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.

“I will enjoy the victory and see what happens next.” That was Saul “Canelo” Álvarez’s somewhat terse answer to the question of what his future holds after his unanimous decision victory over the emphatic Edgar Berlanga.

On Saturday, September 14, everything looked as usual at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Another hungry juvenile contender, consistently claiming to be the one who turned the super middleweight division upside down, was outthought, outplayed and ultimately eclipsed by Canelo. Berlanga put up more resistance than many expected, but he could never gain a foothold in the competition, indelibly swimming against the current created by Canelo.

In many ways, the Mexican is a victim of his own success. For most boxers, fending off a brash up-and-coming attacker with relative ease would be a source of lion’s respect. But as Canelo sat in the post-fight press conference, the questions he asked were essentially about his future: What, and more importantly, who will be next?

David Benavidez

It’s a fight that most boxing fans have been calling for Canelo to take. Benavidez, an undefeated former world champion, appeared to be on a collision course ahead of a seismic clash with Canelo.

A four-time world champion in a weight class who has carried boxing on his back and dragged it through the treacherous terrain of the pandemic, it’s demanding to throw that muddy, inappropriate D-word at Canelo: dodge. However, every time Benavidez’s name is mentioned, Canelo’s unmanageable fiscal demands stall negotiations.

He spoke in May this yearhe laid his cards on the table well and honestly. “All I see is that Benavidez is 25 or 30 pounds heavier than me on fight day. I have no problem with that, but if he wants me to fight him, it’s $200 million.”

Benavidez’s nickname “El Monstruo” (The Monster) certainly fits, and his gigantic frame dwarfs any super middleweight opponents. But size has never been an issue before; Canelo has fought twice at lightweight heavyweight and is rarely the bigger fighter in the ring.

Nevertheless, with Benavidez himself currently competing in the lightweight heavyweight division, it looks like the clash with Canelo will go down in the annals of boxing history as one of the fights that never were.

Terence Crawford

Following Crawford’s victory over undefeated welterweight contender Errol Spence, rumors of a fight between him and Canelo began.

While earlier this fantastic fight would have looked the same, Turki Alalshikha’s interest in organizing this fight gave it a different tone. But it takes two to tango, and Canelo didn’t want to discuss the prospect of fighting Crawford while preparing for a battle with Berlanga.

In a sport like boxing, it would be foolish to assume that talks to arrange a fight will resume once Canelo overtakes his rival. Alalshikh reaction his response was to punish him, fanning the flames in X’s corrosive playground as he accused the Mexican of looking for an “easier” opponent since his last defeat, “being afraid” of Crawford, wasting time and making excuses.

This matchup is tempting, it’s true, but Alalshikh was very supportive of it. Without his ability to work with Canelo and push the fight forward, it will remain dormant; a damaged firework that cannot ignite.

Crawford is one of today’s greats. Photo by Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

Dmitry Bivol

Dmitry Bivol is in quite good company standing next to Floyd Mayweather Jr. as one of only two players who won against Canelo in the professional ranks. It was in May 2022 when Bivol defeated the Mexican by unanimous decision, defending the WBA lightweight heavyweight belt.

Since then, rumors of a rematch between the two teams have never really gone away. Canelo is not a man accustomed to defeat, and he once again expressed his willingness to rebuke his demons that night in Nevada.

As is often the case in boxing, weight discrepancies derailed the fight, but not in the way fight fans are accustomed to. No, it’s not the rehydration clauses that are muddying the waters this time; instead, both want the fight to take place in their opponent’s weight class.

Bivol, a lightweight heavyweight, has stated that he intends to strip Canelo of his super middleweight belts, believing it will disprove any claims by opponents that Canelo was fighting him in uncharted territory. Meanwhile, his Mexican foe refuses to leave room for critics who say he is stripping Bivol of his full arsenal and a lightweight heavyweight rematch.

This is an unusual, if noble, cause of contention between the two camps, as both men seek to avoid the metaphorical asterisk placed on them in the event of victory. However, no matter how valid the disagreement, the rematch remains in a state of inertia.

