This fight is over 10 rounds in the featherweight division and is the final of the Golden Contract tournament that MTK put on. James Dickens has gone on a good run since he lost back to back fights to Guillermo Rigondeaux and Thomas Patrick Ward. Ryan Walsh is one of the most underrated fighters in British boxing and has a domestic resume few can match.
James Dickens is an aggressive southpaw who has a relatively high activity rate. He likes throwing his left hand straight into the body of his opponents. Hes a decent combination puncher and turns into his hooks properly. He has a lot more power than his record suggests though hes by no means a big puncher and doesn’t have good finishing skills which is why he doesn’t get many knockouts even though he has the power to get them. He is the younger fresher man and has looked to be in the best form of his career.
Ryan Walsh has a weird style where he waits to try and counter but often ends up spending too much time not punching. When he does go to counter hes explosive and like Dickens has more power than his record suggests. When he actually decides to fight in a good style he presses forwards throwing accurate punches and clearly unsettles his opponents especially when he switches between his two styles in one fight. He’s shown a great chin and good stamina throughout his career.
I’m not very confident picking a winner in this fight but I feel James Dickens may be catching Walsh at the right time as he is 34 while Dickens is solidly in his prime at the age of 29. I think James Dickens will win a decision because of his youth and that he’ll throw more punches while being aggressive which the judges will like. I can see Ryan Walsh winning if he lands a big counter early and gets Dickens respect or if he engages in a toe to toe war where its a real 50/50 but Walsh’s chin may power him over the line.
Boxing Fulcrum 