LIVERPUDLIAN fan-favourite James ‘Jazza’ Dickens bids to spring the upset in back-to-back fights, this time tasked with an intriguing trip to Turkey where he takes on undefeated Russian Albert Batyrgaziev.
Dickens, 35-5 (14 KOs), made a fool of the bookmakers’ odds earlier this year when he pulled off a surprising win against Zelfa Berrett in Manchester, putting his name into conversations for clashes against the 130lb division’s biggest names.
Yet, when no domestic rivals were willing to step up to the plate, Dickens instead decided to venture elsewhere rather than wait on the bleachers.
Now, the 34-year-old southpaw heads to Istanbul as the WBA #5 super-featherweight contender, where he collides with fellow lefty and reigning WBA Interim belt holder, Albert Batyrgaziev, 12-0 (8 KOs) on Wednesday.
‘Al Ba’ claimed the Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020 whilst having a professional record of 3-0, becoming the first active professional boxer to win one of sport’s most prized possessions.
The Dagestani southpaw then resumed life in the paid ranks and has since emerged as a valid world title contender, halting Jono Carroll in a thriller to pick up the vacant WBA interim strap and then outpointing Neri Romero back in March to defend the belt.
Batyrgaziev will fight outside of Russia for the first time as a professional and will hope for a more straightforward affair than when he trumped Romero, where he was floored twice and had a point deducted.
Meanwhile, that kind of chaos is exactly what Dickens is hoping for, anticipating that his midweek meeting with Batyrgaziev will prove to be a ‘grueller’.
ALBERT BATYRGAZIEV VS JAZZA DICKENS FIGHT PREDICTION
Batyrgaziev has had to battle hard and grit his teeth to come out on top in his last two outings and he will need to do the same here.
Although the Russian may possess the superior skill, Dickens’ heart cannot be questioned, and he is sure to make the WBA interim champion earn each ounce of success.
Unfortunately for Dickens, the fact that Batyrgaziev has proven that he too has that warrior mentality means that Boxing News side with the favourite here, believing that a back-and-forth scrap will culminate with a late stoppage win for the Babayurt-born bruiser.
