Promoter Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom Boxing are hosting a big 14-fight card this Saturday (January 30, 2016) that has a handful of regional titles on the line. The featured fights of the eveing will air on SKY in the United Kingdom, and three of the main event fights are already getting attention at the sportsbooks. The big draw on the card is likely the 12-round non-title fight between George Groves (21-3) and Andrea Di Luisa (18-3). Groves is a huge (-8500) favorite, with De Luisa returning at (+3500), and the books have no over/under posted. Di Luisa is a serviceable veteran for the return fight of the popular Groves. Groves needs a win, since his last outing was a loss to Badou Jack in Las Vegas last September. That fight was for a WBC World title at Super Middleweight, and Jack escaped with a split decision. Groves was very close to a coveted world title, and now he has to put together wins to get back in the title picture. He is spending a short period of time away from the ring, a good indicator that the 27-year old is still focused. As for Di Luisa, he has been in this role before, as he faced the experienced Lucien Bute when that fighter was looking to comeback and needed a win. Two of the regional title bouts on the card are much more competitive at the sportsbooks. Commonwealth Super Lightweight champion John Wayne Hibbert (16-3) is actually coming in as a (+155) underdog for his bout with undefeated 21-year old Tommy Martin (13-0). Two of Hibbert’s three career losses are to Dave Ryan, a man he finally defeated in his last fight back in September where he captured the BBBofC belt. Martin, who is 10 years younger than Hibbert, is returning at (-175). This is a classic match-up of veteran vs up-and-comer. Despite the fact that Hibbert does not have a large quantity of fights, his general opposition over the past few years has been at a higher level than Martin, whos is stepping up a notch or two in this fight. The vacant WBA International belt is on the line at Super Middleweight as John Ryder (21-2) faces veteran Sergey Khomitsky (30-12-3). Ryder is coming in as the favorite, paying (-250), with the comeback on Khomitsky paying at (+210). Khomitsky went 12 rounds in a failed bid to win an interim WBA World title against Alfonso Blanco, and Khomitsky has fought on several ocassions in the UK. For his last to fights on British soil, he defeated Adam Etches (18-0) and Frank Buglioni (12-0) and he has a draw with Brit Nick Blackwell in Monaco in October of 2014, so he is well known to Ryder and his team. The rest of the card has several four and six round bouts planned as a warm-up, but there are three two round bouts also planned that could pop up later this week at the sportsbooks. Foremost among those is the WBC International Super Featherweight bout between titleholder Kris Agyei-Dua (12-0-2) and challenger Ben Hall (7-0-1).
