Bentley vs Saavedra Predictions: ‘2 Sharp’ takes on the (interim) world

Former world title challenger Denzel Bentley gets back amongst it this Saturday April 4 opposite Endry Saavedra. The WBO interim middleweight championship will be on the line at the O2 Arena in London. The headliner sees Deontay Wilder face Derek Chisora and the action will be broadcast live on DAZN.

Read on for my Bentley vs Saavedra predictions.

Bentley vs Saavedra Odds

The markets make Bentley ‘2 Sharp’ for Saavedra, with odds of 8/13 at press time. Saavedra is priced at 6/4 while you can back the draw at 12/1.

Bentley vs Saavedra Fight Preview

In a more sane boxing universe, this fight would be for the full WBO middleweight championship. Not because Bentley and Saavedra are the two best 160-pounders in the world, but because it would mean a sanctioning body actually doing its job.

WBO champion Janibek Alimkhanuly tested positive for the banned substance meldonium four days before a unification fight with WBA boss Erislandy Lara. The IBF, whose title was also around the waist of Alimkhanuly, stripped him of his belt. But the WBO banned the Kazakh for a year, yet allowed him to keep his championship. 

A truly unthinkable decision in any other sport. Boxing champions get stripped of their title for not meeting mandatory challengers, but Alimkhanuly will not be fighting anyone until at least December and he took a banned substance. The mind boggles.

So what we’ve got instead is the WBO number one Bentley and number two Saavedra meeting for an interim title. It keeps the sanctioning fees rolling in for the WBO without pissing off the most bankable star in a thin middleweight division. Those involved will see it as a win-win but in reality it is a move that utterly lacks integrity.

Bentley has previous with Alimkhanuly. The Brit provided the challenge for the Kazakh’s WBO middleweight strap in November 2022. Many fans feared the worst, with Alimkhanuly entering on a run of six knockouts. But Bentley went the full 12 rounds in a real war and troubled the champion on occasion.

What should have been a world-level coming-out party threatened to be a last dance with the elite 12 months later. Bentley had picked up the British title with a stunning one-round demolition job on Kieran Smith. But Stoke trier Nathan Heaney dethroned Bentley with a shock upset at the Manchester Arena. The majority decision loss looked like a surprise ending to Denzel’s world title hopes.

But ‘2 Sharp’ has battled back. He finished Basildon’s Danny Dignum in two rounds, a feat Alimkhanuly can also boast. Bentley also KO’ed Derrick Osaze in another two rounds of devastation before out-scoring Brad Pauls to pick up the British and European championships. The latter victory has aged particularly well given the fact Pauls knocked out the heavily-fancied Shakiel Thompson last weekend in nine tasty rounds at the Co-op Live Arena.

Bentley deserves to be fighting for a title, even if politics and politics alone have kept it from being a true world championship tilt. But a win here will put Bentley at the front of the queue when Alimkhanuly returns. It is a rematch the gifted Londoner would savour.

But before then, Bentley meets Saavedra and he cannot afford to look past him. Born in Venezuela, residing in Mexico and fighting in Australia for two of his last three bouts, you cannot accuse this guy of being a homebody.

Saavedra’s  CV lacks the sort of names you’d expect for the purported second-ranked middleweight contender in the world. He has beaten passable fare like Isaac Hardman and Mikkel Nielson. Saavedra’s sole career defeat came to durable Brazilian Etoundi Michel William. Saavedra has also battled to a draw with Cesar Mateo Tapia.

Not a world beater, but then this isn’t for a world title. Justifiably it should be, albeit not from a quality standpoint. But Bentley thoroughly deserves another crack at a world crown. This is how he can secure that opportunity.

Bentley vs Saavedra Full Card

Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora

Viddal Riley vs Mateusz Masternak

Denzel Bentley vs Endry Saavedra

Ashton Sylve vs Raul Antonio Galaviz Hernandez

Matty Harris vs Franklin Ignatius

Amir Anderson vs Jordan Dujon

Jermaine Dhliwayo vs Jake Morgan

Dan Toward vs Misael Da Veiga

Abner Teixeira vs TBA

Tom Welland vs Yahir Alexander Solorio Morales

Bentley vs Saavedra Prediction

Saavedra can punch, having stopped 14 of his 17 victims. But Bentley has stood up to heavier hitters and has never been stopped. 

Bentley won’t struggle with an opponent who simply walks forward, gloves up, head in the middle, and tries to throw in close. I can see Denzel picking this guy off and looking good doing so. I’m backing Bentley at 8/13.

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