Boxing Social predicts three fights from this weekend’s action, starting in Newcastle for Josh Kelly’s defence of his WBO International belt against unbeaten Gabriel Alberto Corzo, followed by a British title fight on the undercard and ending up in Detroit for Alycia Baumgardner’s latest undisputed outing.
Josh Kelly vs Gabriel Alberto Corzo
Josh Kelly continues his super welterweight campaign in Newcastle, this time out against undefeated Argentinian, Gabriel Alberto Corzo.
‘Pretty Boy’ Kelly bounced back from a punishing defeat at the hands of David Avanesyan in 2021 by moving up in weight and returning to his best. His three fights in the division so far have shown the remarkable agility and quick combination punching that garnered so much hype when he turned over from Olympian amateur to the pro ranks.
His last outing against Troy Williamson for the British title was a shutout and showed his levels clearly – and that form is expected to continue.
It’s the first time Corzo is scheduled for 12, and, although undefeated, his record suggests that Kelly needn’t worry about his power too much.
Look for the local boy to swarm his opponent with that stellar punch selection, forcing a stoppage through sheer activity in the later rounds. Boxing Social’s betting partner, William Hill, has him to win inside the distance at 4/7.
Qais Ashfaq vs Liam Dillon
On the undercard of Kelly-Corzo is a standout British title fight between super-featherweights, Qais Ashfaq and Liam Dillon.
Following a shock defeat against Marc Leach back in 2020, decorated amateur and Team GB competitor Ashfaq has bounced back with four wins. He finds himself battling against the tough and undefeated Dillon for the vacant title.
Dillon scored a career-best victory over Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab last time out to secure this shot, and will look to upset the odds once more. It’s hard to look past the skills of the favourite, though.
The fight has the potential to be the best of the night, and fans can expect it to go the distance. An Ashfaq decision is priced at EVS and certainly worth a look.
Alycia Baumgardner vs Christina Linardatou
Alycia Baumgardner defends her undisputed super-featherweight status on Saturday in Detroit, headlining the card against the one woman who has defeated her – Christina Linardatou.
The pair battled to a split decision for Linardatou back in 2018, but the champion goes into this one the fresher, more improved and much more active fighter.
Baumgardner collected her first belts in 2021 against Terri Harper, and made one defence before unifying in a close contest with Mikaela Mayer. In her last outing, she had Elhem Mekhaled down twice on the way to a unanimous decision.
Linardatou is 35 years old now, and has fought her last five fights in 140lbs ranks. Getting back down to 130 won’t be fun, and the last time Baumgardner faced someone tight at the weight was Harper. That ended in a relatively brutal stoppage for the American.
With the added motivation of avenging her one career defeat, as well as a first pro fight in her hometown of Detroit, it’s worth looking at ‘The Bomb’ to win inside the distance for the eighth time in her career at 9/2 for good value.
Combining the bets above with the William Hill Boxing Social special will get you odds of 20/1.