Boxing Picks 2020- Charlo Twins and Josh Taylor (September 26th)

Like many sports in the United Kingdom, Boxing promoters have been waiting to see whether the government were going to allow ANY fans into Arenas for the big Boxing fights that are set to be scheduled for the final quarter of the terrible 2020 year.

Over the past week it has been announced that new restrictions are going to be place for up to six months and that has effectively postponed any attempt to bring fans back into Stadiums for sporting events.

It could be a big blow for many sports, but Boxing has a habit of getting on with the job and that has seen some big cards announced either side of the Atlantic. The three top Heavyweights are all expected to be in action before the end of the year with the promoters looking to avoid stagnating careers, while in the UK the big fights between Oleksandr Usyk and Dereck Chisora and the rematch between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte have been announced for the coming weeks.

At least that will keep the fans entertained during what could be the difficult winter months where restrictions might become much tighter as they were back in March and April.

This weekend Boxing fans are spoilt with some top fights scheduled across three different venues- I am a huge Josh Taylor fan so it will be brilliant to see him back in action before he, hopefully, can move onto the big Unification fights and potentially moving up in weight in 2021. The WBSS Cruiserweight Final looks to be one filled with huge punches and has finally been scheduled for this weekend, while the Charlo Twins head up a PPV in the United States on what is a stacked card and with some uncertainty as to how the two main events will develop.

That uncertainty builds intrigue and I am looking forward to an evening on the sofa and will be completely unaffected by pubs now closing at 10pm rather than 11pm.

I am stunned that none of the big sporting channels in the United Kingdom have picked up the Charlo card, but over the coming weeks and months they are going to be focusing on building their own PPVs and perhaps the cost was too much. At this time it feels like the costs are going to be placed on the consumers head rather than the big networks and that means we have a number of PPV events coming up which will also mean picking and choosing which cards you are willing to pay for.

Over the last couple of years the PPV market in the United Kingdom is certainly not as strong as it was in the years before that and outside of Anthony Joshua it is very hard to know where people are willing to spend their money. I can see the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder 3 card and the Alexander Povetkin-Dillian Whyte being popular, but the other cards that have been suggested for PPV will find it much tougher at a time when people are suffering financially.

Charlie Edwards vs Kyle Williams

It has been over a year since we last saw Charlie Edwards in the ring and he has since moved promoters and also weight.

He actually will be up two Divisions when he enters the ring on Saturday, and the long-term plan may be to drop back to Super-Flyweight which is where some massive fights could potentially await, but Edwards has to make a statement here.

The last time we saw him he was very fortunate to escape with his World Title at Flyweight after it was ruled that Julio Cesar Martinez had hit Edwards while he was already ruled down. Regardless of the result, Charlie Edwards knew his time was over having felt drained boiling down to the weight and he has spoken about being much stronger at his current level.

Charlie Edwards is a big favourite to get the better of Kyle Williams who has come up short when fighting for British and European belts at this weight. That may mean Williams feels like the naturally bigger man, but he is going to have to bridge some levels to make this a competitive contest.

Only one of his two defeats have come by Stoppage, but I think Charlie Edwards will be able to break him down over the course of the Ten Rounds. He isn't exactly known for stoppage powers with six of his fifteen wins coming inside the distance, but Edwards does feel he can make more of an impact at this weight compared with his previous one.

I think this fight has been put together for Edwards to do that and he might be able to move through the gears and show his superior quality as the Rounds progress. Kyle Williams is unlikely to want to cover up and see it through to the bell and when he takes chances Charlie Edwards can make him pay.

A small interest in a late Stoppage is the play here.

Ricards Bolotniks vs Hosea Burton

The Golden Contract tournament has captured the imagination of Boxing fans in Europe and the Semi Final of the Light Heavyweight tournament takes place on Saturday evening in Latvia.

That is where the home hope Ricards Bolotniks will be hoping to back up his upset win in the Quarter Final when he takes on the favourite for the tournament in Hosea Burton.

The second Semi Final is going to be fought during the week, but both Bolotniks and Burton will not be worrying about that and are instead feeling pretty good about their chances of winning this fight.

Ricards Bolotniks crushed unbeaten Steven Ward in One Round in Brentwood back in December, but I don't know if you can read too much into that victory. He has won five fights in a row, but Bolotniks has also been beaten five times already in his career and I do think Hosea Burton is a real step up in class for him to deal with.

The favourite had a fairly comfortable win in his own Quarter Final as he took a Unanimous Decision, but Burton will be disappointed with the way his career has somewhat stalled in the last few years. Hosea Burton lost to Frank Buglioni, the sole defeat he has on his record, but that was back in 2016 and this will only be the eighth fight since then.

He has been linked with some bigger names, but Burton has not really been able to push forward and that is what makes this Golden Contract tournament so important for him. I do think he should be able to put some on Bolotniks in this fight and I do think that will give Burton every chance of making a statement ahead of any potential Final.

