O’Leary vs Hughes Predictions: ‘Maximus’ is a name you can trust

Undefeated Pierce O’Leary gets a challenge he wasn’t expecting as he takes on former world-ranked contender Maxi Hughes on Saturday, March 14 (DAZN). The fight co-headlines the 3Arena in Dublin as WBA super featherweight kingpin James ‘Jazza’ Dickens battles Anthony Cacace in the main event.

Read on for my O’Leary vs Hughes predictions.

O’Leary vs Hughes Odds

Dublin’s O’Leary is the favourite in the markets (2/5) as well as with the crowd. Hughes is 15/8 while the draw is priced at 12/1.

O’Leary vs Hughes Fight Preview

Mark Chamberlain was the original opponent for local favourite O’Leary in Dublin. But Hughes stepped in on two weeks’ notice when Chamberlain was hospitalised with an infection. 

Twenty-seven-year-old Chamberlain might have been fresher and more hungry at this stage of his career, but exuberance-deficit is more than made up by Hughes’ experience and world-level knowhow. The body doesn’t always obey at the age of 36, but ‘Maximus’ is a fighter you can never write off.

It was only last May that Hughes shocked Archie Sharp, the 25-1 battler who had been a fixture in the world rankings. Maxi gave Bakhodur Usmonov fits in his last outing too, before losing a majority decision. The Tajikistani boxer was an elite amateur but to many eyes, including my own, Hughes out-worked and out-hustled the 11-0 star. 

The judges disagreed, something which has blighted Hughes at several turns. If life was fair, ‘Maximus’ would have a points win over former unified lightweight kingpin George Kambosos Jr on his record rather than the fortunate majority decision that the Aussie walked away with.

Hughes will likely throw himself on the mercy of another trio of scorecards here. O’Leary has 10 knockouts from 18 wins, but seven of those were in eight-rounders or below. In the higher reaches of the division, a tidy finish of undefeated Hovhannes Martirosyan aside, the Dubliner usually wins by decision.

There are some fine points wins on his ledger. O’Leary has out-scored Darragh Foley, Kane Gardner and Liam Dillon. Hughes is a level-up from those scalps, but at 26 years of age, now is the perfect time for ‘Big Bang’ to explode.

The primary concern O’Leary should have heading into the ring on Saturday is Hughes’ ambition. Never before has the Irishman battled a fighter who has overcome so much adversity.

The veteran Hughes has been written off endlessly. He still is, usually by those who only read his 29-8-2 record without watching the fights. The superb handling of lucky boy Kambosos. The rousing upset over heavily-favoured Jovanni Straffon. Dominating Ryan Walsh. Battling through the blood to outpoint former world champion Kid Galahad. Hughes has lost but he has always come back stronger. Can he do so again as O’Leary is roared on by thousands of his nearest and dearest? I wouldn’t put it past ‘Maximus’.

O’Leary vs Hughes Full Card

James Dickens vs Anthony Cacace

Pierce O'Leary vs Maxi Hughes

Jono Carroll vs Colm Murphy

Steven Cairns vs Arnie Dawson

Eoghan Lavin vs Liam Walsh

Ryan Garner vs Cristian Bielma

Davey Joyce vs Wendel Da Costa Santos

Eugene McKeever vs Adrian Orban

Barry McReynolds vs Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira

Adam Olaniyan vs Jan Bezouska

Gary Cully vs Benito Sanchez Garcia

Thomas Carty vs German Skobenko

Bobbi Flood vs Bela Istvan Orban

O’Leary vs Hughes Prediction

O’Leary is rock-solid, rolling forward with the inevitability and undeniability of an untethered boulder. The Dublin pressure-fighter loves to go chest-to-chest, hammer the body and get out before your breath returns.

Hughes has never shirked a tear-up but he should here. O’Leary is a decade younger and with far less miles on the clock. Blow-for-blow is not the way to win for Maxi.

Hughes can perform on the back foot. He dictated the pace going backwards at times against Sharp and his best Kambosos-pounding blows were often counters thrown following evasive action. Hughes needs to park the bravado at the door and use pure ring IQ to win this one.

I think he can, too. It is a tall order to walk into the baying throng of your opponent’s fans on two weeks’ notice. But Hughes has seen it all and done most of it in boxing. Perhaps a win here can nudge him towards that impossible dream of a world title shot? I’m picking Hughes at 15/8.

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