien and I am leaning towards sooner rather than later. There is obvious power in the Fowler gloves as he has managed to prevent four of his six previous opponents from hearing the bell for the Fifth Round and I do think he will prove to be a step above O'Brien as well as being heavily motivated to ram some taunts back down O'Brien's throat.

O'Brien may be a boxer who will look to move and frustrate Fowler, but the suggestion is he will fight fire with fire and I think that may lead to an early end to this one and I will back Fowler to win in the first half of the fight.

Joshua Buatsi vs Andrejs Pokumeiko

If everything had gone to plan Joshua Buatsi would have been taking a major step up in terms of competition on the undercard of the Dillian Whyte-Joseph Parker card.

The fight with Ricky Summers fell through because of an injury suffered by Summers and the rumour mill went into overdrive that he would potentially be facing a former Light Heavyweight World Champion in Igor Mikhalkin who was last seen being beaten by the imposing figure of Sergey Kovalev.

Both of those fights would have been much bigger than the step in opponent Andrejs Pokumeiko who was only announced earlier this week. Pokumeiko was last seen six weeks ago losing a Decision, but this really has the feel of a fight that is there to keep Buatsi ticking along before tougher tests are put together for him later in 2018.

Anything other than a Buatsi win would be a huge upset and in all likelihood he is going to become just the third fighter to stop Pokumeiko.

You can't underestimate the toughness of a fighter coming out of Latvia so I don't think Pokumeiko will roll over for Buatsi, while the British fighter has to make sure he is fully focused knowing it should have been a fight with a much bigger profile that he should be going into.

It can make it tough, but I think Buatsi will be coming out to make a statement and keep the wins ticking along. Even then it could take a few Rounds to really see Buatsi begin to exert the kind of pressure he will need to if he wants to earn the stoppage of the rugged opponent in front of him and it does feel like this could be a fight where Buatsi is in the ring for the longest time.

However I think that will come up just short and I will back Buatsi to finish this somewhere between Five and Six Rounds once he has got into a groove.

Nick Webb vs David Allen

I will probably feel like a right idiot on Saturday evening at the end of this fight, but I just can't have David Allen as a 4-1 shot to win this one.

Allen will be the first to tell you that he isn't at world level and some of the comments which suggest he is ready to walk away from boxing could be a worry, but this is a fighter that won't give up and is a tough fella to crack.

He has been in the ring with fighters that have to be considered some way superior to Nick Webb and it took the likes of Luis Ortiz and Tony Yoka time to break down Allen and stop him late in those fights. Dillian Whyte didn't even get to that point and had to settle for a points win over Allen and I am not convinced Webb has the power to put him away.

The big question for Webb is whether he has the fitness to go the full Ten Rounds here and keep Allen off of him. The latter is not a big puncher, but he will come forward and pressure Webb and if tiredness comes into play then it could be a really tough evening for the unbeaten Heavyweight.

A look at Webb's record and it could be argued that Allen is the toughest fighter he has been in the ring with and that is clearly not a mutual factor in this one.

Maybe Allen gets caught early and Webb can finish this off, but I am going to have faith in the chin holding up and I can see Allen being the stronger fighter at the final bell. Earning a decision won't be easy for Allen who is not the best boxer out there, but he will give everything and if Webb does tire as he is prone to doing, maybe Allen will have his big day in the sun that he has been craving.

Either way the price is not justified here and I will have a small interest in Allen getting the win and then being lined up for a British Title tilt.

Conor Benn vs Cedrick Peynaud

It was supposed to be another routine evening for Conor Benn who is still very much in the early stages of his career, but it proved to be anything but as he was dropped twice by Cedrink Peynaud in the opening Round of their first fight back in December.

Benn did come back to drop Peynaud in the Fifth and Sixth Round and almost had the Frenchman out on his feet, but even then there was some controversy when he was given what looked a fairly wide win on the scorecards.

