If you do a 24 hour stint watching sport this weekend I don’t think anyone can blame you. When the rugby and football is over the real men take to the boxing ring to see who’s hardest.
Coming live from London on Saturday evening is Anthony Joshua’s world title defence against Dominic Breazeale, the British clash between George Groves and Martin Murray, and Chris Eubank Jr’s contest with Tom Doran. Then just when you think it’s all over you can watch world title action from New York when Keith Thurman meets Shawn Porter.
Anthony Joshua vs Dominic Breazeale – bet now
Joshua is heavyweight champion of the world but his team have kept the stabilisers on for his first challenge. Sure, Breazeale is unbeaten and he’s bigger, better and has more pedigree than Charles Martin, but the American will have pulled off a minor miracle if he becomes only the second opponent to get past round three with the 2012 Olympic champion.
Bungling through his last two bouts seems to have given Breazeale the confidence to start a bit of needle with Watford’s finest. If Joshua reacts to the disrespect like he did against Dillian Whyte we could end up with a one-round slugfest and Paddy’s offer of that the fight is over in under 60 seconds might be worth a dabble.
Nobody is taken in by the American bravado or the perfect record any more and good bets on this fight are fewer than the number of rounds this bout will go. The man who calls himself ‘Trouble’ is in a bit of bother so put the for AJ to win in rounds 1-3 in your accumulator.
Martin Murray vs George Groves – bet now
Neither Groves nor Murray wants to be contesting a paper belt but after losing three and four world title attempts respectively both men need a victory here to get back in the championship mix. To some this might seem like a losers’ final, which it is, but with Groves’ speed and Murray’s pressure it is shaping up to be fight of the night.
The London lad famously lost his stadium-sized, all-British title showdowns with Carl Froch but for the Merseysider this is up there with his biggest nights and his first one at super middleweight. Murray is big enough to handle the move up in weight and tough enough to take the power that wobbled Froch.
Murray only has a KO ratio of 43% so it is well worth rolling the for the fight to go the distance into our acca. Murray is to win on points and Groves is to win by the same method. They both sound like good value to me, so pay your money and take your pick.
Chris Eubank Jr vs Tom Doran – bet now
Eubank is making the first defence of his British middleweight belt but notably this is his first bout since hospitalising Nick Blackwell. Thankfully, Blackwell seems to have recovered well but repercussions of that fight might be that Eubank has lost his edge or, more likely, that referees will step in to protect Eubank’s opponents.
‘Dazzlin’ Doran has built up a tidy little record for himself but even a quick investigation reveals that the Welshman has been down three times in career, twice in first round. The champ’s last 14 wins have come inside the distance and he is only to win in rounds 1-3. For our accumulator I like the for Eubank to win in rounds 1-6.
Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter – bet now
Across the pond on Saturday night is a welterweight world title contest that has a significant back story and future implications. Thurman is the current champion, Porter is a former champion, they were sparring partners in the past and they were even fighting each other as teenage amateurs. Now that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have vacated the scene a new king has to be crowned.
What’s even better is that this should be a great fight. Thurman carries the power threat that has resulted in 22 KO wins in 26 fights while Porter is more active than a bee at a picnic. It’s ‘One-time’ against ‘Showtime’. It’s a hard fight to predict. Leave the risk to the boxers and back the favourite Thurman to win at