Of course, it would be a sin not to mention the figure of Artur Beterbiev hanging over Dmitry Bivol as their historic meeting on October 12 approaches. Regardless of the outcome, however, Canelo is not a man often used to the bitter taste of defeat; the opportunity to turn things around on Bivol is sure to whet the appetite of a man so accustomed to destroying all who come in contact with him.

Dmitry Bivol captures Lyndon Arthur during their fight in Riyad. (Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

So where does Canelo stand?

A true boxing superstar, he is the master of his own destiny and can build his path in any way he sees fit. Canelo is well on his way to a brilliant career, but there are only a handful of opponents who will take his legacy in the sport to even greater heights.

AURA: A characteristic atmosphere or quality that appears to surround and is generated by a person, thing, or place. Few players exude the aura that attracts crowds and builds buzz. This type of aura is gold dust in the world of boxing, available only to higher-class fighters. It’s austerity. This cannot be taught. They are born with it.

Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather. Names that need no introduction. Aura does it for them. Companies and PR managers try to create this type of aura, but ultimately fail. As a boxing fan, you miss these types of fighters. They turn the mundane into spectacle and leave the sport as a legend. There is one fighter right now who has plenty of that special sauce, and fortunately for us, his best fights are yet to come.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis is a breath of fresh air. The 6-foot-7 southpaw from Baltimore is one of the biggest names in boxing with a 30-0 record and 28 fights finished within the distance.

To the untrained eye, his boxing style may be perceived as reckless, but it is far from it. What he does in the ring is thoughtful and precise. Few players can boast such a hit as Tank; his knockouts are mesmerizing. Davis’ obvious attributes are his naturally massive hands, which allows him to take down opponents with either hand.

His precise accuracy and level changes make this God-given talent even more devastating (he tends to drop to his knees or waist and then jump up with his powerful shots). When you watch Davis, you’ll see him throwing or hitting challenging shots. It may look like he’s in an uncomfortable position, but if you look closely you’ll see that he always ends the shot in a unthreatening position. He does this by framing (using his forearm to keep his opponent where he wants them) or by using his arm to throw him off balance.

In the early rounds of Davis’ fights, it’s clear he’s taking his time. He’s not even trying to win these early rounds; downloads data. By looking at the opponent’s shape, seeing his power and adapting to his speed.

At times it can seem like his opponents are giving Davis a run for his money. They are not. Davis simply hasn’t chosen his time yet. In these early rounds, when the action hasn’t started yet, you can expect boos from the crowd and maybe some anxiety. Not in tank combat. The crowd knows a knockout is coming. This is Tank’s aura.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 15: WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis (R) punches Frank Martin during their title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 15, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Davis defended his title with an eighth-round knockout. (Photo: Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Without a doubt, he is one of the most eye-catching offensive players, and his defense is often overlooked. This may be because all of his defensive techniques are implemented in a counter-punching manner, which is the hallmark of an smart knockout artist.

You will often see his opponents playing in overtime as he is constantly changing his form. Most fighters have a “shape” that rarely changes, while the Tank changes his shape during fights, sometimes adopting a wide stance with his front shoulder forward in a Philadelphia shell, sometimes standing straight in front of his opponents, it all depends on how he holds himself. he wants to line up his shots.

Watching Gervonta, it’s clear that he learned from his aged mentor, Floyd Mayweather. You’ll see Tank harassing his opponents by resting his weight on his front foot and placing his gloves at his temples. This encourages his opponent to overexert himself and make mistakes, allowing Tank to operate a tactic that Mayweather often used.

Davis’ underrated skills combined with his KO power make him the complete package. He’s currently one of boxing’s top-performing stars on pay-per-view, which means he gets to call the shots.

It seems that the fight with Ukrainian phenomenon Vasyl Lomachenko ended in failure. As a huge Loma fan, I can’t say I’m not pleased. Although I believe that Lomachenko still has a lot in store, it cannot be denied that this is not the same Loma that left his opponents stunned and overwhelmed a few years ago.

Like most of boxing, I’m looking forward to the Davis vs. Stevenson fight. Although Shakur Stevenson has shown that he is an elite fighter with an unreal skill set, he has yet to fight a superstar like Tank. If these two met in the ring, their combined ring IQ would be comparable to anything this generation has ever seen. Regardless of who we see Davis fight next, I will be watching it along with the rest of boxing.