Boxing betting tips: Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang preview and best bets
Boxing fans can look forward to another huge clash on Saturday night when Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang lock horns – Chris Oliver previews the action.
Boxing betting tips: Wilder vs Zhang
2pts Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang under 6.5 rounds at evens (Coral)
1pt Filip Hrgovic to win in rounds 7-12 at 11/4 (Sky Bet)
1pt Hamzah Sheeraz to win in rounds 7-12 at 3/1 (Sky Bet)
1pt Nick Ball to win by decision 7/2 at (bet365, William Hill)
Boxing fans have it pretty good right now.
After Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury’s epic night in Riyadh was quickly followed by an all-British classic between Jack Catterall and Josh Taylor in Leeds last weekend, we’re now back in Saudi Arabia for a brilliant card on Saturday night.
Prior to Artur Beterbiev getting injured and having to withdraw from his mouthwatering clash with Dimitry Bivol, this show was up there with the best cards I can remember in my lifetime. It’s a testament to how strong it was that, even without that undisputed light heavyweight contest, we still have a very special night in store.
It’s billed as ‘Queensbury versus Matchroom 5v5’, with a quintet of Frank Warren’s stable taking on a handful of Eddie Hearn’s promotional outfit. As novel and original as the concept is, the fans don’t care about which team comes out on top, they are only interested in top matchups and this card delivers plenty of them.
Big hitters ready to rumble
Bivol still gets a run out against the unbeaten Malik Zinad, but he should have about as much trouble as his odds of 1/25 suggest, so we will get straight into the Queensbury versus Matchroom bouts.
Deontay Wilder (43-3-1) was a surprise addition to the Matchroom squad and he tops the bill against Zhilei Zhang in a fascinating clash of heavy-handed heavyweights.
Wilder defended his WBC world title 10 times and is one of the most feared punchers of all-time, but he is now drinking in the last chance saloon after losing three of his last four fights. It may have been the back-to-back stoppage losses to Tyson Fury leaving their mark or boxing just one round in over two years having an effect, but the ‘Bronze Bomber’ looked awful when widely outpointed by Joseph Parker in December.
Hesitant and way off the pace, Wilder was surprisingly passive and barely landed a glove on the New Zealander all night. He subsequently said he needed to shake off the ring rust and has promised us a return to his old self this weekend, but the 38-year-old is a slight underdog at 6/4.
An 8/11 chance here, Zhang (26-2-1) also arrives on the back of a points defeat to Parker, albeit it much more competitive one. The Chinese southpaw had Parker down twice but did little else outside of those two rounds and ran out of ideas and stamina in the final third.
Zhang was flying high prior to that defeat thanks to his pair of knockout wins over the previously unbeaten Joe Joyce, but he’s now 41 and another loss here would probably signal the end of his involvement in high-profile fights likes this.
In short, these two giants hit very hard, but they are both easy to hit and are flawed in many areas. It could be just a case of who lands first, and trying to pick a winner is a tricky puzzle to solve, but I don’t expect this to last too long and am siding with this to be over in less than 6.5 rounds, which makes plenty of appeal at even money.
Both men are dangerous early doors and have stamina issues, which are likely to be highlighted even more in the stifling heat of Riyadh at this time of year. With 63 knockout wins between them, it could be bombs away from the get-go and I’m not sure whose will detonate first, but it could be over pretty quickly when one of them does.
Hrgovic fancied for late stoppage
The other heavyweight contest on the bill is also an intriguing one, as Filip Hrgovic takes on Daniel Dubois with the winner likely to get a crack at the IBF title next.
Hrgovic won bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games and is unbeaten in 17 (14 early) as a professional, although his 2022 points victory over the aforementioned Zhang was a very contentious one.
He is a 4/9 favourite to register win number 18 against Dubois (20-2), who returns to the scene of his confidence-boosting stoppage victory over Jarrell Miller in the final session of their 10-rounder in December.
Will Filip Hrgovic's experience prove decisive against Daniel Dubois?
