With British fight fans having only just shelled out for the overly-tame Klitschko vs Fury, you can’t blame them for grumbling about next weekend’s Joshua vs Whyte. But to be fair to Matchroom Boxing and Sky Sports, the card has shaped up rather nicely.
No, every fight at the O2 Arena, London, isn’t a 50/50 classic on paper. This is boxing, after all. But there’s some decent scraps on the bill, a bunch of hot prospects and proven British talents, and even Paulie Malignaggi. Let’s take a quick run through what’s in store on December 12th:
Anthony Joshua vs Dillian Whyte
12 rounds, British, Commonwealth Heavyweight Titles
This will of course be the main event which is expected to launch Anthony Joshua into the European and World scene next year. But let’s not forget the Gargantuan Heavyweight will be sharing the ring with not only his toughest test to date, but one who defeated Joshua in the Amateur ranks.
Personally, I think that fact is something which sounds great at press conferences but won’t make much difference come fight night. But it does at least make Dillian Whyte 1-0 right now, which could give him a psychological edge. And boy is Whyte going to need one against knockout machine, Joshua.
Going in, both men have unblemished records, carrying a combined 27 knockouts in 30 contests. Too many fights this year (Klitschko-Fury, Cotto-Canelo) have promised knockouts which failed to deliver, but the sensible money still goes on a Joshua knockout in this one.
Joshua, our No.10 Heavyweight, comes to the ring with 14 wins, 14 knockouts, and Whyte 16 wins, 13 knockouts.
Joshua vs Whyte Undercard
Chris Eubank Jr vs Spike O’Sullivan
12 rounds, WBC Middleweight Title Eliminator
A lot of people are labeling this a mismatch, but I’m reserving judgment until the action begins. O’Sullivan may be 4 years Eubank’s junior, but the Irishman knows his way around the ring, has some decent power of his own, and looks very confident right now.
The reason I’m sitting on the fence is because Eubank is yet to truly claim a marquee Middleweight scalp – even at domestic level. Sure, Eubank chopped down a fairly capable operator in Dmitry Chudinov, but really the guy’s still unproven. Eubank also lost to the biggest name on his record, Billy Joe Saunders, after pulling the trigger far too late in the late 2014 12-rounder.
O’Sullivan’s performance against Saunders in 2013 was mostly one-sided, however, making Eubank’s effort all the more impressive. After witnessing Amir Imam get mauled by Adrian Granados at the weekend, an upset in Eubank Jr vs O’Sullivan really wouldn’t shock me. We’ll soon see if Eubank is the real deal.
Going in, Eubank, our No.10 Middleweight, carries 20 wins, 1 defeat, 15 knockouts, and O’Sullivan 22 wins, 1 defeat, 15 knockouts.
Kevin Mitchell vs Ismael Barroso
12 rounds, Lightweight, Interim WBA Lightweight Title
On the surface it looks like Kevin Mitchell, one of Britain’s best nearly-men, is about to take on a dangerous, unbeaten prospect. That’s partly true, partly not. Yes, Barroso is a big puncher who’s yet to pick up a blemish on his record, but he’s also 32-years-old and hasn’t fought a legitimate threat thus far.
I don’t want to write this encounter off completely, but it does seem like Mitchell has been cleverly and carefully matched. I’ve a feeling the 31-year-old is being guided toward a fellow countryman in Anthony Crolla, Terry Flanagan or Luke Campbell in 2016, and for that reason it’s imperative he bags a win against Barroso. Based on Mitchell’s courageous effort against Jorge Linares in May, my money’s on him.
But hey, stranger things have happened in boxing. Barroso doesn’t have any notable names on his resume, but anyone who carries an 85% knockout ratio has a chance. Coming in, Mitchell, our No.8 Lightweight, carries 39 wins, 3 defeats, 29 knockouts, while Barroso brings 18 wins, no defeats, 2 draws, 17 knockouts.
Tony Bellew vs Mateusz Masternak
12 rounds, Vacant European Cruiserweight Title
This could be a nice little appetizer before Joshua vs Whyte. Mateusz Masternak isn’t a huge name in the boxing world, but then again neither is Bellew. In terms of achievements, there’s little to separate them. Both are sound boxers who carry some pop in their punches, meaning this could be one of the most competitive bouts of the night.