Now Nigel's son is back to show the fans that it was a one off back in December and he is ready to take on the challenge of Peynaud for a second time.

And this time I am not expecting any mistakes from Benn.

I expect him to be cautious at first and really get behind his boxing, especially knowing he has the power to hurt Peynaud and also has four more Rounds to go in this one compared to the Six Rounder they fought in the first fight.

Cedrink Peynaud had a stunning night back in December, but I think he would have been stopped if the fight was scheduled for Eight instead of Six Rounds and he should have finished Benn in the First Round when knocking him down twice. That will be a missed opportunity as far as I am concerned and I expect Benn to be a lot better and showcase what he learnt from the first fight.

The cautious approach will likely be set aside once Peynaud starts to tire as he did last time and I think that is when Benn will put down the pressure to stop this opponent. Peynaud does have the experience of fighting a Ten Rounder before, but he was the one looking tired when he fought Benn last time out and I think The Destroyer will re-write the story about this fight with a stoppage in the second half of the fight.

Carlos Takam vs Dereck Chisora

There are many similarities with the way both Carlos Takam and Dereck Chisora choose to carry themselves in the ring, but I would be surprised if Takam is not able to win this fight.

You can't always be sure what you are going to get from Chisora who has produced some big performances in his career, although I do think the best days are now behind him. The style won't change as Chisora will look to get forward and bully opponents, but this feels like it will be similar to when he faced Dillian Whyte and found the latter a little too good in a Split Decision defeat.

I expect the two fighters to make this a rough fight for the other, but I think Carlos Takam can make use of the longer reach and the better boxing skills he possesses. That is especially the case at this stage of their respective careers although there is a slight question mark around Takam who has not been in the ring since his defeat to Anthony Joshua last October.

That loss was only the fourth suffered by Takam and the previous two before the loss to Joshua came against Alexander Povetkin and Joseph Parker. That is some elite company that Takam has been operating in compared with Chisora who has lost a fight that would have been considered domestic level and another at European level.

Chisora is a tough man though so I can't imagine him rolling over and he has only ever been stopped twice against Tyson Fury and David Haye. Takam has displayed some punching power, but I am not sure he will have enough to stop Chisora too and the same can be said the other way around so the scorecards being needed looks the most likely outcome of the fight.

I just feel Chisora doesn't have a lot left in the tank and that was evident in his defeat to Agit Kabayel last year and this looks like the kind of fight where Takam can keep his Ranking moving forward with a solid win. Carlos Takam might be able to get the better of the exchanges when they occur, but I expect the longer reach to be key for him and I do think he can win this one on the cards.

There is plenty on the line for both fighters when you think of where the losing fighter would go, but I think Dereck Chisora's time at this level has already passed and I will back Takam to win this one on points.

Dillian Whyte vs Joseph Parker

The main event at the O2 Arena really does look a crossroads fight for Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker with the winning fighter heading towards a World Title fight and the losing fighter perhaps wondering where their career is heading.

Both Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker have had the one loss on their ledger and both by the same man in Anthony Joshua although Whyte was stopped and Parker was beating by a Unanimous Decision.

I don't think the way either fight ended has much influence on this one, but the bigger factor may be how Parker has dealt with a first professional loss and whether he truly believes he should be alongside the very best in the Heavyweight Division.

Parker knows he should have performed better in the loss to Joshua but he is straight back on the horse when so many others would have taken a much more comfortable fight to get back to winning ways.

The Kiwi does have something to prove having underwhelmed since getting to World level fights, even if he has narrowly found a way to win those fights before running into Joshua. Some will say he should not have received the Decision against Andy Ruiz or Hughie Fury so Parker has plenty to prove when he steps in with Dillian Whyte.

Whyte has bounced back from his loss to Joshua by winning seven straight fights and it is the highlight reel Knock Out of Lucas Browne which is going to be fresh in the memory. However this is a much different fight than the one against Browne, who stood in front of Whyte and didn't have anything like the movement Parker will bring to the table.