I am not buying the suggestion that Burton can end this in the first stanza, but I do think Ricards Bolotniks won't be very hard to find and eventually the bigger hitting of Hosea Burton should pay off.

I think the British fighter can avoid trying to win a Decision away from home by finding the stoppage at some point over the course of Twelve Rounds.

Josh Taylor vs Apinun Khongsong

The Coronavirus crisis has put a number of Boxers on hold in their career, but the decision was made by Josh Taylor's people that he needs to get out there and get his mandatory out of the way.

There is no doubt that Taylor would love to Unify the Light Welterweight Division and then perhaps move up for some monster fights, but he does want to clear things out in his own Division. Last year he won the World Boxing Super Series Light Welterweight tournament with an impressive victory over Regis Prograis and that makes Josh Taylor a big favourite to win a fight like this one.

To be perfectly honest it is hard to know what to expect from Apinun Khongsong who has won sixteen pro fights and thirteen by stoppage to move into the mandatory spot. Only one of those fights have taken place outside of Thailand, but the 24 year old will feel he can hurt Taylor if he has been underestimated.

Realistically it would be a big surprise if Josh Taylor was caught out, although I do think he might take a bit of time to warm up having been out of the ring for almost twelve months. The counter punching should open things up for Taylor as the fight develops and I do think by the mid-Rounds he will be in complete control and landing some spiteful punches of his own.

Josh Taylor hits plenty hard and I think the big test for Apinun Khongsong will be how much punishment he is going to be willing to take- I don't think the Thai fighter will fold quickly, but by halfway it should be a one-sided bout and I believe the corner or the referee may have to step in at around that point.

Mairis Briedis vs Yuniel Dorticos

The World Boxing Super Series has had some problems in the time it has been in operation, but they have also managed to do what they set out to and that is create some real stars.

The previous Cruiserweight Tournament crowned Oleksandr Usyk as the man to beat and he has since become a very big name, and the second running of the Cruiserweights has been brilliant to watch.

Finally we have the Final set to go as Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos meet in Germany and I honestly can't see this being anything but a big hitting contest. At any time you may see a punch that swings the contest in favour of one of the fighters and I do think it will be a contest that ends with one of the Boxers unable to go any further.

It is hard to know who should be favourite- I am a big fan of Yuniel Dorticos, but Mairis Briedis has shown tremendous resiliency and hits very well himself. Either way I would be a little surprised to hear the final bell sound in this one and am going to look for one of the Boxers to put enough punches together to announce themselves as the Champion and man to beat in the Division going forward.

Daniel Roman vs Juan Carlos Payano

This is not quite a crossroads bout for Daniel Roman, but it will be a long way back to relevancy if he was to be beaten by Juan Carlos Payano.

That is no disrespect to Payano who is a former World Champion, but he has been stopped by the elite of the Division in two of his last three fights and at 36 years old I do wonder how much is left in the tank.

Daniel Roman is also coming in off a loss as he lost his WBA and IBF World Super Bantamweight titles, but he had won nineteen fights in a row before that. The narrow loss to Murodjon Akhmadaliev would have hurt Roman, but I do think this is a bout that has been put together for him to show there is plenty more to come from him.

He does only have ten stoppages from twenty-seven wins on his resume which is a concern about whether Roman has the power to get this done inside the distance like Naoya Inoue and Luis Nery managed to do against Juan Carlos Payano. However Daniel Roman has shown enough to put plenty of recent fighters down on their backside and I do think he can break down Payano in this one and force someone to step in on behalf of the former Champion.

It definitely feels like a fight that may go more along the lines of the Nery win over Payano rather than the Inoue win and I think Daniel Roman will return to winning ways and position himself to have another crack at a World Title sooner rather than later.

Brandon Figueroa vs Damien Vazquez

At the end of 2019 Brandon Figueroa may have lost his 100% record as a professional Boxer, but he remains unbeaten after being given a Draw when facing Julio Ceja. The American thought he had done enough that day,

He hits hard and this does feel like a showcase kind of fight for Figueroa who puts his World Title on the line against Damien Vazquez.

The 23 year old has won fifteen of the seventeen professional fights he has had, but Damien Vazquez has not really mixed in top company too often. His resume certainly does not look anything as strong as Brandon Figueroa's and Damien Vazquez' sole loss came to Juan Carlos Payano who sandwiched that win with Knock Out losses of his own.

The big test for Vazquez is showing he can handle the power of Brandon Figueroa and I am not sure that is going to be the case. The Champion can really get on top of his opponents very quickly and I do think he will get Damien Vazquez out of there to announce that he is ready for bigger fights.

Brandon Figueroa should have the power to get to Damien Vazquez early and I think that will lead to a stoppage in the first half of this bout.

John Riel Casimero vs Duke Micah

If it wasn't for the Coronavirus crisis, John Riel Casimero would have already have had a Unification bout with Naoya Inoue in the books in 2020. Instead the delay has meant he has had to look elsewhere and he defends his title against the unbeaten Ghanaian Duke Micah.

