REJOICE! After weeks of relative composed, the novel boxing season is finally here. The last bit of customary season ending has finally passed and now the real battles can begin.

For those of you who check our main event schedule, you’ll know that there are a lot of major events on the horizon and coming up. So, without further ado, let’s now discuss these significant nights in the calendar as it looks like the year is going to end sturdy.

September 14 – Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

In this bleak era of Covid-19, when it was considered a crime to step outside the front door and fights took place in sterilized bubbles, Canelo Alvarez breathed much-needed air into fighting and kept the sport alive. Beyond the giants circling above, Canelo is a driving force in boxing in the post-Mayweather world, and we should appreciate him.

But Berlanga isn’t the Mexican’s strongest option, and this one doesn’t get the pulse racing. Mexico’s rivalry with Puerto Rico is generally thrilling, but it’s not about Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez or even Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Hector Camacho. and Berlanga has to show us something we’ve never seen from him before. He certainly promises a good fight, let’s hope he delivers one.

Grade: C

September 21: Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua, Wembley Stadium, London

If promotional exaggerations are to be believed, approximately 100,000 people will be in attendance for this potentially thrilling shootout between world-class heavyweights. Anthony Joshua has carried a golden era of British boxing on his considerable shoulders, starting with Olympic gold, and his goal is to become a three-heavyweight world champion.

Bbucking the general trend, IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois has fought every fighter at the beginning of his career and is now reaching his peak at just 26 years aged. It’s a fascinating crossroads fight at the highest level, boosted by a brilliant season card at Riyad and a live performance from Liam Gallagher (who once stood behind me in the ATM queue at Finchley Road) for fans who missed out on those precious Oasis tickets.

Rating: A

October 12: Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol, Kingdom Arena, Riyad

This is probably my favorite fight on the calendar. Beterbiev’s bullet-destroying fists have broken the will of all 20 opponents he has faced so far, but the icy Bivol may just have the ring smarts to defuse the ever-ticking time bomb. Most people I talk to about boxing pretty confidently favor Beterbiev, so I’m in the relative minority supporting the composed Bivol.

The smoothest of operators, he fights at the opponent’s level and should raise his game accordingly. For 39-year-old Beterbiev, this may be a fight too far (even though we’ve been saying that for a year or two!). It’s a fire-and-ice clash with all the 175-pound belts on the line, and it will be fascinating to see how this matchup turns out. Riyad’s undercard features a galaxy of stars including Shakur Stevenson and Jai Opetaia, but it looks like the Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke rematch will steal the show.

Rating: A+

October 26 – Jack Catterall v Regis Prograis, Co-op Live, Manchester

It seems like forever since the wily Catterall upset former Team GB Olympic captain Thomas Stalker in eight rounds to burst onto the scene (that was 10 years ago in October). His career has been sluggish, but after avenging his disputed loss to Josh Taylor, the Chorley man looks to be on the verge of another shot at the world title.

What better way to cement that claim than with a win over accomplished American and former two-time 140-pound champion Regis Prograis, who fits that bill perfectly. “Rougarou” has something to prove, having been outclassed by Devin Haney last time out, but he has real credentials and will sell the fight well. The winner fights for the world champion title, the loser returns to the pursuit group.

Grade: B

November 15 – Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, AT&T Stadium in Arlington

Love it or hate it, you won’t be able to ignore it. This must-see event (free for Netflix subscribers) will be a huge success due to its curiosity value and unprecedented accessibility. One would hope that an eight-by-two-minute pro event would be an exhibition event, with a bit of grappling and showmanship, and no grave repercussions.

Tyson’s recent health problems should have been enough of a warning sign to cancel the fight (he is 58 years aged!), but as always, the dollar rules. Jake Paul has his limits as a fighter, but as a businessman and marketer he can trade with anyone. I think a lot of people in boxing probably resent that. This could very well work as a face-saving choreographic draw. The upgraded rating below is due to the great Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano rematch on the card, which will thankfully remind us of boxing at its best.

Grade C

December 21: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury II, Kingdom Arena, Riyad

In the 1990s, substantial heavyweight fights flowed like fine wine. We were spoiled by the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield-Lennox Lewis axis and an intriguing supporting cast including Riddick Bowe, George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer et al. But until May this year, there had been no undisputed heavyweight champion for 25 years, and too many major fights had stalled in an era of risk assessment and heightened politics.

Enter Turki Alalshikh and this significant injection of cash from Saudi Arabia. After years of posturing, the Usyk vs Fury fight finally happened, was raved about, and marked an significant chapter in boxing history, characterized by the shifts in dynamics that turn great fights on paper into epic ones in reality. Unless he was injured during the fight, the rematch agreed in the contract cannot be considered a spectacle. The virtuoso Usyk is a believer in repetition, but if we’ve learned anything about boxing over the last decade, it’s to never write Tyson Fury off.

Rating A+

Last weekend we saw three shows headlined by female boxers, something that would have been unheard of just a few years ago. The truth is that few female athletes attract immense crowds these days. For example, last Friday’s Dixon v Harper fight in Sheffield was for the world title but attracted less than 2,000 fans.

On the other hand, there are women who have a fan base that guarantees gigantic events and they pave the way for their lesser-known counterparts. Two of the biggest names in women’s boxing, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, made history as the first women’s fight took place in April 2022 at the legendary Madison Square Garden.

Their long-awaited rematch will be the co-main event alongside Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul on November 15. It hurts to know that these two pioneers will be sharing the stage with something that is ultimately just a gimmick. However, one can only assume that both will earn well and be exposed to a larger audience than ever before. The show will be part of the Most Valued Promotions (MVP) boxing partnership and will stream live worldwide on Netflix.

