Saturday gives us three gigantic heavyweight bouts across two continents including two world title fights and the return of David Haye. Luke and Nolan give their thoughts and what to watch for,
Heavyweight Bout: David Haye (26-2) vs. Mark de Mori (30-1-2)
Luke Irwin: This is Haye’s first bout since 2012 after a long layoff due to injuries and other factors, but this is a good comeback fight for him. Do not be fooled by de Mori’s record, as it’s embarrassingly inflated, even for a heavyweight boxer. His “best” win, if you want to call it that, was a DQ win over Marino Gales for a German belt. The fight before his last, he faced an opponent who was 2-5. It’s gonna take a while for Haye to knock off the rust, but once he gets going, that’ll probably be enough for de Mori to fold up. Haye via R8 TKO.
Nolan Howell: This is a comeback fight for Haye that he is designed to win. While de Mori is not a slouch, Haye shouldn’t be shot enough to succumb to an opponent of de Mori’s level. Welcome back, David Haye. David Haye by second-round KO.
WBC World Heavyweight Championship: Deontay Wilder (c) (35-0) vs. Artur Szpilka (20-1)
Luke: There is something to be said for looking past your current opponent for the next opponent, and undoubtedly his opponent after Szpilka will be a huge one. That being said, I don’t think Wilder will be shortsighted enough to blow his chance to become the top heavyweight in the world by blowing this one. Wilder will play it cautiously, but turn it on late when he needs to. Wilder via R6 KO.
Nolan: Wilder is America’s only hope for revitalizing heavyweight boxing intrigue and Szpilka is a showcase opponent. That isn’t to discount Szpilka, as anyone not named Klitschko or Fury is slightly disappointing matchmaking for the “Bronze Bomber.” Wilder does his job and shows even more improvement. Deontay Wilder by sixth-round TKO.
IBF World Heavyweight Championship: Charles Martin (22-0-1) vs. Vyacheslav Glazkov (21-0-1)
Luke: The most competitive heavyweight bout of the day is for the vacant IBF World Heavyweight Championship. Glazkov has the much more impressive dance card, but he’s much more of a technician than Martin and Glazkov has mostly feasted on blown-up cruiserweights like Tomasz Adamek and Steve Cunningham. Martin, on the other hand, has some decent gatekeeper wins, but nothing notable, and he’s pure power. These two are very different, but in the end, I think Glazkov uses his experience to avoid Martin’s power early, drag him into the deep waters, and do his damage late. It’ll be a learning experience for Charles Martin, and I think we see a title around his waist before long. Glazkov via UD.
Nolan: Glazkov has been the more tested fighter here as he has been brought in as a showcase for the likes of Steve Cunningham and Tomasz Adamek, only to defeat both. Martin has staying power, but Glazkov has fought better. Vyacheslav Glazkov by unanimous decision.
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