While all eyes are on Gennady Golovkin going into Saturday’s pay-per-view card, it’d be a shame to miss flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez - 43-0, 37 KOs - defend his belt against against former two-time champion Brian Viloria - 36-4, 22 KOs - on the undercard.
Gonzalez was recently annointed as THE RING’s pound-for-pound best fighter, taking the retired Floyd Mayweather’s spot. It’s time for the world to meet the man some consider the best pure boxer in the world.
CURRENT ODDS
Online boxing odds currently have Gonzalez as a massive favorite, with a few sportsbooks listing his moneyline at -2000. Viloria’s price ranges from +650 to +1100, with most settling in right around +900. The total on rounds for this 12-round bout will likely be set around 10.5 rounds, considering Gonzalez’ power at 112 pounds. Prop bets are usually released on the night before the event, so remember to check back here for the latest. BookMaker updates their odds daily, so expect the lines to shift as action starts coming in.
BRIGHT LIGHTS FOR LIGHTER WEIGHTS
It’s not often that flyweights get a primetime slot on a pay-per-view card, but Gonzalez is worth every penny. What’s more, he’ll fight a consensus top-5 flyweight in Brian Viloria, making this one of the best lighter weight matchups we’ve seen in a long while.
Gonzalez is coming off his first HBO World Championship Boxing bout, where he crushed Edgar Sosa in two rounds this past May. Over his past 15 fights, only current WBA/WBO flyweight titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada lasted 12-rounds with him. At 28 years old, the native of Nicaragua has plenty of time to gain more fans in the states.
Viloria has won four straight fights since losing a split decision to Estrada. However, those wins came against Juan Carlos Herrera, Jose Alfredo Zuniga, Armando Vasquez and Omar Soto - not exactly a world-class resume leading up to a fight against a killer like Gonzalez.
FIGHT ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
I think that we can take a lot from a common opponent between Gonzalez and Viloria: Juan Francisco Estrada. This goes beyond boxing math, which dictates that since Gonzalez beat Estrada and Viloria lost to him, Gonzalez should be able to beat Viloria.
Against Estrada, Viloria showed that he didn’t have the firepower to go toe-to-toe with a powerful puncher. We saw that at 34, the Filipino-American’s best days are probably behind him. When Estrada stepped up against Gonzalez, he lacked the power to stand in the pocket against the stronger fighter.
Now that Viloria is facing Gonzalez, his declining strength is going to be further exposed. He’s not fast enough to stick and move, and if he tries to bully Gonzalez, he’ll be wading into the range of the division’s hardest hitter. There’s a very good chance that this fight is over before the final bell.
Gonzalez is a safe bet to win, but you can probably get a much better payout with the under on rounds. While Viloria’s resume is impressive, he’s too old and slow now to give “Chocolatito” a real scare. The best value might be Gonzalez to win by KO, so make sure to check back here for that prop bet.
HOW TO BET
Sign into BookMaker Sportsbook and get all the latest Roman Gonzalez vs. Brian Viloria boxing odds, including moneylines, totals and prop bets. The title fight takes place on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The card will be televised live on HBO pay-per-vew starting 9 p.m. ET.
Make sure to check in during fight night and get the latest live betting updates. You can bet on real-time odds during the bout, allowing you to hedge your bets or even make new ones as you watch on live television. And with multiple reliable payout options, collecting your earnings with Bookmaker Sportsbook is always quick and easy.