The win over Dereck Chisora was controversial too with many believing Whyte did not do enough to win that fight, while he has needed points to beat David Allen and Robert Helenius. So while I think Whyte has plenty of power, I am not convinced he has enough to dent a man like Parker who has proved to have a very solid chin throughout his career.

Movement and boxing skills are with Parker as is the speed and I don't think he was that poor against Joshua, or certainly not as poor as some think. He does have the inferior reach, but Parker will believe he can get his punches off first with the speed he has and I think the New Zealander may just nick this 50-50 contest.

I think the speed and superior boxing skills will see Parker build up a lead and then begin to counter Whyte as he chases the big Knock Out punch. It does point to Parker working his way to a Decision win, although I would not rule out controversial scoring and the potential for a Split or Majority Decision or perhaps even the Draw.

My heart is actually with both fighters- I have a lot of time for both and I would have loved to have seen both Whyte and Parker take a different direction and work their way into mandatory spots to get their chance at a World Title. That is the the fan in me of both men that wants to see them rewarded, but I will be heading to the O2 Arena for this one because I do think it has the potential of being a very good fight between two genuine World contenders.

Coming back will be very difficult for the losing fighter with a long road to set up a shot at a World Title, but the winning fighter may just get a date with Anthony Joshua next April if the current three belt holder beats Alexander Povetkin in September. That is a lot on the line for both Parker and Whyte and my head is saying that the former World Champion will have a little bit more than the home fighter in this one.

I think it will be tough for either fighter to stop the other, although I would not be surprised if we see some solid countering which may put one or both on the floor in this one. However my head says Parker is quicker and will have the ability to get in and out of the punching zones in this one a little better than Whyte.

Parker has not been that impressive in his recent fights, but he does do enough to win fights and I think this match up is better for him as Whyte won't be hard to find. As much as Whyte has improved since his loss to Joshua, I think the Lucas Browne win is a little overrated considering the shape the Australian showed up in and the fights with Chisora and Helenius may point to a fighter who is not quite up to World level.

I hope it is a fun fight and I will be happy whoever wins, but my pick is going to back Joseph Parker to win this one on points. Some will consider a bit of a saver on the Draw, which could be a real player in a close fight where Whyte is likely to be the aggressor and Parker the fighter throwing the quick combinations and boxing on the back foot.

Some of the cards in recent British fights involving a home fighter have been 'interesting' to say the least so I am not ruling out a controversial call, but I think Parker will do just enough to nick this with a 116-112, 115-113 kind of card in his favour.

Mikey Garcia vs Robert Easter Jr

You have got to love the way Mikey Garcia is trying to build a lasting legacy for himself and this week he goes back down to Lightweight to enter into a Unification fight with Robert Easter Jr.

The oddsmakers think it is a foregone conclusion that Garcia is going to add another belt to his large collection, but I think Easter Jr is being underestimated somewhat. Much of that could be down to some poor performances in the last couple of fights he has had, but Easter Jr has a clear advantage in height and length and will have to make use of those attributes to win this one.

The question for Easter Jr is whether he can step up his level having had those tough outings and whether he can avoid getting involved in a real scrap with Garcia who has the edge when it comes to power.

Garcia has not stopped his last two opponents, but Adrien Broner has shown he has decent punch resistance and Sergey Lipinets was put down and that is despite Garcia going up the Divisions to take on those two fighters. Back down at Lightweight Garcia should be much more comfortable but Easter Jr has the talent to make this a much tougher fight for Garcia than the layers are anticipating.

Ultimately I think Garcia will make the better adjustments in the fight if Easter Jr is boxing well from the outside and keeping this at range. I also think the power is enough to hurt Easter Jr later in the fight and I would not be surprised if Easter Jr has to get off the floor.

