Fast Eddie Felson always said that 'Money won is twice as sweet as money earned' and surely there’s an earner to be had from this mega-card in Riyadh on February 22?
Eight fights on a stacked card, all live on DAZN PPV and each contest looks a banger. His Excellency Turki AlSheikh, we salute you.
With such an incredible fight night, and with so many of the bouts appearing to be 50/50 battles, there are plenty of betting angles to go at to make.
If both men had enjoyed a full camp for this Bakole would have been favourite, but given his next fight was meant to be in May nobody really knows what shape he is in so the weigh-in should tell us more.
The good news is Bakole 21-1 (16) will bring it. He’s been out of the ring since stopping Jared Anderson in August 2024, and at least has experience of fighting in Saudi having stopped Carlos Takam in four rounds in the Kingdom in October 2023.
Bakole is a problem. He’s very hard to read, has freakish power and loves to throw damaging uppercuts while walking his opponent down. He’s got nothing to lose here and while Parker had been preparing for another puncher in Dubois, where’s his head actually at now the script has been flipped?
Oodles has been ladled on Kabayel to win this, as when the money lines were first announced the German was a 7/4 outsider to beat Zhang. The German is now 4/7 on in the match betting with DAZN BET.
Zhang is 27-2-1 (22) and offensively ‘Big Bang’ is a terror. However his tactics of using his chin to block punches always looks a dodgy strategy.
OK, he blasted out Deontay Wilder last time out, but the American looked a shell of his former self while Kabayel is in great form.
The German has been good enough to score stoppage wins over the fearsome Arslanbek Makhmudov and slick Cuban Frank Sanchez in his last two contests, and the clever money must be on Kabayel getting rid of Zhang inside the distance in Saudi.
Timing is an all-important quality in sport and the feeling is here Team Sheeraz would not be taking on this world title assignment unless they were confident.
Adames is the WBC middleweight world champion and a capable operator in his own right.
However, Frank Warren - who knows a thing or two about boxing and moving a fighter at the right time - has previously said “Hamzah Sheeraz is Britain’s Tommy Hearns”.
Sheeraz is 21-0 (17 KOs), has a huge frame and one day might end up at light-heavyweight. For now, though we fancy him to light up this Saudi bill by stopping Adames, who was dropped heavily by Patrick Teixeira in his sole career defeat in 2019.
Odds correct as of February 20, 2:40pm Recommended bets are advised to over-18s.
The Last Crescendo fight card, including Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 and Parker vs Bakole, wil be live on DAZN Pay-Per-View this Saturday.
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