Dillian Whyte v Dereck Chisora 10pm
Prepare yourself for Armageddon when Whyte meets Chisora on Saturday night – both fighters have promised it and ‘Dell Boy’ has even changed his nickname to ‘War’.
The feud started with a spar 10 years ago when ‘The Body Snatcher’ was just a tough kid and it wasn’t over when Whyte nicked a razor-thin split decision win in 2016.
The first fight was 100 per cent ‘bar brawl’ but Whyte could win this contest quite easily if he stuck to jabbing from distance.
But pride is a hell of a thing and there’s every chance tactics will go out of the window before the end of the first round.
Both men have improved since the original bout and both are coming off career-best wins. There’s also the added incentive that if the winner looks sensational then he becomes a legitimate candidate for the multi-million pound match-up with Anthony Joshua in April.
Whyte is just better than evens to win on points again and you have to give the Brixton boxer the edge in every department except for ‘chin’ – Whyte was stopped by AJ, dropped by Joseph Parker, and wobbled by Chisora.
The Finchley fighter has promised to go through Whyte like a laxative and I have a sneaking suspicion he could extend his run of wins by KO, but then I am nagged by the knowledge that Chisora is so easy to tag.
I fancy the knockout in this one but I can’t decide which way it will go.
Bet of the bout: Fight to end in round 10-12 at 5/1
Rosales v Edwards 7pm
A couple of years ago Rosales was being invited to the UK as a ‘record filler’ – somebody who the prospects could step over to gain experience and ranking points – but the Nicaraguan kept improving and this year he won a title, before defending it decisively against Barnes in August.
Although Edwards is only 14 fights into his pro career, this isn’t his first run at the championship. The south Londoner got out-muscled and ‘old manned’ in that bout two years ago, but he battled for 10 hard rounds and he learned a load in the process.
Rosales is a big, powerful unit at flyweight but if you can deal with the early onslaught, you can out-box him. Edwards hasn’t made the 112 pound limit since 2016 but if he does the weight okay he has the tools to take the win on points at 21/10.
UNDERCARD
Long-standing British featherweight boss Ryan Walsh is an underdog for his scrap with heavy-handed Reece Bellotti, but I think the challenger is made for titleholder, who excels in dismantling come-forward fighters.
Bellotti was wrecking everybody in his path until earlier this year, when his leaky defence was exposed and capitalised on in five rounds by a half-decent opponent. Walsh is the best fighter Bellotti has met, so I’m weighing in on the 2/1 for the champion to win by KO.
The best boxer on the whole bill might be British 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Joshua Buatsi. The 25 year old is up against the ridiculously tough, but not too talented, Renold Quinlan. Chris Eubank Jr needed 10 rounds to get rid of the Australian but I think the bigger and sharper Buatsi takes him out in rounds 5-6 at 10/3.
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