Kyle’s boxing picks 12/22/2018

Saturday December 22 ESPN+ 

Carl Frampton vs Josh Warrington

IBF Featherweight Title

This is one of the better fights to be made in the featherweight division, England’s undefeated champion (Warrington) vs Northern Ireland’s champion (Frampton). The talk of this fight started after Warrington upset Lee Selby to win the world title. That was his biggest and best win. Frampton has been involved in some of the biggest fights in the division over the past several years including two against Leo Santa Cruz and also Nonito Donaire. 

This is an interesting fight to predict. Warrington is 27-0 but has only six knockouts. Normally you would think that with a record like that he must be a real slick boxer. But that is not really the case either. He is just a gritty guy who fires back when he gets hit, is very tough and in great shape. His win against Selby was impressive because Selby has very good skills and Warrington roughed him up and took him out of his rhythm. 

Frampton is one of the best in the division and has been for a couple of years. He is a very good skilled boxer with a good chin who has decent but not great power. He can box very nice but if he has to stand his ground he can do that as well. To be honest though, ever since he lost the Santa Cruz rematch he has not been the same. His win against Donaire was an exciting fight and a solid win but Donaire is a little past his prime and Frampton got hit a lot in that fight and seemed to have lost a step. In his last fight he beat an undefeated but untested boxer and while Frampton looked impressive I think part of that was because he was boxing against a guy who was a step down in skill level than his last couple opponents. 

I am tempted to pick an upset here. The slight decline in Frampton and Warrington coming off a career best win could be the perfect storm to see Warrington become a star overseas. But I just can’t do it. Frampton still has a high level skill set even if it has dropped a tad and Warrington, while tough and gritty, seems a little too basic to beat a guy like Frampton. If Frampton boxes and moves a little I think he will win a decision. If he stands in front and turns it into a street fight Warrington might have a better chance. 

Prediction

Frampton by Decision

Saturday December 22 Showtime

Dillian Whyte vs Derek Chisora

This is one of the more interesting heavyweight fights of the year in a year where there were a lot of good heavyweight fights. This is a rematch from 2016 where Whyte won a split decision. Two guys who throw big punches, have great chins but also very good power. Whyte is a legit top 10 and probably top 5 heavyweight and Derek Chisora is coming off a big KO win of former title challenger Carlos Takam and has also given tough fights, although losses to Tyson Fury twice, Vitali Klitschko and David Haye along with the first Whyte fight. These guys know each other well and I expect the action to kick off early. Since their first fight Whyte has gone on to have big wins against the likes of former titlist Lucas Browne and former titlist  Joseph Parker. As I stated earlier Chisora is coming off a great highlight reel KO of tough Carlos Takam. 

I see this fight playing out similar to their first fight which is good for the fans. Both guys landed bombs in this fight and both were stunned several times. But as in most rematches the guy who won the first will usually win the second. And I think it will be a tad easier the second time. Whyte has improved enough that this one may not go the distance although if there is  a stoppage I think it will be late.

Prediction

Whyte by TKO in later rounds

Saturday December 22 Fox 8 pm ET

Jermall Charlo vs Matt Korobov 

WBC interim middlweight title

Charlo was originally supposed to face former title challenger Willie Monroe until Monroe failed a test for PED’s and was pulled from the fight. Luckily for the fans Korobov was training for a fight on the undercard and he was immediately moved into the main event and a much bigger opportunity. And I think Korobov will make for a better fight. A former amateur star from Russia he is a once beaten lefty who has very good skills and can punch. His best win was a decision over current super middle titlist Jose Uzcategui and his lone loss was by stoppage to former middleweight title holder Andy Lee in a fight that Korobov was winning until he got caught. 

Charlo is an extremely talented fighter with very good skills and power. He is coming off three straight knockout wins against good competition, the best of the bunch being Julian Williams. It seems he is one or two wins away from a huge fight against a name such as Canelo, GGG or Danny Jacobs. 

