Ohara Davies vs Miguel Vazquez Odds & Pick
- Davies is on super-welterweight comeback trail in his native London
- Vazquez is a former world lightweight champion
- Friday’s fight takes place at York Hall, an iconic Venue in London’s East End
Flamboyant Londoner Ohara Davies attempts to re-ignite his junior welterweight career when he takes on Mexican veteran Miguel Vazquez at the city’s iconic York Hall on Friday (June 21 on ESPN + TV, approx. 3:00 PM ET).
The outspoken Davies made a big impact when he began his career with 15 straight wins. But he has stalled with two defeats in five fights since. Despite the setbacks, he sits as a sizable favorite for tomorrow’s bout.
Davies vs Vazquez Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ohara Davies | -450 |
| Miguel Vazquez | +325 |
(Odds taken on 2019/06/27.)
With an opportunity to re-stake his claim in the division and land the scalp of former world champion Vazquez, the 27-year-old Englishman Davies is rated a -450 favorite.
Vazquez, who is 32, is priced at +325 for the 10-round fight. He was the IBF lightweight champion between 2010 and 2014 and made eight successful defenses.
His career has also declined since and he has been defeated three times in 10 subsequent contests.
Vazquez is a Veteran of 48 Fights
But Vazquez is seasoned veteran of 48 contests against some top-level opponents, including current three-belt middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, by whom he was beaten early in his career.
So he may be worth a calculated risk amid the uncertainties about whether Davies has lost his way. The Englishman had to strip off his underwear to make the 140-pound limit at Thursday’s weigh-in.
The collision with Davies takes place at the atmospheric York Hall venue in London’s East End – a site which is regarded as the spiritual home of boxing in the UK.
Davies has impressive power and his 14 knockouts have earned him the nickname “Two Tanks.”
[Davies] was moving progressively into the headlines by the time he racked up the 15th victory of that undefeated opening spell against former WBU featherweight world champion Derry Matthews in March, 2017.
He has a measured style with long, rangy arms but can also be seen as awkward – and his three-inch height disadvantage against Vazquez may actually cause problems for the Mexican.
"Many boxers have left this game skint and with nothing because they've been deceived by the lights, camera, the action, the fame, the girls. That was me at a certain time, but now I'm a lot older. I'm a lot wiser." Is Ohara Davies a changed man: https://t.co/rmlBUc92hk pic.twitter.com/raooFFzwv0
— Boxing News (@BoxingNewsED) June 27, 2019
He was moving progressively into the headlines by the time he racked up the 15th victory of that undefeated opening spell against former WBU featherweight world champion Derry Matthews in March 2017.
Davies vs Vazquez Tale of the Tape
| 18 | Wins | 41 |
| 2 | Losses | 7 |
| 5’7″ | Height | 5’10” |
| 71″ | Reach | 72″ |
| 14 | KOs | 15 |
But he suffered his first setback three months later when he was stopped in the seventh round by Scotland’s Josh Taylor – currently the IBF super-welterweight champion – in Glasgow.
Davies’ Three-win Comeback Was Short-lived
Davies put together a three-fight recovery run of low-key wins against Tom Ferrell, Ahmed Ibrahim, and Paul Kamanga.
However, he then lost a unanimous points decision in his most recent contest against Jack Catterall in Leicester last October.
Vazquez won the IBF lightweight title with a points win in 2010 against Philadelphia-based Ji Hoon Kim in August 2010.
He lost the belt nine fights later in September 2014 to a controversial split decision against Mickey Bey in Las Vegas.
His three defeats in the seven fights since include a ninth-round knockout by Davies’ Scottish conqueror, Taylor, in Edinburgh in November 2017.
Vazquez’s trip to London offers the home-town fighter the chance to put a recognised name on his record at a time when the Mexican’s powers may have waned beyond redemption.
His most recent date was a split-decision win against Congo-born Canadian Ghislain Maduma in Montreal in March this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp5IQ-hxrb0
Vazquez’s trip to London offers the home-town fighter the chance to put a recognised name on his record at a time when the Mexican’s powers may have waned beyond redemption.
But Davies has made it plain that he knows he will be in for a tough night’s work against such an experienced competitor.
Pick: Davies -450
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
