Johnson vs Hughes 2, Boxing Predictions: Bet Rematch to Go Distance on March 22

Cherneka Johnson rematches Nina Hughes in the sequel to their highly controversial first bout. Wrongly announced winner aside, many scored the fight in favor of Hughes, who was the slight favorite then. Now, the boxing odds have flipped for Johnson as she looks to defend the WBA bantamweight title. Seeing how close the first contest was, our money is on this bout to be equally competitive. But maybe with a different result.

Johnson vs Hughes 2 How to Watch

• Fight: Cherneka Johnson (16-2-0, 6 KOs), Nina Hughes (6-1-0, 2 KOs)
• Date/Time: Saturday, March 22, 6:00 a.m. ET
• Location: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
• Johnson vs Hughes Live Stream: Fubo.tv

Check the latest boxing betting lines before making your wagers.

Best Prop and Round Betting Picks for Johnson vs Hughes 2

1. Bet Fight to Go the Distance Again (-850)

While the winner of this bout is a toss-up, the method of victory is not: a decision. Neither Johnson nor Hughes have finishing ability, as seen by their low knockout-to-win ratio. As such, even if the pro boxing odds have this prop at such short odds, it is a lock. The only way the fight gets stopped is if someone gets cut and the doctors deem her unfit to continue.

That may be a slight concern for someone like Johnson. The champion is a brawler and likes to eat punches as long as she’s coming forward and dictating the fight. Fortunately for Johnson, Hughes is not much of a hard hitter. Hughes is listed at 5-foot-3 but looks so much smaller than Johnson.

If anything, Hughes should be fighting at a lower weight class. On top of that, she’s also 42 – albeit a “young” middle-aged woman given her slight pro career thus far. But we’ll give her credit as she’s also agile and durable so we don’t see Johnson knocking her out either.

This is an easy boxing pick today. Bet on Johnson and Hughes to go the distance for a second straight time.

Bet on Fight To Go the Distance – Yes (-850)

2. Hughes Wins Via Another Close Decision

Here’s where we get a bit bolder with our boxing prediction. We like for the underdog to prevail again and that will be Hughes. The first bout was too close to call and the “draw” scorecard may be the most accurate of the judges’ decisions. In fact, we won’t fault anyone for trying to bet on a draw result here at +1100.

The BEFORE and AFTER…

Cherneka Johnson x @TRBoxing pic.twitter.com/IKBkN5IUIq

— FightingLab (@FightingLabFL) May 12, 2024

“It was definitely, let’s give it to the home girl,” Hughes said of the officials’ scoring. “The WBA got neutral judges from all around the world to rejudge my fight, and the majority had me winning. That’s why I’ve been made mandatory for the rematch.”

Hughes has a point as the judges can lean toward the hometown favorite. After all, the Sydney crowd will cheer for Johnson even if she’s objectively losing the fight. But Hughes is still the better boxer. Johnson will bring the heat and the pressure but Hughes will continue to land at a more accurate rate.

Furthermore, judges do not always award close decisions to locals. Arnold Barboza Jr. upset Jack Catterall in the United Kingdom and we got that one wrong. Something similar could happen here as Hughes could be hungrier and more driven to win as she, along with many pundits, felt she was the rightful winner last time.

As such, the best boxing pick is for Hughes to win via a decision with the props.

Bet on Nina Hughes To Win By Decision (+220)

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.

Question of the Day