He can still make Garcia work for things though and I think the scorecards will be needed and I think Easter Jr is going to have to be a dominant winner to get the Decision here. Anything close will likely lean in favour of Garcia, but I think the latter will get the better of the Championship Rounds and that can see him pull away for the win and Unifying the WBC and IBF belts here.

It is tough to oppose the obvious Mikey Garcia power, but Robert Easter Jr is an unbeaten fighter and a talented one who can force Garcia to dig deep for the win.

MY PICKS: Anthony Fowler to Win Between 1-4 @ 3.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Joshua Buatsi to Win Between 5-6 @ 4.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

David Allen @ 5.00 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Conor Benn to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.25 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Carlos Takam By Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.25 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Joseph Parker By Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.60 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Mikey Garcia By Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.37 Sporting Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2018 Update: 18-34, + 4.90 Units (79 Units Staked, + 6.20% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Jorge Linares vs Vasyl Lomachenko (May 12th)

It was a wonderful evening in the O2 Arena for the Tony Bellew-David Haye rematch last weekend and I have to say I am already looking forward to my next night at the Boxing.

The undercard was perhaps not as strong as it looked on paper with the likes of Joe Joyce and John Ryder scoring very early stoppages, but getting a chance to see Emmanuel Rodriguez was interesting before he heads into the next World Boxing Super Series.

The main event was also a fun fight and all credit has to be given to Bellew for getting the win in more dominant style than when he beat Haye fourteen months ago.

Bellew has options now and I am not sure he will retire even if he has hinted that way- if Adonis Stevenson is able to win next weekend I can see that potentially being a rematch Bellew looks for at a higher weight, while the likes of Andre Ward and Tyson Fury were called out by the Liverpudlian.

He could decide he has had enough now too but I think there is some big money that will be put on the table for Bellew who might be the most attractive name at Cruiserweight or Heavyweight outside of the Champions. I can see the winner of the World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight tournament looking to move up and it makes a lot of sense for whoever that is to target Bellew, although I am not sure it will light the fire in the British fighter in terms of a 'mega fight' even if the true Boxing fans would know exactly who Oleksandr Usyk/Maret Gassiev are.

While Bellew has options, Haye has to be thinking long and hard about calling it a day- he still has some power, which is always the last thing to go, but I think Haye's body just can't do what he wants it to do.

Haye has his faculties intact, has a promotional team picking up the likes of Joe Joyce and will also have a productive career in the media working for Sky/Box Nation.

Take nothing away from his achievements as Haye was one of the best this country has produced, but he can't allow his legacy to be tarnished any more and it's time to hang up the gloves as far as I am concerned.


Last weekend was a tough one for the Boxing Picks with nothing really going the way I anticipated. Joe Joyce and Gennady Golovkin could the stoppage I picked, but it came a couple of Rounds too early each time while I underestimated Bellew for a second time.

This week we have a potential 'Fight of the Year' when Jorge Linares takes on Vasyl Lomachenko and I can't wait to see this one. We also have Hughie Fury and Sadam Ali both back in action too and my thoughts on all three fights are below.

Sam Sexton vs Hughie Fury

The one Fury that most people are looking forward to returning to the ring is Tyson Fury, but his cousin Hughie Fury is back on Saturday after last being seen out-pointed by Joseph Parker in what was a pretty bad fight.

Hughie Fury is a young fighter who is still approaching his peak and Peter Fury made it clear that his son had not performed as he should have in the World Title bout with Parker last year.

Now he comes back to domestic level as he looks to pick up the British Title by ripping it away from Sam Sexton who has previously been beaten by Dereck Chisora (twice) and David Price.

Sexton is speaking the right way with talk about a win pushing him towards a World Title shot, but I do think he has reached his level and winning the British Title is a big achievement for him. He is going to have trouble in this fight against an awkward customer like Fury and Sexton doesn't have the big punch to get himself out of tough situations and at least worry his opponent.

