Conlan vs Walsh Predictions: Song remains the same for Irish Mick

The mercurial Michael Conlan returns to the ring this Friday, March 20, as he takes on Kevin Walsh (DAZN). The bout headlines at the SSE Arena in Conlan’s hometown of Belfast. This featherweight 10-rounder has the Irishman’s WBC international ranking belt at stake.

Keep reading for my Conlan vs Walsh predictions and full card listings.

Conlan vs Walsh Odds

Conlan is the hometown favourite and he’s the bookies’ favourite too, priced at 1/4. Walsh is your 7/2 underdog while the draw is priced at 14/1.

Conlan vs Walsh Fight Preview

This is the maiden fight card for MF Pro, the traditional boxing arm of the Misfits business. This debut comes two weeks before the company co-presents Derek Chisora vs Deontay Wilder in association with Queensberry at the O2 Arena in London.

The narrative for this fight as it was for Conlan’s September stoppage of Jack Bateson. The 34-year-old firebrand faces an opponent with a decent on-paper record but has never mixed in world class, with the idea that a win will springboard Conlan to a world title shot.

The four-round rout of Bateson didn’t quite do it, though it was the controversial Olympic bronze medalist’s best performance in a while. But Conlan had some making-up to do after a rotten run of form threatened to retire him.

Every word you could muster about Conlan’s 2022 WBA featherweight title war with Leigh Wood has been written or exclaimed. I gave that brawl my Fight of the Year award for the much-missed Sportsman website. That heartbreaking final-round knockout defeat has cast a shadow over everything Conlan has attempted since.

Two wins in moderate company followed before a damaging pair of back-to-back stoppage losses looked to consign Conlan’s career to the history books. Luis Alberto Lopez was ferocious, stopping our man in the fifth round of an IBF featherweight title defence.

Lopez was feared and feted at the time. He had wrenched the title from Josh Warrington and handed the likes of Isaac Lowe and Gabriel Flores Jr. their first defeats. A loss to the Mexican in isolation was no shame.

Jordan Gill was enlisted as the tonic Conlan’s career needed. ‘The Thrill’ had just relinquished his European featherweight crown to the ageless wonder that is two-time world boss Kiko Martinez. A painful KO defeat had Gill marked down as damaged goods. It was a premature assessment.

Gill took out Conlan in seven riveting rounds, seemingly laying the top-soil on a legacy that started with so much promise as a world amateur champion. Conlan has since confessed he considered retirement. But the Belfast boy fought on.

After 15 months on the sidelines, Conlan returned last year with two wins. The supremely-impressive Bateson stoppage was a cut above the eight-round cobweb-removal job against Asad Asif Khan. But nobody looks good against the Calcutta campaigner. In Khan’s next fight, I watched from ringside in Sheffield as he tried every trick in the book to try and pip Josh Warrington to the post. Khan’s gumshield- spitting shithousery was more memorable than any punch he threw that night.

Walsh is miles ahead of Khan but isn’t much of a cut above Bateson. From the fighting city of Brockton, Massachusetts, he has a 19-0 record with 10 knockouts. Former world title challenger Tramaine Williams is his best win. Walsh outpointed ‘The Mighty Midget’ in 10 rounds. But considering Williams’ downward trajectory since that 2020 WBO super bantamweight title loss to Angelo Leo, it is hard to put too much stock in Walsh’s conquest.

Conlan’s WBC international belt has pushed him up to ninth in that sanctioning body’s rankings. Atop their green and gold tree is Bruce ‘ShuShu’ Carrington. The Brooklyn stylist is technically sound and showed a vicious streak in knocking out Carlos Castro last time out. An opponent to be feared, but Conlan won’t care. 

The Belfast man simply seeks redemption. You get the idea that going out on his feet in a world title challenge at the third time of asking would mean almost as much as the belt at this stage. A proud end can wait though. Conlan needs to get past Walsh if he wants to hold onto his new beginning.

Conlan vs Walsh Full Card

Michael Conlan vs Kevin Walsh

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Glenn Byrne vs Owen O'Neill

Ben Marksby vs Carlos Daniel Cordoba

Codie Smith vs Lee Gormley

Jak Corrie vs Jacob Quinn

Kurt Walker vs Yahir Alexander Solorio Morales

Kyle Smith vs Eduardo Vera Sanchez

Sam Norris vs Stefan Vincent

Conlan vs Walsh Prediction

Like many boxers of his generation, Walsh has been heavily influenced by Floyd Mayweather. But like so many pretenders to the throne, the shoulder roll is not as tight. The defensive pivots not as knife-sharp. The straight-right counters prodding rather than slicing. 

Walsh is decent technically and that has been enough for 19 fights. But Conlan is exceptionally well-schooled. You don’t have the heaving mantle of amateur medals Mick does without having the fundamentals down to a science.

Those fundamentals will steer Conlan home. Back the Belfast boy to win at 1/4.

You can find all our latest boxing betting tips and analysis at our Betfred Insights Boxing page and our latest boxing odds here.