Boxing Matches to Make in 2024: Should There be Appetite for Usyk-Joshua III?
With 2024 coming to an end quickly, there is a lot of talk about what the next wave of great boxing events can be. Already, there have been several wrenches thrown into the plans of what could be great fights. Ryan Garcia took himself out of commission by using racially charged language that fueled a year-long suspension.
Canelo Alvarez is still looking to chart a path forward for his big super fight. With Alvarez getting older, he has been more cautious with the challenges he takes on. But online boxing news shows that Saudi Arabia is changing the game when it comes to boxing.
How the boxing landscape changes moving forward will be interesting. Many of the top fights so far this year have been in Saudi Arabia. Here’s a look at who we believe will be a good match moving forward.
Give Usyk-Joshua One More Go
There are a few things to assume here. Anthony Joshua will need to beat Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on Sept. 21 at Wembley Stadium. While Dubois is a strong veteran heavyweight, he isn’t a fighter who should give Joshua too much of an issue.
Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion in May when he beat Tyson Fury via a split decision. Usyk gave up the IBF belt to have a rematch with Fury this December. The split decision was highway robbery.
The latest trending news shows that Usyk bullied Fury throughout the fight. He scored a knockdown late in the bout and bullied the lineal heavyweight champion.
Fighting Joshua would be a trilogy fight where Usyk won the first two fights. Part of the appeal for the matchup would be if Joshua won the fight with Dubois. That would make Joshua the IBF champion and give Usyk another opportunity to become the undisputed champion.
Pressure to Make Canelo-Benavidez Happen
There is a lot of pressure on promoters to make a fight between Canelo, who is 34, and David Benavidez. Benavidez, 27, is eager to try and test Canelo at 175 pounds. However, recent boxing updates show that Benavidez may not be willing to wait.
As a bout with Canelo seems unlikely at 168 pounds, he has decided to look in other directions. Benavidez fights with a pleasing style. He has 28 career victories, with 24 of them coming by KO.
Benavidez put the scare into everyone in the 168-pound weight division. He picked up wins over Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. Alvarez is set to defend his WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight titles on Sept. 14 against Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas.
Canelo’s box-office drawing power makes it difficult to guess where he’ll go next. The Mexican fan base always rallies to support Canelo. If someone wants the Benavidez fight to happen, the offer on the table will have to be so spectacular that Canelo can’t walk away from it.
Shakur Stevenson Has a Lot to Prove
Shakur Stevenson is a free agent right now, which is good for him from a business perspective. This is an excellent opportunity to reshape his career.
The only problem for Stevenson is that he is coming off two underwhelming performances. Last November, Stevenson won the vacant WBC lightweight title in a low-volume snoozefest with Edwin De Los Santos. Then, Stevenson turned around and defended the belt in July.
Many people wanted Stevenson to deliver on his promise and score a knockout. But Stevenson wasn’t able to sit Artem Harutyunyan down. Stevenson is without a big ticket fight to sell in the future.
Garcia is suspended, and Devin Haney may not be willing to meet him at his weight class. There is some thought that a fight with Mexico’s William Zepada may be the best opponent for Stevenson. Zepada is a heavy puncher and is looking for a title opportunity.
Stevenson will have a wealth of options at his disposal. Due to his falling out with Top Rank, Stevenson has free range to plot the next step in his career.
Parker Back on Heavyweight Radar
Joseph Parker is a WBO interim heavyweight champion. Over the past two years, Parker may have been the most impressive heavyweight in the world aside from Usyk. Parker handed Deontay Wilder a solid beating last December.
Three months later, Parker was able to survive the immense power of Zhilei Zhang and earn a majority decision. With Usyk and Fury set to fight in December, the result of that fight may have a large ripple effect across the sport. A rematch with Zhang could be a fun fight.
Zhang is always a threat to knock out his opponent, but he also tires quickly and can run out of steam. Parker is 35-3 in his career and has now won five consecutive fights. Parker should be plucked for a good opportunity.
Having another top heavyweight to attempt to break through into the top of the sport is the dream of every promoter.
Davis Has Interest in Fight with Lomachenko
Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko won’t be fighting in 2024. But there’s no reason the two men shouldn’t consider getting together once the calendar flips over to 2025. Lomachenko said he didn’t want to fight again this year to get some rest.
Lomachenko, a Ukrainian fighter, is a good target for Davis due to his large list of accomplishments. Lomachenko was a two-time gold medal winner. Since turning professional, Lomachenko has piled up a record of 18-3.
Lomachenko won the IBF lightweight title last May. Davis hasn’t found a challenge in his career he can’t handle yet. Davis hasn’t been the most active boxer but has been able to build his record up to 30-0.
Davis has collected 28 knockouts, including an eighth-round domination of Frank Martin in June. Martin retained the WBA lightweight title in that bout. Getting Davis and Lomachenko together would be pleasing to the fans.
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By Dean McHugh.
