Boxing Picks 2018- Erislandy Lara vs Jarrett Hurd (April 7th)

It has been one week since Anthony Joshua added the WBO Heavyweight Title to the WBA and IBF Titles he held already, but the big question for most is what is next for the British superstar.

There has been a lot of talk about Deontay Wilder, but I remain unconvinced that will be the next fight with both Wilder and Joshua potentially signing a deal to have an interim fight each before meeting for all the belts at the end of the year.

Eddie Hearn would have loved to take Joshua over to the United States for his debut on those shores before the Wilder fight, but Joshua himself poured some cold water on that and I think Jarrell Miller has stepped back as the potential next opponent.

Instead it feels like Alexander Povetkin is next after the WBA called their mandatory and the Russian impressed on the undercard last week with a highlight reel KO of David Price. That fight won't be a hard one to make and I can see Joshua vs Povetkin happening in a big Stadium in the United Kingdom in August before a potential clash with Wilder or the long wanted US debut at the end of the year.

For Wilder it would open the door for a defence against Dominic Breazeale, while Dillian Whyte could have his eliminator against Kubrat Pulev which would make him the mandatory for the IBF Title held by Joshua.

Then we have the winner of the David Haye vs Tony Bellew rematch to add to the mix and let's not forget about Tyson Fury who is rumoured to make his return to the ring in June.


Joseph Parker really did endear himself to the UK crowd and media and despite his loss last week I think there is plenty of scope to come again. He wasn't helped by the overzealous refereeing against Joshua, but there is clearly some room for improvement for Parker if he wants to get into a position to have another crack at the Brit.

Parker will likely try and make a fanbase in the UK in the months and years ahead and that seemed clear by suggestions that he could return on the next Joshua bill on the undercard as he looks to rebuild. That would not be a bad business decision for Parker who will have to travel a tough road back to relevance in a Division which is perhaps booming as much as it has in a generation.


On Saturday the Boxing world moves on to another Unification with this one coming in the Light-Middleweight Division which has come alive over the last year. We also have James DeGale on the undercard as he tries to reclaim the IBF Title he lost at Super-Middleweight in a stunning upset back in December and it should be an intriguing night of Boxing for fans at the beginning of another decent month.

Caleb Truax vs James DeGale

It was the shoulder, it was coming back too early, but the excuses will run out for James DeGale if he is not able to reclaim the IBF Super-Middleweight Title from Caleb Truax who was seen as nothing more than a tune up back in December.

DeGale's threats of retirement if he loses have not been as forceful in recent days as they were a couple of weeks ago, but I do wonder where he will go if he is unable to beat what was a fringe contender before the upset in London in December.

Let's get that straight right away- Truax is not one of the elite performers in a deep Super-Middleweight Division.

The win over DeGale boosted his profile, but this is not a fighter I believe will be a long time Title holder barring some very dubious match-making after this rematch.

Truax has been stopped at Middleweight by Daniel Jacobs and it is perhaps not a huge surprise that he is still considered a pretty big underdog in this rematch despite the manner of his win in the first fight.

Perhaps people are believing the DeGale side of the story about being far from 100%, but I won't deny that I have never been a big DeGale fan. Even in some of his biggest wins he has been fortunate to get away with coasting and someone like Truax is not going to allow DeGale to take off many minutes let alone Rounds in this one.

Last year he was beaten up badly twice which is also going to take a toll on the body and the mind and I am not sure DeGale has enough to keep the Champion off him for long enough to win this fight.

There will still be a chance for DeGale to earn a couple of big paydays in his career even in a defeat, but I do think his stamina issues will show up again and I can see Truax outworking DeGale for the victory. That will lead to calls for retirement for DeGale, which would be a shame when you think of the big domestic battles that could be in front of him in this Division.

I do think Truax is being under-rated again and that is motivation enough for him to outwork DeGale for long enough to win this fight and he is worth a small interest to do that.

Erislandy Lara vs Jarrett Hurd

This may not be a fight I could stay up for in the early hours of Sunday morning in the United Kingdom because Erislandy Lara fights can be a tough watch.

However his younger opponent Jarrett Hurd is the kind of pressure fighter that won't take a backwards step in this one and that could at least make things interesting.

