Chris Eubank Jr v Liam Williams preview: Battle of the British middleweights

We’re just one month into 2022 and boxing fans have already been treated to some incredible fights.

England’s Chris Eubank Jr and Welshman Liam Williams are set to clash this Saturday night in Cardiff to decide who the top middleweight in Britain is. Also on the card, we’ll see Claressa Shields defend her multiple middleweight titles against an undefeated Ema Kozin.

Chris Eubank Jr v Liam Williams

Boxing’s middleweight division has been one of the most interesting in the sport for years and this weekend sees two of the UK’s most popular stars return in a title-eliminator grudge match. Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Wiliams have been competing at a high level for many years and both have been working hard to prove they deserve a championship shot.

Some may be surprised to see Eubank Jr coming into this bout as the outright 1/3 favourite, but he has looked incredible lately and is 5-0 since 2018 with three stoppages. However, Eubank Jr has struggled against the truly elite middleweights in the past and needs a win here to show he is still one of the best fighters in this weight class.

Williams, meanwhile, is looking to finish Eubank Jr and certainly has the power to do so. The Welshman loves to push forward against his opponents and is complemented with a high boxing ability after an extensive amateur background captaining Wales internationally.

He’s a live underdog at 13/5, with his high-pressure style hoping to push Eubank Jr to the limit. Williams can also be found at 13/2 to find a KO on Saturday night in front of his home fans.

Only time will tell. A change in trainer has seemingly done wonders for Eubank Jr, but he is in for a true test in Cardiff. He’s 11/8 to find a finish and 6/4 for the decision win.

Claressa Shields v Ema Kozin

There are only a few athletes competing today who are true boxing superstars and that includes Claressa Shields, the current WBA, WBC and IBF champion. Shields (11-0-0), who is now making a return to boxing after a brief stint in MMA, enters this Saturday’s fight as the huge 1/20 favourite, and you can see why.

The 26-year-old is one of the most technical boxers alive today and her experience as a very accomplished amateur has given her a methodical, yet effective style. She does not hunt for a knockout and instead prefers to carefully pick her opponents apart from start to finish.

Ema Kozin last fought in May, beating Radana Knezevic via TKO. At just 23 years old, she has already won a world title and has an incredible record (21-0-1). The unbeaten fighter is a former interim WBC middleweight champion and made her debut in 2016.

This looks like a very even fight on paper, however, Shields is the far more technical fighter and her time in MMA may have taught her some new skills to play with, which could be a dangerous proposition for her future opponents.

The 4/9 for the American winning by decision is very appealing. Kozin is a true underdog at 9/1 to win outright.

Check out all the latest boxing betting odds at William Hill