Fury-Wilder 3 and boxing’s 10 best fights for July 2021

July goes to be a spotty month for professional boxing in some methods, however we even have the Olympics starting on July 23 (American time, anyway) and going into early August, and there are nonetheless some good fights this month for positive, sufficient to pretty comfortably make a stable high 10 for July, even when … properly, 4 of them are on the identical card, and three are on one different card.

And there’s a blockbuster occasion occurring, plus an undisputed championship battle, making for a greater high two than quite a lot of busier months may need.

10) Hector Tanajara Jr vs William Zepeda, July 9 (DAZN)

Why to Watch: Each Tanajara (19-0, 5 KO) and Zepeda (22-0, 20 KO) are younger lightweights — 24 and 25, respectively — seeking to make a mark in a superb division the place among the high names are both refusing to battle one another or are trapped in boxing’s system the place it’s simply not going to occur.

Tanajara received’t be however an inch taller on the official measurements, however has an almost six-inch attain benefit. He is aware of he’s not a giant puncher — he’ll open up and he’s not boring, however he is aware of his finest guess is to field. Zepeda isn’t an enormous one-shot man, however he’s received heavy fingers and might break opponents down. The winner of this could be nearer to a battle with Ryan Garcia than we’d have thought a couple of months again, as Golden Boy will want opponents for Garcia, and an unbeaten younger B-side beats quite a lot of choices for advertising.

9) Tommy McCarthy vs Chris Billam-Smith, July 31 (DAZN)

Photograph by Yui Mok/PA Photos by way of Getty Photos

Why to Watch: McCarthy (18-2, 9 KO) has gone on a stunning run in his final three fights, upsetting Fabio Turchi in Italy after which profitable and defending the European cruiserweight title. He was principally written off as greater than a domestic-level contender in 2019, however a win right here and he’s received a shot to chase a world title.

Billam-Smith (12-1, 10 KO) is an always-welcome presence on Matchroom playing cards. Like McCarthy, he had a loss to Richard Riakporhe in 2019, however Billam-Smith’s was controversial. He’s received three straight and offered good motion and leisure each trip.

8) Tenkai Tsumani vs Seniesa Estrada, July 9 (DAZN)

Why to Watch: Estrada (20-0, 8 KO) is among the rising stars on this latest wave of ladies’s professional boxers. The 29-year-old “Tremendous Unhealthy” simply received her first world title at 105 lbs in March, and goes right here for Tsunami’s 108 lb belt.

Tsunami (28-12-1, 16 KO) doesn’t have essentially the most spectacular W-L document, nevertheless it’s kind of an MMA-style document, as she’s been combating at a high stage in varied divisions since 2009. She’s had endurance as a contender and titlist, going 8-4-1 in world title fights at 108, 112, 115, and 118. Estrada would be the favourite right here, however Tsunami isn’t a straightforward out, and she will punch a bit, too, as can Estrada. I believe there’s good motion potential right here.

7) Zurdo Ramirez vs Sullivan Barrera, July 9 (DAZN)

Why to Watch: Not being known as Gilberto formally, he’s merely ZURDO! Ramirez, as Golden Boy try to show a sometimes-dull Mexican fighter right into a Mexican star. It may well work, Canelo Alvarez isn’t precisely at all times thrilling, however Canelo additionally simply has the indefinable star high quality. Ramirez doesn’t, I don’t assume.

That is Ramirez’s first significant battle in, uh, some time. He beat Tommy Karpency in a 175 lb debut in 2019 earlier than ultimately leaving Prime Rank, and self-promoted a win over Alfonso Lopez final December. Lopez continues to be best-known for a 2011 loss to Kelly Pavlik, if that tells you the way far out of relevance Lopez was. Barrera (22-3, 14 KO) is 39 years previous and hasn’t fought in any respect in over two years for varied causes, together with canceled dates with Sergey Kovalev final 12 months, however he’s a troublesome dude and can principally be combating for his personal profession right here, making an attempt to remain within the dialog, or get again into it.

6) Robert Helenius vs Adam Kownacki 2, July 24 (PPV)

Photograph by Michael Owens/Getty Photos

Why to Watch: Helenius (30-3, 19 KO) threw a wrench into some heavyweight plans when he upset Kownacki (20-1, 15 KO) in Mar. 2020, stopping the favored Polish-American slugger within the fourth spherical in Brooklyn in a FOX most important occasion. Now he tries to do it once more.

A win right here, and the 37-year-old “Nordic Nightmare” — born in Sweden however combating out of Finland — may lastly, unexpectedly transfer towards a world title battle that the majority of us had written off as an opportunity for him years in the past. That is type of all-or-nothing for each, however Kowacnki, 32, could have extra on the road mentally. He was actual near a title battle, by all accounts, and that loss to Helenius set him again badly. Helenius has been up-and-down within the sport, he’ll battle on or not, however this isn’t going to interrupt him. A second straight loss to a man he was purported to beat within the first place may make Kownacki query if it’s value it in a troublesome, harmful recreation like boxing.

