After the travesty of Haye v Harrison last month, a fight that simply never should have happened, boxing fans tuning into Frank Warren's 30th anniversary fistic extravaganza tonight are in for treat.
Top of the bill in Liverpool is Olympic gold-medallist James 'Chunky' DeGale against home-town favourite and former 'contender' Paul 'Smigga' Smith. Now I'm a big fan of Degale and he was hugely impressive last time out against Carl Dilks on Warren's 'Magnificent 7' bill. But he's only fought as a professional eight times and many people think he may have bitten off more than he can chew against Smith. Frank Warren won't mind what happens. Both fighters are part of his stable, although Degale is surely the better prospect. Still, Smith will have vocal support tonight inside the Echo Arena and Skybet's 9-2 about a Smith victory is grossly overpriced.
In Las Vegas meanwhile, Amir 'King Khan' takes on highly-rated Argentinian Marcos Maidana. I'm going to have to put the coffee on to stay awake (the fight is scheduled to start at 3am) but this has all the makings of a classic. Maidana has an impressive 90 per cent knock-out rate and is unlikely to rein in his big-hitting style now he's hit the bright lights of Vegas. Expect fireworks right from the start. Khan has turned into a top notch fighter under Freddie Roach and happens to have the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world as a sparring partner - Manny Pacquiao. I think Khan will be too slick for Maidana on the night but the Argentine is a tough nut to crack and it might be worth a punt on Sporting Bet's standout 11/4 on a Khan decision.
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