Danny Flexen of Boxing News encourages a punt on Krasniqi this weekend
REGULAR readers – and my close personal friends will know just how much I love overly wide odds.
Yes, outsiders are just that for a reason but if an underdog seems undervalued there is little risk, as a small stake can either be lost – no real harm done – or multiplied ten-fold or more.
This brings me neatly to this Saturday’s WBA light-heavyweight title fight in Rostock, Germany.
First off, don’t get it twisted, the real WBA king at 175lbs is the superb Sergey Kovalev but those sanction fee-loving gentleman at the Panama-based body have decreed that there be one or sometimes two ‘extra’ world titles in each weight-class. So far, so confusing.
Anyway, WBA ‘regular’ world champ Juergen Braehmer, the badboy of German boxing and a technically skilled southpaw, puts his dubious strap on the line against Kosovo-born countryman Robin Krasniqi.
The latter was widely outscored by a peak Nathan Cleverly back in 2013 but has since won four straight and against solid opposition, picking up two fringe belts in the process.
Krasniqi is an inch-and-a-half taller and eight-and-a-half years younger than Braehmer. He turns 28 on April 1 but is no fool (sorry) and is either at or approaching his physical prime.
Braehmer has dominated this type of opposition in the past but, despite several hiatuses, both (law-) enforced and not, is not as fresh as he once was. Krasniqi completed 30 rounds last year to
Braehmer’s 17 and, in the last nine months, the champion has enjoyed just 55 seconds of ‘competitive’ action. Braehmer has hardly lost a round in his last three fights so if Krasniqi can rise to the occasion that may well unsettle his rival.
Braehmer is a worthy favourite but bigger upsets have happened, even in the last year, and a points victory for Krasniqi – Braehmer has never been stopped – is massively overpriced at 8/1. Worth a punt and you can watch the action unfold on Sky Sports.
