Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Jack Culcay Preview April 6th, 2024
Ecuador’s Jack Culcay will be taking on unbeaten Bakhram Murtazaliev of Russia this Saturday, April 6th in Germany for the vacant IBF Super Welterweight Title. Culcay, who fights out of Germany, last boxed in July when he stopped Juan Adrian Monzon in the second round. Murtazaliev was last in action in December, 2022 when he beat Roberto Valenzuela Jr by an eight-round unanimous decision. The title became vacant when Jermell Charlo vacated it.
Murtazaliev vs Culcay Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Jack Culcay +325
- Bakhram Murtazaliev -450
My Pick
Bakhram Murtazalievis 31 years old, fights out of Oxnard, California and carries around a perfect record of 21-0 with 15 Ko’s. He’s got 90 rounds of pro experience under his belt since making his debut in 2014 following his amateur career. He stands 6-feet-tall with an unlisted reach and possesses quite a bit of power as his current knockout ratio stands at 71.4 per cent. However, he’s gone the distance in three of his last five fights.
Since turning pro, Murtazalievis has captured the IBA Americas, vacant WBC USA and vacant Eurasian Boxing Parliament Super Welterweight Belts. He’s yet to take on a top-10 contender as his biggest victories have been against Khiary Gray, Manny Woods, Jorge Fortea, Bruno Leonardo Romay, Elvin Ayala, Norberto Gonzalez and Fernando Carcamo.
The veteran Culcay is now 38 years old and fought at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China where he competed for Germany and went 95-28-3 as an amateur. In fact, he lost to Demetrius Andrade in the quarterfinals of the 2007 World Championships. He enters Saturday’s fight with a mark of 33-4 with 14 Ko’s. He’s fought 296 rounds since turning pro in 2009 and has below average power as just 42.4 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage. His knockout win in his last outing was his first in nine fights.
Culcay gives up five inches in height to Murtazalievis as he measures just 5-feet-7-inches and has a 65-inch reach. Even though Culcay has been European and WBA interim world champion, the average boxing fan isn’t going to recognize many of his opponents either other than Demetrius Andrade, Maciej Sulecki and Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who all beat him. Andrade’s win was by split decision and Sulecki’s was unanimous in two consecutive fights in 2017. Derevyanchenko beat him by 12-round unanimous decision in 2019.
Andrade was the WBA Junior Middleweight Champ at the time of their fight and his other pro loss was to Guido Nicolas Pitto by 12-round split decision in April, 2013. Culcay has won several regional and minor titles as a pro including the European, and WBA Inter-Continental Light Middleweight Belts and has wins over Craig Cunningham and Dennis Hogan. He won the 2009 World Amateur Championship where he competed as a welterweight and at one point in 2015 was the Interim WBA Super Welterweight Champion with a win over Maurice Weber.
Prediction…
Culcay is a bit of a brawler even though he has plenty of skills, heart and determination. However, he struggles when moving up in class and is 38 years old with little in the way of power. He’s fighting an opponent with plenty of power and if this contest turns into a slugfest it will favour the more powerful Murtazalievis. I think when it’s said and done Murtazalievis will emerge victorious but he definitely can’t afford to underestimate Culcay.
Culcay will give it a good shot, but fall short.
Play: Murtazalievis -450 @ BetOnline.ag
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Bakhram Murtazaliev betting • Jack Culcay betting