Heavy Hands with the Heavyweights
Stephan Shaw and Efe Ajagba are heavy hitters and the sportsbook is finding it tough to split them for Saturday’s fight.
Shaw is the -125 favorite to improve his record to 19-0 but hot on his heels is Ajagba, who has only one loss on his record and it came against the impressive Frank Sanchez.
It all goes down at Turning Stone and it could steal the show.
Let’s check the latest Boxing odds, stats, and Boxing lines for Shaw vs Ajagba. We’ve plenty of Boxing betting odds for you to consider.
Big Shot Facing Toughest Test
“Big Shot” Shaw has yet to taste defeat but he hasn’t fought the same caliber of fighters as Ajagba.
The 30-year-old American scored a unanimous decision win over Rydell Booker last year. He dominated the fight but didn’t put him away, which is a concern against someone with the class of Ajagba.
Booker had six losses on his record, so it wasn’t an impressive performance and there is a claim that Shaw should be the boxing odds underdog for the fight. However, he owns 13 knockout wins from 18 fights and he’s the fifth-ranked heavyweight in the U.S.
He’s taking a defensive approach to the fight, which is music to bettors’ ears.
“You can’t take anybody for granted, and I’m not taking him for granted at all,” Shaw said. “But as I said before, I’m definitely gonna go in there defensively responsible and that’s how you’re supposed to be as a fighter. The art of boxing is to hit and not get hit. I try to master that.”
He is a confident fighter and money usually comes for undefeated boxers.
Don’t Underrate Ajagba
Having had experience fighting Sanchez is invaluable for Ajagba, who rebounded with a big second-round knockout of Jozsef Darmos.
The Nigerian 28-year-old shouldn’t be deterred by the loss and has Shaw in his sights, despite being the -105 underdog.
Boxing odds are giving him respect, which he has earned with 13 knockout wins from 16 fights. He also has the advantage of having longer to prepare after Shaw stepped up to the mark following Oscar Rivas’ eye injury.
“Stephen Shaw stepped up and has a tough task against one of the division’s biggest punchers in Efe Ajagba,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.
He packs a lot of power and he could have more ringcraft than Shaw, so there is value in his boxing odds.
Shaw vs Ajagba Head-to-Head
This will be the first meeting between Shaw and Ajagba.
Shaw vs Ajagba Fight Information
- Fight: Shaw (18-0) vs Ajagba (16-1)
- Location: Turning Stone Resort, Verona
- Day/Time: Saturday, Jan 14, 10:00 p.m. ET
- Shaw vs Ajagba Live stream: Box Live
Shaw vs Ajagba Betting Lines
Shaw vs Ajagba Picks and Prediction
There is good value with Ajagba, who has invaluable experience against a quality fighter. It’s experienced Shaw doesn’t have, so we’re picking a slight upset.
He’s a heavyweight fighter who would love to book another big fight and beating Shaw would guarantee that it happens.
Shaw is listed at -155 in our Vegas boxing lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Shaw, you have a chance to win $65. Ajagba is +125, offering a chance to win $125 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Shaw a 60.78% chance to win, with Ajagba at 44.44%.
