Joe Smith Jr. vs Maxim Vlasov Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Joe Smith Jr. vs Maxim Vlasov taking place? Osage Casino, Tulsa
When is Joe Smith Jr. vs Maxim Vlasov on and what time does it start? Sunday 11th April, 2021 – 03:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Joe Smith Jr. vs Maxim Vlasov? Visit this link for the latest ticket information
What channel is Joe Smith Jr. vs Maxim Vlasov on? BoxNation
Where can I stream Joe Smith Jr. vs Maxim Vlasov? This event will be streamed live on BoxNation Live
THE LOWDOWN
Joe Smith Jr. (26-3, 21 KO) has bounced back well from his defeat against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in March 2019 with back-to-back wins against Jesse Hart and Eleider Alvarez in 2020. ‘The Irish Bomber’ – best known for his victory over Bernard Hopkins in 2016 – now has the opportunity to claim the vacant WBO light heavyweight title with a victory against Maxim Vlasov.
Experienced Russian fighter Maksim Vlasov (45-3, 26 KO) has claimed three wins in a row since he switched from cruiserweight to light heavyweight following his defeat against Krzysztof Głowacki in November 2018. It has been over a year since his last competitive outing though as the most recent of those three victories was in November 2019 against Ghana’s Emmanuel Martey.
THE PREDICTION
The vacant WBO light heavyweight title is up for grabs in this intriguing contest between Joe Smith Jr. and Maksim Vlasov – the fight was originally due to take place in February but a positive COVID-19 test for Vlasov led to a postponement. Both fighters have enough reasons to be confident of success and it really is set to be a fascinating bout. Smith Jr. starts as the favourite, he was very impressive in his last bout against Eleider Alvarez when he produced a performance of control and boxing ability of which many believed was not in his repertoire, but it is not a foregone conclusion that he will get the better of an opponent who has never been stopped in his professional career which has spanned 48 fights. This fight could well be decided via the judges’ scorecards and so a wager on the fight to go the distance is an option worth considering.
Prediction: Fight to go the distance
