As the sport of Boxing continues to adjust to life with COVID-19, we asked our forum members which fights were the ones they were most excited to see per division.
Heavyweight: Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
Perhaps the most unanimous of choices, Fury vs Joshua is a mouthwatering fight. A mega-event in the UK, this battle for an undisputed Heavyweight Champion would be as intruiging as it is historic.
Cruiserweight – Mairis Briedis v IIunga Makabu
Having bested both Glowacki and Dorticos since his loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Mairis Briedis could seek to unify the IBF and WBC belts against Ilunga Makabu, the Congolese southpaw who impressively stopped Dmitry Kudryashov for his title.
Light Heavyweight – Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev
Although these two fighters couldn’t be more different in style, few fans dispute that these are the two best fighters in their division. Beterbiev’s wrecking ball body punching would face a stiff test against Bivol’s refined technical style.
Super Middleweight – Canelo vs Plant
While Gennady Golovkin is the most marketable opponent for Canelo, Caleb Plant has impressed fans with his boxing skill. Canelo has been steadily improving against elite competition, but Plant’s movement and versatility would serve him well against the less mobile counter-puncher.
Middleweight – Gennady Golovkin vs Jermall Charlo
Jermall Charlo is coming off his biggest win yet against Sergiy Derevyanchenko. While Golovkin still has gas left in the tank, fans are curious to see how he might fare against a well-rounded and athletically talented fighter like Charlo.
Jr. Middleweight – Jermell Charlo vs Jarrett Hurd
As the undisputed champion at 154lbs, Jermell Charlo has few rivals left. Former champion Jarrett Hurd has only fought once since earning his only defeat against Jeison Rosario, but his size and physical style would present Charlo a new challenge.
Welterweight – Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford
A match-up that speaks for itself, Spence vs Crawford would cement the best welterweight of the current era. Given the styles and competitive nature of each man, there would also be no shortage of action or skill on display.
Jr. Welterweight – Josh Taylor vs Jose Ramirez
After defeating Maurice Hooker and Viktor Postol, WBC Champion Jose Ramirez is the premier opponent against the unified WBA & IBF Champion and World Boxing Super Series winner Josh Taylor. This bout would undoubtedly decide Jr. Welterweight supremacy.
Lightweight – Teofimo Lopez vs Gervonta Davis
The Lightweight division has no shortage of young talent, but the two most proven fighters are Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis, coming off of respective wins against Vasyl Lomachenko and Leo Santa Cruz. Both are undefeated and no stranger to thrilling knockouts.
Featherweight – Josh Warrington vs Can Xu
This unification fight would guarantee many rounds of back-and-forth action. Neither man is a stranger to staying in the pocket and throwing in volume, yet both lack the explosive power to abruptly end a fight.
Super Bantamweight – Luis Nery vs Rey Vargas
Luis Nery became the “Active” WBC Super Bantamweight champion after Rey Vargas was declared “Champion in Recess” due to a broken leg. While the nuances of sanctioning body procedures are hardly fans’ favorite topic of discussion, a contest between the two would give fans a solid fight while establishing some clarity in the division.
Bantamweight – Naoya Inoue vs Joel Casemiro
Naoya “The Monster” Inoue has looked virtually unbeatable during his short but destructive run as Bantamweight King. Yet the fleet-footed boxing skill of WBO Champion Joel Casemiro poses the clearest challenge to Inoue’s methodical offensive pressure.
Super Flyweight – Chocolatito Gonzales vs Juan Fransisco Estrada 2
This fight is undoubtedly one of the most consequential fights that can be made in boxing today. With both fighters already having Hall of Fame careers, a win for either fighter would serve as the brighest feather in their cap and cement their legacy in this era of great little men.
Flyweight – Kosei Tanaka vs Julio Cesar Martinez
Although he came up short against Kazuto Ioka in his Super Flyweight debut, Tanaka’s skill level and fan-friendly style should see him jump right back into the mix in his natural weightclass. Despite impressive power-punching combination, WBC Champion Julio Cesar Martinez has yet to face such a challenge since winning his title in 2019.
