AMIR KHAN’s pay TV ambitions may have suffered a knockout blow this week but there seems to be little danger of that happening against Paul McCloskey on Saturday, according to the betting on Betfair. Light welter-weight champion Khan is the massive 2-15 favourite to make a successful fourth defence of his WBA title at Manchester’s MEN Arena.
Punters on the betting exchange don’t fancy McCloskey’s chances against the champ, despite being undefeated in 22 fights. Odds of 8-1 suggest the 31-year-old Irishman will get found out against the 140lb king. The draw trades at 88-1.
With two knockouts in his last three fights, Khan is odds-on at 4-9 to win the bout by KO. The Bolton-born star can be backed at 7-2 for victory by judges’ decision. Meanwhile McCloskey is a 12-1 shot to knockout the champ and a 21-1 chance to triumph by decision.
Betfair’s Alex Bake said: “McCloskey’s team will be hoping that this week’s pay TV row has distracted Khan from the job in hand. But our customers aren’t buying into that and they’re backing the champ to retain his crown.”
Khan v McCloskey – Betfair bet: 2-15 Khan, 8-1 McCloskey, 88-1 the draw
Method of victory – Betfair bet: 4-9 Khan KO, 7-2 Khan decision, 12-1 McCloskey KO, 21-1 McCloskey decision
Gamboa will be ringside for Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Orlando Salido
Cuban featherweight sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa will be ringside when World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Juan Manuel Lopez defends his title against Odlando Salido in Puerto Rico tomorrow (Saturday, April 16). On September 11th 2010, Gamboa won a lop-sided unanimous decision against Salido.
“I expect JuanMa to win by knockout”, says Gamboa. “I didn’t have my best day when I fought Salido. JuanMa is fast and strong and should overwhelm the Mexican with his power.”
If Lopez beats the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion he and Gamboa will be another step closer to colliding in what fans and experts already expect to become an epic featherweight battle.
“This is the biggest fight in the featherweight division and one of the biggest possible fights in general to be made right now”, says promoter Ahmet Oner. “The whole world waits to see Gamboa and Lopez battle out who is the best at 126. I put my money on Gamboa. He is certainly not afraid of JuanMa. Both showed great respect for each other in the past but they also both know that every step they take is observed in respect to a possible showdown.”
On March 26th Gamboa impressively tore apart interim super featherweight Jorge Solis knocking the taller man down five times en route to a fourth round tko win at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Lopez watched Gamboa’s performance ringside and applauded his rival to his stunning performance.
“After what Gamboa did to Jore Solis three weeks ago, JuanMa will clearly want to make a statement against Salido”, adds Oner. “They both want to impress the other guy and prove that they are the best featherweights in the world. Although their fight has not been made yet they are already battling each other. Both guys know that it’s about time for the fight. I can say for Gamboa that he is ready to go anywhere anytime.”
Lamont Peterson vs. Victor Cayo on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights on 4/29
Leon Margules, promoter of the April 29 ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” broadcast from the luxurious outdoor deck of The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas says he is extremely happy that Lamont Peterson has stepped in to face Victor Cayo in the main event.
#3-rated super lightweight Cayo (26-1-1, 18 KOs) was originally scheduled to fight International Boxing Federation (IBF) #5 Tim Coleman, but in a surprise move, #4-ranked Peterson (24-1-1, 14 KOs) exercised his right to replace Coleman as the highest ranked available contender.
Peterson and Cayo will meet in a 12-round elimination bout for the #1 world ranking and the right to face IBF king Zab Judah.
“Lamont Peterson wants to be champion and he proved it today,” stated Margules. “He’s taking this tough fight on relatively short notice and it’s the fans who will win. Tim Coleman will still be on the card fighting a different opponent, so this show will now feature the IBF’s #3, #4 and #5 rated super lightweight contenders. Any of these three against each other would be a terrific fight and this fantastic night of world-class boxing at the most beautiful location on the entire Las Vegas strip just got that much better with the addition of Lamont Peterson.”
Peterson was last seen in December fighting to an HBO-televised draw with top contender Victor Oritz. Cayo’s most recent appearance was a first-round knockout over Javier Gomez on October 29.
Scheduled for the undercard are undefeated Cuban super featherweight Rances Barthelemy (11-0, 9 KO’s), and Texas lightweight Hylon Williams Jr., (13-0, 3 KOs) in separate bouts.
The Cosmopolitan proudly presents another uniquely glamorous evening of world-class professional boxing; and this time, overlooking the heart of The Strip on the open-air multilevel deck of the city’s most fabulous luxury pool, The Boulevard Pool. Tickets are on sale now and are priced at $50, $150 and $250 for the VIP experience, which includes a private section with comfortable seating and complimentary cocktails. Special Cabana packages also are available. Tickets are available for purchase at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or by calling 877-551-7776 or 702-698-6880.