Aloys Youmbi vs Ellis Zorro Predictions: Junior makes the climb while Zorro chases rebirth

Aloys Youmbi Junior gets his toughest test yet when he takes on 18-2 former British title challenger Ellis Zorro this Saturday, July 26. The bout will serve as chief support for Ryan Garner vs Reece Bellotti at Queensberry’s ‘Pier Pressure’ show at the Bournemouth International Centre. DAZN will screen this intriguing domestic card live.

Here are my Aloys Youmbi vs Ellis Zorro predictions ahead of this cruiser bruiser.

Aloys Youmbi vs Ellis Zorro Odds

Youmbi is a fighter on the rise and his 1/2o price reflects that perception. Zorro is way out at 8/1, with his ambitions going from world title to British title to simply clinging on to relevance in recent years. The draw is priced up at 20/1.

Aloys Youmbi vs Ellis Zorro Fight Preview

This fight has come as a surprise, given the fact Youmbi, more commonly known as Aloys Junior, is considered the mandatory for Viddal Riley’s British cruiserweight championship. But with negotiations for that bout hitting a brick wall, ‘The Animal’ gets a man who has competed for that title before.

Depending on your view on boxing’s ridiculous political landscape, you could argue Zorro has competed for the world title. The IBF refused to sanction the Brit’s crack at their champion Jai Opetaia, despite the fact that mandatory challenger Mairis Briedis was injured and agreed to allow Zorro to compete for the crown. So Opetaia vacated the IBF belt, but was still The Ring and lineal champion when he faced Zorro.

Whether you class Zorro’s fight with Opetaia as a world title bout or not, the action did not give you long to think about your stance. The proud Aussie clobbered his challenger in the first round, knocking Zorro out with a brutal left. It was the first loss of Zorro’s career, but not the last.

The Lewisham-born boxer looked to rebuild at domestic level, but perhaps rushed things a little. A fight with then-unbeaten Team GB standout Cheavon Clarke felt like a reach and ultimately it was. ‘C4’ put in an explosive display worthy of his moniker to get Zorro out in eight rounds.

Zorro has fought once since, winning a confidence-booster over journeyman Viktar Chvarkou on points. The setting, the hilariously-capitalised BALLIN’ nightclub in Maidstone, and opposition was a stark comedown from his last two outings. But after being knocked out in consecutive title fights, Zorro needed a quiet reset before taking on bigger challenges.

Junior is definitely a bigger challenge than Chvarkou presented on a sticky dancefloor in Kent. 10-1 with nine knockouts, the big-puncher is unbeaten since losing his debut on points to Michal Soczynski. Given the fact that his conqueror is now 10-0 and has held domestic and IBO titles, that loss is more down to incredibly tough match-making. Especially so when you take into account the fact Junior was 18 when the fight took place, five years younger than Soczynski.

Junior’s wins have certainly erased memories of that tricky start. A serious knockout puncher, only then-unbeaten German Oronzo Birardi has taken him the distance in his 10 wins. Cleaning out Lewis Oakford in three rounds on a glitzy Magnificent 7 card at Wembley Arena put Junior on many radars and he has only turned more heads since. 

Junior clobbered David Jamieson in three rounds back in May, knocking his man down in every single round. That victory netted ‘The Animal’ the Commonwealth cruiserweight title. There is no word at press time over whether that belt will be on the line against Zorro.

Perhaps an alphabet intercontinental-type belt is being sought to fill the title void? While those spurious gongs do help with rankings, that would be a shame. The Commonwealth title is an excellent stepping-stone and a legitimate championship. It deserves to be defended above the silly proliferation of baubles that litter modern fight cards.

One designation that is likely to be decided is the mandatory challenger for the British title held by Riley. A fight with ‘The Rilest’ did look to be Junior’s next assignment, despite conflicting claims over his mandatory status. Riley himself has gone on record both confirming and denying that Junior is his mandatory, with the British Boxing Board of Control offering no clarity. But it feels like the winner of this fight will be moved into a bout with Riley either way.

For Junior, that is simply parliamentary procedure if he keeps this winning run going. But for Zorro, this is a chance to give a once-promising career a shot in the arm. While some fighters kick-on after fighting for a world title, the 32-year-old suffered such a beating from Opetaia that it has kiboshed his progress. The Clarke fight was the wrong one to take, but who can blame Zorro for relishing a British title opportunity? If he pulls off the upset against Junior, he might just get another one.

Aloys Youmbi vs Ellis Zorro Full Card

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Aloys Youmbi vs Ellis Zorro Prediction

Junior is still only 22, a full decade younger than his opponent. It is hard to believe, considering the waves that the Londoner is already making in the squared circle. 

Zorro would caution against opportunities that come too soon, given his own travails against Opetaia. He will relish this though. A young opponent facing his toughest test. It is a state of affairs Zorro can exploit. But one wonders how he will react when Junior’s big punches go in. 

Zorro’s two defeats both came by knockout. I have Junior as more raw than Opetaia and less technical than Clarke. But he hits harder than at least the latter. I can see this one ending in a knockout in favour of Junior. I think Zorro lasts until about halfway, so I’ll go for rounds 4-6 at 17/10. I don’t hate rounds 7-8 at 4/1, but I just feel like Junior gets it done a shade sooner.

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