Sharp vs Dragone Predictions: ‘Sharpshooter’ takes aim at an improved 2026

Archie Sharp continues on the comeback trail this Saturday, January 31 against Angelo Dragone. The former WBO mandatory contender at super featherweight will fight at the Copper Box Arena in London, as part of BOXXER’s latest card on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. 

Read on for my Sharpy vs Dragone predictions.

Sharp vs Dragone Odds

Dragone is a journeyman opponent, so his Rocky-shot is a 14/1 punt. Sharp is 1/50 to do what is asked of him, while the draw, a remote possibility in itself, is marketed at 22/1.

Sharp vs Dragone Fight Preview

Sharp is an unwilling walking advertisement for the dangers of playing the sanctioning body game. Rather than engage his domestic rivals at 130lbs, the Kent-born boxer steadily climbed the WBO rankings in search of a world title shot that would prove elusive.

The so-called ‘traditional’ route in UK boxing usually takes in the British, Commonwealth and European titles. Occasionally, the Area and English titles come into the mix too. But the big three is a recipe that has worked for fighters like WBC super lightweight champion Dalton Smith, former IBF middleweight kingpin Darren Barker and, perhaps most successfully of all, ex-undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

Sharp chose to try and jump through the ever-shifting hoops of sanctioning body whims. Who can blame him? Hindsight is a potent drug, but if Sharp’s promotional wrangles and the insipid politics of this game had not intervened, and Archie had got his crack at a world belt, would anyone have complained?

There is an outcome bias in boxing. It is a severe sport after all. Few other athletic pursuits can see you leaving your opponent in the dust until 10 seconds from time before you wake up to a doctor shining a torch in your haze and half-shut eyes. Because Sharp’s gamble did not end up with the title opportunity that was rightfully his, it is deemed folly. Of course, the Brit-Comm-Euro chain of command is satisfying to see done, but it is not the only way. Sharp merely tried to play the house at its own game and lost.

The losses kept coming. Over the last couple of years, they crystallised in the boxing ring. Sharp dropped a points decision to Ryan Garner. Ironically, his conqueror went on to complete the domestic trio of belts that Sharp eschewed, winning the British, Commonwealth and European crowns over the course of his following two bouts.

Former IBO lightweight champion Maxi Hughes represented a good chance for Sharp to get back in the mix. But ‘Maximus’ remained a tough customer and Archie lost unanimously on the scorecards. If Garner sent him back to square one, ‘Sharpshooter’ was now back to square zero.

Now, Sharp continues a rebuild that began with a keep-fit, six-round win over journeyman Stefan Vincent last November. Dragone is another opponent with more losses than wins, bringing a 10-12 ledger. This is about more than the win. This is about impressing in front of a large audience on BBC iPlayer and opening doors that were shut, but not locked, when he lost to Garner and Hughes.

Sharp vs Dragone Full Card

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Joel Kodua vs Joe Garside

Gradus Kraus vs Boris Crighton

Ergal Elezaj vs Will Howe

Hassan Azim vs Sean Murray

Archie Sharp vs Angelo Dragone

Derrick Osadolor vs Ben Vickers

Saqib Mehmood vs Engel Gomez

Sharp vs Dragone Prediction

Apathy alone can lose this one for Sharp. He is comfortably better than Dragone and anything short of ‘The Italian Stallion’ turning into an actual dragon, Rocky Balboa, or both will not be enough. Sharp to win at 1/50.

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