James Dickens can get one over sparring partner Kid Galahad on a fascinating Fight Camp card, according to boxing expert Chris Oliver.
Boxing betting tips: Fight Camp, Saturday August 7
1pt James Dickens to win by decision at 4/1 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt to win Dickens by split decision at 18/1 (bet365)
1pt double Wardley-Webb over 3.5 and Babic-Bennett over 2.5 rounds at 5/2 (bet365)
Kid Galahad v James Dickens
When: Saturday August 7, approx. 2200 BST
Where: Matchroom Fight Camp
Watch: DAZN
Fight Camp 2021 got off to a flyer last Saturday and we are back in Eddie Hearn's back garden for another night of action on DAZN this weekend.
There were upsets and tear-ups in a very entertaining first week of action in the grounds of Matchroom HQ, and the second instalment features arguably the best fight of the three-week series. While last week's card was stacked full of intriguing bouts, it's all about the main event this time as Kid Galahad and James 'Jazza' Dickens do battle for the IBF featherweight title in a rematch that has been eight years in the making.
They were a pair of young, unbeaten super bantamweights when they clashed for the British title in September 2013 and delivered an exciting contest, until Dickens was stopped in the 10th round. Now up at 126lb, they are both much more experience and vastly improved fighters ahead of the biggest night of their careers to date.
Dickens started well in the first encounter as he had plenty of success with his high work-rate and pressure, but Galahad found his range and came right back into it as the pace slowed later in the fight. Given how much they have evolved since, that result may not have much bearing on the return but it certainly won't do any harm to the confidence of Galahad, who is a warm 4/11 favourite to repeat the dose.
Those odds are understandable given the first result and that the Qatar-born, Sheffield resident came close to winning this very belt against Josh Warrington in a Yorkshire grudge match just over two years ago. Galahad belied his pre-fight odds to give the previously unbeaten champion a real run for his money, albeit it in an ugly and tedious affair in which the challenger came to spoil.
Those tactics nearly worked, but he failed to stay with Warrington when he stepped it up a gear in the final third of the fight and lost a split decision. Galahad has only boxed once since, when stopping the decent Claudio Marrero in eights round with a polished performance in February last year, and he will know this is his big opportunity to claim world honours.
Dickens, who can be backed at 5/2, was dealt another couple of losses in 2016 and 2017 to Guillermo Rigondeaux (broken jaw in second round) and Thomas Patrick Ward (technical decision) respectively, but his resurgence since stepping up in weight has been very impressive. He comes into this on an eight-fight winning streak and while 2020 was a write off for plenty in the sport, Dickens enjoyed his best year so far.
The popular Liverpudlian completed an unbeaten run through the MTK Golden Contract tournament thanks to impressive points wins (10 rounds) over Leigh Wood (February) and Ryan Walsh (December) and looked better than ever in doing so. The victory over Wood was given a huge form boost when the Nottingham man upset Xu Can to claim the WBA 'regular' title in the main event here last weekend and Dickens heads to Essex with real momentum.
That recent activity is a huge positive for the underdog and this could be a lot closer fight than the odds suggest, with plenty of reasons to suggest Dickens can fare better than the first time around. That was his first 12-rounder and it showed as he tired down the stretch, but he is now much more seasoned and has displayed a greater engine now up at featherweight. His performance against Wood was relentless, but he also showed his boxing skills when outpointing Walsh in a much more tactical affair and looks a much more rounded fighter at 30 years old.
Galahad may not have it all his own way
Galahad is a tricky customer and can be as awkward as they come on his day. A typical product of the famous Ingle Gym, he's a talented switch-hitter who relies on his reflexes for defence and digs with authority when letting his hands go. He's a fine judge of distance with smart footwork and possesses a very useful jab, when he chooses to use it. He can look every bit a world champion in the making when given the time and space to work, but likes to fight at his own pace and is less effective when forced to work at a higher tempo.
These two aren't just familiar with each other from the first fight, they have also sparred lots of rounds together over the years and are friendly outside the ring. When boxers know each other so well, it can often lead to a tentative affair as both are fully aware of each other's strengths, and that would be no surprise here. This could be a factor in the money coming this week for it to go the distance, which is now a best price of 8/13, and I agree with the market move, as they both do 12 rounds well now and are durable.
That support has been matched by punters latching on to Galahad by decision in the method of victory market, and the 6/4 available seems fair enough. However, he is the sort to just do enough to nick the rounds and there is every chance this is going to be a real tricky one to score, with potentially just a round or two either way on the cards and plenty of debate to follow. In what I see being a closely-fought contest between two well-matched opponents, the value call is DICKENS ON POINTS at a juicy 4/1 with Sky Bet.
As we saw first time around, he has the work rate to set a pace Galahad isn't comfortable with early doors and looks more capable of maintaining that nowadays. He must go about his work smartly on the front foot and maintain his head movement on the way in all night long, but he showed he can do that against Wood and the Walsh victory was another real confidence booster.
Those two performances and the more recent activity should arguably see the Lancashire southpaw a shorter price than he is, and he rates the value in the battle of the roses. A small play on DICKENS TO WIN BY SPLIT DECISION is also appealing at a huge 18/1 with bet365.
Double-up the overs
The undercard lacks the quality of seven days ago but it could provide plenty of fun as the heavyweights roll into town looking to let the bombs go.
The big-punching Fabio Wardley aims to continue his rise up the ranks against a resurgent Nick Webb after both were successful on the same Matchroom card in Gibraltar earlier in the year.
After being stopped by Dave Allen and Kamil Sokolowski in 2018, Webb won the Ultimate Boxxer tournament (three-round format) but it was his surprise second round stoppage of the highly-touted Erik Pfeifer on 'The Rock' in March that really got him back on track.
Later that night, Wardley took his unbeaten record to 11 (10 early) by halting two-time world title challenger Erik Molina in the fifth round to claim a career- best win. With no amateur experience to call upon, Wardley is learning all the time and having been tagged plenty that night, he can show the benefit of that experience against Webb.
The favourite can bang but isn't the biggest for the weight and this could be a bit tougher than some expect, so OVER 3.5 (8/11) in the total rounds market may be the way in.
Another 'small' heavyweight causing a stir is Alen Babic, who has yet to be taken past three rounds in his perfect seven-fight career and Mark Bennett may be victim number eight.
However, OVER 2.5 ROUNDS would have landed in Babic's last two contests and could do so here at 11/10, with Bennett usually weighing in close to 260lb and being the biggest man the favourite as faced to date. His only loss in seven came to Webb in the aforementioned Ultimate Boxxer event and he may have the size to stick around long enough for us to collect on the double.
Posted at 1115 BST on 06/08/21
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