Of course every Heavyweight can punch hard, but Sexton has only nine stoppages in twenty-four wins and the majority of those fights would have come against fighters lesser than Hughie Fury.

I am not completely convinced about Hughie being able to match cousin Tyson because I do think he is not able to throw his punches as he would like. I don't know whether there is an issue with him being able to let go in the ring, but Hughie Fury has only stopped half of the opponents he has beaten and these fights on his resume have not really been against top competition outside of Joseph Parker.

The layers are expecting a more aggressive Hughie Fury on Saturday with that being the main reason his team feel he lost to Joseph Parker last year. That may happen, but I think Fury may go back to type and end up coasting to a wide points decision instead as he refuses to take the risks to really put Sexton away.

All three Sexton losses have come by stoppages, but I'll have a small interest in Fury pulling away for a comfortable points win in what may not be the most exciting fight.

Sadam Ali vs Jaime Munguia

There is no doubt that Sadam Ali has not really been given the credit for his huge upset of Miguel Cotto and that should be keeping the fire burning within the American as he makes his first defence of the WBO Super-Welterweight Title he won that night.

This should have been a chance for Liam Smith to reclaim a World Title having lost this same belt to Canelo Alvarez, but an illness meant he had to postpone his shot until later in 2018.

Step in Jaime Munguia.

Things may have been different for the young Mexican who was the first choice to replace Canelo in the Middleweight World Title fight with Gennady Golovkin, but the boards refused to sanction that bout. Ultimately another opportunity has arrived in his own Division and now Munguia has a chance to show what he is all about.

He is a hard fighter to peg with a strong record but with all but one of his twenty-eight fights taking place in Mexico and against questionable competition. This is no doubt a step up for Munguia but his team are confident he could be the next superstar to come out of Mexico and you can't discount the punching power he possesses.

Ali's stoppage at the hands of Jesse Vargas has been the rod to beat him down for a while now, but I do think the Olympian is going to show his boxing skills and be able to keep his young opponent from truly unloading.

I think Ali may get hurt in the fight if the Munguia power is at the level that some are suggesting, but I expect Ali to show off his experience of being involved in bouts with some decent fighters. That should mean he can come through some of the more difficult moments and I think he is able to make the first defence of his World Title.

Backing Ali to win any way looks the way to go although Munguia is someone who could surprise with the opportunity presented to him.

Jorge Linares vs Vasyl Lomachenko

There is every chance for this to be the 'Fight of the Year' as pound for pound king Vasyl Lomachenko moving up to Lightweight to take on arguably the top fighter in the Division in Jorge Linares.

Vasyl Lomachenko has moved up to try and become a three weight World Champion and there is no doubting the quality of the boxing brain. He is quick, has good feet and show his accumulation of punches can be too much for opponents with a remarkable four straight opponents deciding to quit on their stool.

And it is not as though Lomachenko has handpicked his way through the weights, but instead he is taking on every challenge put in front of him as he looks to cement his legacy.

To take on a bigger man with the quality of Jorge Linares in just his twelfth professional fight is a testament to the kind of man Lomachenko is.

Linares knows all about the pressure of being considered a pound for pound king and admitted he struggled with it. However he has won thirteen straight fights since his last loss but this is a step up terms of class for him and Linares recognises it is an opportunity to cement his own legacy.

I have no doubt that Linares is a top fighter, but I also think Lomachenko is a step up from that level and is a 'once in a lifetime' talent. He is clearly hitting hard enough to break down opponents and that is shown up in the fact that so many opponents have been forced into 'quitting' against him.

I don't think Linares has quit in him, but I do think he cuts up and Lomachenko may begin beating him down in the second half of the fight. I do think Linares has the toughness to go the full 12 Rounds with Lomachenko, but I think the latter is going to putting the accumulation of punches on him which is going to force the late stoppage.

