Badou Jack can dethrone light-heavyweight king Adonis Stevenson

WBC world light-heavyweight title
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Bookmakers rate the world light-heavyweight title fight between Adonis Stevenson and Badou Jack as a pick 'em contest, but they may be wrong.

Champion Adonis Stevenson has a reputation as a headhunter with a superb knockout ratio and he has been in possession of the belt since 2013, but his reign could be about to end in Toronto.

Stevenson was considered one of the hottest properties in boxing five years ago after he tore the belt from 'Bad' Chad Dawson with a first-round KO and followed it up with stoppages of Tavoris Cloud and Tony Bellew.

Since then he has been treading water with defences against a series of inferior opponents - just six in four and a half years - but now, aged 40, he faces a genuine world-class challenger.

Stevenson has been full of his usual swagger and bluster in the build-up and has predictably promised to win by knockout, but unless he has prepared properly for his biggest challenge in years he faces losing his title because Jack is a seriously good fighter.

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There is no doubt Jack has been facing better opposition over the last few years, and although he stepped up from super-middleweight fairly recently he has the size to be effective at 175lbs.

Jack, who is promoted by and a close friend of Floyd Mayweather, has faced six world champions in his last six fights.

He is sometimes a slow starter - his only defeat was a shock first-round loss to Derek Edwards four years ago and James DeGale put him on the deck in the opening stanza when they fought last year - but once he finds his rhythm he is difficult to handle.

Jack hits hard and forces a gruelling pace, and if Stevenson can't hurt him early the title could be changing hands.

Recommendation
B Jack
3pts 6-5 BetBright, Betfair, Betway

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