At 31 years old Casimero is unsurprisingly the favourite having last been seen ripping the World Title out of the hands of Zolani Tete in a Three Round whitewash. It was a hugely impressive performance and means the Filipino has won five fights in a row and all of those have come in stoppage victories.

His opponent is unbeaten but a look through the Duke Micah resume doesn't really have many names that standout and it is a big step up for him. He has to be respected having won nineteen of his twenty-four fights with a stoppage, but that may also mean Micah is going to be willing to stand and trade with Casimero which can only be music to the ears of the Champion.

John Riel Casimero may still get the shot at Inoue he is desperate to have, but that means he can't afford to overlook this opponent. The style of Micah may actually help Casimero make a statement of intent in this one and I do think he can win something of a shoot out as he shows the levels that are needed in Boxing to get to the very top and I will back the favourite to win this fight in the first half that has been scheduled.

Jermall Charlo vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko

The card might look pretty stacked, but I have little doubt that best one of the night comes from the Middleweight Division as Jermall Charlo defends his World Title against Sergiy Derevyanchenko.

We have seen this Charlo Twin being on the right side of a controversial Decision in recent times where his brother was perhaps an unfortunate loser, but this does look the most difficult test that Jermall Charlo would have faced.

Sergiy Derevyanchenko has a long amateur career and he has moved into the professional ranks and already taken on the likes of Daniel Jacobs and Gennady Golovkin. He lost both, controversially, and the only really worry for the Ukrainian is that those two tough fights have sapped some of the gas tank.

He is a quality Boxer like many coming out of the Ukraine, and there will be little give as far as Derevyanchenko is concerned. He will believe he is the better Boxer of the two and only the early Knock Downs suffered in both defeats have ended up proving costly on the cards.

Jermall Charlo is not short of power so I am a touch concerned that he could tag Derevyanchenko and give himself the edge by finding a Knock Down or two to swing things in his own favour. The American is a sharp counter puncher and I think that has to be something Derevyanchenko has to be aware of.

However I do really like Sergiy Derevyanchenko and I do think he is the kind of Boxer that can keep the pace high enough to take the Rounds when Charlo is perhaps sitting back and waiting to find a big punch to counter. There is always the chance that the Ukrainian will be three Rounds down on the local cards before the fight has even begun which makes getting a Decision very difficult on the night, but the controversial Decisions already made against Derevyanchenko should be on the minds of the judges.

I have thought for a while that this is a difficult fight for Charlo and only Derevyanchenko leaving something in the ring at the end of his defeat to Golovkin may prove to be the difference. If the Ukrainian has prepared as he did for the fights with Jacobs and GGG, I do think he can cause an upset here and has to be worth a small interest to win this one on the cards.

It would be a huge surprise if Derevyanchenko could force a stoppage so I do think this is the only way in which he can rip the WBC title away, but it is hard to oppose Jermall Charlo as the 'A' name in the bout.

Jermell Charlo vs Jeison Rosario

They tossed a coin to decide which of the Twins would be main eventing this card in the final fight of the evening and it is Jermell Charlo who won out. He will be looking to Unify the Light Middleweight Division with three of the four main belts on the line in this one and Charlo is the favourite to do that.

Most would have expected Julian Williams in the other corner and the easy storyline that would have been able to produce, but Jeison Rosario had other days. In a huge upset, Rosario stopped Williams to rip the belts from him and he will head into this fight with a lot of confidence.

You can't blame him for doing so, but there is still a feeling that Williams underwhelmed rather than Rosario being a world beater and I do think that Charlo will be able to ride out some early pressure to eventually take control of this one.

He may not be as strong as Jermall, but Jermell Charlo hits plenty hard himself and I can see him grinding down Jeison Rosario as the latter perhaps gets a little reckless the longer the fight goes. In the early Rounds I do think Charlo will want to keep control of things and not allow himself to fall into the Rosario rhythm or the fight he wants, but instead frustrating his opponent and exposing any mistakes made.

Eventually I do think Charlo will be able to get himself into a position where he is moving forward and imposing himself on Rosario and he should be able to put the punches together to force the corner or the referee to make a decision. It will take a bit of time to just start timing Rosario and I think that is why Charlo may have to wait until the Championship Rounds to Unify and perhaps end the night as the only one of the Twins with their straps having suffered an upset loss to Tony Harrison and needing to reclaim his titles before.

MY PICKS: Charlie Edwards Between 6-10 @ 6.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Hosea Burton to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 3.50 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Josh Taylor Between 5-8 @ 2.87 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Mairis Briedis-Yuniel Dorticos Fight to go the Distance? NO @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daniel Roman Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)\

Brandon Figueroa Between 1-6 @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

John Riel Casimero Between 1-6 @ 2.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Sergiy Derevyanchenko Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.80 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jermell Charlo Between 7-12 @ 3.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing Picks 2019- Regis Prograis vs Josh Taylor (October 26th)

We all love and Boxing and when you do you can't help but feel a little broken when a story like Patrick Day's comes along.