The question that will be answered in this one is whether Lara is still at the peak of his powers or whether the Hurd camp are catching him at the right time.

Ultimately I still think Lara has something in the tank and I think his superior boxing skills will come to the fore in this one, even if the rest of the Division would love to see Hurd knock him off and then freeze Lara out.

A controversial Decision has been something that Lara has been on the wrong end of twice before in his career so there could be some more dubious scoring which costs him here. There is no doubt that Lara is not everyone's cup of tea so anything close is likely to go against him, but I think he will show the cleaner boxing in this one and can pick off Hurd as the aggressive American keeps pressing forward.

Lara should have more left than Austin Trout who was worn down by Hurd and I can see Lara picking up the Decision in this one. However I will only have a small interest in that outcome with the concern that a controversial Decision goes against someone who is not the most liked boxer out there because of a perceived negative style.

MY PICKS: Caleb Truax @ 4.33 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Erislandy Lara by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Boxing 2018 Update: 12-13, + 19.38 Units (39 Units Staked, + 49.69% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Callum Smith vs Nieky Holzken (February 24th)

The World Boxing Super Series has been a revelation in the sport and the announcement for at least two more weight classes beginning their own eight man tournament is going to made in the weeks after the two Finals of the Super-Middleweight and Cruiserweight brackets have been completed.

The tournament has captured the imagination of the fans where the Super Six World Boxing Classic didn't although I think the injuries throughout the latter tournament really didn't help matters.

So far the World Boxing Super Series has avoided the big injuries, but that has not been the case in the last few days. George Groves suffered a dislocated shoulder in his win over Chris Eubank Jr which has put his participation in the scheduled June 2nd Final in doubt, while Juergen Braehmer had to remove himself from his Semi Final against Callum Smith with an illness.

It makes me wonder if Braehmar is perhaps considering the possibility of replacing Groves in the Final if the latter is injured and so didn't want to take any chances this week, but that has a hint of conspiracy around it and instead I have to take things at face value.

It's a difficult spot for Smith who travelled to Germany for this Semi Final and now takes on a substitute who only came in earlier this week. Difficult, but a fight I would still expect Smith to win.

Also on Saturday there is another Frank Warren bill being headlined by the likes of Anthony Yarde and Daniel Dubois as they continue their pro education. Both are expected to remain active in 2018 and win dominantly as they have so far in their careers.


Last weekend was a big night of boxing in Manchester and the headline bout between George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr did capture the imagination of the British fight fans.

In hindsight it is an even bigger surprise to me that Eubank Jr went in as the favourite than it was prior to the bout, although his performance earned my respect. Some of the boxing was pretty poor, but Eubank Jr showed incredible toughness and didn't give up which has to be respected no matter what you think of the man.

Like many others, I do think Eubank Jr is not fulfilling his potential by failing to use the tried and tested method of having a real trainer guiding him. Whether he changes or not is a question to be answered, but I struggle to see him beating the really big names either at Middleweight or Super-Middleweight barring some big changes.

Heart can get you so far as he has shown... But the next step needs to be more carefully laid out and Eubank Jr has some big decisions to make.

And no, I would not consider him for the Final if Groves is unable to go.


Over in the States there was more controversial scoring in Texas which saw Victor Ortiz somehow earn a draw with Devon Alexander (and prevented me going 4-0 with my picks last weekend). On another card Danny Garcia also returned with a punishing KO of faded Brandon Rios which has put Garcia in line to have another crack against Keith Thurman, although any rematch won't be scheduled until much later this year if not early 2019.

Anthony Yarde vs Tony Averlant

After the excitement of the Manchester Arena last weekend, this weekend is something of the calm before the storm ahead of a huge night of Boxing next weekend when Kell Brook, Jermall Charlo, Josh Taylor and Andre Dirrell's rematch with Jose Uzcategui all take place before the Deontay Wilder Heavyweight Defence against Luis Ortiz.

Some of the next generation of British talent do get a chance to showcase their talent this week and I am expecting comfortable nights for Daniel Dubois and Anthony Yarde.

This does feel like a keep busy kind of fight for Yarde and I am looking forward to the time when Frank Warren perhaps decides to step things up for him. There is a decent British domestic scene in which he can get involved although whether the British Title route is one Warren is plotting is not very clear.