While I think Korobov will make for a better fight against Charlo than Monroe I still don’t think he has enough to win. Charlo is a special fighter and the only thing he his missing is a signature win against a top name fighter. A knockout win here could put him into that fight. In Korobov’s lone loss he was stopped by Andy Lee in a fight where he was not able to recover from getting hit with Lee’s big hook. Charlo is a better fighter and a harder puncher than Andy Lee. 

Prediction

Charlo by KO

Jermell Charlo vs Tony Harrison

WBC junior middleweight title

Jermell Charlo, like his brother Jermall, is an extremely talented fighter who is not far away from a very big fight, preferably against 154 pound all action champion Jarett Hurd. He is coming off a close points win against Austin Trout and that was the first fight in a while where he showed just a little vulnerability. Before the Trout fight he reeled off a couple highlight KO’s against undefeated Erickson Lubin and 26-1 Charles Hatley. 

Harrison at 27-2 is a fighter who came very close to being a world champion. He was ahead on points to Jarett Hurd when they fought for the title but couldn’t hold on and was stopped late. His only other loss was similar in that he was leading on the cards when he was stopped in the last round against fringe contender Willie Nelson. Harrison has good size and reach and good knockout power but seems to have stamina and chin problems late in fights. 

I think Harrison is skilled enough and dangerous enough to make Charlo be cautious in the beginning. He could possibly win some early rounds and with his power is always one punch away from a KO win but I do not think he will be able to put it together enough to pull it off. Like his previous two losses I expect him to get stopped late in a fight he will probably be competitive in but unlike his other two losses i don’t think he will be ahead at the time of the stoppage. 

Prediction

Charlo by TKO

Kyle’s boxing picks 12/14/2018+ 12/15/2018

ESPN+ Friday Night

Super Middleweight Title

Gilberto Ramirez vs Jesse Hart

This is a rematch of a fight from last year. Ramirez won a unanimous decision in a fight that he dominated early including scoring a knockdown but Hart rallied and made it competitive. What is more important to me though is what has happened since they fought. Hart has seemed almost obsesses with getting the rematch and he has finally gotten his wish. Since his lone professional loss he has scored three big KO wins against pretty good competition. Mentally he will be ready and physically he will be better in my opinion than he was in the first fight. He has good skills, not great but his determination and big punching power is what separates him. 

Ramirez is a very tall southpaw which automatically can pose problems to opponents. Hart is probably his most impressive win and since that fight he has defended his title two more times against lesser competition and has not looked great. He has shown a very solid chin which has saved him a couple times in those defenses when his defense showed some holes and he will need it against Hart. Usually in rematches the guy who won the first fight wins the second one. I have a feeling though that we will get a minor upset. I see Hart as being almost obsesses with beating Ramirez and since their first fight Hart has been more impressive than Ramirez. It will be tough to stop Ramirez but I think that is Hart’s best shot and I think he will pull it out. 

Prediction

Hart TKO 10

Saturday DAZN

Canelo Alvarez-Rocky Fielding

Canelo moves up in weight to 168 pounds to try and pick up another world title. The fact that he is fighting so soon again after his big win against GGG in the rematch is impressive to me. I also think he will handle the move up in weight pretty well. He has shown a world class chin and his skills have gotten better and better over the last several years. I feel he deserved the decision against Golovkin in the second fight even though it was close and Fielding is a step back in competition even though he holds a world title belt. The one advantage Fielding has is size, standing face to face he towers over Canelo. He better be able to take it to the body though because I feel Canelo will start there and move it up to the head. Fielding only has one loss and it was to a very good fighter in Callum Smith but the bad news is it was a knockout in the first round. This one may go a couple more rounds and I think Fielding will be very game but it will not be enough. 

Prediction

Canelo TKO 5

Some solid undercard fights Saturday night on DAZN as well

David Lemieux vs Tureano Johnson

-Lemieux is limited but also very dangerous. One of the biggest punchers in the game, if you have defensive holes and a shaky chin you will be in serious trouble fighting him. Luckily for Johnson he has shown good skills and a solid chin. His two losses are both to good fighters in Curtis Stevens and Sergey Derevyenchenko. In the Stevens fight he was dominating him and looking like he was on his way to an upset win when in the last round Stevens caught him and hurt him and the ref stopped the fight with a minute to go in what I believe was a very bad stoppage. His loss to Derevyenchnko was more legitimate but as you saw in Derevyenchenko’s fight with Danny Jacobs, he is a top 5 middleweight in the world. I think Lemieux wins here but not without some tough moments. 

