Boxing preview: Denzel Bentley, Aloys Junior & Luke McCormack

Denzel Bentley will be aiming to take a major step towards another world title fight when he fights Derrick Osaze on TNT Sports on Saturday night. For all the latest fight odds, visit our sportsbook.

Two-time British middleweight champion, Bentley, is a well known and well respected operator. But although the undercard may not be packed with fighters who are household names just yet, a couple of fighters with the potential to become real crowd pleasers will make their latest appearances at the York Hall.

Here are three things to look out for on Saturday night.

CAN BENTLEY CONTINUE TOWARDS ANOTHER WORLD TITLE SHOT?

Derrick Osaze’s name may not carry the same glamour as some of the other names campaigning in the middleweight division. But rest assured, Denzel Bentley will be treating his fellow Londoner with the utmost respect and approach this weekend’s fight as if it is the most important of his entire career.

Last November, Bentley, 19-3-1 (16 KOs), attempted to push a series of issues in his private life to one side and turned up for his British title defence against Nathan Heaney unfocused and distracted. The man from Stoke was inspired and boxed his way to a decision victory. Bentley will never make that mistake again.

In May, the 29-year-old rebounded with a devastating knockout of Danny Dignum and will now give every fight the same level of attention and urgency.

Osaze, 13-1 (3 KOs), is in good form but lost in his only real step-up in quality when current European champion, Tyler Denny, outpointed him. This is the chance Osaze has waited his entire career for and he will pour everything he has into Saturday night.

Bentley cannot afford a slip-up. He sits at number two in the WBO middleweight rankings, just behind his British rival Hamzah Sheeraz. Bentley performed well in his only previous world title attempt – losing a decision to unified champion, Janibek Alimkhanuly, in November 2022 – and is desperate for another shot.

Bentley is a thrilling fighter to watch when he is in a ruthless mood and with big fights within touching distance, it would be a major surprise if he were to slip up against the talented Osaze.

A Bentley win by KO or TKO is priced at 7/20. If you think Bentley can get the job done quickly, you can get odds of 13/10 on him winning between rounds one and five.

ALOYS JUNIOR FACES A REAL TEST. ON PAPER.

On paper, Germany’s unbeaten cruiserweight Oronzo Biradi, 8-0 (6 KOs), looks like providing the exciting Aloys Junior, 7-1 (7 KOs), with the toughest test of his short but explosive career.

The problem is that fights are fought on canvas rather than on paper.

Biradi is a solid operator and packs a punch but Junior looks like he might just be a different type of prospect. He is physically strong, powerful, fast and carries dynamite in each hand. He is also smart, determined and trains under Ben Davison at one of the country’s most in-form gyms.

Biradi will fight with the desire and determination of an unbeaten fighter but that is a dangerous attitude to have against a fighter like Junior who is smart enough to use the German’s aggression against himself and will take great pleasure in punishing him for every mistake.

Excitement is pretty much guaranteed every time Junior steps into the ring and this weekend should be no different. If Biradi comes out with all guns blazing, this one could be over quickly.

Aloys Junior to win in rounds three or four is priced at 29/10.

IS LUKE McCORMACK READY TO GO?

Luke McCormack, 1-0 (1 KO), is one of the best untapped talents in the country. The key now is to get him in front of cameras as regularly as possible because the 29-year-old super lightweight from Sunderland could easily develop into one of Britain’s most exciting fighters.

As an amateur, McCormack medalled at the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games but injuries have held him back. Earlier this year he signed a promotional deal with Queensberry and finally got his professional career up and running with a second round stoppage in February.

Activity will be crucial for McCormack and as well as fighting Yauheni Aleinik this weekend, he is already pencilled in to fight in early September.

Unless there is a monumental surprise, McCormack will win this weekend but he will be keen to make up for lost time and rack up spectacular win after spectacular win. Don’t blink.

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