Mark Your Calendar!
So what do we have June to thank for?
The reappearance of Miguel Cotto? Yeah, thanks.
Deontay Wilder vs Eric… I can’t even finish typing the match-up. (More props to Eric, though).
Catchweight fights, boxers can’t make weight, can’t be bothered to make weight etc., etc. Welcome to 21st century boxing.
Then there was David and Hassan. Monsieur Lemieux and Monsieur N’Jikam: Merci beaucoup!
Considering the kind of June we had, July doesn’t have too much to live up to. And sadly, one could argue it hardly bothers to try! But in any case, whether it be on your phone, your laptop or the one that hangs on your wall, it’s time to MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Sat, June 4: Jamie Conlan vs Junior Granados. A 10-fight show in Dublin where there will be little money to be won but you will see some of Ireland’s stars of the future. The Irish ‘Mexcian’, Conlan, is always entertaining to watch but keep an eye out for guys like Ryan Burnett (bantamweight) and Tommy Langford (middleweight).
Sat, July 11: Ruslan Chagaev vs Francesco Pianeta for the WBA World heavyweight title. Ugh. I’ve only included this because most of us are suckers for a heavyweight title fight. We cling to hope, we really do. Pianeta’s last win was against Ivica Bacurin who fought nearer the cruiserweight limit last Friday night against Tony Bellew. Ugh.
Sat, July 11: Donnie Nietes vs Francisco Rodriguez Jr for the WBO World light flyweight title. You’ll likely need a stream to watch it but it’ll be worth it.
Sat, July 11: Terry Flanagan vs Jose Zepeda for the vacant WBO World lightweight title. Could be a special night for the Mancunian lightweight who idolised Ricky Hatton. Many British fight fans haven’t heard of Zepeda or even watched him but his trainer Robert Alcazar isn’t in the habit of wasting his time. Jack Catterall, Liam Walsh, Joe Costello, Paul Butler and Billy Joe Saunders are all worth your time on the undercard.
Sat, July 11: Keith Thurman vs Luis Collazo for the WBA World welterweight title. I suppose there’s a yardstick for Thurman to reach out for after the way Amir Khan beat Collazo. He really should be facing stiffer tests than this though.
Sat, July 11: Mauricio Herrera vs Hank Lundy. The Fight City has a bit of a soft spot for Herrera and his hard luck. This looks like a fight that won’t fail to deliver on action.
Fri, July 17: Erkan Teper vs David Price for the European heavyweight title. Teper isn’t so much a banana skin for Price, more like 6ft 5ins sheet of ice. Price, once touted as the next Klitschko, has done well to get back in the game after what Tony Thompson did to him. What he has to offer in the future gets answered in this fight.
Sat, July 18: Arthur Abraham vs Robert Stieglitz for the WBO World super middleweight title. You don’t get a lot of four fight series’ these days. So for that, these two should be commended. They know each other inside out. There will be action, there will be plenty of it but does it go 3-1 Abraham or 2-2? – leaving room for a fifth I’d imagine.
Sat, July 18: Scott Quigg vs Kiko Martinez for the WBA World super bantamweight title. Finally, we’re going to see the talented Quigg in a “fight”. One where he will be pushed back and won’t have his own way. Anthony Crolla vs Darleys Perez for the WBA World lightweight title is on the same bill. There will be tears-a-plenty should Crolla win. Sam Eggington vs Glen Foot also deserves your attention.
Sat, July 18: Carl Frampton vs Alejandro Gonzalez Jr for the IBF World super bantamweight title. Yes, Chavez Jr headlines but I couldn’t care less. We don’t get Frampton-Quigg but we do get Quigg against Kiko, and Frampton making his American bow. It’s not a runners-up prize but it’ll do.
Fri, July 24: Fedor Chudinov vs Frank Buglioni for the WBA World super middleweight title. Promoter Frank Warren has often pulled world title shots out of nowhere for his fighters and he’s done it again. Chudinov rightly starts heavy favourite but Buglioni will be there right to the very end, whatever conclusion that may be.
Sat, July 25: Yoan Pablo Hernandez vs Victor Ramirez for the IBF World cruiserweight title. It’s a world cruiserweight title fight… in Buenos Aires. I want to be there. You rarely get a dull world cruiserweight title fight, tune in.
Sat, July 25: Sergey Kovalev vs Nadjib Mohammedi for the WBA/IBF/WBO World light-heavyweight titles. The ‘Krusher’ returns in a mandatory world title defence. Let’s hope his fists do the talking because his mouth has let him down this year. Barrera vs Lepikhin is a sort of winner-stays-on (in the light heavyweight picture) type of fight. Jean Pascal returns. He’ll win, he’ll make noise as will Isaac Chilemba on the same show.
BJ Flores fights the same night
Tumbleweed.
See you all next month. — Shaun Brown