Backing Linares' heart means I think the fight reaches the Championship Rounds but having a small interest in Lomachenko finishing this between Round 9 and Round 12 looks a big price.

MY PICKS: Hughie Fury by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Sadam Ali @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Vasyl Lomachenko Win Between 9-12 @ 4.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Boxing Picks 2017- Vasyl Lomachenko vs Jason Sosa (April 8th)

Any time a potential Pound for Pound Number 1 gets in the ring it is going to be the headline event for me and that is why I have named this thread after Vasyl Lomachenko who headlines the big fight in the United States in the early hours of Sunday morning for those of us in the United Kingdom.

Take nothing away from the card that Frank Warren has put together at the Manchester Arena though with a couple of really big fights there. The best fight of the entire night could be between the two Liams, Smith and Williams, while Terry Flanagan will not want to see Manchester lose a second World Champion in the Lightweight Division after Anthony Crolla was dethroned and then beaten again by Jorge Linares.

It should be a good night of boxing for the fans settling in and my picks are below.

Liam Smith vs Liam Williams

The potential show stealers at the Manchester Arena, and perhaps even the whole night, comes from what many are labelling a 50-50 fight between Liam Smith and Liam Williams. The two fighter should be challenging for the WBO Super Welterweight Title, but Smith is not in a position to win back the belt he lost to Saul Alvarez having failed to reach the limit in the weigh in.

That is a big blow for Smith who has openly stated that he wants to win back the belt he lost to Alvarez in Texas, that being the only defeat either man has suffered. Liam Smith has been really disappointed that so many are giving his opponent a chance in this one as he feels he has been in much better company than Liam Williams, but I do wonder if failing to make the weight says his camp has not been as good as he would have liked.

It is a reason that I can't back Smith to win this one because missing the weight can sometimes be because of reasons that affect the ability in the ring. I tend to agree with him that he has had the bigger and tougher tests than Williams and I would have been interested in backing him if he had come onto the scales and hit his mark.

Williams is unbeaten and that does count for something, while he does hold some power with 11 of his 16 wins coming by stoppage. The Smith Knock Out ratio is not as strong as Williams' but he had won eight in a row by stoppage prior to the defeat to Alvarez and this has all the needle and hallmarks of a fight that will ignite a few times during the course of the time they spend in the ring.

Both men have shown they do possess some power and I will be surprised if the judges are needed in this one. I am leaning towards Smith to show his superior experience to perhaps get this done, but I will keep things simple by looking for this fight to not go the distance at a decent looking price.

Terry Flanagan vs Petr Petrov

A few months ago there were plenty in Manchester perhaps anticipating a huge unification Lightweight fight between two men from their city. Anthony Crolla decided to take on Jorge Linares instead and Manchester now only has the one World Champion at this weight level with Terry Flanagan hoping to avoid the same fate that befell Crolla.

In all honesty, Petr Petrov is not the same level as Jorge Linares and he has losses to the likes of Marcos Maidana and Dejan Zlaticanin on his resume.

The veteran has won six in a row since losing to Zlaticanin, who was most recently seen being wiped out by Mikey Garcia, and Petrov has only been stopped once in his 4 previous losses.

Terry Flanagan might not be as known to the casual fan as someone like Crolla, who had a very good backstory as well as the power of fighting on Sky Sports behind him. However it is Flanagan who has the unbeaten record and he has a couple of solid wins on his resume that have to be respected.

A win here will really open some big doors for Flanagan in this Division with the chance to perhaps entice the winner of the Mikey Garcia-Jorge Linares fight for a huge unification. There is no guarantee that the two stand out names in this Division take that fight next, so a win here will give Flanagan a chance to offer a unification to either which would be a huge step for him.

Flanagan does have his feet on the ground so I would be surprised if he overlooks Petrov knowing a loss would really put him in a tough position to earn the big money fights. There are options outside of the other World Champions to build his name with Crolla and Luke Campbell also in the Division, and I expect a focused Flanagan to be too good for Petrov.

