Mickey Vann: I’m expecting wins for Sergey Kovalev and Tony Bellew in impending showdowns

JUST got back from Las Vegas.

I went to the WBO convention and while I was there I met up with Joe Calzaghe, who was being inducted into the Hall of Fame with Oscar De La Hoya. I watched Joe on the awards night and he was being pulled from pillar to post, every one wanting at picture or a few words from him. He is still a very popular person, even over in the USA. I must say I can understand when the celebrities let their persona slip and get annoyed occasionally, sometimes the occasion is so overwhelming with the media, the public, and everyone else wanting a piece of them, suffice to say I don’t have that problem.

I would have liked to be in Atlantic City on Saturday for theย BERNARD HOPKINS versusย ย SERGEY KOVALEV fight which is for a hat full of light-heavyweight world titles. I feel that Kovalev will be just too powerful for Bernard and a stoppage win looks on the cards for me. A Bernard Hopkins in his prime would be a different story, but you can’t keep beat old Father Time.

There is also an interesting match up in Germany next weekend with Felix Sturm taking on Robert Stieglitz, the loser of that one hasn’t a lot of options left. I think probably Robert will be the saddest on the night, although he is rated one weight higher. The fight has been made at a catchweight of 166 1/2lbs and I think Felix certainly will be the favourite, but still it’s an intriguing match up.

For me, the real mouth watering shows of the month, are at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday the 22nd withย Tony Bellew against Nathan Cleverly, the main fight on a bill awash with title fights and British stars and of courseย Anthony Joshua who is in with Michael Sprott. Those are the two fights I look forward to the most. I think Bellew will have his hand raised at the end, and if the right Sprott turns up on the night he can test, but ultimately be stopped,ย  maybe around the sixth.

Then seven days later at the XL arena in London Docklands Dereck Chisora cakes on Tyson Fury and on the same bill Chris Eubank Jnr is in with Billy Joe Saunders on another star studded bill of multiple championships. I expect Fury-Chisora to be a good old fashioned tear-up with Fury coming out on top, then a God knows what is going to happen fight with Saunders and Eubank Jnr. I will be abroad refereeing again so I Will miss both of the shows, so I hope my TV recording machine is in good working order.

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