Liverpool Fight Night: More Predictions

There are some other notable fights taking place at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Saturday night.

WBO Super-Featherweight Champion Ricky Burns (31-2) is taking on Nicky Cook (30-2) in a bout that shouldn't really be taking place. Cook had two years out of the ring after being stopped by Roman Martinez in 2009 and his only fight since was a points win to journeyman Youssef Al Hamidi. This doesn't equip him for this opportunity and his best days are behind him. In contrast, Burns appears to be getting better with time. The only concern might be complacency but I see Burns comprehensively winning a points decision.

Hard-hitting Liverpudlian Tony Bellew (15-0) is taking on Ovill McKenzie (18-10) in a rematch. Bellew went down hard twice in the first contest but stopped McKenzie on his feet after the Jamaican-born Derby fighter had been down once. McKenzie has a misleading record and is a real handful. He appears to have had proper preparation for this contest and there's some real needle. Bellew has the better ability but can also get too emotionally-involved in fights, going for a tear-up. I would not be surprised to see McKenzie score an upset with his punches from unorthodox angles against an opponent who may well be struggling at light-heavyweight. If the fight goes more than four rounds, however, I definitely feel McKenzie's suspect stamina will cause him to unravel.

On ability alone, Frankie Gavin (10-0) could and should be a world-beater. He has an instinctive understanding of space and timing that can't be taught, delivering brilliant combinations from a southpaw stance. However, here's the but...He seems too small for welterweight yet can't make light-welterweight and there are concerns about his out of the ring party antics (drinking) as he bids to live up to his Funtime Frankie nickname. Against former professional footballer Curtis Woodhouse (15-2) at welterweight he finds himself in with a willing and able opponent who has a good dig (10 knockouts). Woodhouse is honest, respectable and deserves a huge amount of credit for his devotion to the sport of boxing after leaving the more lucrative world of football. He doesn't have the same ability but will push on to ask questions. I fancy Gavin - who has been fired up for this one as both men have trash-talked - to stop Woodhouse on his feet with a flurry of combinations, probably in the second half after boxing ahead with sharp shots.