The way in which the boxing schedule petered out down the stretch of 2022, mixed with fights that weren’t made to shut the 12 months, has everybody who follows the game in a little bit of a funk.
The primary half of the 12 months was a lot better than many bear in mind it, however as soon as we received to the canine days of summer season, the game hit a dry patch. Possibly we’ve been spoiled the final chunk of years by the best way boxing has closed with a banging schedule that had one thing to do with it. On boxing Twitter and throughout the YouTube/Podcasting boxing world, it’s been largely doom and gloom. It additionally didn’t assist that in 2022; we received bombarded with pay-per-views one after one other. Making issues worse, a number of of these major occasions didn’t go the attention take a look at because it pertains to high quality.
The string of PPVs gained’t decelerate all that a lot, nevertheless it does seem we are going to get extra Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia and Deontay Wilder vs. Andy Ruiz topping the playing cards reasonably than Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios or Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte amongst a number of others not fairly price it. Presently, deep within the winter months makes it troublesome to provide hype or anticipation for boxing occasions, with the Tremendous Bowl being simply across the nook. Nevertheless, boxing followers and the media get up out of your hibernation as a result of the spring schedule has sprung with extra to return in the best way on intriguing and significant matchups, combined with some can’t-miss scraps. Let’s begin with February, which is underneath the radar however filled with attention-grabbing bouts.
This Saturday, streaming lives on DAZN, Amanda Serrano and Alycia Baumgardner return in separate undisputed bouts, together with a strong step-up struggle for Arnold Barboza Jr. dealing with off towards veteran Jose Pedraza because the co-feature on ESPN Friday. PBC/Showtime and Matchroom/DAZN will announce within the coming weeks as many bouts have been teased as a part of a schedule drop. I gained’t preserve mentioning the broadcasters or promoters at this level, however right here’s an inventory of fights in considerably order by date, not significance, which have this boxing hardcore very excited.
February Fights:
-Rey Vargas vs. O’Shaquie Foster
-Leiner Pero vs. Viktor Vykhryst
-Luis Nery vs. Azat Hovhannisyan
-Leigh Wooden vs. Mauricio Lara
-Subriel Matias vs. Jermias Ponce
-Elvis Rodriguez vs. Joseph Odorno
March Fights:
-Mark Magsayo vs. Brandon Figueroa
-Tim Tszyu vs. Tony Harrison
-Lawrence Okolie vs. David Gentle
-Evelin Bermudez vs. Tania Enriquez
-Christian Mbilli vs. Carlos Gongora
-David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant
-Jesus Ramos vs. Joey Spencer
-Seniesa Estrada vs. Tina Rupprecht
April Fights:
-Robeisy Ramirez vs. Isaac Dogboe
-Shakur Stevenson vs. Shuichiro Yoshino
-Jessie Rodriguez vs. Cristian Gonzalez
-Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang
-Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia
-Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs. Joe Cordina
-Vergil Ortiz vs. Eimantas Stanionis
-Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk
Earlier than you say it (in all probability already mentioned it aloud), I’m absolutely conscious a number of fights didn’t make the record, or the precise date hasn’t been introduced on a number of. This record is solely an instance of a fairly rattling good string of fights coming our approach. The remainder of the 2nd quarter has loads of potential with Devin Haney vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko, Naoya Inoue vs. Stephen Fulton, Deontay Wilder vs. Andy Ruiz, and Errol Spence vs. Keith Thurman. Relying on this weekend’s outcomes Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez, and many different scraps on the undercards or but to be rumored.
Like everybody else, I need to see Spence/Crawford or Beterbiev/Bivol, however let’s be truthful about it; this 12 months is wanting actually good to date. Hopefully, boxing doesn’t take a nostril dive to shut the 12 months in the previous few months because it did in 2022. My fellow boxing degenerates, right here’s hoping for an eventful and entertaining 2023 boxing 12 months.
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Accessible at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio Comply with on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio