This Saturday, featherweight champion Lee Selby will make his second title defense against mandatory challenger Eric Hunter on the undercard of a night headlined by Charles Martin and Anthony Joshua. Also scheduled is a bout between junior middleweight contender Matthew Macklin and former title challenger Brian Rose. Let’s take a look at the odds.
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SUPER WELTERWEIGHTS
Brian Rose -140
Matthew Macklin +120
Both Rose and Macklin have made a recent habit of beating low-level guys but losing to top-tier opponents. Macklin - 34-6, 22 KOs - who is ranked #8 IBF and #13 WBC, has fought for world titles three times and has lost all three times.
Yet despite the inability to beat elite fighters, Macklin is still ranked in the top 15 for two major sanctioning bodies. Since losing to Jorge Sebastian Heiland in November 2014, he’s reeled off three straight wins against Jason Welborn, Chris Hermann and Sandor Mickso -- none of those victories can be counted as meaningful.
The 31-year old Rose - 28-3-1, 8 KOs - comes into the matchup on a two-fight win streak, beating Ruslans Pojonisevs and Carson Jones. However, Rose was completely outclassed by former WBO champion Demetrius Andrade in June 2014. The entire bout was so lopsided that it’s hard to see Rose as a legitimate fighter in the division. The fact that he’s the favorite against Macklin says a lot.
FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Eric Hunter +475
Lee Selby -775
Featherweight champion Lee Selby - 22-1, 8 KOs - is coming off a dominant win over former three-division titleholder Fernando Montiel. Now, he’ll face #3 IBF Eric Hunter - 21-3, 11 KOs - in a fight that could get dirty. Hunter has been DQ’d twice recently in losses against Mike Oliver and Luis Franco.
Selby’s fighting style has largely turned off fans despite his status as a world champ. The native of Wales is well-known for getting on his bicycle and hugging. He finds ways to rack up points, but his stalling tactics can be tenuous at times. And that’s probably why his fight is lower on this card despite the hardware he sports.
Considering that Hunter is a top-20 fighter at best, Selby should be able to take this one easily. Just don’t expect the fight to be a crowdpleaser.
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