Is there anything better than a re-match in boxing? That’s what boxing fans are getting this Saturday night at the Ota City General Gymnasium as Joshua Franco and Kazuto Ioka play Groundhog Day and deliver a repeat of their New Year’s Eve fight in 2022.
With their last meeting ending in a draw, this clash is highly anticipated. So much so that Kazuto Ioka elected to drop his current WBO belt in order to fight this clash immediately rather than box against a mandatory challenger first. If this bout is anything like the first time these two met then we’ll have a high quality encounter that comes down to the wire.
Bookmaker William Hill has the latest odds ahead of Franco vs. Ioka as we break all of these down to suggest the best bets on boxing this weekend.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 23rd, 7:30 A.M. (GMT)
Given that their meeting six months ago ended in a draw, it’s no surprise that the bookies’ odds are also neck-and-neck ahead of this fight. Most major bookmakers, including William Hill, have Joshua Franco as the slight favourite, leading the odds 1.91 to 2.00.
When it comes to how William Hill sees this fight unfolding, all signs point towards the judges’ cards once more. Franco is paying 2.25 for a decision while Ioka is at 2.50. Both men have odds of 8.00 to win by a knockout while a second draw would generate a return of 11.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 23rd, 7:30 A.M. (GMT)
It must be mentioned that this is a mighty gutsy move by Kazuto Ioka. The champion did not need to abdicate his belt, but he was determined to finish his business with Joshua Franco. While many will argue that Ioka was behind for much of their first encounter, the Japanese fighter sacrificing a belt screams focus and motivation heading into this clash.
The question is will a motivated Ioka be enough? The veteran is not getting any younger at 34 years old and didn’t dominate many of the exchanges in their initial fight. Franco, on the other hand, has an excellent record in re-matches. Six of his last seven fights have been against one of two men, Andrew Moloney or Oscar Negrete. He holds a winning record against both and has looked to be fighting in his prime now.
We say the conservative bet here is to simply wager on the fight going the distance. However, these odds are very low at 1.20 so those after a healthier return should wager on Joshua Franco winning via decision.
