STAR PREVIEW Sat: Weekend Boxing

It’s local derby time in Sheffield this weekend as fast-rising prospect Dalton Smith takes on Sam O’maison for the British light welterweight title.

Sheffield has been a hotbed for British talent over the years and the city is now searching for its next star and many are predicting Dalton Smith to be the man to bring the big nights back to Yorkshire.

Smith, who uses the alias ‘Thunder’ as a tribute to the late great Arturo Gatti, has made steady progress since turning professional in 2019 and he is a fighter that Eddie Hearn has always spoken highly of. The 25-year-old was a member of Team GB as an amateur and travelled all over the world winning tournaments and gaining experience.

Despite being a standout amateur, Smith has always had a style that would be more suited to the professional game. ‘Thunder’ is blessed with solid fundamentals from his time on Team GB but it’s his spiteful power and shot selection that sets him apart. With 9 knockouts in his first 11 contests, the undefeated prospect carries genuine power and will be looking to display that once again in front of his home crowd.

Sam O’maison 17-3-1 (7KO) turned professional a decade ago and has always been a popular figure in Sheffield. He is a fighter that has had to come up the hard way in the sport and has been given no favours on the small hall scene.

Despite the difficulties O’maison has faced during his career, he managed to capture the English title in 2018 and that is the highlight of his career so far. This is a big step up against Dalton Smith but he accepted the fight when many fighters wouldn’t and he deserves respect for that.

The Sheffield Arena will be packed this weekend and it feels like it could be the moment that Dalton Smith announces himself as the next star of British boxing. ‘Thunder’ has a lot of advantages over O’maison and despite the fact he has been very respectful towards him this weekend, he will be looking for a brutal knockout once the opening bell rings.

The worrying thing for Sam O’maison is that he has been beaten three times already in his career and two of those have been inside the distance. Added to that, he has only registered seven knockouts in seventeen victories and that suggests he doesn’t have the power to get the respect of Smith in this contest.

All things considered, Smith should shine here and promoter Eddie Hearn has found the perfect opportunity for his prospect to get a huge win. Smith doesn’t waste much time in fights and he certainly won’t in front of his home crowd. This contest to have less than five completed rounds is (5/6) and that’s a bet that warrants serious consideration.

In the co-main event, Sandy Ryan gets a chance to gain immediate redemption in her rematch against Argentinian Erica Farias. These two first met back in March and Farias upset the odds by claiming a split decision victory over the previously undefeated Ryan.

The reality of that fight is that Farias won by a bigger margin but she was up against it on away turf and did well to come away with the decision. Sandy Ryan will be in better shape this weekend and will have learnt so much from the first fight but Farias has operated at a much higher level and there is a good chance she will be better again this weekend.

Farias will once again start as an underdog in this fight and that seems wrong. She didn’t get lucky in the first fight and Sandy Ryan will need to improve significantly to turn the tables. That is possible but on all known form, Erica Farias is overpriced at (2/1) and is worth a small bet despite having the promoter, crowd, and judges against her.

Another Brit is in action this weekend as Portsmouth’s Michael McKinson takes on explosive knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr in Texas. Ortiz Jr is considered a potential world title holder at welterweight and McKinson travels over there with a huge task in front of him.

The Portsmouth man is undefeated but he has never been at world level before and he will need to prove he belongs at the top of the 147lb division. Ortiz Jr is a very simple fighter to assess, he marches forward and has frightening power in both hands.

McKinson has a very slick and awkward style and if Ortiz Jr has underestimated him this could get interested. He has 18KO in 18 fights but somebody needs to take him the distance at some point and McKinson could be that man.

It is a long shot but if McKinson can get into a rhythm, he can cause some problems here and take Ortiz Jr the distance.

RECOMMENDED BETS

BACK Smith-O’maison to have less than five completed rounds 4pts at 5/6 (Latest Star Price ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BAC Erica Farias to win 1pt at 2/1 (Latest Star Price ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Vergil Ortiz Jr to win on points 1pt at 10/3 (Latest Star Price ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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