No Limit’s boxing heads to Melbourne, Australia for the first time on Wednesday night with a fight card headlined by former WBO Heavyweight Joseph Parker who faces Faiga ‘Django Opelu for the Commonwealth title. In the co-main Nikita Tszyu meets the toughest test of his budding career in undefeated prospect Benjamin Bommber, and former AFL players Cameron Mooney and Tom Bellchambers make their boxing debuts against one another. We bring you our best bets for the card!
Boxing Preview & Betting Tips – Wednesday, May 24th 2023
Joseph Parker vs. Faiga Opelu
Joseph Parker won the WBO Heavyweight title in 2016 from Andy Ruiz asserting himself as one of the top Heavyweights. Seven years later he still mixes it with the best although he suffered his first knockout loss in September last year to Joe Joyce. Yet in January he bounced back against Jack Massey, securing a unanimous decision victory. In the last decade, Parker has only lost to Joyce, Anthony Joshua and Dillian White, both who failed to stop the big man and continue to be ranked in the top five Heavyweights in the world.
Faiga Opelu is a veteran of the Australian domestic scene and has fought the best the Commonwealth has to offer such as Justis Huni and Lucas Browne, however, Parker is a huge step up in competition. A knockout over a 42-year-old Lucas Browne, a man stopped by retired NRL player Paul Gallen is far from anything that should fill Opelu with confidence coming into this fight.
Simply put, there are levels to the game and this fight will show it. Parker is more accurate, faster and knows how to cumulate damage on his opponents without putting him in the pocket to cop a devasting hook. Parker gets this done inside the distance and this will be scarily one-sided. Expect Opelu’s corner to throw in the towel around the halfway point.
Value: Parker by KO/TKO Round 5 or 6 - $9.25 (0.5 Units)
Joseph Parker by KO/TKO
$1.57 (4 Units)
Nikita Tszyu vs. Benjamin Bommber
Both Nikita Tszyu and Benjamin Bommber come into Wednesday night’s bout with identical professional records. They are both 5-0 and have finished all bar one of their fights. The interesting part of this is that it is only a six-round fight. Benjamin Bomber is a big-talking Melbournian who hasn’t fought anyone of note and was a little disappointing I thought in his last majority decision victory over Ankush Hooda.
Nikita Tszyu is having his career set up like any budding boxing career. He has fought very lacklustre fighters and finds an undefeated fighter who has a long way to go. While I wonder how he will go over eight, ten and twelve rounds we don’t have that here and the fact is he has the fundamentals to round win fairly comfortably against Bommber whose defence looks questionable especially when he is backing up.
This fight is Tszyu’s to lose. I don’t think he will ever be what his older brother or father is but he definitely has enough to dispatch his mouthy foe on Wednesday. The question is does he get the finish?
I am going to say Bommber has enough grit for this to go the distance, however, I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns scrappy late. So will back Tszyu to get the decision win and the fight to go over 3.5 rounds.
Alternate Bet
Over 3.5 Rounds - $1.72 (2 Units)
Nikita Tszyu By Decision
$3.40 (1.5 Units)