Instead there has been talk of lining up something like a World Title eliminator or an actual Title shot later in the year, but this is a deep and stacked Division at the World level. Yarde will see more of that next week in New York City where two of the very best are involved in a couple of World Title fights, but for now it is just about getting things done, learning and staying active.

Tony Averlant doesn't provide too much of a threat for Yarde, but he may last a little longer than he did against Juergen Braehmer when stopped in the Second Round back in 2013.

The Frenchman has been durable enough to give Yarde some Rounds having only been stopped twice in nine defeats, but I do think the Yarde power will end up telling and eventually Averlant will be punished sufficiently for the referee to perhaps step in.

While I can see Averlant lasting a little longer than he did with Braehmer, I can't see him going longer than Nikola Sjekola who had never before been stopped before Yarde got him out of there in the Fourth Round. Sjekola had gone the distance with the likes of Callum Smith, Tyron Zeuge and Robert Stieglitz prior to that and I think it does highlight the kind of power Yarde has.

Having a small interest in this one to finish in either the Third or Fourth Round, which are the Rounds in which three of the last four Yarde fights have been concluded, is where I will go with this one.

Callum Smith vs Nieky Holzken

Having an opponent pull out just days before you are due to fight them has to be very, very difficult for Callum Smith to deal with, but the focus on reaching the Super-Middleweight World Boxing Super Series Final set to go at the O2 Arena in London has to offer plenty of motivation for the Liverpudlian.

The problem is that Smith has obviously been preparing for a completely different fighter in Juergen Braehmer who is vastly more experienced than the substitute Nieky Holzen and also fights in a southpaw stance.

There isn't a lot that Smith knows about Holzen and even the wider boxing fan will know there is a significant step up for the Dutchman. He is clearly tough having had success in other combat fields in his career, but this really is a sink or swim situation for Holzen having been thrown into the deep end of this Semi Final.

I like Callum Smith.

He is someone I have believed is capable of going all the way to World Title honours where some of his brothers have just failed to get to. However Callum has long been considered the best of the Smith fighting brothers from Liverpool and many have tipped him up to win this Super-Middleweight tournament.

Smith had a tough night against Erik Skoglund in the Quarter Final, but he was a handy winner and I think the Swede was just a legitimately tough fighter. Even then Smith put him down and the power should see him take out Holzen in this one too.

It may take a little bit of time as Smith perhaps waits to see what kind of fighter is in front of him. He may decide to fight behind the jab being the considerably bigger man in the ring and I think Smith will need to weather an early storm from Holzen who perhaps comes out swinging in a bid to surprise his opponent.

I'd expect Smith to have taken full control of this fight by the middle Rounds though and that is when the I think he will be able to put some of his punches together and find a stoppage. Weathering the early storm and start to time his punches should see the first Four Rounds enter the books, but backing Smith to get this done sometime from the Fifth Round to the Eighth Round looks a good place to be.

MY PICKS: Anthony Yarde Round 3-4 @ 4.00 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Callum Smith Round 5-8 @ 2.87 Boyle Sports (1 Unit)

Boxing Picks 2018: 7-3, + 12.28 Units (18 Units Staked, + 68.22% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018 (February 17th)

The World Boxing Super Series looked an exciting format when it was first announced and so far it has lived up to and perhaps exceeded its billing.

Two unbelievably good Cruiserweight Semi Final fights are in the books and I don't know many boxing fans who won't be looking forward to May 11th when Oleksandr Usyk takes on Murat Gassiev for all of the belts. The winner is going to raise their profile and likely move up to the Heavyweight Division which means some huge fights ahead, while the losing fighter will already have enhanced their reputation and can come again.

Who's to say that there won't be a rematch of the Final if it is as good as we expect the fight to be in Jeddah in early May?


The Super-Middleweight Semi Final fights take the limelight over the next couple of weeks with a real British presence- three of the four fighters left are from the United Kingdom and it is no surprise that the O2 Arena has been announced as the venue for the Super-Middleweight Final in early June.

Callum Smith heads to Germany next weekend, but most of the eyes of the Boxing family will be on the Manchester Arena when George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr meet in a fight everyone I know is looking forward to.

Later on in the evening, Danny Garcia resurfaces for the first time since losing to Keith Thurman last year, but all eyes will be on Groves vs Eubank Jr which has split fans and experts alike.

