Richards vs Azeez Predictions: Richards laughs off retirement, but can Dan?

Former British light heavyweight champions Craig Richards and Dan Azeez clash this Saturday, December 20. The fight takes place at the Legon Sports Stadium in Accra, Ghana. DAZN will screen this special event live on their platform.

Without further ado, here are my Richards vs Azeez predictions.

Richards vs Azeez Odds

Richards is backed at 3/10 for a victory in Accra. Azeez is priced at 11/4 while you can opt for the draw at 16/1.

Richards vs Azeez Fight Preview

This is one of those fights where one is surprised it has not happened before. 

The two light heavyweights are a year apart in age. Both are former British light heavyweight champions who crashed the world rankings. They have four opponents in common. Both beat Shakan Pitters, Andre Sterling and Adam Jones. Both lost on points to Joshua Buatsi. 

It feels like this fight was destiny, even if the setting is a surprise. Matchroom’s debut in Africa is evidence of how far-reaching the appeal of Eddie Hearn’s stable is. 

Alongside this well-matched main event, amateur standouts Leo Atang and Dev Nishant will continue their pro journeys. The show will also showcase Ghanaian domestic talent like Sampson Segbedzi, Holy Dorgbetor and John Laryea. 

Richards gave Dmitry Bivol one of his trickier assignments back in 2021. He has fulfilled a gatekeeper role since, losing to Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson but beating the likes of Boris Crighton and Padraig McCrory. If you want to reach the top of the 175-pound class, you usually have to go through Richards.

Azeez looked destined for the top at one stage. Racking up the British, Commonwealth and European championships faster than a speeding bullet, ‘Super’ Dan looked like Superman. 

If I may labour the metaphor just a little further, you could say that Buatsi ended up being his Kryptonite. Their much-hyped clash got big coverage in mainstream British sports media due to their tale of friendship-turned-rivalry. 

On the night, Buatsi outpointed Azeez in a gruelling and dramatic collision. ‘Super’ Dan took two trips to the canvas, scored as knockdowns but for which he blamed a slippery ring canvas. But even without the disputed knockdowns, Buatsi won by a wide enough margin.

Azeez has looked ill-at-ease since. No longer the terrifying puncher who had former WBA champ Rocky Fielding’s corner throwing in the towel. Not the fighting machine that dismantled Hosea Burton to lift the Lord Lonsdale Challenge belt. 

Soft-touch Hrvoje Sep took him to a draw in an eight-rounder designed to put Azeez back in the win column. Lewis Edmondson outscored the beleaguered boxer by majority decision to win the British and Commonwealth belts Buatsi had vacated. A couple of low-level six-rounders have been used to blow the cobwebs off and restore confidence for Azeez.

That confidence has been in question ahead of this fight. Azeez has spoken in the build-up of the likelihood that the loser retires. Richards has disputed the claim and questioned Azeez’s belief given he appears to have one eye on the exit door.

Pre-fight mind games? Perhaps. But these things can have a bearing. Especially as Azeez is without a significant win since his 2023 European title clincher over Thomas Faure. One starts to wonder if this is the last we’ll see of him in a boxing ring. Or perhaps Azeez will be proven right and Richards will retire after a defeat to the one they call ‘Super’.

Richards vs Azeez Full Card

Craig Richards vs Dan Azeez

Theophilous Kpakpo Allotey vs Jayr Raquinel

Ibrahima Diallo vs Sampson Segbedzi

Holy Dorgbetor vs John Laryea

Jerry Lartey vs Jesse Brandon

Seth Gyimah vs Jonathan Tetteh

Sedem Ama vs Chiamaka Nwaturuocha

Nishant Dev vs Ally Mbukwa

Leo Atang vs Babu Yusuf

Richards vs Azeez Prediction

Richards is an opponent nobody enjoys facing. He is a master of making things tough for his opponents. He gave Bivol and Buatsi hell when they took on ‘The Spider’. He negated the long limbs of Pitters brilliantly to win the British title. McCrory found out he packs a wallop last time out.

Azeez has had similarly impressive performances in his career. The Fielding beating, the never-say-die TKO of Faure, the cerebral decision over Pitters and the blasting of Burton. But he does feel further-removed from his pomp than Richards, who at times looks ageless.

I think that remaining freshness will be key. The weight of the world looks heavy on the shoulders of Azeez. Something was left in the ring against Buatsi that never returned. Conversely, Richards put his own disappointment at the hands of the same man behind him. I think that gives him the edge here. I’ll take Richards on points at 10/11.

Image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

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