Top 5 Boxing Matches to Watch Out For

The Boxing calendar is a moveable feast and unlike many others sports, fights can be hastily arranged, re-arranged or even cancelled at very short notice. The unpredictability factor is a huge part of the sports’ appeal with fans often dreaming of the potential for a heavyweight showdown to be added to the fixture list at any given moment. At the time of writing, we are over halfway through 2023, however, there are still plenty of fascinating bouts to savour, as well as a number of potentially mouth-watering meetings in the offing. We’ve picked out five of the most anticipated showdowns:

Stephen Fulton vs Nagoya Inoue

This fight was originally pencilled in for the beginning of May, however, it has been moved to late July and looks set to be a fascinating clash between one of the most powerful punchers in the business and the hugely consistent and potent Philadelphian. As well as the potential to claim two Super-bantamweight titles, the winner of this bout will also go on to face Marlon Tapales.

Although he is moving up a division, the Japanese fighter is the odds-on favourite with all of the betting sites in the UK, many of whom have already priced up multiple markets on this much-anticipated match-up. Nevertheless, this isn’t surprising given that Inoue has gone 19-0 in world title fights and has regularly won by KO. Having become the first undisputed champion in half a century in this division, his confidence is likely to be sky high.

Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz

Jake Paul is always top-notch entertainment and although some predicted that February’s defeat to Tommy Fury may be the last time he entered the ring, he is back and will take on Nate Diaz at the beginning of August.

Diaz, a former UFC star, has 15 years of experience under his belt, however he won’t be taking his opponent lightly. Paul, may have lost by split decision earlier this year, however, he’s already accounted for former fighter Tyron Woodley and the legendry Anderson Silva.

This 185-pound eight round contest may not be one for the boxing purists, however, it’s hard to ignore the appeal of this bout. With his sizeable and faithful YouTube audience likely to be following his every move, Jake Paul’s latest fight is likely to command a huge audience.

Anthony Joshua vs Dillian Whyte

This is firmly in the speculation bracket at the time of writing, however, the potential re-match between these two foes has seemingly been scrapped for the time being. Ricky Hatton has described the negotiations as a ‘circus’ and fans are desperate to see a repeat of the 2015 match-up in which Joshua was victorious by KO.

Despite initial reservations about the money on offer, Whyte is reportedly happy to take part in the re-match as he looks to avenge that loss from eight years ago. He is open to a ‘winner-takes-all and moves on’ fight and has been in regular communication with Eddie Hearn.

Whether Boxing fans get to see this mouth-watering rematch remains to be seen, however, it remains one of the most talked-about sporting occasions of the calendar year.

Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence Jr.

This fight has been a long time in the making with Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. having threatened to meet in the ring for the best part of 12 months. It finally looks like they may have nailed down a time and a date for their upcoming bout. This much-anticipated showdown has been pencilled in for July 29th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

We may not have seen Spence since April 2022, however, he is likely to be extremely well-prepared for this fight. Having successfully defended his WBO welterweight belt on six occasions, Crawford is unlikely to be easy pickings. The battle to be the king at 147lbs is likely to be a fascinating watch and if you’re on the opposite side of the Atlantic, it’ll almost certainly be worth staying up for!

Emmanuel Navarette vs Oscar Valdez

The whole of Mexico may be tuning in for this one. Emmanuel Navarette will be hoping to defend his WBO super featherweight title for the third time as he takes on fellow countryman Oscar Valdez.

This is another bout which has been rescheduled following Valdez’s injury, however, it finally looks to be finally going ahead in Arizona.

Valdez was last seen bouncing back from defeat to Shakur Stevenson with a point win over Adam Lopez and will be aiming to stop his compatriot from joining the exclusive list of Mexican three-weight champions.

It is likely to be the toughest test yet for Navarette and it will be fascinating to see whether Valdez can enhance his reputation as one of the best action fighters in boxing.