The Covid-19 pandemic made it difficult for most sports to continue, and boxing was not left behind. Some of the biggest boxing matches we expected to see were postponed, and some were even cancelled. However, the end of 2020 showed some signs of returning to boxing matches, and 2021 has undoubtedly confirmed the return. Not so long ago, we witnessed one of the boxing greatest fighters, Conor McGregor lose to Dustin Poirier in the UFC.
There have also been other fights, including Mauricio vs Josh Warrington, Caleb Plant vs Caleb Truax, and David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly. Still, there are many boxing matches to come. In this article, we will discuss some of the biggest boxing matches set for this year. Without further ado, let us get into it:
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
Two of the greatest British heavyweight boxers are expected to meet this year. The fight has already been put in motion, but there is still no official date when it will happen. The only thing preventing this clash is their mandatory opponents are unwilling to step aside.
Oleksandr Usyk is supposed to have a clash with Joshua, and he has refused to step aside to allow the Fury-Joshua match to happen. Also, Deotany Wilder has threatened to take legal action if Fury does not commit to partake in the fight they are supposed to meet. Assuming they clear these problems soon, we could have the Fury vs Joshua matchup as soon as June or July. It will, without a doubt, a thrilling fight and one of the biggest fights in UK history.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Dereck Chisora
Oleksandr Usyk has had a fantastic start in his heavyweight journey, and pundits favour him to edge out Dereck. This fight is set to happen on May 23rd in England’s capital, London. After a lively start in the World Boxing Super Series, Oleksandr Usyk is on a mission to get the world title as the heavyweight champion. He’s a mandatory challenger of Anthony Joshua, but because Joshua is set to meet Kubrat Pulev later this year, the fight with Usyk has been put on hold.
Therefore, Usyk will have to deal with the challenge presented to him right now. That said, Chisora is not to be underrated. He’s a highly experienced boxer, and many have faith in him, including David Haye, a former heavyweight world champion.
The match will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.
Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford
The Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight will obviously be the most prominent commercial fight of 2021, but the Spence-Crawford battle is not far behind. In this matchup, we will witness a unification of two of the best fighters around, given that they are both unbeaten champions. Spence has had 27 fights, winning all, 21 of them by KO.
On the other hand, Terrence Crawford has been in 37 fights, winning all of them, 28 by KO. Crawford and Errol have traded verbal jabs in the past. In fact, they had a backstage exchange in 2019 during Maurice Hooker’s fight. Given their history, the battle between them is a thing all boxing fans look forward to seeing. We hope we won’t have to wait for too long.
Manny Pacquiao vs Mikey Garcia
We all know the Philippines sensational boxer, Manny Pacquiao. He is one of the best boxers globally, and his fight against Floyd Mayweather is considered one of the century’s best fights. Manny Pacquiao has been in 71 fights, winning 62 of them and losing only seven. Of the 62 matches, he won 39 by KO. On the other hand, Mikey Garcia has been in 41 fights, winning 40 of them and losing only one. Of the 40 wins, he won 30 by KO.
These two are expected to meet sometime this year, and boxing fans could not be happier. On March 3rd, 2021, Garcia said that the fight is in its final preparations, and they are hoping everything will be ready by May. It’s not a guarantee the fight will happen in May, though.
Ryan Garcia vs Gervonta Davis
The Garcia-Davis clash is set for Saturday, April 17th, and it one of the most anticipated boxing matches of 2021. Davis has been a professional boxer for the last eight years and has been in 24 fights, winning all of them.
On the other hand, Garcia is newer to the boxing world, having been a pro for only four years. However, he has been in 21 fights, winning all of them. The Garcia-Davis clash will be conducted on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
This match is quite difficult to predict since both are worthy opponents, but bookmarkers’ odds favour Gervonta Davis, most probably because he’s more experienced.
