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Top 3 Boxing Fights in November 2023 - Opinion The Hurricane
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Controversy, box office drama, upsets, nearly-upsets - the month of October had it all in the world of boxing.
We saw Francis Ngannou come within a whisker of sensationally defeating World Heavyweight Champ Tyson Fury in the Battle of the Baddest in Saudi Arabia - the UFC superstar was taking his bow in professional boxing and managed to send the big Briton to the canvas for the seventh time in his career.
A lot of observers had Ngannou winning the fight, but a split decision on the cards saw Fury maintain his unbeaten record, but lose some credibility in his claim as the greatest boxer of all time.
Elsewhere, Jack Catterrall defeated Jorge Linares via unanimous decision to set up a potential rematch with Josh Taylor, while there was also a massive win for Canelo Alvarez.
The action has whetted the appetite for a huge month of boxing in November, and who better to serve up a taster for what’s to come than MightyTips ambassador Jevgenijs' The Hurricane' Aleksejevs.
The undefeated fighter, with a record of 14-0 after a recent victory in Spain, was spot on with his predictions for the Canelo and Fury results last month. He has his say on the upcoming IPF Super-Featherweight World Title bout between Joe Cordina and Edward Vazquez.
Plus, we look ahead to several other fights taking centre stage across November.
November 4th, 2023: Joe Cordina vs Edward Vazquez
Venue: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Cordina record: 16-0-0 (9 knockouts)
Vazquez record: 15-1-0 (3 knockouts)
Odds: Cordina (1.10 fav) Vazquez (8.0)
After battling through two tough tests in Kenichi Ogawa and Shavkat Rakhimov and overcoming a significant hand injury sandwiched in-between, Cordina should find life slightly easier against Vazquez.
The Welsh fighter is not underestimating his opponent, but he knows he needs to win this fight to secure an attention-grabbing showdown with Emanuel Navarrete, the division’s other shining talent. Alternatively, he may eye-up a domestic dust-up with recent Josh Warrington conqueror Leigh Wood.
He’s even said so himself! In the build up to Saturday’s showpiece event, he said:
I'm expecting it to be a tough fight, but if I can't beat Edward Vazquez, I don't deserve to be world champion.
The Hurricane sees this going one way.
The Hurricane's Verdict:
This is going to be a very interesting fight. Joe Cordina, one of my favourite fighters by the way, is what they call a complete fighter.
He can punch hard, defend and move well on his feet. His last fight was with a very capable fighter from Tajikistan in Rakhimov, and it was thrillingly entertaining, if hard work.
Eventually, Cordina found the keys to send Rakhimov to the floor and win the fight - to put someone of Rakhimov’s quality down speaks volume to his ability.
As for his next fight, against Vasquez, it will be no less interesting. Vasquez has a similar style to Rakhimov, but he is not a lefty and he uses a different timing of his punches. I think Cordina will win this fight, as he is patient and has shown the ability to adapt to different situations.
Prediction: Cordina via knockout.
November 16, 2023: Shakur Stevenson vs Edwin De Los Santos
Venue: Las Vegas, USA
Stevenson record: 20-0 (10 knockouts)
De Los Santos record: 16-1 (14 knockouts)
Odds: Stevenson (1.14 fav) De Los Santos (8.0)
Originally, this contest was to be between Stevenson and Frank Martin, but the latter pulled out, frustratingly so for Stevenson. At the time, he wrote on Instagram:
Most ducked fighter in the sport of boxing. Edwin get ready, I'm tired of [you] saying my name.
There is a very exciting hype around Stevenson, and a lot of it is justified. He is seeking a title in a third weight class, with featherweight titles from the WBO, WBC and The Ring and the WBO's super featherweight title already in his wheelhouse.
He comes in against a dangerous De Los Santos as a heavy favourite, but should tread carefully around the Dominican fighter, who has a knockout percentage in excess of 80% and is a rising name in the sport.
Hard to see how Stevenson loses this one though.
Prediction: Stevenson by TKO
November 25 - David Benavidez vs Demetrius Andrade (WBC 'Interim' Super-Middleweight Belt)
Venue: Las Vegas, USA
Benavidez record: 27-0 (23 knockouts)
Andrade record: 32-0 (19 knockouts)
Odds: Benavidez (1.4 fav) Andrade (4.0)
One of the fights of the year, let alone November.
This has all the makings of a classic.
Somebody’s 0 has gotta go - and the odds are favouring the explosive Benavidez to maintain his unbeaten record.
It represents an intriguing clash of styles and while the smart money is on Benavidez to bag another win, there are some in Andrade’s camp who feel he fits the ideal profile of an opponent for their man.
It’ll be tough to peel the eyes away from this one, and we’re giving an outside chance to Andrade - he looks overpriced!
Prediction: Andrade by points
Remember to check out our list of boxing betting sites, which we recommend for their amazing odds and broad selection of pre-fight and in-play markets.
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