We?ve certainly seen better when it comes to a summer boxing schedule, but beggars can?t be choosers in this current phase of big-time prizefighting. Having said that, though, there?s enough on deck to keep fans occupied and intrigued while waiting on bigger, better things to happen.
Here?s my personal list of ?must see? scraps taking place this summer:
July 19
Teofimo Lopez Jr. vs. Masayoshi Nakatani
I don?t know Nakatani from Chicken Tempura and a quick look at the Japanese fighter?s record shows nothing that would make one believe he was anything more than an opponent in this bout. But the star carries the show here and the 21-year-old Lopez is one of the most engaging, entertaining, and charismatic young fighters in the game. Him versus anyone is ?must see? TV and this being an IBF lightweight eliminator getting him one step closer to a shot at Vasyl Lomachenko makes it all the more compelling.
July 20
Keith Thurman vs. Manny Pacquiao
Forget that this bout will unify the splintered WBA welterweight title, this is a battle between a prime Thurman looking to affirm elite-level status and convince the world of superstar appeal against a 40-year-old legend in Pacquiao who will be pushing to prove that he?s still a bankable elite-level superstar at 147. Even if Thurman gets on his bike and stinks up the place, it still should be interesting.
Caleb Plant vs. Mike Lee
Plant, with his compelling back story and James Toney-like style preference has quickly become one of my personal favorites to watch. Lee may not have the skill or ability to end Plant?s IBF super middleweight title reign, but he will put forth the kind of effort that allows Plant to shine in a bull vs. matador kind of way in this championship co-feature on the Pacquiao-Thurman card.
Yordenis Ugas vs. Omar Figueroa Jr.
This WBC welterweight eliminator (also on the Pacquiao-Thurman undercard) for, presumably, a crack at the winner of Errol Spence-Shawn Porter, will be fight-fan/fight-nerd interesting. Ugas likes boxing and likes doing so in an orderly, controlled fashion; Figueroa likes to fight and brawl. It won?t be Gatti-Ward, but fans of the technical, tactical aspect of the sport will be entertained.
Dillian Whyte vs. Oscar Rivas
Whyte should?ve already had his shot at a world title, but let?s put that aside and look at what we have coming from the UK on an American Saturday afternoon. Whyte, while being dicked around by the sport?s power structure, has become a self-made world class fighter because of the high level of opposition he?s had to meet to even stay in title contention. Rivas, meanwhile, is no slouch in the talent/skill department and could very well be one of the heavyweight division?s best kept secrets.
July 27
Jose Ramirez vs. Maurice Hooker
A nice cross-platform, cross-promotional, cross-broadcaster title unification bout between solid, blue-collar low-end elites at 140 looking to become regarded as high-end elites. The winner, in many eyes, will still be a notch below the winner of the upcoming Josh Taylor-Regis Prograis title unification, but how can anyone knock this fight or the obstacle-hurdling symbolism involved in putting it together?
August 3
Adam Kownacki vs. Chris Arreola
This one definitely isn?t a buff, he-man bodybuilder pose down, but if Andy Ruiz taught us anything, it?s that flab doesn?t necessarily get in the way of skill and ability?except in the case of Arreola, who will likely lose most convincingly to Kownacki, a pretty solid all-around heavyweight.
August 10
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Antonio Orozco
If Orozco wasn?t completely demoralized by his loss to Jose Ramirez and if Ortiz is as upward-trajectorily good (yeah, I made that word up?so what?) as his stoppage of Mauricio Herrera indicated, this could be a Fight of the Year candidate. If it doesn?t result in a win for the 21-year-old Ortiz, though, it could be one of the most negligently awful matchmaking decisions for a young prospect in recent memory.
August 17
Luis Collazo vs. Jose Benavidez
Sue me, I like this one. Collazo is past his prime and shopworn; Benavidez is not as good as his people think he is. But, still, as an old second-tier vs. young second-tier welterweight matchup, it?s a pretty good fight and worthy of a night in front of the screen?unless it?s stuck on ESPN+, something which will send me to my laptop in search of a workable free bootleg stream.
August 31
Caleb Truax vs. Peter Quillin
I thought this matchup was going to shock a lot of people with how good it panned out back in April, but an accidental clash of heads in the second round ended things before they really began. So, we revisit the no decision. It?ll still be an IBF super middleweight eliminator and I still think it?ll be a better-than-expected grown-up prizefight.
Also appearing this summer: Luis Nery, Gervonta Davis, Tevin Farmer, Marcus Browne, Andre Berto, Carl Frampton, Juan Francisco Estrada, Daniel Roman, Erislandy Lara, Jeff Horn.
