Boxing betting tips: Preview and best bets for BT Sport and Sky Box Office fights on June 5-7
Boxing expert Chris Oliver previews this weekend's action, with Jarrett Hurd backed for victory on Sunday.
Boxing betting tips: June 5-7
1pt Daniel Dubois in rounds 5-8 at 11/4 (Sky Bet)
1pt Jarrett Hurd by decision at 8/5 (bet365)
Jarrett Hurd v Luis Arias
When: Monday June 7 (UK), approx. 0200 BST
Where: Hard Rock Stadium
TV info: Sky Box Office
On Sunday night there is action from the US on Sky Box Office as Floyd Mayweather squares up against Logan Paul in an exhibition.
Boxing fans have poured scorn on Mayweather's latest move and seeing a 44-year-old legend of the sport taking on a YouTuber who has yet to win a fight is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, including mine. However, Mayweather loves a dollar bill more than most and he is getting plenty of them for almost zero amount of risk here, so it seems a smart move on his part.
Thankfully, there is some real action on the bill and after Jean Pascal failed a drugs test ahead of his rematch with Badou Jack, the focus is now on JARRETT HURD against Luis Arias.
After three defences of his light middleweight titles, Hurd lost a surprise decision to Julian Williams in May 2019 and has only fought once since - a unanimous decision win over Francisco Santana in January this year. That will have shaken off the rust and odds of 1/12 reflect how he is fully expected to have too much for Arias (7/1), but whether he can stop his fellow American at 4/6 is the big question.
The underdog hasn't fought for nearly two years and has failed to register a win in his last three outings, but those two defeats and one draw all went the distance and one of them was against the world class Daniel Jacobs. He has also been competing at middleweight and above for his whole professional career, in which he won his first 18 bouts before that Jacobs loss, and is used to taking on bigger men than Hurd. While any plans of wining may eventually go out the window and see him enter into survival mode, Arias could know enough and be big enough to stick around until the final bell. Hurd by decision is 8/5 and appeals much more than the odds-on about him getting it done inside the distance.
Daniel Dubois v Bogdan Dinu
When: Saturday June 5 (UK), main event approx. 1030 BST
Where: Telford International Centre
TV info: BT Sport 1
We should begin to find out what DANIEL DUBOIS is all about as he begins his recovery process against Bogdan Dinu on Saturday night
The Greenwich man tasted defeat for the first time as a professional when beaten into submission by Joe Joyce in an enthralling domestic dust-up in November, as the constant punishment of his opponent's thudding jab caused severe damage and swelling to the left eye of Dubois. It proved one left-hand lead too many in the 10th round as he took a knee and never beat the count.
The physical scars may have healed but we are yet to find out if the mental ones have and it is far from certain that he is still the same fighter as he was before that loss. The heavyweight division is littered with examples of fighters who have never been the same after their first loss, especially big-punching ones who have their aura of intimidation and invincibility taken away. Similar to the way Dubois did in his first 15 bouts, David Price was blasting his way through the glamour division and hailed as Britain's next heavyweight star until he was knocked out by Tony Thompson, and was damaged goods thereafter.
For Dubois, it has sparked a change in trainer and he starts afresh under the guidance of Shane McGuigan, who already has a fine CV as a coach despite his relative youth. It a best price of 1/18 that the pair get their working relationship off to a winning start against Dinu, who can be backed at 10/1.
The Romanian brings a very creditable record to the table, winning 20 and losing just twice to good opposition in Jarrell Miller (KO 4) and Kubrat Pulev (KO 7). However, his victories have been against very mediocre opposition and he was been stopped on the only two occasions he has stepped up in class in those back-to-back defeats in 2017/18. He arrives following two early wins but goes up in levels again here and it is 2/9 that it results in another stoppage loss.
The visitor moves well and will be looking to keep this at long range, working behind his useful jab and aiming to avoid too much action at close quarters. That is where Dubois wants it as, while he possesses a good jab himself, he is all about detonating bombs via his big overhand right and spiteful hooks. Dinu could make the favourite think a bit early doors and use his good feet, but he has wilted under pressure in the past and Dubois can catch up with him from the middle rounds.
There is an obvious worry about him being a little gun-shy following that stoppage loss, but Dubois still remains a very promising prospect and the punching power that saw him halt 14 of his 15 victims won't have disappeared overnight. There was certainly no shame in losing to Joyce, who was very unlucky not to be an Olympic gold medallist and is now a very smart professional. He was also able to stand up to the power of Dubois and few men have a chin like that. This looks a good opponent for the Brit to return against as he may not have it all his own way to start with, but it would be a major surprise if he comes unstuck and he should catch up to his man for stoppage number 15 at some point between rounds five and eight, which could be a spot of value at 11/4.
Posted at 1615 BST on 04/06/21
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