Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom Boxing promotion have a major card scheduled for this Friday night headlined by two undefeated Super Middleweight fighters from Liverpool. The vacant WBC Silver title is on the line between Callum Smith (16-0) and French veteran Christopher Rebrasse (23-3-3). The twelve round bout has no over/under posted, and Smith is a big (-1700) favorite over Rebrasse, who is returning at (+1100). Rebrasse was the September of 2014 opponent for George Groves, who he took the full twelve round distance. Considering that Groves’ will be fighting for the WBC World Title in August and the fact that Groves’ is one of England’s biggest stars, following in his footsteps and beating Rebrasse is what Smith wants to do. Rocky Fielding (20-0) is expected to have a bit of a tougher task ahead of him as he faces veteran Brian Vera for the vacant WBC International title. This bout too is set for twelve rounds with no over/under posted, and Fielding is favored in the fight paying (-370), while Vera comes back at (+310). Vera (23-9) is on a three fight losing streak and it is hard to tell if he has anything left. His pair of losses to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr were followed by a loss to Willie Monroe Jr, and in between those fights he signed up to fight in a boxing-style event with modified rules called “Big Knockout Boxing” where the fight took place in a pit, and he lost that fight too. Vera has been in with a long list of talented fighters, among them James Kirkland, Andy Lee and Sergio Mora among others, and Fielding really has nothing comparable on his resume. There is a plan being cooked up here by promoter Hearn. Hearn has already reserved September 26th on SKY Television for another major card, this one headlined by Callum Smith versus Rocky Fielding for the vacant BBBofC British Super Middleweight titles. Granted, that match probably hinges on both men winning their respective fights this weekend, but if the fight happens it would be a massive fight in fight hungry Liverpool, where both men are from. Don’t put it past the cagey Hearn to put that dynamite match-up in support of a bigger fight, aiming for a London venue. The live card has ten fights in all on the schedule, and two other matches featuring popular veterans as big favorites are getting attention at the sport books. In the Cruiserweight division, Tony Bellew (23-2-1) returns to the ring for the first time since his November Split Decision win over rival Nathan Cleverly. He is facing veteran Ivica Bacurin (22-7-1) in a scheduled ten rounder that sees Bellew a massive (-13500) favorite over Bacurin, who returns at (+3500). Another Super Middleweight bout scheduled for eight rounds sees the return of Martin Murray (29-2-1) as he faces unheralded George Beroshvili (19-5-2). Like in the Bellew bout, the sport books have placed Murray a huge (-13500) favorite over Beroshvili, who returns at (+3500). This is Murray’s first fight back since his February of 2015 loss to top rated Middleweight Gennady Golovkin.