Only 13 of his 32 wins have come by stoppage though and Petrov has shown some durability particularly in going the distance against Zlaticanin who is considered a big puncher. Maidana did stop Petrov, but Flanagan may just put on a solid boxing display and win this one by a wide margin on the cards and keep himself in a position to earn the big fights in the summer and beyond.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Michael Hunter

Some may already consider Oleksandr Usyk the best Cruiserweight in the world (probably not those in the Sky Sports studio and the machine fully behind Tony Bellew) and he has made it clear he wants to unify the Division before moving on to bigger fights at Heavyweight. It took Usyk just 10 fights to win the WBO Cruiserweight Title which surpassed the number of fights it took legendary Evander Holyfield to do the same, and Usyk is making his second defence this weekend.

He has plenty of amateur success to build upon as the 2012 Gold Medal winner at Heavyweight (Anthony Joshua won at Super-Heavyweight) and ultimately Usyk does feel his Division is going to be fighting alongside the big boys.

Usyk won't be taking anything for granted when defending against Michael Hunter who is going to receive the home support and is yet to suffer a loss in the professional ranks. Hunter has the reach advantage, but his CV does not really inspire and we are going to learn a lot about Hunter and what he is capable of at the end of this fight.

I do think the gap he needs to bridge is going to be too much and Usyk has stopped 10 of his 11 professional opponents. Usyk has shown he can box and fight and he will likely need a little time to work out what Hunter is bringing to the table.

I believe Usyk is the superior fighter with a bigger future in the pro ranks and I expect he will show that by wearing down the American over the course of the fight. It might take a couple of Rounds to simply see what Hunter is bringing, but Usyk can start sharp shooting from the southpaw chance and just grind down his opponent.

Usyk has won 10 fights by stoppage and 7 of those have come in the 'second half' of the scheduled Round those fights were set to go. I think Hunter will hold his own for a while, but Usyk can stop him between 7-12 Rounds after working things out through the first half of this World Title fight.

Vasyl Lomachenko vs Jason Sosa

There is so much to admire about Vasyl Lomachenko who would top the list of many fans Pound for Pound Rankings. A stellar amateur career has to be respected, and you could be forgiven for forgetting that Lomachenko is having just his ninth professional fight on Saturday as he is already a two weight World Champion.

One thing nagging at Lomachenko has to be the sole loss to Orlando Salido when beaten on a Split Decision in just his second fight. Some have suggested that Salido will be his next opponent if Lomachenko can defend his title on Saturday and then the Ukrainian would likely move up weight to join a Division featuring Mikey Garcia and Jorge Linares.

First things first, Lomachenko needs to defend his title against the tough Jason Sosa who has shown he can produce plenty of power and has upset favoured opponents in the past. However this might be another step up for Sosa especially if Lomachenko is as sharp as he was in dismissing the challenge of previously unbeaten Nicolas Walters last time out.

Walters is a common opponent for both as his previous fight had been a Decision Draw with Sosa. Boxing isn't a sport where you can make judgements solely on how a fighter has performed against common opponents, but Lomachenko's complete and utter domination of Walters will have raised eyebrows of even his biggest supporters.

Lomachenko has the sharp shooting to wear down fighters and I think that is the likely situation for Sosa. The latter is really tough and getting him out of there early would be a surprise, but I can see Sosa taking more and more punishment as the fight wears on which will leave the referee or his corner in the position to make a decision for him.

That will likely happen some time in the latter half of the fight and I will back Lomachenko to earn another stoppage win with this one coming some time between 7-12 Rounds.

MY PICKS: Liam Smith-Liam Williams Fight to Go the Distance- NO @ 2.50 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Terry Flanagan by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.50 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Oleksandr Usyk Win Between 7-12 @ 3.10 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Vasyl Lomachenko Win Between 7-12 @ 2.88 Paddy Power (2 Units)