Boxing fans should be one step closer to finding out who the best welterweight in the world is when a pair of world titleholders square off in Saturday’s unification bout from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Errol Spence Jr. (25-0, 21 KOs) will defend his IBF title against WBC champion Shawn Porter (30-2-1, 17 KOs) as a pair of elites put their friendship on hold for a shot at greatness in this pay-per-view headliner (Fox PPV, 9 p.m. ET).
The bout could end up serving as a de facto semifinal in this unofficial PBC tournament just two months after Manny Pacquiao captured the WBA title from Keith Thurman. In the co-main event, Anthony Dirrell puts his WBC super middleweight title on the line against David Benavidez. Dirrell claimed the vacant title in earlier this year after Benavide was stripped of the belt following a positive drug test.
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Spence vs. Porter fight card, odds
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Errol Spence (c) -800 |
Shawn Porter (c) 500 |
Welterweight unification |
|
David Benavidez -900 |
Anthony Dirrell (c) 575 |
Super middleweight |
|
Mario Barrios -165 |
Baktyr Akhmedov 138 |
Super lightweight |
|
Josesito Lopez-400 |
John Molina Jr. 275 |
Welterweight |
Let’s take a closer look at the card and see who our experts are taking to win on Saturday night. Here are your pick makers: Brent Brookhouse (Combat sports writer), Brian Campbell (Combat sports writer), Jack Crosby (editor) and Brandon Wise (editor).
Spence vs. Porter predictions, picks
|
Spence vs Porter |
Benavidez vs. Dirrell |
|
|
Campbell |
Spence |
Benavidez |
|
Crosby |
Spence |
Dirrell |
|
Brookhouse |
Spence |
Benavidez |
| Wise | Spence | Dirrell |
Campbell on why Spence will win:Despite Spence being installed as such an overwhelming betting favorite, there are two things that can remain true simultaneously: Spence ends up winning the fight and it’s competitive throughout. A huge part of the latter is incumbent upon Porter to not only vary his game plan but prove able to bear down and commit to his mauling style despite what Spence does in return. Look for Porter’s rabid pressure to keep him in it, even as Spence’s adjustments start to help him pad a lead. Whether or not this fight goes the distance, however, is up to how brave Porter is willing to be. Spence is simply that good.
Brookhouse on why Spence will win: If I trusted Porter to dig in and be the old grimy Shawn Porter from bell to bell, Round 1 to Round 12, I would actually pick him for the big upset. I don’t know that Spence would be ready for the kind of hell he’d have to go through in a fight like that. But Porter is seemingly falling in love with his skills as a boxer and drifting away from his brawling (and fouling) nature. If that’s the fight Porter brings, it’s going to be a much easier night for Spence. In that kind of fight, Spence can box circles around Porter. I expect Porter to have some big moments, though, and that will be valuable down the road for Spence.
Campbell on why Benavidez will win:With his personal setback behind him, Benavidez seems even hungrier to prove himself. His size and prolific style should be enough to counter balance his inexperience against such a wily veteran in Dirrell. Yet it’s Benavidez’s youth, at just 22, that should lift him over the top in an all-action affair that doubles as the most difficult of Dirrell’s career. Benavidez is the future at 168 pounds and the future is now.
Crosby on why Dirrell will win: I honestly believe that this is a championship fight that will come down to experience — and we know Dirrell has the advantage in that regard. You can’t deny how impressive Benavidez has been to this point at just 22 years of age, but I think he ends up being a little too overzealous in his quest to regain the WBC super middleweight title. Dirrell will put that experience to good use as he capitalizes on mistakes and outpoints Benavidez en route to retaining the title. Benavidez will be a champion in the sport again someday and a massive superstar, but that return to championship glory won’t come on Saturday night.
Brookhouse on why Benavidez will win:There’s two ways to look at Dirrell’s retirement talk earlier this year: either he’s not got the mindset to win a fight like this or he’s looking to secure a final bit of financial security for his family (including three young children) and will be driven by a rare kind of fire to retain a world title and maybe get one last big payday. Benavidez is 12 years younger, hits brutally hard and is just athletically better than the faded (though still talented) Dirrell. There’s also Dirrell’s history of looking uncomfortable against heavy pressure, which is exactly what his undefeated foe is going to bring — and what likely brings Benavidez the mid-round stoppage victory.
Who wins Spence vs. Porter? How long does the fight last? And what prop bet should you make for a massive payout?Visit SportsLine right now to see Peter Kahn’s best bets for Spence-Porter, all from the fight game insider who predicted Porter’s upset of Danny Garcia.
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