Lemieux TKO 8

This is Canelo’s  first fight on DAZN in what is a huge 10 fight deal. Boxing fans win here because before DAZN this would be a 65 dollar pay per view. DAZN is 10 dollars a month with the first month free. Go to DAZN.comto sign up. I have been very satisfied with the fights they have shown, the quality of the streaming and the broadcast team. Give it a shot. 

Kyle’s boxing picks 12/8/2018

ESPN Saturday night at 9pmET

Vasyl Lomachenko vs Jose Pedraza

Isaac Dogboe vs Emmanuel Navaratte

Teofimo Lopez vs Mason Menard

This is a very good fight card from MSG on a Saturday night on ESPN. Dogboe has burst onto the scene in the past 12 months and won a world title and defended it very impressively. He is all action and a big puncher, his fight should be fun. Teofimo Lopez has developed into one of the top prospects in boxing. There was a time I felt he may be a little overrated but not anymore. As his level of competition has improved so have his performances. To his credit he has been fighting legit guys and looking great. Menard on paper is probably his biggest test. The only problem is he is coming off a bad loss to Devon Haney, another top prospect. Losing to Haney is not the problem but how he lost is. Stopped on his stool late in the fight after having lost every round. I expect Lopez to stop him a little earlier than Haney. 

Picks

Dogboe TKO over Navarrate

Lopez TKO over Menard

The big fight of the night is the Loma-Pedraza lightweight title fight. Pedraza is 25-1 and a two weight world champion. His lone loss was a bad one, stopped by Gervonta Davis in a fight where he was dominated. I was not quite sure what to expect of him after that but after a little time off he moved up to 135 pounds, got two decent wins and then beat Ray Beltran to win a portion of the lightweight title. That win set him up for a big payday against Lomachenko. 

In my opinion Loma is the best pound for pound fighter in the world today. You could argue Terrance Crawford deserves it and he is a great fighter but I will stick with Lomachenko. He has great defense, footwork and overall skills. Although he is not a one punch KO artist he does possess the power to knock people out when he decides to sit down on his punches. And I believe that will be the outcome Saturday night although it will probably take a little time to get there. Inevitably people will compare  Loma’s performance against Pedraza with Gervonta Davis’s. Loma versus Davis is one of the better fights to be made in the sport right now and there have been rumors about it for some time now. Davis dominated and stopped Pedraza so Loma has a lot to live up to. I am not a big fan of comparing things like that, this fight is at a different weight and over a year apart and styles make fights so if Loma has a little more trouble with him that does not automatically mean that Davis is a better fighter because the reality is he isn’t. But it is a fight I would like to see so I hope it happens. Loma has to get by Pedraza Saturday night and I am never a fan of looking past a guy, especially one that has won two world titles but I think it is safe to say Loma will still be champion come Sunday morning. 

Prediction

Lomachenko TKO 9

Thoughts on Fury -Wilder

First of all I thought this was a great heavyweight fight. Fury showed he is the better overall fighter but Wilder always has a chance with that big right hand. I scored it 114-112 for Fury but it was a close fight. Mostly because in boxing you get a ton of credit for knockdowns. The fact that Wilder had two 10-8 rounds is what made it close. And regardless of what the Showtime announcing team was saying, the first 5 rounds were pretty close. You could have it 5-0 for Fury like they did but you could also have it 3-2. I also have to say I was extremely impressed with Fury’s corner. When he hired a 26 year old unknown named Ben Davison to be his head trainer I was not sure how that would work out. But I have to say fight night his corner instructions and work were more impressive than Mark Breland in Wilder’s corner. Wilder was unable to make adjustments and there seemed to be no one in charge. In Fury’s corner even though Freddie Roach was there assisting it was Davison who did all the talking and he did it in a firm but calm way. Breland was a great fighter and I am sure is a very good trainer but he does not seem to be able to get though to Wilder. He has shown no real improvement in his skill over the past couple years, mostly still depending on his power. Fury showed huge improvements which is amazing considering he was suicidal and over 300 pounds a little over a year ago. I did not think two tune up fights against mediocre competition would be enough to prepare him for Wilder but it definitely was. I also give credit to both guys for being class acts after the fight. Overall I thought it was a very good night for the sport and the decision was not nearly as controversial as many people would have you believe. 

