5 great battles are about to be announced: Why is it attractive, who will win?
Boxing is heating up. And it can’t happen soon enough.
The sport has stagnated over the past few months as relentless negotiations between the top boxers have generally failed to produce the bouts that die-hard fans are eager to see.
That disappointment is underscored by the fact that Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. couldn’t come to an agreement on a 147-pound superfight.
Well, some of the biggest names in the world are expected to face legal trials in the coming months. Here are five upcoming battles, with context and predictions.
DAVID BENAVIDEZ (26-0, 23 KOs) VS. CALEB (22-1, 13 KO)
Status: Arrange
Day: March 25
Place: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
Assignment: Super Medium (168 pounds)
television/stream: Pay per view
overview: The 168-pound No. 2 and 3 (after champion Canelo Alvarez) matchup will be interesting. They really can’t stand each other, which would make the lead part interesting. And each of them brings high abilities and fire into the ring. Benavidez overwhelmed opponents with underrated hand speed and punishing synergies that almost always resulted in a knockout. Plant, a brilliant sports technician, met his match in Alvarez but overcame to stop Anthony Dirrell with an epic punch in his most recent bout.
Guess: If Plant is a better fighter than Benavidez, that’s not much. And the second type is the bigger, stronger, harder fighter. Benavidez’s all-round game would be too much for Plant. Benavidez KO 9.
BRANDON FIGUEROA (23-1-1, 18 KOs) VS. MARK MAGSAYO (24-1, 16 KOs)
Status: Set of reports
Day: Report March 4
Place: USA
Assignment: Featherweight (126 pounds)
television/stream: Not set
overview: Expect a lot of punches in the battle of these former title holders. Figueroa knows only one way to fight, switch to driving and take it down, though he does it intelligently. That kind of pressure almost got him a win over 122-pound champion Stephen Fulton in November 2021, which will be a decisive victory for him. He went up to 126 after that game. Magsayo also has an offensive mind. And he was especially hungry. He made headlines by passing Gary Russell Jr. to win the 126-pound belt only to lose to Rey Vargas in the next bout. All of these ingredients make for an interesting fight to watch.
Guess: Figueroa will be too busy, too strong, and too good for limited Magsayo. Figueroa KO 10.
NAOYA INOUE (24-0, 21 KO) VS. STEPHEN FULTON (21-0.8 KO)
Status: Set of reports
Day: Late May or early June
Place: Japan
Assignment: Juvenile featherweight (122 pounds)
television/stream: Not set
overview: Inoue has dazzled the boxing world in three divisions with possibly unparalleled all-round ability. Some 118-pound unified title holder ratings are number 1 for the pound. Fulton, who holds the 122-pound belt, is an excellent boxer and fierce competitor, although his punching power is average at best. Inoue is slightly better than Fulton, but the Japanese star is gaining weight, which may be the equalizer in this attractive match. Can Inoue, who started as a 108-pound athlete, hurt Fulton? That can determine the outcome.
Guess: Inoue has increased his strength from 108 to 118. The prediction here is that he will increase by another rank. Inoue KO 9.
GERGONTA DAVIS (28-0, 26 KO) VS. RYAN GARCIA (23-0, 19 KOs)
Status: The boxers have agreed to compete
Day: Report April 15
Place: USA
Assignment: Catch weight (136 pounds)
television/stream: Pay per view
overview: There is nothing better than the battle of these two talented young stars. What stands out is the strength of both men, who are among the biggest punchers in the pound-for-pound sport. They are also experienced, well-trained technicians, which means we will witness a top-notch boxing match until one of them ends the problem in no time. or in another way. And finally, both inject huge social media followers into their ads, which will add intensity to an already exciting matchup.
Guess: Garcia may be faster and as strong as Davis but “Tank” is the better all-rounder. He will methodically set up more and more damage as the match progresses and eventually take out the big hit. Davis KO 8.
TYSON FURY (30-0-1, 24 KOs) VS. OLEKSANDR USYK (20-0, 13 KOs)
Status: Report nearing completion
Day: Late March or early April
Place: Middle East or UK
Assignment: Heavyweight (unlimited)
television/stream: Pay per view
overview: The match will produce the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis. Fury is the top heavyweight of his generation, a 6-foot-9 giant with slick skill and athleticism that belies his size. And he is persistent. He won 2-0-1 against KO artist Deontay Wilder, who stopped every other opponent he faced. Usyk, a boxing wizard, made a successful transition from cruiser to heavyweight by outmaneuvering the much larger Anthony Joshua in close combat. No one can argue that these are the No. 1 and No. 2 giants at the moment.
Guess: Usyk may be the better boxer but Fury’s formidable abilities and overwhelming size – as well as his fighting spirit – would be too much for the relatively small Ukrainian boxer. Rage KO 10.