The Longshot
Don’t you just hate last-minute dropouts? Nizar Trimech will beat Nathan Heaney by a score of 10/1. Unfortunately, the Stoke native pulled out of the game yesterday. It’s a pity because I really feel the Frenchman has a significantly better chance of relieving his sadness than the odds imply.
So change your plans. Jason Cunningham going up against Zolani Tete at 122lbs is an intriguing fight. Former two-weight world champion, Tete, has operated at a much higher level than his opponents, but is now 34 years old, has only fought one round in over two and a half years, has never crossed the line. 118lbs and in May his mother passed away. Grief is a special thing; it can propel some people to new heights in memory of their deceased loved one, while it brings others down in relationships.
Its effect on the former IBF super fly and bantamweight champion is still to be seen, but what’s remarkable is that he looks great on the scales.
Tete’s strength doesn’t offer the same threat at 118lbs as it does at 115lbs, and it’s unlikely he’ll be able to stop the enduring Cunningham. ‘Iceman’ has had a bit more prominence in its hits towards the end of the year, but this feels like a fight from afar.
The question marks surrounding Tete make this match unpredictable, but it seems to be a fight between fighters who are ordered in different directions.
The big price here is a 16/1 tie. As I mentioned before in this column, the UK is currently one of the worst places in the world for an away boxer to get a fair deal, so the draw is well deserved. support, even if it’s just a cover bet.
When a fight goes to the scorecard, you never know what will happen.
Pair
With all the factors laid out above, I’m surprised that Cunningham is a bit of a underdog here, having initially opened as a game favorite. Yes, Tete used to be very good, but he lost something when he moved up to bantamweight. Against Cunningham, the South African player will not have the usual physical advantages. As a house fighter and in similar form, I think Cunningham at 21/20 is well worth participating in the parlays.
Joe Joyce returns to the ring after almost a year of layoffs to take on the role of Christian Hammer. A wrist injury required surgery following ‘The Juggernaut’ injury-time win over Carlos Takam. As a result, it may take time for the 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist to remove the ring’s rust. Hammer is durable and will most likely put Joyce in later rounds. Betfred is providing the Boxing Social Betting Support Service to Joyce to win rounds 7-12 at 6/4.
Pairs cost more than 4/1.
Treble
Lightweight prospect Mark Chamberlian takes a step forward in class compared to former European featherweight champion Marc Vidal. The big boxer from Portsmouth has barely misplaced a leg in his 10 fights so far and is on a three-fight streak. The bookies hope that race will continue, but Vidal is a good fighter. Maybe he was cunning enough to survive to hear the final bell. Prospect’s strength is often overestimated, as the game here is Chamberlian decided on August 15.
If you like all three options, the triple tone is available on 13/1.