Kyle’s boxing picks 12/1/2019

Oleksander Gvodzyk vs Adonis Stevenson

Showtime Saturday 745 ET

Light Heavyweight Title

-This title fight will be shown on Showtime from Canada before the pay per view starts from California at 9 for Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder. If you do not want to pay for that then you will at least get a good title fight for free. And I think this will be a very good fight. Stevenson has been champ for a while and while he has had some close calls, most notably against Fonfara in their first fight and against Badou Jack in his last title defense, he always has found a way to hold on and keep the title. I think that streak will end Saturday night. Gvodzyk is another Ukranian with a long amateur background, very solid skills and good power who has beat some very good fighters in his short 15 fight pro career. Stevenson is a one trick pony, big power in his straight left hand. To his credit it has worked for him. Gvodzyk is too good and too young and fresh to get beat by that. I think Stevenson will get some shots in and he is always dangerous, if he has anything it is big power and a big heart. But he also has a shaky chin and has faded in fights previously. I think he will get stopped Saturday night and his long title reign will be over and being in his late 30’s I think his time at the top will end also. 

Prediction

Gvodzyk by KO in later rounds

Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder

Pay Per View

Saturday Night

- This is one of the best heavyweight fights that could be made in boxing. It seems Anthony Joshua is content to stay in England and fight anyone other than Wilder so it makes sense that Fury and Wilder get it on to show who is the man who will eventually challenge Joshua in a huge fight if he decides to do it which I think he will. There are many different possibilities in this fight and it is a tough one to call in my opinion. 

Wilder is not a very skilled boxer. His balance is suspect, he throws wild punches and drops his hands in exchanges. He does have a good jab though and his biggest weapon which is his huge one punching power, especially with the right hand. If he hits anyone in the world with his best shot chances are the fight is over. The question here is will he be able to land that shot on a 6 foot 9 inch heavyweight with a good jab, good movement and unorthodox upper body movement which helps him avoid big punches. The good news for Wilder is that he has a huge heart and is the type of fighter that will go for the win and the knockout even when things are not going his way. He proved that against Luis Ortiz in his last fight which was one of the better heavyweight title fights of the past couple years. 

Fury is the lineal heavyweight champion, the man who beat the man who beat the man. He lost the title after beating Klitschko for it after failing a drug test and taking several years off where he ballooned up in weight and seemed on the verge of a mental breakdown. He overcame all that, lost a ton of weight and has since won two fights in his comeback. The problem  here is only having two fights against mediocre competition after a long layoff is not the best preparation to get ready for Wilder. I would have liked to have him get 1 or 2 more against a little better competition, that way we could have a better sense of where he is at. There is no denying his skills though. He is very unorthodox and it does not always look pretty but for a 6 foot 9 inch 260 pound heavyweight he moves very well with a solid jab and tricky head movement. He completely nullified Klitschko’s offense with his style and that is very hard to do. 

I can see either man winning this fight. I think it is a 50/50 fight. But having to make a pick I will go with Wilder. I think Fury will frustrate him early and probably be ahead going into the second half of the fight. But Wilder will not stop throwing his bombs and I think Fury will tire in the later rounds. Two comeback fights against safe opponents will not prepare him to box 12 hard rounds against a guy like Wilder and I think at some point late in the fight Wilder will get to him.

Prediction

Wilder TKO 10

Also Friday night on ESPN+ from Australia Jeff Horn will be fighting Anthony Mundine. This is a big fight in Australia with both guys being former World Champions and it has turned into a rivalry. I have not seen much of Mundine over the years but he is older and past his best. I think Horn will be too active and will win a decision over Mundine. 