When a women’s fight is featured on the show, it’s often the funniest fight of the night. This has a lot to do with the structure of women’s fights: 10 rounds of 2 minutes each. This shortened format usually results in fast-paced and action-packed fights. While they may be more fun, some argue that elite women need more time to show their class. 20 minutes is just not enough.

Ultimately, women’s boxing is still a relatively recent sport and it would make sense to see progress in the way women’s fights are formatted. Why not try 10 x 3 minute rounds in championship fights? Amanda Serrano has been vocal about her desire to compete in the same format as her male counterparts, and last October she competed in the first-ever women’s boxing match played in a 12-round, 3-minute format. As a result, Serrano’s WBC title was not at risk as the sanctioning body refused to approve a longer format for women.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said two-minute rounds provide more action and excitement, while longer rounds can lead to dehydration and fatigue. The question must be asked: Are we sure the same applies to our male athletes? The tiny format makes sense to support women’s boxing build an audience. It cannot be denied that the fights of our players in the tiny format have gained recent fans of the women’s game. But isn’t change part of progress?

An extra 10 minutes in the ring means boxers have more time to finish off an injured opponent, they have a greater chance of scoring a knockout, and fighters can execute their game plan. Longer fights would suit more elite fighters like Serrano, Shields, Taylor and Mayer and give them the opportunity to showcase their skills and boxing IQ.

We have seen that women are not afraid to take risks and do everything in their power to make gigantic fights happen, often jumping multiple weight classes to do so. They don’t really have the luxury of sitting back and waiting for recent opportunities to arise. The biggest fights happen when competition is involved. Some are lucky to have these rivals; others are not so lucky.

Claressa Shields is arguably the greatest boxer of all time (two-time Olympic champion, five-time world champion and self-proclaimed “GWOAT”), but she lacks a worthy dance partner who can match her skills and personality. This means it probably won’t get the admiration it deserves.

The next program of the season in Riyad will feature women for the first time in history: Skye Nicolson vs. Raven Chapman. While I’m cheerful to see women’s fighting on one of the biggest shows of the year, I wonder why it took so long for women’s fighting to be featured on one of the season’s shows in Riyad?

Raven Chapman. (Photo: James Chance/Getty Images)

Hasn’t the entertainment and quality provided by female athletes over the last few years given them the opportunity to be part of these great spectacles? Is this just a box-ticking exercise? Only time will tell.

We can only hope that over time the divisions will fill up and we will see more fights that will attract the attention of fans. While women’s sport still has a long way to go and patience will be needed to reach its full potential, it is also clear that there is a clear double standard at play here.

Men’s sports are judged by their potential, while women’s sports are judged by where they are today. We must continue to invest time and money in the grassroots roots of women’s boxing and promote representation at the highest level. Ultimately, the progress of women’s boxing reflects the progress of boxing as a whole.

European super bantamweight champion Dennis McCann hopes to return to the ring in December and already has an opponent in mind.

This week, the 23-year-old may find out when and where he will fight next. If he boxed again this year, it would mean three fights in 2024, which would make up for an inactive 2023 in which McCann fought only once, which ended in a technical draw with Ionut Baluta.

This year, ‘The Menace’ outclassed Brad Strand and was far too good in the second match against Baluta. These two wins personally validated his decision to change gyms from iBox in Bromley under Alan Smith to Liverpool under Joe McNally.

McCann now wants to go beyond his rivals at national and European level and join forces with those who have fought against world champions or won world titles themselves.

“I’m looking for gigantic names like TJ Doheny. I would love to share a ring with someone like TJ Doheny,” McCann said.

“I want to test myself against world-class operators. I know he’s a little older now, but I would even fight guys like Nonito Donaire. I would love to fight against people like him and test myself against world-class players.”

However, Dennis McCann’s name is currently in the crosshairs of Peter McGrail and his promoter Eddie Hearn. Following Liverpool’s second-round knockout win over Brad Foster last weekend, Hearn said of the McCann vs. McGrail fight: “I honestly think it’s one of the best fights in British boxing. The British title was agreed between Peter and Dennis McCann, as was the European title. We’ve already talked to Queensberry. This is one of the best fights in British boxing.”

These days, the idea of ​​a fight between someone from Hearn’s stable and Frank Warren’s stable (Queensberry, which promotes McCann) is no longer as far-fetched a thought as it once was. Turki Alalshikh’s influence and wealth ensured that the Chilly War of promotion in Britain was now over.

In response to Hearn’s comments, McCann said: “Eddie Hearn invested a lot of money in Peter McGrail and as we last saw, he was knocked out by an American journeyman (Ja’Rico O’Quinn). I know he won the fight, but he was annihilated. He was never arrested. He was completely knocked out.”

“Listen, I’m going to fight him tomorrow morning,” McCann continued. “It doesn’t worry me at all, but why would I take five steps back when I want to move forward. If they offer any life-changing or significant amounts of money, I would fight him on the Riyad Season card. But other than that, he can keep the Mickey Mouse stripes for them. They mean nothing to me. I have children to feed, I have a wife… these belts do not feed them. Now I’m moving on.”

Since McCann burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old in 2019, there has been regular talk of winning world titles. Stern, cocky and energetic, McCann has clearly matured, but he still says what he says, knowing that tickets must be sold and players must be seated. His wins over Strand and Baluta didn’t put us on edge, but one that could have been the fight against his Queensberry stablemate Liam Davies.

McCann expects current undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue to move up to featherweight, leaving four world titles vacant.

“I will be ready to grab them by the belt,” McCann said.

“Liam Davies is currently on his way and I am on mine. It’s effortless to fight this fight, but we both have to pay for it.

I hope he wins the world title, I win the world title and we can unite.