The final of the World Boxing Super Series, cruiserweight style, takes place this Saturday with the WBO and WBC strap-holder Oleksandr Usyk taking on WBA and IBF king Murat Gassiev.
The winner will become the undisputed champion of the cruiserweight division and lift the Muhammad Ali trophy, and so there is plenty at stake for both of these men.
And then you add into the mix the Russian vs Ukrainian sub-plot – two countries that have been the best of enemies in recent years – and the stage is set for a mouth-watering collision.
1. Usyk vs Gassiev Winner Odds
Indeed, the choice of host venue has raised a few eyebrows, with Saudi Arabia originally scheduled to host the fight. But the Russian Boxing Federation flexed their considerable muscle and now Gassiev will enjoy staunch home advantage at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
Usyk isn’t fazed by having to go into enemy territory - “Do I look like I am afraid to fight anywhere? I feel excellent about it. I am an athlete, a warrior. I do not care where I fight, I just want to fight” – he has been quoted as saying, but the bottom line here is that he may struggle to get a judge’s decision if the fight goes the distance. History tells us that ‘home’ fighters have a huge advantage when the scorecards come into play.
Our Usyk vs Gassiev predictions simply cannot ignore this fact….
This bout has the feel of a 50/50 contest, and that is confirmed by the Usyk vs Gassiev betting odds: the bookies puts it really at 50/50, both fighters are at 1.91 with William Hill.
2. Oleksandr Usyk vs Murat Gassiev Prediction
This is a tough fight to analyse and fathom out, with Usyk bringing a much stronger resumé to the table while Gassiev’s home field advantage cannot be underplayed.
The Ukrainian is a southpaw, and that stance will surely cause Gassiev problems; a young man who won’t have encountered too many elite-level fighters boxing in such an unorthodox fashion.
Usyk is an excellent technician who won the Olympic gold medal at the London games, and his long reach and quick jab have helped him overcome top-class fighters in Marco Huck and Mairis Briedis.
The concern for his camp is that he lacks obvious KO power – three of this last five wins have come by decision, and going to the cards in Russia against Gassiev is a bad idea. Usyk will need to outpoint his opponent to such an extent that no ‘foul play’ from the judging panel is possible, or somehow summon up a knockout victory.
Gassiev, on the other hand, hits concussively hard; so much so that in his World Series semi-final with Yunier Dorticos his final blow was so heavy in the final round that Dorticos flew between the ropes.
If this fight was taking place at a neutral venue, we’d have no hesitation in backing Usyk to win given his greater abilities. But in Russia….well, anything can happen. As crazy as it sounds, in our Usyk vs Gassiev betting tips we’re backing the draw at 19.00.
The final of the cruiserweight World Super Series will take place on Saturday between the umber one ranked fighter, Oleksandr Usyk, and his Russian counterpart Murat Gassiev. Who will take the honours in Moscow?
Oleksandr Usyk vs Murat Gassiev Betting Tips
The final of the World Boxing Super Series, cruiserweight style, takes place this Saturday with the WBO and WBC strap-holder Oleksandr Usyk taking on WBA and IBF king Murat Gassiev.
The winner will become the undisputed champion of the cruiserweight division and lift the Muhammad Ali trophy, and so there is plenty at stake for both of these men.
And then you add into the mix the Russian vs Ukrainian sub-plot – two countries that have been the best of enemies in recent years – and the stage is set for a mouth-watering collision.
Contents
1. Usyk vs Gassiev Winner Odds
Indeed, the choice of host venue has raised a few eyebrows, with Saudi Arabia originally scheduled to host the fight. But the Russian Boxing Federation flexed their considerable muscle and now Gassiev will enjoy staunch home advantage at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
Usyk isn’t fazed by having to go into enemy territory - “Do I look like I am afraid to fight anywhere? I feel excellent about it. I am an athlete, a warrior. I do not care where I fight, I just want to fight” – he has been quoted as saying, but the bottom line here is that he may struggle to get a judge’s decision if the fight goes the distance. History tells us that ‘home’ fighters have a huge advantage when the scorecards come into play.
Our Usyk vs Gassiev predictions simply cannot ignore this fact….
This bout has the feel of a 50/50 contest, and that is confirmed by the Usyk vs Gassiev betting odds: the bookies puts it really at 50/50, both fighters are at 1.91 with William Hill.
2. Oleksandr Usyk vs Murat Gassiev Prediction
This is a tough fight to analyse and fathom out, with Usyk bringing a much stronger resumé to the table while Gassiev’s home field advantage cannot be underplayed.
The Ukrainian is a southpaw, and that stance will surely cause Gassiev problems; a young man who won’t have encountered too many elite-level fighters boxing in such an unorthodox fashion.
Usyk is an excellent technician who won the Olympic gold medal at the London games, and his long reach and quick jab have helped him overcome top-class fighters in Marco Huck and Mairis Briedis.
The concern for his camp is that he lacks obvious KO power – three of this last five wins have come by decision, and going to the cards in Russia against Gassiev is a bad idea. Usyk will need to outpoint his opponent to such an extent that no ‘foul play’ from the judging panel is possible, or somehow summon up a knockout victory.
Gassiev, on the other hand, hits concussively hard; so much so that in his World Series semi-final with Yunier Dorticos his final blow was so heavy in the final round that Dorticos flew between the ropes.
If this fight was taking place at a neutral venue, we’d have no hesitation in backing Usyk to win given his greater abilities. But in Russia….well, anything can happen. As crazy as it sounds, in our Usyk vs Gassiev betting tips we’re backing the draw at 19.00.
The final of the cruiserweight World Super Series will take place on Saturday between the umber one ranked fighter, Oleksandr Usyk, and his Russian counterpart Murat Gassiev. Who will take the honours in Moscow?