A tantalising “British” World-Boxing Super-Series doubleheader takes place this weekend in Glasgow, featuring two respective Second-Season quarter finals in the light-welterweight and bantamweight tournaments.
At the SSE Arena on Saturday night, which will be positively rocking with a boisterous combination of Scotsmen and Ulstermen, a fistic feast will be served up as two-time Commonwealth medallist and southpaw contender Josh Taylor faces American Ryan Martin.
Meanwhile, WBA bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett’s quarter-final defence against erstwhile pound-for-pound superstar Nonito Donaire would definitely constitute a main-event in its own right were it situated in Belfast, a city intimately familiar to both fighters; being Burnett’s hometown in addition to the site of Donaire’s unsuccessful featherweight venture against Carl Frampton in April.
The Filipino Flash, who captured world championship glory in four weight divisions, was comfortably outpointed by the Jackal six months ago and will no doubt be determined to exact revenge on Frampton’s compatriot with an upset victory. It has to be said that Donaire is widely considered to be a spent force; notwithstanding the fact that he will be shedding an additional eight pounds in an audacious return to bantamweight, in a tournament populated by some of the world’s best in their physical primes. Therefore, the prospect of him beating the Irishman has been understandably deemed unlikely by bookmakers.
Donaire’s credentials are unquestionable and he will enjoy significant physical advantages over Burnett, someone who dethroned IBF champion Lee Haskins in June 2017, before unifying against Kazakhstani WBA champion Zhanat Zhakiyanov four months later, and most recently defended his WBA strap against Parejo on the Joshua-Parker undercard in March. Ultimately, expect this fight – which in this context somehow assumes the role of complementary appetiser to the main course – to be much more competitive than popular wisdom suggests.
Although Edinburgh-born Taylor headlines as the home favourite and is supremely confident he will triumph in style, a win over Martin is not necessarily guaranteed. The American – a self-proclaimed “blue-chip” prospect fighting out of Abel Sanchez’s Summit Gym in Big Bear, California – is well-conditioned, well-schooled, and undefeated with 22 wins and 12 knockouts; impressing in an emphatic points victory over Breidis Prescott in May.
Following a series of impressive performances against noteworthy opposition, Taylor successfully conquered the biggest challenge of his career in June after defeating former WBC champion Viktor Postol by unanimous decision. Although Postol was able to frustrate Taylor throughout the early proceedings with movement and pressure, the Tartan Tornado consummated a hard-fought win with a late knockdown. Taylor, a spiteful combination puncher, comes into this tournament carrying a lot of momentum and will be relishing the opportunity to showcase his skills by dispatching of Martin – an equally tenacious adversary – in similar fashion.
In doing so, he will advance to the semi-final and his first world title shot against formidable Belarussian Ivan Baranchyk, who pummelled Anthony Yigit into submission after seven rounds of relentless punishment last weekend for the vacant IBF title.
Article by: Navi Singh
Follow Navi on Twitter at: @DarkMan________