By Ian S Palmer
Original article; https://www.sportsbetlistings.com/boxing/andres-cortes-vs-abraham-nova-betting-odds-and-prediction/23833/
Unbeaten Andres Cortes of Las Vegas, Nevada takes on Abraham Nova of Puerto Rico in a 10-round junior lightweight tilt this Friday, June 21st. The battle from Las Vegas can be seen live in America on the ESPN + platform while fans in the UK and Ireland can catch it on Sky Sports Action. Nova last fought in February when he was edged by a split decision O’Shaquie Foster in a shot at the WBC Junior Lightweight Title. Cortes was last in action in February when he stopped Bryan Chevalier in the fourth round to capture the WBO Inter-Continental Junio Lightweight Belt.
The 26-year-old Cortes climbs through the ropes with a perfect mark of 21-0 with 12 Ko’s and has boxed 102 rounds since making his pro debut in 2016 following his amateur career. As an amateur he lost to Teofimo Lopez in the semifinals of the 2015 National Golden Gloves Tournament and won a silver medal at the Youth National Championships the same year when he was beaten by Devin Haney in the final. He also won silver medals at the 2013 and 2014 Youth National Championships.
As a pro, Cortes also captured the vacant WBC USA Silver Super Featherweight Title in 2023 when he stopped Xavier Martinez after seven rounds. He also has wins over Luis Melendez, Abraham Montoya, Genesis Servania and Omar Castillo. Cortez stands 5-feet-7-inches tall with a 65-inch reach and has above average power as 57.1 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage, including five of his past seven.
Nova is 30 years of age and makes the ring walk with a mark of 23-2 with 16 Ko’s and has boxed 124 rounds since making his pro debut in 2016. He also had an extensive amateur career where he faced the likes of Jamaine Ortiz, Gary Antuanne Russell, Richardson Hitchins, Frank Martin, Jaron Ennis and Gary Antonio Russell. He reportedly began boxing at the age of 12 and went 167-11 with 60 Ko’s as an amateur and won the 2014 USA National Championships Finals and reached the final of the 2016 New England Golden Gloves where he lost to Jamaine Ortiz.
As a pro, Nova’s first defeat came at the hands of Robeisy Ramirez by fifth-round stoppage in a shot at the vacant IBF USBA, and WBO Global Featherweight Titles in 2022. He won the NABA Super Featherweight Belt in 2018 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Sulaiman Seagawa and also has wins over Luis Castillo Leal, Pedro Navarrete, Avery Sparrow, William Encarnacion and Adam Lopez. Nova measures 5-feet-9-inches tall with a 72-inch reach which means two inches taller than Cortes with a seven-inch edge in reach. As far as power goes, Nova packs a good punch as 69.6 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage but has just two in his last seven fights and has gone 5-2 in that stretch.
Prediction…
Both boxers had great amateur careers and have plenty of experience with all styles of opponents but Nova has a bit more experience and power as a pro. A win by either man wouldn’t be a big surprise here as this should be a close fight. This could go either way but I’ll go with Nova’s experience and power here.
