Can you feel it? Boxing fans can finally start getting excited again. Although summer is ending, ironically boxing is about to heat up with some of the best stepping into the ring in some pretty big fights this Fall. Historically, July and particularly August are remarkably lame months for boxing fans from year to year. For me, August overall is a depressing month in general from the perspective of a sports fan. However, as September and the labor day weekend arrives, the tide turns and everything comes back into balance.
For me, the end of summer is refreshing and it triggers my favorite time of year. September and labor day weekend means I can partake in many things I truly enjoy. It means the smell of roasted green chile. It means the start of college and NFL football; and most important for all of us, we start into a notable fight schedule again.
For one more week, fantasy football drafts and college football games will have to get us through. However, starting next week, we will have our NFL and Boxing fix’ back for several months. The top fighters in the sport begin to step in the ring between now and through November. Floyd Mayweather (blah) steps back in the ring next week on September 12, for what should be a landslide victory over Andre Berto who has been listed as high as a 60 to 1 underdog when odds first opened up. The only exciting or interesting things about this fight is that the Mayweather Mexican Independence Day weekend in Vegas is generally the start of a real fight schedule, and this year it bodes the question of whether it is the last time we will see him in the ring. We all know the answer to that, given it is inevitable he will promote fight 50 to the highest bidding network in another lame duck fight. At least fight 49 against Berto gets us talking about boxing again, rather than preseason football and kids starting back in school.
Subsequently, we have some great fights in the next couple months that very well could bode for fight of the year in 2015. On October 17, Gennady Golovkin will face David Lemieux for a middleweight unification bout. Both being sluggers, this should be a very exciting fight no matter how long it lasts. Soon after, an even more anticipated and highly promoted fight will be on November 21, between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez. This fight, given the popularity of both men, should live up to an actual classic that fans and promotions had hoped for in the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao circus. Cotto, who has been rejuvenated under trainer Freddie Roach is a sure hall of fame inductee, will try and affirm his legacy against Canelo who very well may be a welcome replacement to the reign of Mayweather as the most notable fighter in boxing.
The month of October will also bring an interesting heavyweight match-up between Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury, which could be Klitschko’s most difficult and interesting fight in the past ten years that he has dominated as heavyweight champion. Also, look for Timothy Bradley vs. Brandon Rios in November as that fight is in the process of being finalized and could prove to be an instant classic given both their styles.
Outside the aforementioned fights, we can also look forward to returns to the ring for many of boxing’s best. Look for Terrance Crawford to return to the ring in October, who I think will be in the top 5 P4P rankings in the next two years. Fan favorite Lucas Matthysse will also be back in the ring, along with the much hated Adrien Broner who is coming off a significant loss to Shawn Porter. We will also see America’s hopeful heavyweight Deontay Wilder, return to the ring for one more warm up fight before being required to step up for top mandatory contenders such as Alexander Povetkin, and hopefully soon, a true exciting heavyweight fight with Klitschko
I have left some fights and people out, but the bottom line is the best time for boxing is here again and some great fights are on the horizon very soon. This is a little out of left field, but if you could make any match-ups you wanted (not having to worry about networks and promoters), who would you like to see fight? In a perfect world, there are so many, and ones that could promote the sport much better than the unfortunate let down we all got last May with Mayweather and Pacquiao.