5) Chris Colbert vs Tugstsogt Nyambayar, July 3 (SHO)

Why to Watch: It is a actually good battle all issues thought of. This was purported to be Colbert (15-0, 6 KO) combating washed veteran Yuriorkis Gamboa, however when Gamboa was injured and withdrew, featherweight contender Nyambayar (12-1, 9 KO) stepped up on quick discover, and we’ve frankly received a greater battle than was initially deliberate.

The 24-year-old Colbert is a hopeful contender at 130 who has proven good expertise and flashed extra energy than the KO fee may lead you to consider. Mongolia’s Nyambayar, 29, has been inconsistent in latest outings, however at his finest he might be an especially powerful man for anyone to battle. Nyambayar deserves credit score for taking a late discover battle like this, and Colbert’s facet deserve credit score for accepting it. This isn’t a fighter who is far of something like Gamboa. Workforce Colbert are assured. We’ll see if it pays off or bites them.

4) Efe Ajagba vs Frank Sanchez, July 24 (PPV)

Why to Watch: Nigeria’s Ajagba (15-0, 12 KO) and Cuba’s Sanchez (18-0, 13 KO) sometimes present the potential to be actual heavyweight contenders. Different occasions, they make you assume their ceilings are fairly low. However boxing’s finest fights aren’t at all times two high of the road contenders or champions dealing with each other; usually, it’s nearly well-matched fights. That is well-matched, and will convey the perfect out of each.

Sanchez, 28, received’t be allowed to so simply dominate and get lackadaisical, as he has in some fights. And Ajagba, 27, can’t afford the slip-ups we’ve seen at occasions, particularly the defensive lapses. This battle may not show that the winner is headed to the mountaintop, however each guys can crack they usually’re combating the kind of opponent that creates actual intrigue.

3) Joseph Diaz Jr vs Javier Fortuna, July 9 (DAZN)

Why to Watch: Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KO) was purported to battle Luke Campbell and purported to battle Jorge Linares, all of this was purported to contain the WBC light-weight title (which is a multi-layered mess), and none of it occurred. Then he was purported to battle Ryan Garcia, who additionally withdrew.

Diaz (31-1-1, 15 KO) shortly threw his identify into the hat, and the previous 130 lb titlist was rewarded with a superb matchup, the perfect on a really stable card from Golden Boy. Diaz, 28, missed weight and dropped his junior light-weight belt in February, earlier than combating to a draw with Shavkat Rakhimov. He’s an inconsistent fighter at occasions, however he’s gifted, powerful as hell, and fights with a chip on his shoulder. Fortuna is a gifted man, in all probability faster and a sharper puncher than Daiz, however has himself not at all times turned in essentially the most constant performances. That is type of a wild card battle; might be actually good, might disappoint, the winner might look nice and like an actual risk to Devin Haney, or perhaps not. However its upside is robust.

2) Jermell Charlo vs Brian Castano, July 17 (SHO)

Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME and Michael Owens/Getty Photos

Why to Watch: Nicely, it’s for a real undisputed championship, as Charlo (34-1, 18 KO) defends the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, and Castano (17-0-1, 12 KO) defends his WBO belt. All 4 main titles, the clear high two guys within the division proper now. It’s the perfect battle that may be made at 154 lbs, which due to political alignments lining up correctly, has been the uncommon division the place we’ve seen high guys battle each other usually in the previous few years.

Charlo will in all probability be a giant favourite right here, however Jermell has had nights the place he’s misplaced rounds for positive. His L towards Tony Harrison was massively controversial, however he misplaced rounds in that battle. He misplaced rounds to Jeison Rosario and John Jackson earlier than knocking them out, misplaced rounds to Vanes Martirosyan and Austin Trout, even Jorge Cota although he wiped Cota out in three, so no matter. However he’s received these fights. He’s a beatable fighter who doesn’t deserve the one loss he has, which is bizarre. And Castano isn’t any scrub. He’s combined it at excessive stage and confirmed he’s for actual. This isn’t going to get monster buzz, however this can be a rattling good matchup on paper for extra causes than simply the straps.

1) Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 3, July 24 (PPV)

Why to Watch: I imply, you realize why. This one’s apparent. Relying in your emotions and aficionado standing, you may say Charlo-Castano is the higher battle. In some methods perhaps it’s.

However that is two charismatic heavyweights in what has turned out to be a bitter rivalry, and it doesn’t matter what you consider Wilder’s efficiency in both of the earlier fights with Fury, and regardless of how a lot Fury undoubtedly dominated the second, and it doesn’t matter what you consider Wilder’s delusions since that rematch, there’s a chilly arduous reality that Deontay Wilder can knock out anybody, at any time, if he lands the fitting hand bomb. It doesn’t appear prone to occur, I’ll provide you with that — he had 12 rounds to place away Fury the primary time, and couldn’t regardless of two knockdowns, and he had one other probability and received smashed to bits. However he’s much more harmful than what individuals often imply once they properly say “puncher’s probability” for an underdog.