Kyle’s boxing picks 11/24/2018

Dmitry Bivol vs Jean Pascal

Light Heavyweights HBO Saturday Night

-This is a fight between a young top contender (Bivol) versus an older former champion in Pascal. Pascal’s best days are behind him and he has been in some very tough fights including two with Bernard Hopkins and two with Sergey Kovalev. He is an athlete who has a world class chin and very good power. His last big fight was a majority decision loss to Elidier Alvarez a year back and he has come back with two stoppage wins since. 

Bivol, skillwise, is in my opinion one of the best if not the best light heavy in the world. Very good footwork and crisp short combinations make him look very smooth. He lacks the power of a Beterbiev or a Kovalev but he makes up for it with very good boxing ability. And he can punch too if he needs to, his KO win over Sullivan Barrera proved that. His last fight was an unimpressive decision win over Isaac Chilemba but in his defense Chilemba has made a lot of good fighters look bad. The most important thing is he got the win and now moves on to a fighter in Pascal where his short combination punching will be a big advantage against the aggressive free swinging Pascal. 

Even though Pascal is a couple years past his prime he has a ton of pride and has a great chin. I think he will come to fight and make it fun for a little while. I could see Bivol boxing and moving in the beginning until he figures Pascal out. While I don’t see Bivol losing I do think this will go rounds. Bivol has shown patience in the ring and is very content to sit back and box if need be. And Pascal has had one of the better chins in boxing over the past decade. Pascal needs to hurt Bivol early to get respect and change the rhythm of the fight. If he is tentative and lets Bivol box and get off his combinations he will have a rough night. I think it will be fun for about 3 rounds and then Bivol will begin to pull away. I could see Pascal going the distance, the only guy to ever stop him was Kovalev, but seeing that Pascal is a little older and already has retired once I think Bivol will wear him down and stop him late. 

Prediction

Bivol TKO 11

-Be sure to also check out former Cruiserweight World Champion Dennis Lebedev on DAZN Saturday afternoon as well. 

Kyle’s boxing picks 11/10/2018

Fights Schedule on DAZN this Saturday November 10-

-Oleksandr Usyk vs Tony Bellew (Cruiserweight World Title)

-Anthony Crolla vs Daud Yordan (WBA Title Eliminator)

-Marius Breidis Vs Noel Mikaelian (World Boxing Super Series Quarterfinal Cruiserweight)

-Krystof Glowacki vs Maksim Vlasov

-If you do not have DAZN go to DAZN.com to sign up. They give a free first month and 9.99 a month after that. The site does a great job and the picture is perfect. If you have a smart tv you can watch there or just watch on DAZN phone app or your laptop. 

Preview Usyk Vs Bellew

-This is a very interesting matchup and for me, one of the more anticipated fights of the year. Usyk is an undefeated former Olympian from Ukraine who has become a unified world champion at Cruiserweight. He has trained in the past with Vasyl Lomachenko’s father and you can see that in his style and skill level. A southpaw who throws a lot of punches but does it behind angles and good movement with his head and feet. He has enough power to hurt you but usually scores stoppages late after wearing his opponents down. In his last fight he boxed beautifully and dominated undefeated puncher Murrat Gassiev. Gassiev was actually favored coming into the fight, which was a surprise to me, but Usyk totally dominated him in winning at least 10 of the 12 rounds. HIs previous fight before that was against Marius Breidis, who also fights Saturday, and it was a war. Usyk proved his chin and toughness in gutting out a good win. 

-Bellew has had a long career of many ups but also some downs. Having been knocked out in a title shot at 175 pounds against Adonis Stevenson, Bellew regrouped and moved up a weight division and won a piece of the cruiserweight title with an exciting KO win. He then moved up to heavyweight and fought former world champion David Haye twice, winning both by KO in fights that many thought he would lose. He is a big puncher with a very good chin who is a warrior and always shows toughness and heart. It seems no matter what the weight, if Bellew hits people on the chin he hurts them. 