In Boxing it is rare to find someone about whom no one seems to have a bad word for and I think that makes digesting his passing that much tougher for fans, fighters and promoters alike. It's always hard to be honest and another reminder of what everyone is risking when they step between the ropes.

All of these competitors should be respected and not ridiculed for trying to better themselves or pursuing the passions they have. Some will become the superstars they are dreaming of becoming, while others will fall short, but we shouldn't forget what these men and women are willing to do for our entertainment and as fans of a wonderful sport I do hope people can sympathise a little more when corners decide to pull their fighters from taking unnecessary punishment and also when referees edge towards a cautious approach to stoppages rather than allowing things to go too far.

RIP Patrick Day.


I needed a couple of weeks to really digest the news and warriors like Patrick Day won't be soon forgotten. There is no way that Day himself would have wanted the Boxing world to grind to a halt and instead we have to look forward to what is coming up without forgetting those who have paved the way before.

Some of my biggest heroes have come from this sport and there are plenty of Boxers out there who will inspire the next generation with many becoming real role models to show there are paths to success out there for those willing to put in the hard graft.

A new superstar is likely to be made by the end of this weekend when the first of the Season Two World Boxing Super Series Finals is concluded at the O2 Arena in London. It is the main event of a stacked card which I am focusing on for the Boxing Picks this week with four big fights on the night of interest.

You can read my thoughts below on those as well as the Boxing 2019 update at the bottom of the thread.

Yves Ngabu vs Lawrence Okolie

The latest step up in the career of Lawrence Okolie takes place on Saturday night in one of the early fights on the loaded card at the O2 Arena in London.

He is pushing to become European Champion in only his fourteenth professional fight and Okolie continues to learn on the job. He has experience as an amateur, but it is not a deep experience and some of this fights have been worse than watching paint dry, but you can't deny the raw tools he has at his disposal.

There is clearly some pop there and his height and range is going to make things very tricky for Cruiserweight opponents even if Okolie still feels some way short of the elite of the Division that we have seen in the World Boxing Super Series. He isn't miles away from those fighters and Okolie is moving up the World Rankings with a couple of the organisations out there, but I do think The Sauce still has to get through a few more fights to learn his craft before kicking on to World level.

We are going to see a tough fight for Okolie on Saturday when he takes on an unbeaten Champion in Yves Ngabu who has been talking up his own chances. I do have to say that there is not a deep resume to look at with the Belgian fighter, but Ngabu is in the top 15 of the World Rankings and he has shown some heavy hands in his career too.

However the Knock Outs have slowed down as he has stepped up his level and he did go beyond Eight Rounds for the first time in his last fight when defending this Title for the second time. I do think his tactics will be to try and get in close and rough up Okolie, but the British fighter has shown he can spoil very quickly and I think he is going to begin to pick off someone charging into his space.

You do have to question whether Okolie begins to get bogged down with his work the longer he has to be in the ring. Only one fighter who has heard the bell for the Fifth Round has been stopped by Okolie, while the other three in that situation have all managed to get to the cards and much of this one is going to depend on how much resistance Ngabu has early in the contest.

Once he has felt the power and dealt with it, Ngabu could make this a very rough outing for Okolie although I do think it will be very difficult to win a decision in London against the home fighter even as the Champion. This might not be a very good watch in the second half of the fight as Lawrence Okolie perhaps gets into a situation where he is making sure he is putting Rounds in the bank without taking big risks.

Backing Okolie to win on the cards is my call here at a decent price.

Lee Selby vs Ricky Burns

A few months ago we had James DeGale vs Chris Eubank Jr which was billed as something of a 'retirement fight' with the loser really struggling to have anywhere to go. On that day DeGale was beaten pretty comfortably and duly announced his retirement in the following days and I would not be surprised if we see that happening with the losing fighter in this one too.

Both Ricky Burns and Lee Selby are the wrong side of 30 years old and both have had solid careers. Overall you definitely have to give the edge to Ricky Burns for the achievements he has had, while many are questioning why Selby kept trying to make 126 for as long as he did when he was clearly struggling to get down to weight.

It was a surprise to hear Selby say he had one or two issues getting down to 135, but I think that might be a few mind games at work. What I do know is that Selby looked pretty average in his debut at this weight and is now facing someone who is clearly the bigger man, although not someone with a huge punch.

Ricky Burns did stop Scott Cardle eleven months ago, but that says more about the lack of punch resistance Cardle has than the power of the Scotsman. His last two big fights have both resulted in Decision defeats and I do think Burns is still resilient enough to get to the cards which means Selby is going to have to outwork him to win this one.

Any time I have watched Selby I do get the feeling of someone doing just enough to win his fights, but he is going to be made to work very hard in this one with the way Burns takes to his task. I am not sure that is appealing to Selby and I can see Burns pushing forward and landing enough to take this one.