Tommy Langford vs Jack Arnfield

This is on the undercard of the Groves-Eubank Jr fight at the Manchester Arena as both Tommy Langford and Jack Arnfield look to prove they are the best domestic level British Middleweight.

That British Title currently held by Langford is on the line and it is a fairly close looking fight.

Neither fighter is really known for their KO power and this is going to come down to which of the two has the better boxing ability. Both are tall for the Middleweight limit and both are comfortable boxing, but I do give the slight edge to Langford there and am expecting him to come through with a win on a Decision.

I actually backed Arnfield in his win over Brian Rose last time out, but I thought the fight was closer than the cards and Rose could easily have nicked it. However Rose is on the back end of his career and I think Langford still has enough in the tank to win a fight of this level.

Langford was beaten by Avtandil Khurtsidze in his step up from domestic level, but he does say he has learned from that and I am expecting him to avoid getting dragged into a brawl and instead use the skill he possesses. That approach will show Langford has indeed taken a positive out of his first professional loss and this is a fight in which he doesn't have to worry about the power that is coming from the other fighter.

All credit has to be given to Arnfield for coming in with a six fight winning run since losing to Nick Blackwell when challenging for the British Middleweight Title. He has shown he can make use of his height to try and box to a success, but I think the skill is with Langford in this one and I am expecting him to do enough to win this one on Points.

George Groves vs Chris Eubank Jr

When the Super-Middleweight tournament was put together and the brackets were released, I expected to see George Groves and Callum Smith compete for the Muhammad Ali Trophy.

From the first day that George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr confirmed their place in the Semi Final I have leaned towards Groves winning this one, although I will admit there have been a couple of moments where I have wavered.

I think most are just happy we have got to this stage and there have been no late withdrawals.

That was the concern with Eubank Jr who has seemingly been linked with some huge fights over the last two or three years but has yet to see any of those materialise. Some even suggested this fight would never happen as Eubank Jr would decide to pull out of the tournament, but he has looked confident in the build up and that has seen the odds shift on the fight with Groves now the underdog.

While it has made me think, I am still favouring the only legitimate World Champion in this huge fight which has captured the public's interest.

Groves has had some huge fights already in his career and I think his natural size and strength is a big advantage. The power in the punch is coupled by a boxing brain which sees him work very well, although some will say that his biggest win is a controversial one over James DeGale and Groves has lost to the two best fighters he has faced in Carl Froch and Badou Jack.

That's probably true, but using that to knock Groves is to suggest Eubank Jr is on the same level as those two fighters. Team Eubank will say he is, but proof is always in the pudding and this is the biggest fight Eubank Jr has had since losing to Billy Joe Saunders at the Middleweight level.

Now he is in with a naturally bigger man who can punch hard and I do wonder if Eubank Jr is going to be able to get off with the flashy combinations he did against an old Arthur Abraham and Avni Yilidrim.

Fatigue is a concern with Groves and if Eubank Jr is able to set a fast tempo and able to maintain that over twelve Rounds then I think he can win the fight. Ultimately I have never seen Eubank Jr able to do that against someone who can box as well and hit as hard as Groves and that is why I am leaning towards the latter.

Groves has to make a positive start- he has to be at least 4-2 up through the first half of the fight and I will be looking for him to show that there is more in the tank these days than there was when he fought Froch and DeGale. I actually thought Groves had beaten Badou Jack despite a flash Knock Down in the First Round and I think that and his performance against Martin Murray makes me feel he will have enough in the tank to see off a rallying Eubank Jr.

I find it hard to see Groves stop Eubank Jr, but I think he will hit hard enough to make the latter think about how quickly he wants to get involved in a brawl and I like the way Groves can box.

He didn't look great in the early going against Jamie Cox and Chris Eubank Jr looked very good in his win over Yilidrim which has perhaps seen the odds flip like they have. However I think Groves is very motivated for this one and I liked the way he has looked quietly confident so far so taking a small interest in the legitimate World Champion to win a narrow, and possibly controversial, Decision is the call.

Devon Alexander vs Victor Ortiz

A few years ago this would have been a huge fight in the Light-Welterweight Division, but Devon Alexander and Victor Ortiz are not the same as they once were.

