Boxing Betting / Alex Steedman / 09 March 2009 / Leave a comment

The main event may be a non-title fight but there are intriguing battles and important prizes at stake on Saturday night's excellent undercard, writes Alex Steedman.

Enzo Maccarinelli v Ola Afolabi is for the 'interim' WBO belt but victory ensures the winner next crack at Argentina's Victor Ramirez.

It has been a slightly frustrating year for Maccarinelli since his quick-to-bed loss to David Haye. Having endured last minute drop outs and aborted title fights, the explosive Welshman finally got some ring time in December when crushing the over matched Matthew Ellis. Although no form guide, Macca looked good and was quick to let his punches go, so no scarring there.

London-born Afolabi, is a 13 fight novice just out of 6 and 8 round matches. This is a massive step up and he could be found wanting in very deep water. He has beaten the odd one time decent operator on the way up, including 44-year-old Orlin Norris by TKO in 2005, but Afolabi has only fought twice since. Maccarinelli is still fresh, hungry and he hits back hard and often.

There is a degree of the unknown where Afolabi is concerned and that may temper Macca's initial exuberance but he's a level above here and when he lets that trademark left hook fly, probably before half way, it should be time to settle the markets.

* * *

Puerto Rican Boxing has a glut of current stars with Miguel Cotto and the new sensation Juan Manuel Lopez but Nicky Cook's No1 contender Roman 'Rocky' Martinez doesn't look one of them. The unbeaten 26-year-old brings a respectable enough record to the table and he will enjoy height and reach advantages over Cook but I don't think he has the guile or intelligence to dethrone the Londoner. The tapes I've seen reveal Martinez as tough and willing but a little wild and hittable.

Make no mistake, Cook is beatable at World level and this is the Dagenham stylists' first defence having pinched the title from a strangely subdued Alex Arthur last year, but we'll have to wait for another opportunity to take him on.

* * *

If there is a Nap on the undercard, then Bradley Price is it. The tale of the tape alone should have Price as a [1.3] shot in my book and Matthew Hall's come-forward style should be right up his street.

Nicknamed 'El Torito' or The Little Bull, Hall is well named as he bullies forward with swarming pressure and a relentless body attack. The 24-year-old is fantastic to watch but he's short enough at 5' 7" for a light middleweight, giving up 4" in height as well plenty in reach to the long limbed Price, and I'm not sure he has a plan B if his go-to tactics fail.

Hall has lost just once in a 21 fight career, to the then big hitting Martin Conception, but I wouldn't hold that against him - even allowing for the fact that Price sparked Conception in three rounds just three months later. The patter of that fight is similar to what I expect here, Hall (like Conception) prowling forward and Price playing Matador to land the big shots.

It's not beyond reason that Hall can work his way inside swinging those big hooks of his and Price has been down and out before. But those were in the playboy days. By his own admission, Price went AWOL, losing five times in three years up to 2005.

Hard matched and under-prepared, the Welshman only lost to decent, quality opposition though - Michael Jennings and Ajose Alusegun are fringe world title contenders.

Unbeaten in three-and-a-half years and having defended the Commonwealth belt on six occasions, I think it's fair to say Bradley Price has turned over a new leaf. Or perhaps more to the point, he's now realising the potential which the Calzaghe camp have long felt he possessed.

Keep pressing the 'Back' button until your finger hurts, I know I will be.

Steedo's Best Bets:

Maccarinelli To win by KO
Nicky Cook To win
Bradley Price To win