Gary Cully vs Francesco Patera Preview
It’s another huge weekend in Irish boxing with rising star Gary Cully in action. ‘The Diva’ will fight Belgium’s Francesco Patera at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Saturday, May 25. This is a massive fight for Cully on the Taylor vs Catterall 2 undercard.
Cully discovered the hard way that one punch can change the course of a career. He rebounded from a shocking defeat to José Félix Jr. with a win over Reece Bould last November. Now he hopes to defeat the experienced Patera.
This fight isn’t a foregone conclusion. Patera is coming off a knockout win over Carlos Sandoval and believes he can cause an upset. Cully’s WBA Continental Europe Lightweight title and his hopes and dreams are on the line.
Gary Cully vs Francesco Patera Key Stats and Head-to-Head
‘The Diva’ has long been a rising star in the Irish boxing scene. However, the last year was tough for the Naas native. He changed gyms after a shocking third-round knockout loss to José Félix Jr. in May 2023.
This was supposed to be his coming out party on the Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron undercard. Everybody expected him to run through Felix Jr. but the Mexican didn’t get the memo. Cully’s trainer threw in the towel to save his fighter from excessive damage.
The defeat forced him to reassess his training and preparation. Cully left his former coach Pete Taylor and moved to Liverpool to work with Joe McNally. The change paid off because he defeated Reece Mould later that year.
This was a crucial victory for ‘The Diva’ as he got his career back on track. However, it didn’t come without drama. Cully got the decision from two judges who awarded him 97-93 and 96-93 cards, respectively. But one judge gave the fight to Mould 97-93.
Cully dominated most of the fight and outpointed Mould. He nearly threw it away in the final round as Mould rocked him badly. The English fighter almost got a finish before the bell saved ‘The Diva.’ Cully got away with one because he was moments away from back-to-back losses. Ultimately, most neutrals, including boxing personalities and media members, agreed that Cully was good value for his win. However, he displayed the defensive frailties that cost him dearly against Felix Jr.
The exciting prospect can’t afford the same lapses against Patera. The Belgian is a very experienced boxer with a 29-4 record. 11 of his wins came by knockout and he finished Carlos Sandoval in his last bout. It’s difficult to take much from this second-round victory because Sandoval had a patchy 3-9-2 record.
This fight was all about a win for Patera after he lost to Keyshawn Davis in his previous match. The young American is a genuinely exciting boxer and cruised to a decision over the Belgian. This was an enormous opportunity for Patera on the Kambosos vs Hughes undercard, but he couldn’t take it.
The neutral venue may favour Cully. His last two matches were high-profile bouts in Dublin’s 3Arena. He will still enjoy massive support in Leeds but with reduced media attention this time. Cully can concentrate on boxing and feel less pressure.
Cully should win this fight and is a big favourite. A dominant victory over Patera would show he’s ready to take a step toward title contention. He has many questions to answer, which should make for an entertaining fight.
Gary Cully vs Francesco Patera Predictions
We predict Cully will defeat Patera with a potential knockout. The Irish fighter is a heavy favourite against his Belgian foe. He should be too slick for Patera and could finish him in the later rounds. Cully has 10 KO wins in his career and will hope to add another scalp to his record.
Cully’s talent is undeniable, as he showcased his skills in the amateur scene. He considered competing for an Olympic spot before he turned professional. However, his chin and his fighting IQ remain questionable, which makes creating boxing predictions so troublesome.
The Felix Jr. defeat means his career is on the line in every match. Some punters will be wary about backing him after Mould brutally rocked him in his last bout. Time will tell if he had a settled camp in Liverpool. His new stablemates at the Rotunda ABC include high-pedigree fighters like Callum Smith, Darren Till, and Caoimhin Agyarko. Iron sharpens iron and this could help Cully reach a new level.
There was a suggestion that he was slightly gun-shy against Mould. This was the first time he went 10 rounds in his career. Five of his previous six wins were by KO, while he also forced Viorel Simion to retire in the corner. Both of Patera’s previous victories came against fighters with losing records. Before the Davis defeat, he was riding an eight-fight winning streak. However, most of these were against relatively obscure opponents, except for Paul Hyland Jr. in 2019.
Mould and Felix Jr. proved that fighters have a puncher’s chance against Cully. He can’t force a knockout because it would be a great risk. But he should convincingly win this fight and move onto the next level. Live betting is a good option for this fight. If either fighter impresses in the early rounds, it may be worth checking the odds for a knockout victory.
Gary Cully vs Francesco Patera Betting Tips
‘The Diva’ is a prohibitive 2/15 favourite to beat Patera in this boxing match. This means that it’s not worth betting on Cully to win outright. A €10 stake on our online betting platform would only see a profit of €1.33. Meanwhile, the Belgian fighter is a 9/2 underdog. The same bet on Patera could win €45. That’s a massive profit, but it also shows that the bookmakers don’t expect this to be a competitive fight.
Betting on boxing can be tricky when the odds heavily favour one fighter. That’s why it’s important to look at prop bets and other markets. Choosing the method of victory is usually more profitable. Cully can knock Patera out but proved that he’s susceptible to damage too. A finish is very possible in this fight.
‘The Diva’ is available at 6/4 to win by KO or TKO. This means a successful €10 stake would see a €15 profit. This is far more attractive than betting on the Irish fighter to win this boxing match.
But what if Patera successfully pulls off a massive upset? It’s 17/2 for the Belgian to end this fight on his terms. This time, a €10 stake could see returns of €95. It might tempt some fans who have experience placing boxing bets, especially given Cully’s recent history of eating heavy shots.
We may see another decision if Cully follows a similar game plan to his victory over Mould. Betting on the favourite at 17/20 could see an €8.50 profit. It’s also worth noting that our betting site considers this his likeliest method of victory. If you don’t want to pick a winner, this fight could go the distance at 3/5.
🥊 FULL TAYLOR CATTERALL 2 CARD
1️⃣ Josh Taylor 🆚 Jack Catterall 2
2️⃣ Cheavon Clarke 🆚 Ellis Zorro
3️⃣ Gary Cully 🆚 Francesco Patera
4️⃣ Paddy Donovan 🆚 Lewis Ritson
5️⃣ George Liddard 🆚 Graham McCormack
➕ Giorgio Visioli & Leli Buttigieg pic.twitter.com/BL2ZI77707
— EverythingBoxing (@EverythingBoxi2) May 20, 2024
They also believe the Belgian has less chance of outpointing Cully than knocking him out. Betting on Patera at 12/1 to win by decision has the potential of a massive €120 profit. This may not be the most sensible bet because Cully is a more technically skilful fighter than Patera.
If you predict either boxer will finish the other, you can go further and pick the round. All of Cully’s knockouts have come in the fifth round or earlier. He’s a quick finisher when he’s on his game. It’s 14/1 for him to finish this fight in rounds five to nine.
The odds of this fight going past 8.5 rounds are 9/20. This isn’t great, but it could be a good prop bet if you think either fighter will win by decision. It would be wiser to bet on it to finish earlier. This correlates with the finishing rates on their records. A €10 stake would see a €16.25 profit, with odds of 13/8. It may be a great opportunity to capitalise on our welcome bonus. Once you have signed up, you can bet on a wide range of sports and markets using your bonus.
Gary Cully vs Francesco Patera Outcome
This is a huge fight for Cully, who has more to gain and lose than his opponent. Patera is a journeyman with a solid record. However, Cully believes he is capable of much more and dreams of moving into championship contention. Victory will put him within touching distance of bigger names. But a defeat would ruin everything. The stakes have never been higher for the Irishman.
