In a busy fight weekend Showtime will air an excellent 10-round super-middleweight bout between Andre Dirrell vs Anthony Hanshaw at 11 PM ET. Both of these top-15 contenders were elite level amateurs that are still seeking to win their first world titles in the paid ranks. The switch-hitting Dirrell,14-0, 9 KO’s, is a fast fighter with loads of talent but has never beaten a fighter above a C+ skill level. The 6’0”Hanshaw, 21-1-1, 14 KO’s, likes to throw lots of punches and grind down his opponents with a well-schooled pressure style. BodogLife.com has Oscar De La Hoya as a -1700 boxing betting favorite in Oscar De La Hoya vs Steve Forbes.
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anshaw also is the more experienced of the two having lost a close decision to Roy Jones Jr. as a 3-1 underdog in his last fight 9 months ago. Both of these fighters have nice offensive tools but Dirrell can unload rapid-fire combinations that have some bite while Hanshaw’s offense isn’t quite as fast or potent. On the defensive side these fighters have both shown that they can be rocked when tagged on the jaw but 6’2” Dirrell has some cute defensive moves that make him a bit more slippery.
Hanshaw has been involved in some long tough fights where he has proven to have a championship caliber heart whereas Dirrell’s heart has never really been tested. There are a lot of question marks with the 25-year old Dirrell having only been 10 rounds once but he appears to have some “special” qualites about him as a fighter that Hanshaw doesn’t have. Hanshaw will be the house fighter in this bout with the political pull so a close fight could go his way but I expect Dirrell to win this fight on points and possibly drop Hanshaw at some point during the bout. The boxing betting line on the Andre Dirrell vs Anthony Hanshaw fight is expected to be at even odds.