This is clearly a crossroads fight for the pair of them with the losing fighter likely to have a very real think about retiring.

Devon Alexander has blamed some personal problems for his fall from the top of the Division and he has had just one fight in the last two and a half years. He still believes he is capable of challenging the very best fighters at 140 and 147, although I think Alexander is a long shot to really get back into a position to fight for another World Title.

The same can be said for Victor Ortiz who at one time was a huge prospect but has since faced plenty of criticism for the 'lack of heart' he has displayed at times. He has hardly been much more active than Alexander and I think Ortiz is going to be looking for a big shot to end this fight but that is not really something I expect to work against Alexander who have never been stopped before.

Instead I fancy Alexander will win by a wide margin on the cards as Ortiz tries but fails to catch up to him over the 12 Rounds scheduled. There is no doubting that Alexander is the superior boxer and my only doubt would be Ortiz being pulled from the fight or calling it a day if he is not having any success in hurting Alexander.

Ortiz has not gone the full 12 Rounds since an upset win over previously unbeaten Andre Berto in 2011, but Alexander is someone who will look to box his way to a success. I don't think Alexander will be hurting Ortiz to force him to quit, but there is always some reason for Ortiz calling it a day and it will be a mental shut down which stops this fight as far as I am concerned.

Backing Alexander to at least put his name in the headlines with a Decision win is my pick from this bout.

Danny Garcia vs Brandon Rios

This is the first time in over eleven months that Danny Garcia is back in a boxing ring having taken a break following a first professional loss to Keith Thurman. That Unification bout was very close and some have called for a rematch, including Garcia who felt he won the fight, but Thurman has been out of action himself and any potential rematch will have to wait until the end of 2018 at the earliest.

The Welterweight Division is loaded with talent and Danny Garcia returns to try and reclaim his place at the very top of the pile.

Some will argue against Garcia's credentials as he has sometimes flattered to deceive, while others will look at Thurman and Errol Spence Jr as the kings of the Division.

This is the time for Garcia to get back on the right track to force those big fights in the months ahead and he takes on a former contender in Brandon Rios.

Rios' best days were at the Lightweight and Light-Welterweight limits and this is a fighter who hasn't had many fights in recent years. This is only the second fight since Rios was stopped by Tim Bradley in 2015 and I think he is pretty much made to order for Garcia.

He won't want to hear that, but Rios is a come forward aggressive fighter who is going to be set up to take one of the signature left hook counters from Garcia and I think that is going to find its mark and set up the end of this fight. Rios has only been stopped once before in that fight by Bradley, but he is not the same fighter he once was and I can see Garcia breaking him down at the bigger weight.

One of the criticisms of Garcia has been his tendency to fight up and down to the level of his opponent, but he is looking to return with a bang. That will get people talking about him facing the very best in the Division and I can see Garcia finding a stoppage during the course of the 12 Rounds in this one.

MY PICKS: Tommy Langford to Win Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.00 Stan James (2 Units)

George Groves by Decision/Technical Decision @ 5.50 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Devon Alexander by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.62 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Danny Garcia by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Boxing 2018 Update: 4-2, + 6.12 Units (11 Units Staked, + 55.64% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2017- Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin (September 16th)

2017 has already been a spectacular year for Boxing fans, but things might just have reached the pinnacle when Canelo Alvarez faces Gennady Golovkin in Las Vegas in a legitimate 'best versus best' contest that it has been billed as.

This has to be the most anticipated fights of this generation as the two leading Middleweights meet in the centre of the ring.

Across the pond in London we will see the only Middleweight belt that is not on the line in Vegas being fought out between Billy Joe Saunders and Willie Monroe with the winner of that one likely to be matched up with the winner of the Canelo-GGG fight early in 2018. That all depends on the winner of the fight though as Canelo has an immediate rematch clause if he loses, but Golovkin is not going to have the same opportunity, at least not contractually.

The World Boxing Super Series also got underway last week and the first fight in the Super-Middleweight tournament takes place in Liverpool. The Super Series looks set to give us some really good fights in the months ahead until the Finals take place in May 2018 and I am looking forward to a tournament that may introduce new weight classes to this format in 2018 if this tournament and the Cruiserweight one goes as well as expected.

