Peter McGrail vs Rhys Edwards Predictions: McGrail keeps his deserved spot on the card

Peter McGrail keeps his place on the Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II undercard as he prepares to face replacement foe Rhys Edwards. The bout takes place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday, December 21. DAZN, TNT Sports Box Office and Sky Sports Box Office will screen the event live. 

Here are my McGrail vs Edwards predictions ahead of this super bantamweight contest.

McGrail had been training for an intriguing showdown with Dennis McCann. But ‘The Menace’ returned an adverse anti-doping test result and the fight was nixed. But McGrail deservedly keeps his spot on this massive card against a replacement opponent.

Edwards is the man who has taken the opportunity. It is a huge chance for the Welshman, who actually has a fight scheduled in Sheffield next month with Leon Woodstock. It remains to be seen whether that bout still takes place, but there is no way the 24-year-old could have turned down this one.

Edwards gets a chance to impress a huge global audience on a card that will be seen by millions. What’s more, his opponent is world-ranked and offers an opportunity for Edwards to become a factor at elite level. 

But McGrail is no easy mark. The WBA number 10 has just one blemish on his record, a knockout defeat to contender Ja'Rico O'Quinn. McGrail had the American down twice in that one before succumbing to a brutal one-punch knockout in round five. 

McGrail tried for a rematch but O’Quinn withdrew from the fight. Marc Quinn was the replacement, with the scouser getting back to winning ways via a unanimous decision. He has since bolstered that victory with a second-round stoppage of the gifted Brad Foster.

Foster is a foe our principles have in common. Edwards fought him a year ago, though he could not replicate McGrail’s knockout performance. The Welshman outscored ‘The Blade’ instead. Edwards also had a fine win over former British champion Thomas Patrick Ward in his last fight. He might be coming in late for this one, but a chance like this wasn’t far away already.

McGrail remains firmly the A-side, however. This is a big ask for his Welsh foe. McGrail is a fighter on the rise and many had tipped this card as his breakout moment. That ambition will be undimmed, even if the doomed McCann would have been a bigger name scalp.

You never quite know what you’re getting in fights like this. Will the favourite be put off their stride by the need to adapt? Will the replacement live up to the billing? A lot to consider, but this should be a fine aperitif for fans as they await that mammoth main course in the headliner.

McGrail vs Edwards Fight Odds

McGrail is your 1/5 favourite, shorter-priced than he was to beat McCann. Edwards pulling off the late-replacement upset is 4/1 while a draw is priced at 16/1.

McGrail vs Edwards Full Card

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury

Serhii Bohachuk vs. Ishmael Davis

Moses Itauma vs. Demsey McKean

Johnny Fisher vs. Dave Allen

Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor

Peter McGrail vs. Rhys Edwards

McGrail vs Edwards Predictions

I’m backing McGrail here. I think despite the shift in focus and the quality of Edwards, he will stay on the track.

I can see it being a reasonably close and spirited affair. Edwards is unbeaten and that brings a confidence. Their levels of competition have largely been similar too. This is not unfamiliar territory for the underdog.

But McGrail knows too much I feel. I reckon the Liverpool man takes this one on points at 11/10. 

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