Liam Smith Defends World Title – The Echo Arena in Liverpool sees the WBO’s 154-pound world champion Liam Smith defend his title against Predrag Radosevic at the top of a nine-fight card promoted by Frank Warren and Queensbury Promotions.
For the 27-year-old Smith, this fight marks the second defense of his WBO title. He won the vacant belt back in October of 2015 with a 7th round stoppage of John Thompson, and he successfully defended the title against Jimmy Kilrain Kelly back in December after only a short rest. In Radosevic, he is facing a Montenegran who is making his first appearance in Britain and brings a fine 30-1 record to the table. Smith is part of a quartet of fighting brothers and he figures to have a huge homefield advantage for this one, and the line reflects that.
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The card also counts on several regional title matches scheduled for 12 rounds that are getting attention at the sport books. The WBO’s International title at 112 pounds is up for grabs between Paul Butler (21-1) defends his belt for the first time against Petchbarngborn Kokietgym (38-7-1). Kokietgym is from Thailand and he will be making his first trip to England for this fight. Butler won his tlte in his last outing in March of this year when he stopped Sebastian Sanchex (12-1) in the ninth round of their bout.
The EBU European title at bantamweight is at play between Ryan Farraq (15-1) and former champion Karim Guerfi (23-3). Guerfi has won three fights in a row since his April of 2014 loss in Sheffield, England to Zhanat Zhakiyanov in his first EBU title defense. As for Farraq, his lone career loss came back in October of 2011 when he lost a three-round bout in a prizefighter tournament to Lee Haskins. Haskins has since gone on to call himself a world champion, as he currently hold the IBF’s world bantamweight title, so Farraq must feel like he can hang at the next level. He must get by the more veteran Guerfi first in what is the most competitive line of all the fights being offered.
A ten-round bout sees the vacant WBO European belt in the lightweight category being disputed between Thomas Stalker (10-1-3) and Antonio Joao Bento (30-15-2) of Portugal. Bento has won three fights in a row but he is approaching 40 years old. Stalker is trying to get out of a string of three draws in a row, including two fights against rival Craig Evans for this same vacant belt. Stalker’s only loss is against Jack Catterall for the WBO European belt at 140 pounds, so he has never won a fight with a title on the line in three tries. Stalker will walk in a huge favorite as Queensbury matchmakers are not taking much of a chance here in bringing in Bento.
Liam Smith Defends World Title
Below are the lines for the fights that are up early. Check back later in the week to see if the books post more lines and to look for over/under numbers as well. Check out more details in our latest Talk ‘n’ Shoot Boxing Blog.
Super Welterweight 12 rounds –
Predrag Radosevic +2000
Liam Smith -5000
Super Flyweight 12 rounds –
Petchbarngborn Kokietgym +600
Paul Butler -1050
Bantamweight 12 rounds –
Karim Guerfi +170
Ryan Farrag -230
Lightweight 10 rounds –
Antonio Joao Bento +2400
Thomas Stalker -6000