Omar Douglas made the 'Welsh Mayweather' look pretty ordinary in the last fight Selby had back in February and I am not sure there is as much desire in Lee Selby as Ricky Burns even though he is the younger man. Lee Selby is a decent Boxer and I do think he will have his moments in this one, but I am looking for Burns to just outwork him and as the underdog I think he is worth backing.

Dereck Chisora vs David Price

This all British fight is another where the winner might move on to a big fight or two, while the loser is going to struggle to find a new path in their career.

It feels like David Price has been in that situation for a while now, but even through losses the Liverpudlian keeps finding a way to bounce back and re-motivate himself to reach the World stage he believes he belongs at. A defeat to David Allen would have been very hard to move past though and Price produced a very strong performance to see off a limited opponent who had some momentum behind him.

I can imagine the tactics are going to be similar in this one as Price looks to use his superior Boxing skills to break down another pressure fighter. However Dereck Chisora is a couple of levels above someone like David Allen and if he is focused he is certainly capable of closing the gap and forcing Price to work much more than Allen did.

David Price has twenty-five wins in his professional career, but the win over Allen is only the second time he has won a fight that has gone beyond the Sixth Round. A predictable Allen did not tax Price in the same way others have to empty the gas tank of the big man, but I would be stunned if that is the case when Chisora is in the ring with him.

Personally I am not a huge fan of Chisora- he has been involved in some entertaining fights in his career, but for me he is well promoted which makes people believe he is much better than he is. There is definitely a ceiling with Chisora, but I am not convinced Price is above that and as long as the former is motivated enough with this replacement he should be capable of breaking down the bigger man.

Dereck Chisora still has some solid punch resistance so should be able to get through the most dangerous portion of the fight which is the first four Rounds. As long as he makes Price work like Kash Ali did even though the Midlands fighter let himself down by deciding to bite in a fight that might have been going his way at that point.

I do think Chisora will have cleverer pressure than Allen and his movement and punching power is beyond the level that Allen can produce. If he gets through the first four Rounds, I think Chisora will be taking over the fight and it is worth backing him to earn a Stoppage between the Fifth and Eighth Round.

Regis Prograis vs Josh Taylor

I have been pretty high on Josh Taylor and his capabilities for some time now- this is a fighter as good as any at 140 and also has the size to move into the loaded Welterweight Division.

The best way to move up to that killer of a Division is to win this fight and be a Unified Champion which would make him a bona fide superstar. It will open the door to some huge outings with Taylor likely to be the next British fighter to head Stateside and with a huge following behind him.

All of that is going to be set on the foundation of winning the World Boxing Super Series Light Welterweight Final on Saturday.

And doing that won't be easy at all.

Regis Prograis is considered the next big breakout fighter in the United States and the unbeaten Champion is someone I've really begun to like more and more as his profile has built. He is someone you can root for and it makes it easier for me to make a prediction on the fight because I don't think I am letting my heart rule my head here.

I have felt for some time that Taylor can win this fight and that despite some of the suggestions that he might not be making 140 as easily as he would like. Josh Taylor was good on the scales on Friday and it was actually Prograis who needed to strip off to get under the 140 limit, although I don't think he looked like he was struggling either.

Both are quality fighters and I do think they will gel together quite well- Prograis is perhaps the slightly superior defender, but I think Taylor might have the slight edge when it comes to the power. It makes for a fascinating fight and I do think there will be some really close Rounds with Taylor perhaps on the front foot and Prograis picking his punches.

I would not be surprised if this comes down to what the judges like on the day, but we do need to find a winner and a fourth referee is in operation in this one. One Knock Down for either fighter could be huge on the day and I think there is every chance there will be some controversy attached to the outcome.

Being closer to home might be key for Taylor in a close fight and I do think both have the kinds of resumes that have to be respected. Regis Prograis might have the superior record on the face of things, but it isn't overwhelmingly in his favour and I am also not convinced he has the better chin of the two fighters either.

This is going to be an absolute beast of a fight, but I think Taylor might edge it with the judges favouring his style on the night. Regis Prograis will have his moments and Josh Taylor will have to ride out some difficult times, but I think he has shown he can do that and adjust within a fight and that should be key for him here.

Don't be surprised if we get to see this again next year, but in the United States, as Taylor gets the nod in a close one.

MY PICKS: Lawrence Okolie to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Ricky Burns to Win @ 2.50 William Hill (2 Units)

Dereck Chisora to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Josh Taylor to Win @ 2.37 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Boxing 2019: 21-43, + 0.87 Units (98 Units Staked, + 1% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2019- Deontay Wilder vs Dominic Breazeale (May 18th)

The last weekend might not have offered the kind of Boxing that had the casuals engrossed, but whenever two belts are being defended in a Division like the Light-Middleweight one you have got to stand up and take notice.