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) May 30, 2024
🎬 @DAZNBoxing #DuboisHrgovic | #QueensberryVsMatchroom | #5vs5 pic.twitter.com/UKIRcBxisb
Dubois (9/4) is strong and powerful so is always dangerous while he’s still on his feet, but the manner of his defeats to Joe Joyce (KO10) and Usyk (KO9) raised question marks over his heart. On both occasions, the 26-year-old from Greenwich took a knee and chose not to continue when the heat was being turned up on him, and the feeling is that it could be something similar here.
While Hrgovic has yet to really fulfil his potential, he remains a talented heavyweight and if he can avoid taking anything too heavy in the opening six rounds, the Croat can put the pressure on Dubois and get the stoppage in the second half of the fight at 11/4.
Featherweights to serve up a classic
Undefeated featherweights Raymond Ford and Nick Ball square off in what looks sure to be a cracker and this one could steal the show.
This should be a unification bout because most observers felt Ball (19-0-1) did enough to win the WBC title from Rey Vargas here in March, especially as he had the American down on a couple of occasions. However, a split draw was the verdict and the pocket rocket from Liverpool is a 6/4 underdog as the challenger here.
Ford (16-0-1) earned his WBA title shot with a convincing points victory over Jessie Magdaleno 13 months ago before capturing the belt in a thrilling, last-gasp success over the highly-rated Otabek Kholmatov in March. Down on two of the three scorecards, Ford produced a stunning late rally and forced the referee to halt the contest with just seven seconds remaining.
He is a 4/6 favourite on the back of that victory, but their respective odds would be closer had Ball got the decision he deserved against Vargas and was bringing the WBC belt to the party.
It is being billed as a classic boxer versus puncher contest, with Ford’s slick skills pitted against the aggressive style of the hard-hitting challenger. However, Ford showed he is much more than a stylist when forced to dig deep last time, while Ball displayed his boxing skills when recording a wide decision win over former champion Isaac Dogboe on his penultimate outing,
Ball must concede height and reach but that is nothing new for him and he uses his stocky frame well against taller opponents. His speed and explosiveness allow him to close the gap quickly and he can do damage with both hands when inside.
It is 1/2 that this goes the distance, and this looks set to be a very competitive fight that could be close on the scorecards.
Ford is a speedy southpaw and that is something new for Ball, who doesn’t have much experience against ‘lefties’ and that could be a big factor. Ball was behind at the halfway mark against Vargas, and he could well be again here, as Ford looks to keep his man on the end of his sharp jab on the outside.
Ford to win a decision is only 5/4, which is short enough in a tough fight to call and, in terms of value, I prefer Ball to win by that same method at 7/2.
The Scouser has experience of fighting in Riyadh and is super fit, so expect him to come on very strong down the home stretch again and that could be enough for him to get the nod from the judges.
Sheeraz can maintain his rapid rise
In another contest between a British power puncher and an American southpaw, Hamzah Sheeraz looks to continue his progress against Austin Williams.
Possibly Queensbury’s brightest prospect right now, Sheeraz (19-0) has looked a different animal since stepping up to middleweight and has stopped all five opponents at 160lbs, including when making a real statement by halting Liam Williams inside a round in February.
Williams (16-0) is a 15/8 underdog despite being unbeaten himself and he has shown improvements in recent outings. ‘Ammo’ can dig as well and he has quick hands, so this should be pretty lively while it lasts.
However, I fancy the longer and taller Sheeraz (1/2) to dictate the range and land his heavy shots more regularly. Once he starts to do so, Williams will know about it and Sheeraz can get another inside-the-distance victory.
That is available at 5/4, but better value appears to be Sheeraz to get the job done in the second half at 3/1 as Williams will certainly be no pushover.
Craig Richards (4/6) against Willy Hutchinson (6/4) may have gone under the radar a little but this England versus Scotland clash is a cracking contest in its own right and it's another one that could go either way.
Posted at 1450 BST on 31/04/24