Callum Smith vs Erik Skoglund

The World Boxing Super Series Super-Middleweight tournament really looks a strong line up with only James DeGale missing to make it the perfect eight boxers in the draw as far as I am concerned.

The winner of the tournament is going to be a star and Callum Smith have been tipped up for that position for a number of years. He has been frustrated with a delay in his World Title challenge and it led to him deciding to skip his mandatory position and instead chase World prizes in this tournament where George Groves has brought his title into the mix.

As a 'Seed', Smith got the chance to pick his opponent in the Quarter Final and he also has home advantage with this fight taking place in Liverpool. Smith chose unbeaten Erik Skoglund who has decided to come down from Light-Heavyweight for a chance to enter the Super-Middleweight tournament.

Skoglund is not the bigger man in this one though and his resume is not exactly filled with a lot of recognisable names and I do wonder if the step up to face Smith is one he can handle. His fights have taken place in Sweden and Denmark so this is a huge test of his belief as he travels to an opponent's back yard for a tough opening fight in the tournament.

This isn't an easy fight for Smith either, but I do think he has picked Skoglund knowing he has the size to keep him on the end of the jab and some thudding shots. The Smith resume has just faltered in recent fights as he has waited for his mandatory shot for the WBC Title to materialise, but I still think he has been ticking along at a higher level than Skoglund and I think that will show up in this one.

I do believe Smith will earn the stoppage, but he may have to wait until the second half of the fight as he breaks down Skoglund before ending things.

Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin

This is the fight all Boxing fans should be looking forward to.

Everyone will have landed in their respective camps and there won't be many sitting on the fence as people voice their opinions on this fight.

Personally I have thought Gennady Golovkin was the man at this weight class and I am not going to shift my mind now as I try and escape the building hype around the biggest fight we have prepared for since Manny Pacquiao took on Floyd Mayweather. That fight was a real anti-climax, but I am not expecting this one to be between two fine fighters who won't need to go looking for the other.

The reason so many seem to have flipped to the Canelo Alvarez side has to have something to do with the last two Triple G fights. Kell Brook had his success and I thought the Daniel Jacobs performance also came close to seeing Golovkin upset, and many think that is the blueprint for how to beat the Kazakhstan war horse.

I think both have been overplayed- Brook had has much success as Amir Khan was having against Canelo before both fighters were eventually stopped, and Jacobs came in much bigger than anticipated and had to pick himself up off the floor in that fight.

This time I think Golovkin will be the bigger fighter in the ring and while Canelo is a very good boxer, keeping GGG off has proven to be difficult. Canelo is not as slick as Daniel Jacobs and I am not sure he has enough power, despite having plenty, to keep Golovkin from coming forward and cutting the ring off.

Canelo is a great counter puncher, but GGG doesn't seem to get fazed and his own thudding power may prove the difference towards the end of this fight. At some point I do think GGG will have his man in trouble and it will be how much Canelo can weather to determine if he can get through this fight.

Earning a decision in Las Vegas against the home fighter is going to be very, very difficult for Golovkin and I do think the only way he wins this is by stoppage. I can see Canelo making the better start, but Golovkin edging more and more into the fight in the second half when he is able to start really applying the pressure on his opponent.

A cumulation of punches is what Golovkin uses to wear down opponents and that has every chance of happening here. This is a fight that is going to be a lot of fun to watch on Saturday evening, but I will stick with my original thought when this fight was announced and that is Golovkin by late stoppage.

MY PICKS: Callum Smith Win Between 7-12 @ 3.20 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Gennady Golovkin Win Between 7-12 @ 4.33 Boyle Sports (1 Unit)

Boxing Picks 2017- James Degale vs Badou Jack (January 14th)

I made a decision back in November that I would be adding some picks from the big boxing fights in the 2017 year.

It just happens to be that since that point some huge, intriguing fights had been set to continue a positive trend for the sport which has lost some legendary names in recent years. The reinvigoration of the Heavyweight Division might have been a little static in 2016, but that is unlikely to be the case in 2017 with a big fight already lined up at Wembley Stadium and the return of another Champion from injury.

The Heavyweight Division has always been the benchmark of where boxing stands, but the last few years have shown there are plenty of fighters to admire as you move down the weights. It looks like boxing has finally started figuring out the importance of matching the best with the best and we have some very good looking fights to coming up beginning at the Barclay's Center on Saturday.

