With the level of interest shown in Joshua Klitschko we're nowhere near having an separate thread like for May-Pac (yes we can still smell it, even to this date). Hatton, Froch and Haye all manage to deliver in the entertainment stakes. Klitschko however, he can stink any joint out. Everyman and their dog has a preview on the main even, so here are my thoughts on the undercard.
We kick off with 3x 2016 Olympians. With the new amateur scoring rules, 3 minute rounds, and lack of headguards, the gap between amateurs and pro's is thinner than ever. On the flip side bookies are doing a better job of pricing up their bouts. At a glance there are high vigs and a lack of ricks.
Katie Taylor 4-0, she is fighting in what is claimed to be a step up in competition. A big issue is the 2 minute rounds. 20 minutes of action and 9 minutes of rest is not conducive to producing KO's. The long term angle is to back points at odds against and ride out the variance. So far points has landed in 2/4 of Taylor's bouts and in Nicola Adam's sole bout.
Luke Campbell has a very respectable opponent in Darleys Perez, ex champ and twice former Anthony Crolla foe. The last few occasions Campbell's KO price has looked shortish he's gone and made a mockery of it. I'm back cautiously back on the Luke Campbell KO bandwagon. If you can't back Luke Campbell up then the lead left hand to the body will give you fits. I'll get off the bandwagon when he comes up against a smart pressure fighter, or a big strong unit. For the time being there's still some 10/11 KO with Blacktype. The price is shorting after Perez missed weight by a pound and hasn't re-appeared an hour later for a second weigh in. We don't really know how much notice he received with the fight announced just 3 weeks in advance.
Scott Quigg faces former Lee Selby opponent Viorel Simion. At 1/20 odds on for the win, I'd expected Quigg to be slightly favoured to win by KO although the bookies have gone 4/7 points and 7/4 stoppage. Simion had a credble points loss to Selby but that was 3 years ago. Selby was only British champ and Simion was 32, the latter peak age for a small man. Selby aka the Welsh Mayweather is a bitch when it comes to sitting down on his punches, whereas Quigg loves to load up, especially when an opponent comes forward and is there to be hit.
As for the main event, it'll be 50/50 hind sight. Either Joshua is a hype job or Wlad will be shot. We'll learn a lot in the first couple of rounds and there'll be a liquid in-play market. With Sky setting a PPV date and fighters earning many times their usual purse, a few fighters have gone into the ring in less than perfect condition.
Bazza and co, feel free to tear this apart, or just put up your own picks