Last week, bettors had many good choices on the betting front, luckily, bettors have more choices for today.
Let’s see if we can find a winner.
The Longshot
In the next 24 hours, there are more than 20 fights taking place with betting lines available, but all eyes are on one big guy; Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch. During their first meeting, the Ukrainian scoffed at pre-match speculation that he was too small to compete at heavyweight.
The story before their clash in Jeddah was different, but it could prove to be equally ridiculous. Eleven months ago, Joshua’s performance received a lot of criticism for being too passive. However, I really feel that from a technical point of view it was the most complete performance of the Londoner’s career. He lost a chess match to a Grandmaster, there’s no shame in that. However, the general consensus then was that AJ needed to be more aggressive and use its size and power. It was a line of thought that Joshua seemed to have bought into; replace Rob McCracken with Robert Garcia as head coach. Garcia has built a reputation for training smart, forward-thinking warriors. It’s a clear indication of what the 2012 London Olympic gold medalist predicts Joshua 3.0 will become.
As such, I can understand why some would want to back Joshua win by knockout, however, that’s not a bet I’m about to hit. Joshua claims he never thought about trying to hurt Usyk at Wembley and that he will be looking for the goal this time. That is easier said than done; just ask the 18 former opponents of the undisputed cruiser class champion. Who knows, maybe they weren’t trying to hurt him either, he’s a good man anyway.
When the right boxer wins, the scorecards in their initial clash are less scrutinized, but if you dig a little deeper, Joshua gets the benefit in any round possible. . This time, Joshua won’t have a partisan mob behind him, perhaps, the scorecards will be more fair. However, I am skeptical. A sport with a long history of moral ambiguity staged in a country headed by an oppressive regime seeking to use boxing to wash away its tarnished reputation, what could be? can happen?
When a fight goes the set distance, you can never be sure of the outcome. Every week, at least one exotic scorecard is handed out around the world. This fight feels a prime candidate for such an outcome. Remember, the umpires gave Dereck Chisora too much because of his ineffective pressure when facing Usyk. Chisora had never won a major points match (at the time), but came very close to being assigned victory over Usyk. ‘Del Boy’ has had a complicated relationship with the British public over the years, having spent a long time playing the villain. Joshua’s popularity and marketability goes beyond Chisora. If AJ is a little more successful and still stands in the end (that’s a if) then I wouldn’t be surprised to see him become the beneficiary of a controversial verdict. Therefore, I feel it is worthwhile to support Joshua with his decision to split 25/1.
Pair
Above, I cited Joshua’s case, and I assert, at those odds, that the division decision represents value. However, the most likely outcome, in my opinion, is Usyk pausing Joshua. If AJ is more aggressive, he will use more energy and leave himself to counterattack. Usyk has a great engine and will likely fight for 12 rounds at high speed, the same cannot be said for Joshua. The former champion was almost on the sidelines in round 12order their first round. The pick here is for Usyk to win the round 7-12 by 3/1.
On the underside, Callum Smith faces Mathieu Bauderlique in the WBC light-heavyweight bout, with the winner going to face Artur Beterbiev; that doesn’t sound like a prize! Smith looked impressive in his only match to date at 175lbs, beating Gilbert Castillo Rivera in the second round, last year. The alternating months will give the Liverpudlians a chance to familiarize themselves with new coach Buddy McGrit’s techniques. The Frenchman is a sure-fire test for the former WBA super-middleweight champion. Bauderlique is a well-educated male athlete who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. I believe Smith will knock his opponent out in the second half of the match. Smith to win rounds 7-12 costs 7/5
This week’s pair costs more than 8/1.
Treble
The main support saw two undefeated former elite amateurs, side-by-side, go head-to-head in the Filip Hrgovic-managed IBF welterweight bout Zhilei Zhang. A punchable 6’6” Southpaw sounds like a nightmare proposition for any heavyweight, but Zhang has his flaws; he is a bit slow and easy to hit. Hrgovic is a smart pressure fighter who will likely expose those flaws. It was all one of Hrgovic’s injury-time wins that came in the first four rounds and I believe it will repeat itself tonight. Croatia won in round 1-4 is the odds of choosing at the rate of 13/8.
If you like all three options, this week’s treble is available at more than 24/1.