Jose Pedraza vs Gervonta Davis

Two unbeaten fighters battle it out for the IBF Super-Featherweight World title as the chief support to the main event and this looks a coming of age party for Gervonta Davis. 'Tank' is a huge prospect in the Floyd Mayweather stable who has been able to bludgeon his way into a position to fight for his first World title.

15 KO's in 16 fights has to be respected and it is clear that Davis has the power in this fight with the unbeaten Champion Jose Pedraza.

The latter will be known to British fight fans having beaten Stephen Smith in his last fight, but there were some signs that Pedraza is the kind of Champion that a prospect like Davis will believe he can beat. That fight with Smith was very close until a ninth round knock down and Davis has to think he can even more success with the body shots that Smith landed on the night.

Coming from the southpaw stance makes Davis more of an awkward customer, but Pedraza is far from an easy night in the office and can be very tough to figure out himself. That makes this a close fight and there isn't much between them with the layers making Pedraza a small favourite.

That might have plenty to do with the fact that Davis is taking a significant step up from previous opponents, although clearly is confident he is ready for this level. The thinking is that Davis has to stop Pedraza to win this fight, while any decision is likely to favour the Puerto Rican fighter, but I am not sure I agree with that.

Pedraza has shown in his last two fights that he doesn't dominate on the scoreboards and Davis has said there is a lot of skills that have yet to be shown. I have to think Mayweather has put his young prospect in there knowing he is capable of boxing where necessary and not just being reliant on what looks like some monster power he possesses.

I think this will be a close fight, but one that will go to the points. While the theory is that Pedraza will win any decision and Davis needs the stoppage, I think the more eye catching shots may come from the latter and that can sway judges. He is the 'home' fighter too and Davis can weather out a few storms in the Championship Rounds as he goes deeper than he has before as a professional fighter.

A small interest on Davis winning a close decision looks a decent price here.

James Degale vs Badou Jack

This is the chance to open 2017 with a Unified Champion at Super-Middleweight and it has all the makings of a really good fight between James Degale and Badou Jack.

Both men have looked improved since winning World titles and there is another big fight looming for the winner with Callum Smith likely next in line for a shot at the titles. Smith has the making of a Superstar, so my heart would love to see Degale win and set up yet another huge domestic fight.

To me there is little doubt the superior skills are going to be with Degale in this fight who has shown speed and an ability to punch from a number of angles, while switching stance to keep opponents guessing where the next punch is coming from. That has seen Degale make some really fast and impressive starts to his fights, but 'The Road Warrior' has some negative attributes that Jack can take advantage of.

The main area is the conditioning of Degale, although he has employed a new Coach to help him improve on that front. It has been clear in a few of his fights that Degale does slow down in the second half of fights and that allows opponents to stay with him on the scorecards and the steadiness of the Jack methods might just mean he is never too far behind.

It has to be expected that the first half of the fight will mainly lean towards Degale and it is important for him to win at least five of the first six rounds in a fight that I am expecting to reach the scorecards. If Jack is able to sneak one or two more rounds there, I do think he is capable of being the stronger finisher with Degale sometimes taking time off in rounds to save some energy.

Now the British fighter says that is no longer an issue for him, but I have to see that to believe that. I do think Jack's ability to fight at his tempo from the first round through to the end of the twelfth may just give him a chance to win a narrow decision in this one in what could be a controversial ending.

Jack has some power behind him too as he showed when knocking down George Groves on the way to what was a controversial decision over Degale's old rival. I think he could give Degale some problems with that, although the flash is definitely with the Brit and that could potentially see the judges favour his style a little more than Jack's.

However I do think there is a real chance Jack can start winning a lot of the rounds in the second half of the fight which helps him turn this one and backing him to win in what could be a split decision is the call. I am not going to worry how the decision comes, but simply Jack gets it in New York. I'd love to see Degale do it and set up a huge fight with Callum Smith in England in June, but I will have a small interest in Jack for the decision win at a big price in what could be a close and competitive fight throughout.

MY PICKS: Gervonta Davis Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 5.50 Coral (1 Unit)

Badou Jack Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 6.00 Betfair Sportsbook (1 Unit)