-I can see this fight unfolding in several different ways. If Usyk stands and fights like he did against Breidis then it could end up being a very fun competitive shootout type of battle. If Bellew is as slow on his feet as Gassiev ( I think Bellew is a little more mobile) and Usyk fights with the angles he used against Gassiev then I could see him putting on a clinic and winning a decision. I hope we get the first scenario because I think it could be a classic fight. Or we may get a combination of both. But the more Usyk stands in front and trades then the better chance that Bellew has. I think Bellew will get his shots in and make it at least somewhat competitive. He has a lot of pride so I don’t see him just laying back and letting Usyk outbox him. But I think at the end of the day Usyk is the better overall fighter. That is not always bad news for Bellew because his power and heart have carried him to victory over guys who have been better in the past. But they have not been Usyk and I think Usyk is the best fighter he has ever fought and Usyk has also shown a chin and heart himself. 

Prediction 

Usyk by Decision

Kyle’s boxing picks 11/3/2018

Saturday Nov 3 2pmET on DAZN

Josh Taylor vs Ryan Martin

-This is another matchup in the World Boxing Super Series which has become one of the best tournaments to happen in boxing in a long time. Both guys are undefeated although Taylor has fought and beat the better competition even though he has about 8 less fights. 

Taylor is a special talent. A guy who can punch but also is extremely quick and athletic and makes moves at times that look like Vasyl Lomachenko. I am really high on him and I believe he will also beat Regis Prograis who he will fight in the tournament next if he gets through this fight. And that is not a knock on Prograis who I also think is a very good young fighter. 

Martin is a boxer/puncher whose best win was in his last fight against Breidis Prescott. Prescott is way past the days when he was a feared puncher who knocked out Amir Khan and this win does not say much. Martin is going from fighting a past his prime contender to one of the most talented fighters in boxing today. In comparison Tarylor’s last fight was an impressive unanimous decision win against former champ and once beaten Victor Postol. 

Prediction

Martin is a good fighter but Taylor is on another level. There are not many 140 pounders in the world I would pick to beat Taylor at this point. I am not sure if Martin will get stopped though. If he does get stopped it will be from an accumulation, not a one punch KO.

Taylor by wide Unanimous Decision

Nonito Donaire vs Ryan Burnett

WBA Bantamweight Title

-This is also a part of the WBSS tournament and is a very interesting fight. Burnett has an impressive resume but has not looked overly impressive in his biggest wins. Lacks one punch power and seems to just grind out victories but does not seem to do anything special. But, he has become a unified champion and that says something. 

Donaire is a big name but whose best days are behind him although he did give a spirited effort in a decision loss to Carl Frampton last year. He is also going from 126 pounds back to 118 pounds and with his punching power this could be a big advantage. 

I am very tempted to pick Donaire here, mostly because of the size advantage, the power and the vulnerability of Burnett. I think he does have a punchers chance with his big left hook, which Burnett seems open for. The only reason I am not picking the upset here though is the weight. It seems that going back down to 118 would be an advantage for Donaire but I am not buying it. We have plenty of examples of older fighters who make one last move down in weight for a big fight and it always seems to drain them and they fight flat. Oscar De La Hoya against Pacquaio comes to mind as does Roy Jones jr versus Antonio Tarver in the rematch. 

Prediction

Unless Donaire can land a huge shot I expect him to get outworked here and lose a decision. I do not see Burnett stopping him

Burnett by Decision

Saturday November 3 Facebook Live 9 pm Et

Seanie Monaghan vs Sullivan Barrera

-This is a fight that pits a tough grinder who is a big ticket seller in NY in Monaghan against a legit top 10 light heavy with a big time amateur background in Barrera. Monaghan may be able to win at a higher level but it seems whoever is picking his step up fights either doesn’t like him or doesn’t know what he is doing. His first one was against Olympian Marcus Browne who dominated Monaghan and stopped him very early. Now they have Barrera, another guy with a skill set that seems to be a nightmare for the New Yorker. If you are going to step a guy like Monaghan up it needs to be against a slower guy who was not a big time amateur. That is not Barrera. I just hope Monaghan got paid against Browne and is getting paid against Barrera. 

Prediction

Barrera by KO

One more fight this weekend is on ESPN+ between Miguel Berchelt vs Micky Roman.