Chris Oliver looks ahead to a busy Saturday with boxing on BT Sport and Eurosport, with David Avanesyan expected to secure another stoppage win.
Boxing betting tips: Saturday March 19
1pt David Avanesyan to win in rounds 5-8 at 15/8 (Sky Bet)
1pt Hamzah Sheeraz to win in rounds 5-6 at 4/1 (General)
1pt Regis Prograis to win in rounds 5-6 at 7/2 (Paddy Power, Betfair)
DAVID AVANESYAN was hoping for a bigger name than Oskari Metz for the defence of his European title on Saturday night.
The Newark-based Russian heads the BT Sport-televised show at the Wembley Arena as he closes in on a world title shot, but he is proving too good for his own good at present.
A much talked about fight with Conor Benn failed to materialise thanks to the latter's team deciding he isn't ready for that test just yet, while the WBC called for Avanesyan versus Virgil Ortiz as a final eliminator for the belt, but the top American prospect declined and went looking elsewhere instead. Avanesyan is the king of the 'who needs him' club at the moment and will be looking for another impressive performance to keep up the pressure on the big boys in the welterweight division.
His failure to secure a high-profile fight has worked out well for Metz, who gets his shot at the European strap, but he may soon be wishing Avanesyan got his wish against a big name when this one gets going.
Metz boasts a perfect 15-fight record but has fought against mediocre opposition, mainly in his native Finland, and this is a huge step up in class. His best win came over Michal Syrowatka (22-3 at the time) via an eight-round decision in July 2020 and, in his first 12-rounder, he needs to improve on that form to trouble Avanesyan.
A 1/20 favourite, Avanesyan has rattled off five straight stoppage wins since losing to Egidijus Kavaliauskas four years ago, with the highlights being handing Kerman Lejarraga (TKO 9) and Josh Kelly (TKO 6) their first defeats. Kelly was tipped for big things, but the Olympian couldn't live with the pace set by the relentless Avanesyan and quickly crumbled at the halfway point when they met 13 months ago. Avanesyan blasted out Liam Taylor in two rounds last time and won't be hanging around here.
Metz, who can be backed at 14/1, does the basics well enough but doesn't have the power (just five KOs) to trouble the favourite and if you can't keep Avanesyan off then you are in for a painful night. The 33-year-old is strong at the weight and doesn't give his opponents an inch, with his constant pressure physically punishing and mentally draining. He doesn't carry one-punch knockout power but breaks people down systematically and is fancied to stop Metz somewhere between ROUNDS FIVE AND EIGHT at 15/8.
Sheer class?
On the undercard, HAMZAH SHEERAZ has his first outing since his controversial victory over Bradley Skeete.
Having struggled to catch up with the skilful Skeete, the highly-touted Sheeraz got to him in the eighth round but somehow escaped disqualification when hitting his man when he was down. Sheeraz stopped him in the next round in a contest that left a sour taste and now moves to up middleweight to take on Jez Smith.
Smith (13-4) has lost four of his last six, including three by stoppage, and he will do well to hear the final bell here. He doesn't have the skills of Skeete, and Sheeraz, who should be suited by the move up to 160lb, can find a home for his big shots much easier this time. It's 4/1 Sheeraz to get rid of Smith in ROUNDS FIVE OR SIX and that rates good value.
How to watch Avanesyan v Metz
- This card will be broadcast on BT Sport 3 from 1900 GMT with the main event expected to begin around 2200
Pro performance on from Edwards
Eurosport have linked up with promotional new boys Probellum and they screen Sunny Edwards' IBF flyweight defence against Muhammad Waseem in Dubai.
Despite a brilliant performance to take the belt from long-reigning champion Moruti Mthalane last April, Edwards remains relatively unknown outside of boxing circles and is fancied to put on another exhibition here. He's undoubtedly one of the best talents in British boxing and has the personality to go with it, so could easily be a bigger name if he was fighting at a higher weight.
However, flyweights don't tend to garner too much interest among the casual fans, and he doesn't have the power to produce the kind of knockout highlights reel that would go viral. He is all about the art of hitting and not being hit, which he has mastered, and I recommend you tune in to watch him strut his stuff if you're a fan of the sweet science.
However, he is no secret to the bookies, and they are fully aware that he generally does his winning via the scorecards, with another points success here only 2/7. That is the only reason he isn't the headline for this column, and we go in search of value elsewhere on the card.
How to watch Edwards v Waseem
- This card will be broadcast on Eurosport 2 from 1300 GMT with the main event expected to begin around 1700
Classy US super lightweight REGIS PROGRAIS takes on Northern Ireland's Tyrone McKenna in an unlikely match-up and the Belfast man really has his hands full here.
As odds of 1/14 would suggest, the American is a very smart operator and the former champion's only defeat in 27 outings came in his brilliant unification bout with Josh Taylor. That was one of the fights of 2019 and Prograis only narrowly lost out on the scorecards, while two stoppage victories since then have confirmed he remains a top-level fighter.
That doesn't bode well for Mckenna, a tough and game 32-year-old who has lost to Jack Catterall (UD) and Ohara Davies (MD) on the two occasions he has stepped up in class. He hasn't been stopped before, but that could all change here against a man who has halted 22 of his 26 victims.
McKenna boasts a five-inch height advantage and will look to keep it long in this all-southpaw affair, but Prograis knows how to make the most of his compact frame and is excellent on the inside. He is used to cutting down talented taller opponents and this should be one-way traffic once he finds his range. This 10-rounder may not see the later rounds, and Prograis to prevail in ROUNDS FIVE OR SIX looks a little overpriced at 7/2.
Posted at 0955 GMT on 18/03/22
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