Jarrett Hurd might have been the big favourite, but Julian Williams deserved his win in what has to be the best fight I have watched in 2019. Neither man took a backwards step, but Williams showed he has learned plenty from his sole loss to Jermall Charlo and he deserves to be set amongst the very best in the Division.

A rematch has to be next on the agenda for both, although it may depend on what happens in the already scheduled rematch between Tony Harrison and Jermell Charlo coming up next month. If Charlo wins there is every chance we get to see a third fight between those two, although there is an easy story to put together if a Unification with Williams is made having seen twin brother already beat J-Rock.

Emanuel Navarrette and Miguel Bercholt both made good on their first wins over Isaac Dogboe and Francisco Vargas by stopping those opponents faster than they did in the initial bouts. Both are moving on looking for big names in and around their Divisions, while Dogboe's bubble may have burst even at 24 years old.

He is talking about moving up a Division, but Dogboe is blessed with a big heart and not the same stature and that makes it hard to see how he is really competitive when moving up weights.

This Saturday we have some decent looking fights on paper and one exceptional one in Glasgow.

I am very high on Josh Taylor so am looking forward to seeing if he can become a World Champion in the World Boxing Super Series Semi Final against Ivan Baranchyk which takes place in Scotland. On the same night Billy Joe Saunders is hoping to pick up the WBO Super Middleweight Title which has been left vacant since Gilberto Ramirez made it clear he is moving to Light Heavyweight.

Later on is the WBC Heavyweight Title fight between Deontay Wilder and Dominic Breazeale- I've had my say on the farcical nature of the top of the Heavyweight Division after what has been a solid eighteen months to reinvigorate interest up to the Wilder vs Tyson Fury fight last December. As I have said before, I am not sure any of the top three will be facing each other in 2019 and to be fair to Wilder this may be the best of the fights the three have lined up over the next month.

Last week the Boxing Picks went 1-2, but once again a slight profit can be added to the numbers which continue to be turned around after a poor start to 2019. Not for the first time I was one more second from a winner as a fighter was retired in the corner between Rounds, but I do think I  am on the right road.

One Pick was pretty shoddy and very quickly looked to be the wrong choice so I am not going to complain about that one at all.

Joe Joyce vs Alexander Ustinov

There hasn't been a lot of exciting news from the very top of the Heavyweight Division, but there are a number of UK fighters who are trying to position themselves into a spot where they could be tasked with fighting one of the top three names out there.

One of those who has seemingly spoken about being in a rush to get to the top is Joe Joyce who was late to the professional game after having a decent amateur career. At 32 years old time is not on the side of Joyce who wants to fight for big titles, while I have to say I am not sold on him at all as being capable of challenging the best in this Division.

And not for the first time Joyce seems to be someone that promoters are struggling to know what to do with. Now he has aligned with Frank Warren and it sounds like he is hoping to go the WBA route by picking up their Regular Title and then perhaps facing Anthony Joshua for the 'Super Champion' Belt.

The fact he keeps moving promoters and trainers is a concern, but Joyce has continued winning and that means he is in a good position to at least give himself a shot at winning a World Title. I can't see him beating those top guys as I have said, but I think he will be matched up well and that begins with this fight against Alexander Ustinov.

A couple of fights ago Ustinov fought for what was then the vacant WBA Regular Title, but he was beaten by Manual Charr and was dropped in that fight. His last outing saw the 42 year old battered for nine Rounds before Michael Hunter was able to force the stoppage and I think the fact that Joyce is basically the same size means Ustinov is going to take more of a beating in this one than he did against Hunter.

Joe Joyce doesn't have the speed of Hunter, but this shouldn't be anything more than a showcase fight for the Brit who is out for a second time in 2019. He is expected back out in July on the big Daniel Dubois vs Nathan Gormon card that Frank Warren is putting together so Joyce won't want to be overly taxed in this one.

He doesn't hit as hard as his eight Knock Outs from eight fights may suggest, but I don't think Ustinov will be hard to find. It took Joyce Six Rounds to finish of Bermane Stiverne, but I think this one might be slightly quicker and backing him to get the job done in the first half of the fight is the pick.

Billy Joe Saunders vs Shefat Isufi

When you boil things down to the bottom line you can't help but be disappointed with Billy Joe Saunders' career so far.

No one can dispute the obvious talent Saunders has, but he has had too many long lay-offs and losing his WBO Middleweight Belt without fighting thanks to a failure of a drugs test only adds to the frustrations.

So much more was expected of Saunders, but that talent I mentioned means promoters are not ready to give up on him. He can become a real player at 160 and 168 if he can knuckle down and become a two weight World Champion, although Saunders may have to wait in line to get his crack at some of the biggest names out there like he wants to.

He is a big favourite to beat Shefat Isufi on Saturday and there is nothing Isufi has done in his career to really think he is going to upset the odds. The Serbian born German fighter might show some toughness and he will want to demonstrate he belongs at this level, but his skills shouldn't really be a match for Saunders who has beaten much better company than the one he is facing on Saturday.

