Ranking the five best fights on the schedule for the rest of 2024

August 14, 2024 ndowd

Nick ParkinsonAug 7, 2024, 04:45 PM ET
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There are some big boxing fights in the next few months, including undisputed title showdowns and fascinating rematches. While the first half of the year has given us incredible moments, such as Gervonta “Tank” Davis‘ KO of Frank Martin and Oleksandr Usyk‘s decision victory over Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era, the next few months are full of matchups that could eclipse those big moments.

There’s the highly anticipated rematch between Usyk and Fury, the return of Canelo Alvarez – in another chapter of a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing rivalry – against Edgar Berlanga and another rematch between two of the best fighters in the history of women’s boxing, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. And we could see another first in the four-belt era: an undisputed light heavyweight champion.

Whether it is knockouts, boxing skills or a ferocious fighting style one likes to see, there is something for everyone. Let’s look at the five most intriguing fights on the boxing calendar from now until December.

1. Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol (Oct. 12 on ESPN+ PPV)

The two rival light heavyweight champions may have lower profiles than the likes of Alvarez and Fury, but fight fans have been waiting a long time for this one. We have had to wait even longer after the fight got pushed back from June because Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus during training.

It’s a fascinating matchup between the best fighters in the division: Bivol (23-0, 11 KOs), a slick and clever boxer, versus Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs), a ruthless 100 percent knockout machine.

You wonder if Beterbiev’s injury will be a defining factor in this fight, which will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Bivol will go into the fight full of confidence after registering his first stoppage win in 10 fights, a sixth-round TKO over Malik Zinad in June. Bivol, 33, also has the experience of producing an upset win over Alvarez. His movement could prove the difference against the 39-year-old Beterbiev, who has stopped each of his professional opponents.

2. Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 (Dec. 21 on DAZN PPV)

Usyk almost stopped Fury in Round 9 of their undisputed heavyweight title clash in December, and it will be fascinating to see how the rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, unfolds. Can Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) go one better than the split decision win and stop Fury? Or will Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) devise a strategy that will see him get revenge?

Fury, 36, is a clever fighter and knows the adjustments he needs to make. Remember, he was winning the fight at the halfway point, when Usyk, 37, began to have success.

This could be Usyk’s last fight at heavyweight. He has talked about heavyweight being too much of a struggle to keep weight on for, and could return to cruiserweight, a division in which he reigned as undisputed champion.

This could also be the last fight of Fury’s career if he suffers a knockout loss. There’s a lot of talk of Fury fighting English rival Anthony Joshua next May, but if he suffers a damaging loss to Usyk, his second successive defeat, he may contemplate retiring to avoid the humiliation of losing to AJ.

Fury will not lack motivation or heart, but can he cope with Usyk’s speed and movement?

3. Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua (Sept. 21 on DAZN PPV)

This all-British clash, scheduled for Wembley Stadium in London, has drama written all over it. Both are powerful punchers, and a knockout seems the likely outcome. Joshua is back in form, after losing two decisions to Usyk in world title fights, and has put together three consecutive stoppage wins to make him the betting favorite against Dubois (-550 per ESPN BET).

Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) was sensational in a quick demolition job of former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in March, and against Dubois, look for him to unleash his right hand whenever he spots an opportunity, like he did against Ngannou. Filip Hrgovic was able to land right hands on Dubois last June before Dubois stopped him in Round 8. That win earned Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) the IBF interim belt, which was upgraded to the full title after undisputed champion Usyk relinquished it in June.

Dubois, 26, has looked vulnerable but also dangerous. Against Usyk, Dubois’ team argued he scored a legitimate knockdown in Round 5 when he hit Usyk with a body punch that sent him to the canvas in pain, but the punch was ruled low. Usyk went on to win by stoppage in the ninth round, but Dubois has revived his career with TKO victories over Jarrell Miller and Hrgovic.

Joshua, 34, is another step up, however, and many will be expecting him to become a three-time champion in spectacular fashion.

4. Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2 (Nov. 15 on Netflix)

Netflix gets involved with big-time boxing with what promises to be a thriller of a sequel. These two greats will be facing each other again after Taylor won their April 2022 encounter via split decision to retain her undisputed lightweight championship. Some felt Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs) was unlucky not to get the decision, and she has since registered five straight wins, four of which were at featherweight. The fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will be the co-main event to Jake Paul’s matchup with legendary former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

The rematch between Taylor and Serrano will be at junior welterweight, a significant factor since Serrano, 35, a seven-division champion, has operated for most of her career in the lighter weight classes. Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) will be stronger and more used to the weight category after she pulled off her best career win with a majority decision over Chantelle Cameron in November. The victory made Taylor undisputed junior welterweight champion and avenged her only professional defeat, which came against Cameron in May 2023.

Taylor, 38, showed she is far from finished in her last fight, and she could win without arguments this time. Serrano will try to utilize her speed in what might be the last really big fight for these two legends of women’s boxing.

5. Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga (Sept. 14 on Prime Video PPV)

Canelo’s defense of his three super middleweight titles at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is not against the opponent many would have preferred. Boxing fans would have liked to see him line up against David Benavidez or even Terence Crawford, the long-reigning welterweight champion who just moved up in weight to win a junior middleweight belt.

Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) started his career with 16 consecutive stoppage victories in the first round, but went three years without a KO win until he knocked out Padraig McCrory in February. Berlanga, 27, is younger and has power, but he does not contain the same level of threat as Canelo’s recent opponents like Jaime Munguia and Jermell Charlo.

Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) was stripped of his IBF title in July, but he remains boxing’s biggest star. The 34-year-old Mexican has faced so many big names in his career, from Floyd Mayweather to Gennadiy Golovkin. This matchup against Berlanga just doesn’t excite everyone. But Canelo will be trying to pull off his first knockout win in nearly three years. That’s a good reason to tune in. You don’t know how many more of these Canelo nights we have left.

Other appealing fights that didn’t make the top 5:

Christian Mbilli vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko, super middleweights (Aug. 17 on ESPN and ESPN+)
Naoya Inoue vs. TJ Doheny, for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship (Sept. 3 on ESPN+)
Sandy Ryan vs. Mikaela Mayer, 10 rounds, for Ryan’s WBO women’s welterweight title (Sept. 27 on ESPN/ESPN+)
Jack Catterall vs. Regis Prograis, 12 rounds, junior welterweights (Oct. 26 on DAZN)

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