Predictions: Zurdo-Smith, Wood-Warrington, more! - Bad Left Hook

DAZN are hitting us with the uncommon day/night time doubleheader of respectable high quality this Saturday, as we’ll have a featherweight title combat between Leigh Wooden and Josh Warrington from Sheffield, England, within the afternoon, adopted by Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez vs Joe Smith Jr in a cruiserweight conflict within the night.

Who wins Wooden vs Warrington and Zurdo vs Smith?

We’ve acquired our picks in, give us yours!

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez vs Joe Smith Jr

DAZN, Saturday, 8 pm ET

Scott Christ (82-31)

Zurdo’s going to look huge within the ring and I feel he’ll overpower Smith, whose chin has been fairly effectively dented, although he’s nonetheless a troublesome man.

Smith is likely one of the sport’s simpler fighters to root for, a hard-working man who was by no means actually speculated to graduate previous the Paramount Theater in Huntington, NY, besides that he did, blasting a heavily-favored Andrzej Fonfara in 2016 after which retiring Bernard Hopkins fairly emphatically six months later.

Zurdo, although, is the higher fighter, extra well-rounded, and Smith’s finest shot as soon as once more is the puncher’s probability. Being completely sincere, as a fan, I hope I’m mistaken, however I feel we’ll see the Mexican modify to the cruiserweight restrict rather more naturally and simply have an excessive amount of exercise, sporting Smith down and ultimately out. Zurdo TKO-9

Wil Esco (90-23)

Gilberto Ramirez could not have reached all of the promise you may need anticipated of him in case you’ve ever heard promoter Oscar De La Hoya speak about him, however on this specific matchup I feel Ramirez ought to be favored. Joe Smith Jr’s workmanlike method to boxing made him a fan favourite, however I do really suppose he maxed out a number of fights in the past and simply doesn’t have the expertise to win at this degree at this stage of his profession.

I anticipate Smith to return in like he at all times does, however he’s stiff and lacks motion, and the fluidity of Ramirez ought to give him actual issues. It additionally works in Ramirez’s favor that he’s an enormous man himself, so ought to be capable to keep away from simply getting plowed by by Smith. I’ll take Ramirez by choice. Zurdo UD-12

John Hansen (79-34)

Zurdo Ramirez might be really easy to like, if solely he didn’t spend a lot of his profession capturing himself within the foot. He will get a reasonably good factor going till he lets some Grima Wormtongue/Woman MacBeth sorts whisper into his ear about how rather more cash he deserves, then winds up within the wilderness on the worst doable time and finally ends up making nothing in any respect. Prices himself some huge cash and a variety of alternatives.

Will get a brand new promoter, works to get again on observe, fights his strategy to a title shot at 175 lbs, then takes an absolute joke of a get-well combat after dropping that title shot to Dmitry Bivol. And, to make issues worse, can’t even come by along with his joke combat! As a result of, apparently on the way in which to the weigh-in, he drove previous a kind of eating places that supply a free 72 ozsteak in case you can end the entire thing, and determined he wanted to take three or 4 makes an attempt on the problem. Struggle off, gentle heavyweight profession over. Hi there, cruiserweight! The star-studded division that North American boxing followers go completely loopy for — now, then, and eternally!

For a man that appears to have all of the instruments and a variety of advertising benefits, he’s taken a surprising variety of self-imposed defeats past his one official loss in-ring. However that one loss got here to a really slick tactical fighter, and Joe Smith Jr is nowhere close to that degree of ability. Smith can hit rattling arduous, and it has been a reasonably good win streak for organized labor currently. However the union man can’t win all of them. Until we see Zurdo ringwalk in with a contemporary bullet gap in his boot, he ought to be at the least a half-step past Smith. Zurdo TKO-8

Patrick Stumberg (86-27)

Joe Smith Jr is definitely the protagonist of this matchup, the rough-and-tumble slugger taking over the load bully who ate his means out of a squash match in opposition to a middleweight. Unsure he’s acquired the plot armor to win it, although; Ramirez appears to have simply as a lot horsepower and superior craft to again it up. “Zurdo” is hittable, certain, however protection has by no means been amongst Smith’s virtues, both.

Whereas it’s positively not going to be a Beterbiev-level mugging, this feels rather a lot like Smith’s loss to Sullivan Barrera, the place he struggled in opposition to somebody simply as imply however better-schooled. Anticipate Smith to place Ramirez in a couple of scary spots early on earlier than in the end succumbing to the latter’s extra polished offense down the stretch. Zurdo TKO-10

Leigh Wooden vs Josh Warrington

Leigh Wood v Josh Warrington Press Conference

DAZN, Saturday, 2 pm ET

Scott Christ (82-31)

All the pieces on the desk says that this ought to be the time The Haters might be “rid of” 32-year-old Josh Warrington in featherweight title fights. Wooden is in career-best type, is a superior precise boxer, a greater puncher, Warrington won’t have full home-field benefit in Leeds as they’re assembly within the center in Sheffield, and actually, when’s the final time you noticed Josh Warrington combat that you simply thought, “He seems to be good”? A half-cooked Carl Frampton in 2018?

However life and boxing have away of simply type of laughing at you in these conditions. He’s gonna hold it shut sufficient and get two playing cards you’re mad at. Warrington vs Wooden 2, coming to Headingley! Warrington SD-12

Wil Esco (90-23)

Warrington is a troublesome veteran however I feel he’s accrued an excessive amount of put on and tear over his profession to drag out this one. I do absolutely anticipate Warrington to hold powerful for so long as he can as a result of he’s a proud man, and contemplating Wooden isn’t the largest puncher that paves a path for him to at the least make it to the ultimate bell.

I feel there might be some back-and-forth motion early, however by the fifth or sixth spherical Wooden may have discovered his groove to outpoint Warrington down the stretch. Wooden UD-12

John Hansen (79-34)

I thought of making some comparisons between Josh Warrington and the previous online game character, “Bonk,” a caveman who seems to be just like the love youngster of Warrington and Charlie Brown, and does injury to his enemies by smashing them along with his brow. However, no one within the UK would get it as a result of apparently Bonk was referred to as “PC Child” over there, because the phrase “bonk” is a saucy slang time period for the bodily act of baby-making love.

Wooden already navigated a superior puncher (and succesful headbutt warrior) in his rematch with Mauricio Lara, so I believe he’ll outpoint Warrington, too. I feel he’s the superior boxer, and even when he does get reduce from a conflict of heads, he’ll possible have an early lead on the playing cards and declare a technical choice. Wooden UD-12

Patrick Stumberg (86-27)

From the place I’m sitting, the deck appears fairly stacked in opposition to Warrington. Wooden’s acquired the heavier fingers, confirmed off the power to maintain an aggressive slugger out of the pocket in his fights with Mauricio Lara, and has greater than sufficient canine in him to maintain up ought to issues get ugly. Worse, the truth that it’s in Sheffield and never Leeds means Warrington received’t have free rein to make use of his head, which was instrumental in his knockout of Kiko Martinez and in retaining issues shut in opposition to Luis Alberto Lopez.

Issues could be completely different if Warrington had energy; Wooden’s proper hand is way stronger on offense than protection and Warrington can uncork a not-good left hook. With how a lot it takes to throw Wooden off his sport, a lot much less put him down for good, I simply don’t suppose Warrington can slop it up sufficient to offset Wooden’s benefits. Comfortable win for Wooden, then it’s Otabek’s flip with the belt. Wooden UD-12