Liam Smith looks to make it 2-0 over Chris Eubank Jr this weekend in Manchester, and Boxing Social has three picks from the card to form a 14/1 treble.
Liam Smith-Chris Eubank Jr – Smith KO TKO or DQ
Eight months on from their first encounter, Smith and Eubank run it back in what is a wildly important fight for both men. At 35 and 33, one loss at this point can be the difference between fighting on or hanging them up – particularly in Eubank’s case, who was pummelled to a stoppage in the fourth round back in January.
He has switched from Roy Jones Jr to employ the training services of Terence Crawford’s coach, Brian ‘BoMac’ MacIntyre, but the four weeks work together is unlikely to change much. Liverpool’s Smith was confident the first time around, and that’s doubled for the rematch. He knows he can hurt his opponent, and it’s likely that Eubank will meet him head on at one stage, even if it’s not as early. There’s also the school of thought that even 160lbs is too low for Eubank.
I’m backing Smith to get the stoppage again, forcing Eubank to make some serious decisions about his fighting future.
Mikaela Mayer-Silvia Bortot – Mayer decision
Following a close and debatable loss to Alycia Baumgardner in an undisputed super-featherweight bout, standout amateur and top pro Mikaela Mayer made a move up to lightweight, beating Lucy Wildheart over the distance.
She now continues to bulk up by facing Bortot at 142lbs, with the ultimate goal of making welterweight in the not-so-distant future. The new weight debut was the one question here, but Mayer looked comfortable on the scales and I’m expecting a relatively one-sided decision victory for the American over Italy’s Bortot, who has done nothing to prove she’s on the same level.
Adam Azim-Aram Faniian – Faniian to be knocked down in rounds 1-3
Adam Azim is set to continue his rise in the super-lightweight ranks with a step up against game Ukrainian, Aram Faniian, whose experience and durability makes it high-risk. It’s not the time for Azim to lose steam though, and all signs point to it being a challenge he’s well and truly capable of handling.
‘The Assassin’ has proven himself as one of the best prospects boxing has to offer, with his power gaining him a knockout or knockdown in the first three rounds in every fight bar his debut. It’s a trend I’m backing to continue before he finishes the job in the later rounds.
Boxing Social’s Enhanced Odds treble via betting partner, William Hill, is 14/1.