We’re expecting the good, the bad and the ugly this weekend across the boxing landscape.
We’ve got YouTubers, MMA fighters, a bloke called Salt Papi and, not forgetting, the return of Tim Tszyu to the ring.
So, what does the betting look like?
Spot the YouTuber
A YouTuber vs a boxer usually ends in the same way: a boxer victory.
And Tommy Fury — priced at 3/10 — is expecting the same result on Saturday night. But if you ask some, including former world champion George Groves, then Tommy Fury is just another YouTuber.
The best win on Fury’s unbeaten 9-0 record is Jake Paul, so to suggest that he will find KSI a walk in the park is a little shortsighted, meaning that KSI’s price of 5/2 to win in Manchester does open up to a fair bit of value considering Fury was around Evens to beat Paul.
Listen, we have a very small sample size to go off in analysing how good KSI could actually be in the ring, but he’s certainly a guy that has a history of applying himself and gaining positive results in doing so.
He throws very unorthodox punches from very strange angles, something that the traditional schooling of Fury won’t have seen in the ring before. And if we are to remember that Fury hit the canvas against Paul, then a 5/1 price for KSI to stop Fury seems big.
BoxRec have this down as a six-rounder (who knows what they will decide on the evening), but if that is the case then a draw at 11/1 is terrific value when there are such few rounds to split.
Danis getting his pay-check
Neither Logan Paul or Dillon Danis have ever won a professional boxing match, so calling either man a big favourite is probably a little dishonest.
Paul is huge. He’s much bigger than Danis and, to be honest, in a fight between two men with relatively little boxing experience the size will probably tell.
Paul is a huge favourite at 1/5 against a guy that has only ever competed in MMA, and it’s unclear if Danis even cares.
The former sparring partner of Conor McGregor is a 7/2 dog and it’s unclear whether he will even be bothered by this. He’s there to collect a pay-check and nothing else.
Paul will no doubt come out all guns blazing following their heated build up to this fight, so Paul to get the stoppage at 4/7 is the pick.
Trouble for Tszyu Down Under?
Ok, back to the “real” boxing.
Tim Tszyu defends his WBO belt in the super-welterweight division against challenger Brian Mendoza, looking to avoid getting upset by the man that toppled Sebastian Fundora earlier in 2023.
Tszyu is a firm 7/50 FAV to defend his titles, with the 22-2 Mendoza placed as long as 5/1 to win the contest. He’s 9/1 to repeat what he did against Fundora in April and get the KO.
Tszyu is really warming into an established name in the 154lb division and Mendoza will be relying on a one-punch attack to upset him on home turf.
The Australian is more likely to wear Mendoza down over the championship distance and Tszyu by Decision at 12/5 is a fantastic option considering Mendoza hasn’t been considerably hurt throughout his career.
The closest we have to a pick’em comes on the Tszyu-Mendoza undercard. Nathaniel May (8/5) takes on Jackson Jon England (12/25) for the vacant IBF Australasian belt at super-featherweight.