Jones vs Baxter Predictions: Baxter has no chance of keeping up with this Jones

Olympic bronze medalist Omari Jones seeks to take Jerome Baxter’s ‘0’ this Saturday, January 24 at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The fight takes place on the undercard of Raymond Muratalla’s IBF lightweight title defence against Andy Cruz. You can watch the action live on DAZN.

Read on for my Jones vs Baxter predictions.

Jones vs Baxter Odds

Jones is a big favourite at 1/16 as we go to press. Baxter might be unbeaten, but at 10/1 his winning run is not expected to last. The draw is priced at 16/1.

Jones vs Baxter Fight Preview

So far so good for Jones. An Olympic medal is no guarantee of professional success, but as a starting point it is hard to top. The 23-year-old from Orlando one day hopes to be as big an attraction as Florida’s iconic theme parks. But against Baxter, a win will do for the up-and-comer.

Jones is 4-0 with with four knockouts since turning over last March. The opponents haven’t been knockovers, but they have been characters who come unstuck in good company. Debut foe Alessio Mastronunzio had been wiped out in a round by Xander Zayas back in 2021. William Jackson had been stopped quickly by former IBF kingpin Richard Commey and then-unbeaten Avious Griffin.

Jones’ third opponent, Alfredo Rodolfo Blanco, had been the distance with former WBO welterweight king, controversial Manny Pacquiao conqueror, Jeff Horn. But that was 10 years ago. Last time out, Jones stopped Yusuph Metu in three rounds. The Tanzanian had never been stopped in a career that has included meetings with recent Tim Tszyu foe Anthony Velazquez and unbeaten Russian prospect Albert Khamkhoev.

So no world beaters then, but that is to be expected. Every opponent Jones has fought has come equipped with a winning record, which is often not the case for Olympic stars. Now the youngster gets his first crack at an opponent who has never lost as a pro.

Baxter’s 7-0 looks better on paper than in practice. His vanquished opponents have a combined record of 27-71-6. But Jones is in his learning phase and facing a boxer who doesn’t know how to lose is an important step.

This fight, more than anything, is about eyeballs. Muratalla and Cruz will bring plenty of them, with a strong undercard featuring Khalil Coe vs Jesse Hart and the return of former WBA 154lb kingpin Israil Madrimov.

So what will this bumper Saturday night audience see from Jones? This kid is fast and he hits hard. The swings can get a little wild, but that sort of bump is smoothed over with ring time. Once Jones meets an opponent as determined to land punches as he is, he will soon learn to shorten the travel time of some of those wide hooks. 

Jones is in possession of some fine upper-body movement too. He exhibits a nice pull-counter with the right hand. The most promising facet I find watching Jones is his confidence. The Floridian does not fight like a man leaden with the weight of expectation. The time Omari spends in the ring looks like fun for him. For his opponents, maybe less so.

Jones vs Baxter Full Card

Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz 

Khalil Coe vs Jesse Hart 

Israil Madrimov vs Luis David Salazar 

Omari Jones vs Jerome Baxter 

Ronny Alvarez vs Braulio Matias Ferreira 

Kaipo Gallegos vs Wilson Akinocho 

Zaquin Moses vs Leandro Damian Medina

Jones vs Baxter Prediction

I like the slick Olympian to impress here. Baxter has never seen anything like Omari Jones. The speed, power, smoothness and defensive acumen will win the day. Jones to take the victory at 1/16.

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