Bellew may be the favorite, but I wouldn’t be so quick to write off his Polish foe. Masternak may give away three inches in height, but he’s five years younger than Bellew, and put simply, the guy just looks like a tough customer. Masternak went 11 rounds with Grigory Drozd, our No.1 Cruiserweight, in 2013, which speaks for itself.
The winner will move a lot closer to challenging for a world title, and for that reason, I think we’ll see a good scrap. Going in, Bellew stands at 25 wins, 2 defeats, 1 draw, 16 knockouts, while Masternak brings a record of 36 wins, 3 defeats, 26 knockouts.
Luke Campbell vs Yvan Mendy
12 rounds, Lightweight
OK, this is one Luke Campbell is pretty much guaranteed to win. But it’s worth your attention to gauge what the Gold Medal Olympian can bring to the world stage in 2016/17, depending on how fast Matchroom Boxing want to move him. If you haven’t already seen Campbell in action, you may remember reading about his impressive, controlled demolition of Tommy Coyle in August.
Yvan Mendy isn’t a serious threat, but he’ll represent the best opponent Campbell has faced to date. Maybe Mendy will ask some questions of Campbell, maybe he won’t, but on paper he looks like a solid-ish challenge. Mendy’s never been stopped and has possessed enough pop and ability to hold his own so far. Could Campbell be the first to stop the Frenchman?
Campbell will enter the ring with 12 wins, no defeats, 10 knockouts, and Mendy 32 wins, 4 defeats, 1 draw, 16 knockouts.
Josh Warrington vs Jorge Sanchez
10 rounds, Featherweight
Like the Mitchell vs Barroso dustup (above), this one looks competitive on the surface, but you know, probably not in reality. Both fighters are unbeaten, but it’s Josh Warrington who stands out due to his more impressive body of work.
Whether Jorge Sanchez will come as a step up or not is yet to be seen. Australia’s Joel Brunker was supposed to be a significant challenge in September, but Warrington beat the crap out of the guy.
While Warrington is a busy, versatile fighter, he’s never been known for his firepower, however. So, while there are a lot of ‘ifs’ surrounding Sanchez, the Panama-native will take great comfort in knowing he has an eye-catching power advantage. Going in, Warrington stands at 22 wins, no defeats, 4 knockouts, and Sanchez 15 wins, no defeats, 9 knockouts.
Paulie Malignaggi vs Gianluca Branco
12 rounds, European Welterweight Title
When I saw Paulie Maliganggi was on the fight card, the first thing I thought was: why is ol’ Paulie at the foot of the bill? But I soon realized why when I looked up Gianluca Branco, a 45-year-old, 53 fight veteran who stands at 5’ 6”. To make things worse, Branco has only fought once since December 2014.
To be honest, I don’t think this fight is worth analyzing too much. Branco’s record suggests he is (probably ‘was’) a capable fighter, but against a 35-year-old go-getter like Paulie Malignaggi, we’re probably in for another 12 round decision for the ‘Magic Man’.
Malignaggi, who was soundly beaten by Danny Garcia in August, will climb through the ropes with 34 wins, 7 defeats, 7 knockouts, and Branco 49 wins, 3 defeats, 1 draw, 24 knockouts.
Joshua vs Whyte Early Undercard
- Martin J Ward vs TBA – 6 rounds, Junior Lightweight
- Reece Bellotti vs TBA – 4 rounds, Featherweight
- Jake Ball vs Richard Horton – 4 rounds, Light Heavyweight
- Ted Cheeseman vs Ian Henry – 4 rounds, Welterweight
How do you see the Joshua vs Whyte card unfolding, boxing fans? Are there any upsets in waiting, or will the A-sides take care of business? Will Anthony Joshua mangle and toss aside Dillian Whyte into the scrap heap? And what about Chris Eubank Jr? Will he prove himself worthy of greater challenges when he takes on the second-toughest foe of his pro career in Spike O’Sullivan?
