Fall Boxing Calendar Looks Promising

Even if there are no big boxing matches scheduled for Mexican Independence weekend, there are several entertaining fights featuring Latinos scheduled for September and early October. 

On Sept. 10, Oscar Valdez will defend his WBC Junior lightweight title against Robson Conceicao in Tucson. He’s on a strong ESPN+ card, which includes Puerto Rican phenom Xander Zayas. 

The next evening at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Oscar de la Hoya fights MMA legend Vitor Belfort in an eight-round light heavyweight bout. On the undercard, two other former MMA stars take up the boxing gloves. Anderson Silva, fresh off a win over Julio César Chávez, Jr., faces Tito Ortiz in an eight-round cruiserweight bout. 

Certainly the fighters are well past their prime, but it’s a significant amount of star power on one card. I would expect it to draw a decent crowd and viewing audience. 

A week later on Showtime, there’s a junior featherweight title unification match between Stephen Fulton Jr. and the Rio Grande Valley’s Brandon Figueroa. 

It appears likely that undisputed lightweight champion, Honduran-American, Teófimo López will fight George Kambosos in a midweek card in New York City in early October. 

The fight will be one of the most affordable title pay-per-view fights in recent memory as it will be available for $19.99 via FITE or for $2.99 as part of a monthly Triller subscription.

Canelo Alvarez remains boxing bell cow

Mexico’s Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, currently boxing’s biggest draw, is scheduled to take on entertaining and highly skilled Caleb Plant on Nov. 6 in Las Vegas. That PBC fight will be available on pay-per-view. 

There is plenty of non-Latino fight action as well. Two heavyweight fights are sure to generate plenty of interest. 

England’s Anthony Joshua, faces Ukrainian heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk on Sept. 25 in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Joshua will defend four heavyweight titles:  WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO against Usyk. 

The fight is available in the United States on DAZN.  The fight poster makes it appear that it should be held a month later, on Halloween.)

The Usyk fight is not the one that Joshua wanted. 

Joshua was scheduled to fight Tyson Fury earlier this summer in Saudi Arabia, but a United States judge ruled that fellow heavyweight Deontay Wilder held and could exercise an option for a third match with Tyson Fury,  the WBC and The Ring heavyweight champion.  

In response, the WBO ordered the Usyk fight after the judge’s ruling.

Boxing world must wait for Fury-Wilder 3

A much-anticipated third Fury-Wilder fight was scheduled for July 24 in Las Vegas, however the fight was postponed and rescheduled for October 9  after a Covid-19 outbreak in the Fury camp made a July bout an impossibility. 

The first Fury-Wilder fight, held in December 2018 in Los Angeles ended in a split decision. 

In the rematch, a February 2020 fight, a dominant Fury whipped Wilder, causing Wilder’s corner to throw in the seventh round after a furious Fury fury of punches finished the “Bronze Bomber”. 

Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has guaranteed that Wilder will avenge this loss and finish Fury in five rounds. 

The second fight generated nearly $17 million at the gate, a record for a heavyweight bout in Nevada. This type of talk from Wilder’s camp is certain to generate even more interest in this trilogy fight. 

It’s going to be a fantastic fall for boxing aficionados.

Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano 

Puerto Rican Amanda Serrano caps off the August boxing calendar on Sunday the undercard of Jake Paul’s fight against Tyron Woodley on SHOWTIME PPV. She’ll fight Mexican Yamileth Mercado, 23, at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

“Jake Paul is the main event, but he’s not the main attraction,” Serrano said. “I am going to make sure I steal the spotlight from him and entice people to enjoy female boxing and to understand that women can fight and put on shows, and showcase that we’re deserving of this opportunity.”