The layers seem to think it is going to be an early night for Saunders, but I think Isufi might show a little more desire to compete than it is believed. He has three losses on his resume, but only one of those came in a stoppage when the corner pulled him out and so Isufi has to be respected in this one.

Only thirteen of Saunders' twenty-seven wins have come by stoppage and it does feel like this could be a fight that sees him coasting to a comfortable win on the cards. I can see Isufi demonstrating enough heart to keep going, but Saunders should be winning the Rounds and I think the question then becomes how much the visiting fighter will want it.

If he is down by a healthy margin going into the Tenth or Eleventh Round there is a chance the corner will want to shut it down. However I think Isufi's team may feel going the distance is a win for their man and I am going to have a small interest on the visitor hearing the bell, but Billy Joe Saunders ending the night as a two weight World Champion.

The new partnership with Ben Davison has seen Saunders get into fantastic shape for this fight and I think he will be pushing to finish this fight where he can. But Davison is also showing off his tactical nous as a Head Trainer and I think he will keep Saunders grounded and make sure he is not chasing a KO but winning every Round and showing the rest of the Division, and those below at Middleweight, that his man is ready for the big fights as soon as September.

Naoya Inoue vs Emmanuel Rodriguez

I have been critical of some of the cards that have been offered to the UK fans in 2019, but this one in Glasgow from the World Boxing Super Series deserves all the credit it is given.

It is not often that we can get to see a special fighter like Naoya Inoue on these shores and especially not when he is going up against a non-British opponent. 'The Monster' is on most pound for pound top ten lists and some would have him much higher than that as he continues to wreak havoc in the lower weight Divisions.

He came up to Bantamweight and ripped the WBA World Title from Jamie McDonnell and then defended it impressively in the Quarter Final of this tournament. Now Inoue has the chance to become a Unified Bantamweight World Champion and there are some major doors opening to the Japanese star.

Remaining focused is the key for Inoue who will know those same doors will be slammed shut if he is upset in this Semi Final. He is fighting an unbeaten World Champion in Emmanuel Rodriguez as they both chase to Unify the WBA Belt with the IBF one the Puerto Rican holds, but Inoue is a strong favourite and has been speaking with a lot of confidence this week.

Rodriguez has the confidence of being unbeaten, but there have been one or two signs that he is also appreciating the size of the task in front of him. It was a tougher than expected Quarter Final win for Rodriguez against Jason Moloney and I do think the early Rounds are going to be tough for him as he has to deal with the kind of power that he won't have seen too often even though Inoue has come up to this weight.

Most have not been able to keep Inoue off them and many have struggled to get out of the first half of fights. It would be a stunner if Inoue is able to make it three straight First Round stoppages, but I do think Rodriguez may be in a tough spot here and Inoue is capable of finding the stoppage in the first half of the bout.

Emmanuel Rodriguez is a decent fighter, but this is a step up and so far this week he has not looked like someone who is as confidence as his words. Getting out of the first half of the fight may be difficult once he feels the power coming his way and I think Inoue can be backed to earn the early stoppage as he has become accustomed in doing.

Josh Taylor vs Ivan Baranchyk

The IBF World Champion may be Ivan Baranchyk, but Josh Taylor is the significant favourite in this World Boxing Super Series Semi Final and he was also Seeded higher in the 'draw'.

Most in the UK have been aware of the talent of Taylor and he has been the leading contender to join the World Champion list for some time. Entering the World Boxing Super Series has given Taylor the platform to really showcase his talents and prove he is one of the best fighters in Britain, but that ability may have increased tenfold with the news that Sky Sports will be offering this fight live to their subscribers.

For the most part Taylor has been fighting on channels that may not really be able to promote him the same way and I do think this is a coming out party for him.

The Semi Final being hosted in Glasgow upset the defending Champion though and Baranchyk is heading over to destroy the Scottish hero in front of his own fans. Anyone called 'The Beast' is going to be pretty easy to sell to the fans and Baranchyk's desire to get forward and pummel opponents is very pleasing on the eye.

I don't think he is going to want to box with Taylor who might be the superior talent as far as skills go, but Baranchyk will want to test the will of his opponent. Ultimately I think that is where he will come up short as I am expecting Taylor to outbox him for large periods of the fight, especially once he gets through the first couple of Rounds to figure out what Baranchyk is bringing to the table.

My opinion is that Taylor is going to take away some of the Baranchyk heart by doing that early enough to make his opponent become very one-dimensional. At that stage I expect Taylor to begin to pepper Baranchyk as he comes forward and there is enough spite in the Brit's shots to think he is going to be the one handing out some punishment the longer the fight goes.

In the second half I am going to expect Taylor to look comfortable on the cards and have slowed down Baranchyk far enough to feel very easy in the ring. From there I think Taylor will be the one dishing out the big shots and he will break the heart of the Champion who will then be saved by the referee or his corner.

