Boxing: The Weekend Preview

Boxing: The Weekend Preview

By Rachel Aylett

Despite the eyes of the boxing world being fixed on Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas on Saturday night, it is to Schwerin, Germany, on the same evening that we look to see perhaps the best three German boxers of recent years.

All three boxers are fighting to keep themselves relevant in their respective weight classes after recent losses/setbacks. Super-middleweights Juergen Braehmer and Tyron Zeuge and middleweight Jack Culcay all feature on this card against undemanding opposition. Another defeat for any of them would surely mean curtains on their career at top level.

The World Boxing Super Series returns to Latvia on Saturday for this year’s final pairing of semi-finals, this time in the cruiserweight division. Of course, the reason for it being in Latvia is that WBSS participant Mairis Briedis is a national hero in that country and is likely to sell out the Riga Arena, as he did in last year’s semi-final against Usyk. This year’s opponent is no Usyk, but Krzysztof Glowacki is a formidable barrier for Briedis to face nonetheless.

Since losing to Usyk almost 18 months ago, Briedis has failed to impress in his two fights, and was extremely fortunate to get the verdict in his competition quarter-final against Noel Mikaelian. Pole Glowacki on the other hand, boxed very well indeed in his tournament debut, clearly outpointing Russian Maksim Vlasov.

The bookmakers’ odds on this are 4/9 in favour of Briedis, but that probably speaks more for his home advantage. This one could go either way.

The other semi-final is just as intriguing and open to discussion as to who will prevail. Cuban veteran Yuniel Dorticos, like Briedis, faltered at this stage of last year’s competition, being stopped in a sensational fight against Murat Gassiev of Russia. He is unlikely to face the same fate against Andrew Tabiti, who does not carry the power of Gassiev, but he is a highly competent boxer and has a real chance of being too slick and smooth for the Cuban if things go his way.

As befits the tournament, both boxers had close call decision victories in their respective quarter-finals and any different result on Saturday would be a surprise. The far more experienced Dorticos is 8/13 favourite to get through to the final. The show is televised live from Riga in the U.K. on Sky Sports and in the U.S. on DAZN.

I have been critical in recent years of some of Frank Warren’s shows, due to the one-sided nature of some of the match-ups. However, his show in Leeds on Saturday is headlined by three outstanding fights, all of which should provide huge entertainment for the audience at the arena and the television viewers on BT Sport in the U.K. and ESPN+ in the U.S.

The headline fight features the second defence of his IBF featherweight title by the hometown hero Josh Warrington.

This time Josh is faced with fellow unbeaten Sheffield fighter Kid Galahad who, despite being a professional for nearly 10 years, is still untested at top level. In Galahad’s most significant victories, over Jazza Dickens and Toka Kahn-Clary, he seemed to switch off for periods and allow his opponents to take temporary control. He will not be able to do this against Warrington or else he will be overwhelmed.

Neither can Warrington take his foot off the gas after defeating Selby and Frampton in his last two fights. Galahad is slick and enough of a ring general to give anyone nightmares. Warrington is 6/19 favourite and if he boxes to the form he showed in his last two matches, he should win fairly comfortably.

Sitting underneath that main event on the card are two excellent trade fights, with the Commonwealth title on the line in both matches. At super-welterweight, unbeaten James Metcalf from Liverpool, the son of Shea Neary, at last steps up in class to take on former British middleweight champion and black country boxer Jason Welborn.

Last time out Welborn shared the ring with Jarrett Hurd in an unexpected world title tilt in December. He was stopped and outclassed by Hurd, but at this level is a tough night for anyone.

Metcalf is the fresher fighter and is 1/2 favourite to win, but Welborn has upset the odds in big fights before. Bet against him at your peril.

The other Commonwealth title fight on the card is at super-featherweight and is a mouth-watering clash between two of the most talked about young fighters in the country, Zelfa Barrett and Leon Woodstock.

In fact, this fight has been mooted for a good couple of years as the two prospects climbed their respective ladders. The fact that both suffered defeats last year, Barrett to the Scot, Ronnie Clark and Woodstock to Archie Sharp, really does not detract from this fight, as both still carry high hopes for their future in the sport.

However, a second loss for either of them could cause psychological damage which might take some coming back from. There is a lot on the line then. Zelfa is 2/7 favourite with the bookies.

This week’s pay per view offering in the U.K. (on BT Box Office) features Tyson Fury in his first fight since the controversial draw he boxed with Deontay Wilder at the end of last year.

The aforementioned Tom Schwarz is his opponent in what is a 12-round fight, despite the fact that Fury does not currently hold a championship belt. The Gypsy King is 1/33 favourite, something along the lines that Anthony Joshua was against Andy Ruiz a couple of weeks ago.

However, at least on that occasion, we knew that Ruiz had experience at the top level. Schwarz does not even bring that to the table. It should be a cakewalk for Fury, but stranger things have happened!

BoxNation is still going – just. On Sunday it broadcasts live a very interesting show from Russia, which features a cruiserweight extravaganza! The main event gives us one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, as Dmitry Kudryashov takes on Congolese contender Ilunga Makabu.

“The Russian Hammer” is never in a dull fight – his record is 23-2 and every one of those fights has ended in a stoppage. He is the epitome of kill or be killed. Makabu is most famous for being on the wrong end of the Tony Bellew stoppage at Goodison Park when the scouser won his WBC title. Makabu’s record is also an excellent one, at 24-2, and only one of his fights has gone the distance. Whoever lands first should win this potential thriller.

Prospect watch: This week’s one to watch is Evgeny Tishchenko, who boxes on the Ekaterinburg show on Sunday, live on BoxNation. Tishchenko was the 2016 Olympic gold medallist in Rio at heavyweight and also won a gold and two silver medals at the World amateur championships. He was also twice national amateur champion.

Tishchenko’s first three fights as a professional were at heavyweight, but last time out he sensibly slimmed down to box as a cruiserweight. He is 4-0 at the moment and it is at cruiserweight where his future lies, so that he can best utilise his 6’5 height and southpaw awkwardness. Tishchenko has lovely movement and is highly skilled for such a big man – he has his first 10-rounder on Sunday.