The World Boxing Super Series continues this weekend with Chris Eubank Jr taking on Anvi Yildirim in a quarter final showdown in the Super Middleweight division. The tournament is a knockout competition with the winners of bouts moving through the rounds until two are left to contest the final.
This was opened to the 8 top-rated boxers in the division and whoever gets their hands on the prize will collect the WBA world title and the Muhammad Ali trophy as well. The four seeded boxers in the quarter finals actually got to choose their oppponent from the four remaining unseeded fighters in a draft format.
So Chris Eubank Jr gets a shot against Turkey’s Avni Ildirim out in Germany and the winner of that bout will face the winner of the all British affair of Geroge Groves v Jamie Cox which is next weekend. For this weekend’s action in the comeptition, Eubank Jr is a 1/8 odds on favourite at Paddy Power to collect the win and move ahead, leaving the Turkish underdog at 9/2.
Eubank is a natural middleweight and so is comfortable in his zone here, while his opponent has had to come down in weight to meet him. Eubank takes a 25-1 career record into this bout and he is the current IBO World Champion and second seed for this tournament behind WBA (Super) World Champion Groves.
Eubank last strapped up for a bout with Arthur Abrham to settle who was the main draw of the World Boxing Super Series. He successfully defended the IBO super-middleweight title in that one, which he had won against Renold Quinlan back in February in what was a mismatch. The only defeat that he has suffered in his career came against Billy Joe Saunders back in November 2014.
His Turkish opponent for the weekend, nicknamed Mr Robot, really has not fought anyone of note through his career, a lot of which has been spent at Light Heavyweight. He is vastly inexperienced compared to Eubank and Ildirim takes a 16-0 career record into this one. He looks as if he will be a game opponent but lacks the quality to rake out Eubank.
Eubank does look as if he is lacking a bit of power on evidence of his last couple of fight and hasn’t looked like really hurting anyone. Chris Eubank Jr by Decision or Technical Decisions in at 10/11, but this may just be an all out slog though and three of his last four stoppages have occurred after round six and in the Round Group Betting at Paddy Power, you have an option of Eubank in 7-12 at a price of 3/1 which looks terrific value.
