Boxing Social predicts three fights from a weekend packed full of action, starting with Savannah Marshall’s undisputed title challenge in Manchester and ending across the pond for Jared Anderson’s steady rise in the heavyweight ranks.
Franchón Crews-Dezurn vs Savannah Marshall
Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs) dusts herself off and has a second crack at becoming undisputed in as many fights against super-middleweight champion, Franchón Crews-Dezurn (8-1, 2 KOs).
The pair share a common professional loss in Claressa Shields, with Crews-Dezurn falling short to the ‘GWOAT’ in her debut back in 2016 while Marshall’s defeat is much fresher.
Despite Marshall moving up to 168lbs for the challenge, she fought her first eight contests at the weight, so should be comfortable and able to carry her power with her. The American champion has only two TKOs to her name in eight wins, so Marshall will likely be able to handle her winging hooks and even perhaps willing to take some to land her own.
The Hartlepool fighter was keen to show off her boxing ability in the Shields contest last year. It wasn’t the fight to do that, but this one just might be if she can keep Crews-Dezurn’s unorthodox and brawling style under control. Look to Marshall to repeat her win from the amateurs – a points decision at 4/9 via Boxing Social’s betting partner, William Hill.
Seven of Marshall’s ten stoppages have come in the second or third round, so if you’re looking for something more adventurous, the fight to last under 6.5 rounds is 11/2.
Dalton Smith vs Sam Maxwell
Undefeated Dalton Smith (14-0, 10 KOs) returns to Sheffield to clash with Sam Maxwell (17-1, 11 KOs) for the British and Commonwealth Super-Lightweight titles, with a win another step away from the domestic scene and into the big leagues.
After coming through the ranks with stoppage after stoppage, Smith has had a couple of unanimous decision victories of late and having that confidence that he can go the distance should see him fighting at a good pace and stepping up the gears as the clock ticks down. He’s an accurate puncher that’s at home mid-range, and whilst he’ll drive the action at points, Maxwell must watch out for the counters.
The challenger is 34 now, so a victory here means an incredible amount for the final chapter of his career. Fighting the champion – and promotional golden boy – on away soil means he’ll need to do plenty win rounds, and that could easily play into Smith’s hands.
Maxwell has one loss and it came via TKO – it’s worth looking at Smith to do similar in his hometown, winning the Londsdale belt via stoppage at 4/5 on William Hill.
Jared Anderson vs Charles Martin
Jared Anderson (14-0, 14 KOs) looks to continue his rise as the next big thing in the heavyweight division against late-replacement, Charles Martin (29-3-1, 26 KOs). The 23-year-old will headline a Top Rank card in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, showing just how much the promotional company are investing in him to be one of the main players down the line.
If you want to be champion, you’ve got to beat the southpaws – something Joe Joyce found out not so long ago. Fortunately for Anderson, Charles Martin is no Zhilei Zhang. Not by a long stretch.
Where Martin does pose a threat mainly lies in experience, but there’s nothing about ‘Big Baby’ that says he might wilt under pressure, even in his first headlining slot. He also comfortably dispatched of leftie Jerry Forrest in 2022, and was training for southpaw Zhan Kossobutskiy before visa issues saw Martin step in.
There is a good chance the prospect gets his chin tested, though. He can come in reckless on occasion and Martin can bang – 26 knockouts from 29 wins says so, and he had Luis Ortiz down twice in their 2022 bout before being equalised himself.
Ultimately though, there won’t be many fans or pundits backing ‘Prince’ Charles to pull it off here, and rightly so. Even without Martin’s 11-day notice for the fight, Anderson is a special talent and the heavyweight division is in safe hands should he keep wowing audiences with what he does in the ring. Expect him to do it again in style, adding a fifteenth knockout to his record of as many fights.
Punters buying into the experience of Martin and brave enough to back him to take ‘Big Baby’ past four rounds for only the second time in his career can get 11/10 odds, but the smarter money is under 4.5 at 4/7 on William Hill.
If you fancy Anderson to go one better than Anthony Joshua and finish Martin in the first round, you’re looking at an 7/1 shot.