Haye vs Bellew: Ohara Davies faces Derry Mathews in a grudge fight and The Panel make their predictions
Bellew, Barker, Smith, Mitchell, Oliver and Moore
Saturday 4 March 2017 11:14, UK
Ohara Davies will finally settle his long-running feud with Derry Mathews and we asked a panel of experts to make their predictions.
The unbeaten 25-year-old will defend his WBC silver title against Mathews in Saturday's super-lightweight fight, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and one of the bitter rivals will have the final word at The O2.
With reputations at stake, we asked The Panel to give their verdict on another grudge fight...
Tony Bellew
Derry is the biggest test of Ohara's career. Ohara is not the biggest test of Derry's career. Derry has faced some quality fighters, he's beaten a world champion in Anthony Crolla.
My heart says Derry. My head says this is a hard 50-50 fight.
Derry Mathews is a brilliant fighter. When he's on it, he's more than a match for Ohara Davies in my opinion. I have seen some of the comments from "Hayefaker' and Davies saying 'let's go down and give these Scousers a hiding". It's nonsense.
I do think Ohara Davies can punch, I do think he has ability, and a very good coach in Tony Sims. My heart says Derry, my head says this is a hard 50-50 fight.
Darren Barker
Derry is coming off the back of a few losses and basically retired, but the experience he brings into the fight is second to none. He knows his way around the ring and obviously he is fuelled by the stick he has been getting from Ohara Davies. That will give him more motivation than he actually needs.
With Ohara, he's a special talent in the sense he's so unorthodox, so awkward.
With Ohara, he's a special talent in the sense he's so unorthodox, so awkward. I took him on the pads when I had a week's training with him. I have never felt power like it. He's ridiculous.
I think that's the difference on the night - youth, freshness and power. I see a mid to late stoppage for Ohara.
Paul Smith
From a purely boxing point of view, Ohara Davies is the favourite and rightly so. Mathews has got the experience, he's got a bit of power, but speaking to the likes of Kevin Mitchell and Ricky Burns who have been in the gym with Ohara Davies - they say he's got a great chin.
All the signs are pointing to Davies and probably by a stoppage. But as I have said in the past with Mathews, you cannot really write him off.
Every one of them tells me how hard he hits and he hits seriously hard. Derry Mathews, having his first fight at super-lightweight, it doesn't really bode well.
All the signs are pointing to Davies and probably by a stoppage. But as I have said in the past with Mathews, you cannot really write him off. He's got a good shot in his arsenal, and he could turn it around.
Kevin Mitchell
Ohara Davies is a freak. He's very heavy-handed and has done some unbelievable things in sparring. But even when a fighter grows old, he doesn't lose his power, so Derry Mathews could also be dangerous.
When a fighter grows old, he doesn't lose his power, so Derry Mathews could also be dangerous.
It's going to be a gun fight and they both hate each other, they genuinely don't like each other. It's going to be an entertaining fight. I would put my money on a knockout win for Ohara within six rounds.
Spencer Oliver
All the money is going to go on Ohara Davies, because he's the young, upcoming kid. To me, he didn't look great last time out and Derry Mathews - it's all about whether he can roll back the years. If he does, then we've got a real fight on our hands.
Derry is at the end of his career, Ohara is on the way up, so that's where I would put my money.
This is hard one to call, but I think the safe money is on Ohara to come through. Derry is at the end of his career, Ohara is on the way up, so that's where I would put my money. If Ohara is going to win it, he will do it inside the distance definitely.
Jamie Moore
We still don't know how good Ohara Davies can be, he's very untested in that sense. He certainly won't have been in with a puncher like Derry Mathews, that's for sure.
I would say Derry is a little bit too experienced at this stage for someone like Ohara Davies.
Derry might be able to use his experience to frustrate Davies, who might look at Mathews and fancy his chances of getting him out early. If he makes that mistake and walks onto one, he's going to know about it.
I wouldn't put my house on it, but If I was a gambling man, I would say Derry is a little bit too experienced at this stage for someone like Ohara Davies. But if Davies does get him out of there in good fashion, then he's a bigger prospect than I gave him credit for beforehand.