The sensible play may be Taylor winning on the cards, especially at home, but I think there is going to be a bigger statement made as he stops a tough opponent in the second half of this one.

Gary Russell Jr vs Kiko Martinez

For the fifth year in a row we are going to be seeing WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Russell Jr in the ring in the first half of the year. In the last four years that has proven to be his one and only appearance in the ring which is a real shame considering the obvious talent the American has and in a Division where there are some big fights that could be made.

His only loss has to Vasyl Lomachenko looks better all the time and most would have been hoping Russell Jr would have been paired up with Leo Santa Cruz by now to recognise the best fighter in the Division and Unify two of the Belts.

There has been more of a suggestion that Russell Jr will be making at least two appearances in 2019 and that can only be good news for the fans. As I have said before, there is no doubting how good Russell Jr is and he has some fast hands that could be a problem for anyone to deal with.

He has to get through this fight to make the big fights with the likes of Santa Cruz, Josh Warrington, Oscar Valdez and Carl Frampton a reality. And in all honesty this should not be a difficult evening for Russell Jr when he faces Kiko Martinez who has regularly come up short when facing the best in this Division.

Since coming up to 126 Martinez has lost to both Santa Cruz and Warrington, while he has previously been beaten by both Frampton and Scott Quigg at 122. Both Quigg and Santa Cruz have stopped Martinez who now has a lot of miles on the clock ahead of facing Russell Jr.

He has been much more active than the American, but Martinez has also been operating at a much lower level. This is a fight in which the Spaniard is going to be facing some incredibly quick hands and I think Russell Jr will be keen to remind the rest of the Division of what he is capable of by not having to work overtime for the win.

Carl Frampton, Scott Quigg and Leo Santa Cruz all put Martinez down in the first half of their fights against him. Both Quigg and Santa Cruz managed to get him out in the Second and Fifth Round respectively and Russell Jr had won three in a row by stoppage before Joseph Diaz was able to go to the cards twelve months ago.

I think an early onslaught from Russell Jr may put Martinez down in this one and the speed of the combinations may be enough to get the referee to step in. With that in mind and with Russell Jr aiming to be back out in the ring again in 2019 I think this is just going to be a time to show he is still at the peak of his powers and backing him to produce a dominant win is the call.

Deontay Wilder vs Dominic Breazeale

There is some legit bad blood between these two fighters who had an altercation in a hotel lobby in Alabama following a night in which both had won in the ring.

Some of the words from Deontay Wilder in the build up to this one have been unsavoury, but Dominic Breazeale is keeping his cool for now and promising to hand out a punishing defeat to the WBC Heavyweight Champion.

It certainly would be a surprise if there is much of a feeling out process in this one with Breazeale not being as quick or slick as Tyson Fury to really believe he can outbox Wilder for long periods. The Champion will be looking to land his right hand on an opponent who has not always been able to get out of the way of big shots and he has been down enough times in his career to believe Breazeale is going to struggle with the power that Wilder brings to the table.

I also believe Wilder is one of the best finishers out there and if does get to Breazeale early and knock his compatriot down this could be a fight that does not go much beyond that.

Dominic Breazeale seems like a decent bloke to be perfectly honest, but I do think he is far too open defensively and I am not sure Virgil Hunter would have been able to tighten him up. A defeat makes it a long road back for Breazeale considering he has already lost to Anthony Joshua, although he does show plenty of heart in his fights to suggest he can bite down on the gum-shield and try and fight fire with fire.

He does hit hard enough to potentially cause problems for Wilder if the Champion is perhaps pushing too hard for the early Knock Out. I can imagine a situation where Breazeale perhaps rocks Wilder in the early exchanges, but I think the power of Wilder is going to be a telling factor in the potential shoot out between two massive fighters.

Anyone who saw Breazeale's effort against Joshua in a defeat and his heart in the win over Izuagbe Ugonoh will know this is not a fighter who will quit easily. He goes down, but refuses to stay down so this might be a fight with multiple Knock Downs, although I do think Wilder's athleticism is going to be tough to hold off if he does put Breazeale down.

We have seen Wilder outboxed by opponents before finding the leveller later in some of his recent bouts, but I think he beats Joshua by getting Breazeale out in the first half of a fun shoot out.

MY PICKS: Joe Joyce to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Billy Joe Saunders to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 4.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Naoya Inoue to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.75 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Josh Taylor to Win Between 7-12 @ 5.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Gary Russell Jr to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.60 William Hill (2 Units)
Deontay Wilder to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2019 Update: 8-20, - 6.20 Units (44 Units Staked, - 14.09% Yield)

Boxing 2018: + 5.14 Units (159 Units Staked, + 3.23% Yield)

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

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

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

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

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

David Allen vs Ariel Esteban Bracamonte

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ricky Burns vs Scott Cardle

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anthony Crolla vs Daud Yordan

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

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

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

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

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

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tony Bellew

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

I am not one of those.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Krzysztof Glowacki @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)