Saturday boxing betting tips and fight night predictions: Ryder can show class

Free boxing tips, best bets and analysis for this weekend's fight cards.

Where to watch

Zach Parker v John Ryder BT Sport 1, approx 10pm Saturday
Dillian Whyte v Jermaine Franklin DAZN, approx 10pm Saturday

Best bets

John Ryder
1pt 21-10 Betfred
Fabio Wardley to win by stoppage
1pt Evs general

Big-fight previews

There are some cracking fights this weekend headlined by an excellent domestic dust-up between Zach Parker and John Ryder. It’s a contest between two British boxers, but they are fighters with eyes on a world title prize.

Ryder has already challenged at the elite level when taking on then-WBA super-middleweight champion Callum Smith in 2019. The Islington man was extremely unfortunate not to walk away with Mundo’s belt in Liverpool and that’s not the only strong effort on Ryder’s card.

The Gorilla produced an excellent display to see off former world champion Daniel Jacobs in February and the 34-year-old has also beaten decent performers Jamie Cox and Bilal Akkawy.

Of course, there were defeats to Nick Blackwell, Billy Joe Saunders, Jack Arnfield and Rocky Fielding earlier in Ryder’s career, but the latest of those came in 2017 and the Islington man has improved technically and physically since then.

Ryder’s conditioning and commitment will be spot on for this fight, and while Parker may well prove too good for the Gorilla, that doesn’t seem as certain as the prices suggest.

The unbeaten 28-year-old has created a good impression on his way to recording 22 straight victories. The Derbyshire man is a rangy and powerful super-middleweight, but that’s nothing that Ryder hasn’t faced before while Parker is stepping into the unknown.

A 2018 split-decision British title victory over Darryll Williams is the best form on the Derbyshire man’s card. Parker suffered a dislocated shoulder in that fight, and while that victory can be upgraded, the 28-year-old fought just five times since suffering that injury in the Williams win.

We should get a tremendous tussle at the O2 on Saturday night and at the prices it looks worth backing Ryder to come out on top.

Elsewhere, Dillian Whyte returns in what is pretty much a no-contest against Jermaine Franklin and there's a good British heavyweight title clash between Fabio Wardley and Nathan Gorman.

Wardley has won all of his 14 professional contests, with 13 of those coming by stoppage, but Gorman is the toughest opponent the Ipswich man has faced.

The Nantwich puncher is on the comeback trail after a 2019 knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois, and although Gorman has recorded victories over Richard Lartey, Pavel Sour and Tomas Salek since the Triple D loss, the same fate may await the 26-year-old.

It’s fancied that Wardley’s power may win out and at even-money the Suffolk slugger looks good value to record another knockout victory.

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