Who Wins from Chisora v Whyte and Frampton v Warrington This Weekend?

It seems somewhat unusual to be talking about the pre-Christmas weekend as being one of the best for boxing in the UK this year, but that is exactly what will happen on Saturday as there are two huge boxing events taking place in the UK, one at the Manchester Arena and the other at the 02 Arena in London.

It has already been a stellar year for British boxing with some outstanding bouts including Anthony Joshua v Alexander Povetkin, Dillian Whyte v Joseph Parker, Tony Bellew v Alexander Usyk, Callum Smith v George Groves, Josh Warrington v Lee Selby and Tyson Fury’s controversial draw against Deontay Wilder.

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While it has been a mixed year in terms of results for British fighter with a number of them losing their grip on the world titles they held, it has seen others land their first World title including Josh Warrington and Callum Smith.

This weekend Warrington will be one of the main events as he defends his IBF Featherweight world title belt against the two-weight former world champion, Carl Frampton in Manchester. On the same night, it’s time for old scores to be settled once and for all as Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora lock horns once again following their epic battle in 2015, which saw Whyte earn as a contentious winner by split decision after an epic bout.

With two such big fights in one night, it is sure to be a busy one for betting and you can enjoy plenty of betting on these bouts and plenty of others on the undercards at bet365 Sport. Join today and new customers can earn up to £100 in bet credits once they sign up and start betting through the latest bet365 Sport New Customer Offer.

Let’s begin our look at the two fights by looking at Josh Warrington’s bout against Carl Frampton.

Warrington v Frampton (IBF World Featherweight Belt)

• Venue – Manchester Arena
• Fight Time – Approx – 9pm
• Live? – On BT Sport Box Office

Josh Warrington may not be the world champion that Carl Frampton was expecting to face on December 22^nd this year, but make no mistake, Warrington’s victory over former title holder Lee Selby earlier in the year was richly deserved and true to form, the Yorkshireman has refused to take an easier option for his first title defence.

Frampton v Selby was being billed as the big British featherweight battle, but Warrington has gate-crashed the party with his excellent win. His high-pressure, relentless boxing style sees him outwork and at times, overpower his opponents through the sheer volume of punches alone, rather than through power.

In contrast, Frampton may be a smaller man, but he does pack a greater power in his punch, although that has been diminished as he moved up in weight from Super-Bantamweight to Featherweight. An elegant and stylish boxer, Frampton’s only defeat came in a narrow split decision loss to Leo Santa Cruz, a fighter had previously beaten, and it seems a third bout between the two is on the cards in the future.

Whether that happens between two world title holders, or whether Frampton may have to wait in line behind Warrington, will depend on the outcome of Saturday night’s fight.

Tale of the Tape

This should be a cracking bout and a real nice mix of styles. Frampton is a ring craftsman and he packs a fiery punch that is rare for a lighter fighter, but as Warrington showed against Selby, he can take even a flush hit from a top fighter and he never takes a step back. Will it be Frampton’s power or Warrington’s workrate that win out the day?

The answer to that question will likely decide the fight and in my view, I think that Warrington, although he is the massive underdog, cannot be underestimated here. His workrate is eye-catching for the judges and I can see him picking up enough of the close rounds to perhaps score a very unexpected victory.

Tip – Warrington to win – 7/4

Whyte v Chisora 2 – Heavyweight Clash

There may not be a world title on the line with Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora lace up their gloves this weekend, but there is plenty at stake for both fighters. For Whyte, the younger man by five years, it is an opportunity to push himself to the forefront of challengers to take on the current heavyweight champions, Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua.

On the other hand, this is Dereck Chisora’s last opportunity for a big payday and a chance to once again throw his name into the hat as a potential heavyweight title contender.

The last fight between the two was a brutal battle and one of the best fights of recent years in the UK. The action lasted from the first bell to the last with drama in almost every round with both fighters rocked by the blows of their opponent at various times in the fight.

Whyte came through that battle with the split decision win and Chisora has always pushed for a rematch insisting he was robbed in that first fight. Now on Saturday night, he will get an opportunity to show that he was right.

On the other hand, Whyte now has the chance to end the debate with Chisora in emphatic fashion and enhance his credibility as a future opponent for the World Champion.

Tale of the Tape

Like the last fight between these two fighters, I am expecting an explosive evening, but I also think it will be a much shorter evening for the fighters than last time out. Chisora is three years older and his age is starting to catch up with him. He still possesses punching power but Whyte was able to deal with that last time around.

Whyte though is five years younger, now more experienced and I believe a much improved fighter from when the two last met. I also feel he punches harder not than at any time in the past and as such, if Chisora tries to out-gun Whyte in the early rounds, I have a feeling he may come unstuck.

As such, as brave a warrior as Chisora is, I am backing Whyte to win this one by a knockout, which is a 15/2 shot with bet365 Sport.