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Philippines, 29 Nov 2024 |
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British boxing hopes for jubilant start to 2022 PhilBoxing.com Fri, 07 Jan 2022  History and tradition show that when it comes to the art of pugilism, Britain has a great heritage of producing excellent boxers and worthy world champions. This legacy continues and in practically every weight division, there is a fine array of talent. Looking ahead to 2022, it could be another amazing year for British boxing, as champions defend their titles and challengers look to realize their professional ambitions. No sooner does 2022 begin and British boxers will feature in two notable headline bouts. 36-year-old ring veteran Callum Johnson is bidding for the WBO Light Heavyweight title on 15 January, taking on reigning champion Joe Smith Jr. at the Turning Stone Resort Casino. Next on the schedule, Chris Eubank Jr. will face Liam Williams in Cardiff, Wales, in what should be an exciting all-British battle on 29 January. Both of these bouts are sure to attract plenty of attention, as fight fans tune in to cheer on their favorites and see how things pan out. Likewise, there’s the added appeal of backing those who we believe will win, so finding competitive odds and expert betting tips will be a big advantage. This is aided by the latest knockout guide to online boxing betting from SBO, covering everything we’ll need in our corner before the fights begin. Callum Johnson vs. Joe Smith Jr. For the last several years, the Light Heavyweight division has largely been dominated by two Russian boxers. Dmitry Bivol has the WBA title, while Artur Beterbiev has both the WBC and IBF titles. American fighter Joe Smith Jr. lost his challenge to Bivol for the WBO title in 2019, while British boxer was defeated by Beterbiev in his bid for the IBF title, back in 2018. Smith Jr. finally won the WBO Light Heavyweight title in April 2021, beating another Russian in the shape of Maxim Vlasov, following a grueling encounter decided via majority decision. This will be the first defense of that belt for the 32-year-old from Long Island, New York, while in an interview with Carl Frampton recently, “my last chance” was how 36-year-old Callum Johnson regarded his world title shot. According to all the leading sportsbooks, Joe Smith Jr. is clear favorite to successfully defend his WBO title, although Callum Johnson should not be underestimated, with the loss against Beterbiev in 2018 the only loss of his professional career. The Briton may not have the advantage of age, yet he does have an impressive record of downing opponents early in fights, which makes this an appealing encounter against the durable American. Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams During an era when British boxing dominated the middleweight and super-middleweight scene, Chris Eubank was undoubtedly one of the most memorable fighters of the era. This legend has also been mentoring his son since turning professional in 2011, while Chris Eubank Jr. is also guided by trainer Ronnie Davies, who also worked with his father. Now 32, “Next Gen” has an impressive record of 31 wins and 2 defeats from 33 career fights. Having lost and regained the IBO Super-Middleweight title since 2018, Eubank Jr. has dropped down to the Middleweight division and in December 2019, won the interim WBA Middleweight title with a TKO victory against Matt Korobov. In 2021 and with former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. as his trainer, Eubank Jr enjoyed wins against Marcus Morrison and Wanik Awdijan. Next on the agenda for Eubank Jr. is the eagerly awaited grudge fight with Liam Williams, who lost his bid for the WBO Middleweight title in April 2021, taking Demetrius Andrade the full distance of 12 rounds but losing by unanimous decision. 29-year-old Williams regards this upcoming bout as a great opportunity, one that could put him back in the frame for future title challenges, which is precisely the same objective that Eubank Jr. has in mind, making this an intriguing bout. Undisputed title challenge in early 2022 No sooner will these two events have been resolved in January, there’s a tantalizing bout in February to get us excited. What’s more, it’s another all-British contest between two of the best Light-Welterweight fighters around. As the undisputed and undefeated (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring) champion in this division, Josh Taylor will put all his titles on the line against Jack Catterall, who is also unbeaten after 26 professional fights. Both of these British boxers have exceptionally impressive records, not least given that neither has ever been beaten in the ring. This makes for a fascinating matchup in which something will have to give. Early betting has Josh Taylor as the huge favorite, although that could mean backing Jack Catterall is the wiser bet, as he certainly has the potential to cause an upset and claim all those titles. This bout promises fireworks and should not be missed.  |
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