Crolla's Column: Christmas Countdown Crackers
The festive season is in full swing now, but boxing is in no danger of slowing down over the next few weeks. After the drama of Galal Yafai’s victory over Sunny Edwards and the latter’s subsequent retirement, we move on to another weekend of domestic and international action.
Across the pond there are a couple of belters. Liam Paro returns to Puerto Rico – where he won his IBF super-lightweight title – to defend against Richardson Hitchens. Paro is a man in top form, and I think there’s a great chance that he becomes one of the THE flagbearers for Australian boxing – which is flying.
I think Paro will out-hustle Hitchens, who does have lovely skills, but stylistically he will get out-worked, and I think the champion wins on points.
Over in Phoenix, Arizona, there’s a WBO super-featherweight belt on the line when Emanuel Navarette and Oscar Valdez go at it again. Valdez won by unanimous decision when they first met last year, and to be honest, I think it’ll be the same again. Two Mexicans throwing leather is always a spectacle and I think these boys have been two of the greats from the country at the lower weights in recent years.
Valdez has had a lot of hard nights – it doesn’t seem that long ago when he boxed my mate Scott Quigg with a broken jaw in an open-air fight in the pouring rain of southern California! Even so, I just think Valdez will still have Navarette’s number and win on points.
Back home, there’s a great card at Wembley arena with a top of the bill clash between Brad Pauls and Denzel Bentley. Credit where it’s due, Pauls couldn’t really have a tougher first defence of his British title. Since Bentley’s off-night against Nathan Heaney, he’s looked very good.
I think this one’s going to be very entertaining, but Bentley is a bit too polished, and I think around the half-way mark, he will start to take over and get the stoppage.
It’ll be really interesting to see Lawrence Okolie make his heavyweight debut against Hussein Muhamed. Okolie has certainly got the height and reach, it’s just whether he’ll be as effective with the bigger lads. He hits hard enough and if he makes a good impression then he’ll be looking at the big names and he could get some huge fights in the division. I expect him to make fairly light work of Muhamed and make a statement with a stoppage.
My old mate Ryan Walsh is also on the bill, and I wish I felt as fresh as he does at 38! He is one of my favourite people in boxing and I’ve known the whole family a long time. He takes on Sam Noakes and I was watching the press conference with them both and it was great – nothing but respect and no bullshit.
There’s no denying Ryan is up against it here. He is very cute defensively, and I don’t like going against my mate, but Sam has to be the pick. He is very strong at the weight and is eleven years younger, so I’m leaning to a Noakes points win.
The other standout fight at Wembley is a very intriguing heavyweight bout that pits Soloman Dacres against David Adeleye. It’s a bit of a crossroads fight as the winner will go on to a British title fight and the loser is certainly going to have to rebuild to get back into any kind of mix. I reckon Adeleye catches Dacres around the sixth-round mark and forces the stoppage.
Finally, I’ll be across the Irish sea in Waterford this weekend as I have three fighters in action. Eoghan Lavin gets another run out. He looked like a top-class prospect in his last fight, so I’m hoping for more of the same. It’s also the professional debut of two standout amateurs from Wales. The Croft twins – Ioan and Garan – are the real deal. Most people can’t tell them apart, but they have very different styles, and both have a serious future in the sport. They are two great country boys from the Welsh mountains, but I could do without some of the music they’re always trying to put on in the gym!
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