A number of the world’s greatest boxers are in motion in July, and this month additionally will characteristic the return of a boxing legend on the age of 46. From Oleksandr Usyk at heavyweight to Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez at junior bantamweight, this month has world title fights that includes the very best in a number of divisions — and on the pound-for-pound listing.
Manny Pacquiao, the most effective boxers of the trendy period, makes his ring return after almost 4 years out, and there is additionally the trilogy battle between undisputed junior welterweight champ Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, which is probably the toughest battle to foretell the result.
Such is the standard of this month’s choices that there is no such thing as a place on our best-of-July listing for fights akin to Alberto Puello vs. Subriel Matias for the WBC junior welterweight title, undisputed ladies’s junior light-weight champion Alycia Baumgardner vs. Jennifer Miranda and the welterweight conflict between Jack Catterall and Harlem Eubank.
What are the very best fights this month and why do you have to watch them? ESPN ranks the fights for you.
Odds correct as of July 3. All odds by ESPN BET
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10. Claressa Shields (-2500) vs. Lani Daniels (+1100) – July 26 in Detroit (DAZN)
What’s at stake: Shields’ undisputed ladies’s heavyweight championship
Shields, boxing’s first undisputed world champion in three weight courses, defends her ladies’s heavyweight titles in entrance of her residence followers towards an skilled opponent. The percentages might sound stacked in Shields’ favor, however Daniels is a former IBF champion who has gained her final seven fights. The New Zealand-based boxer ought to give the native hero a better battle than her final one, through which Shields broadly outpointed Danielle Perkins to be topped undisputed heavyweight champ in February.
9. Bruce Carrington (-5000) vs. Mateus Heita (+1600) – July 26 in New York (ESPN/ESPN+)
What’s at stake: The vacant WBC interim featherweight title
“Shu Shu” Carrington can guide himself a world title shot with a victory over Heita, and in his present kind, he seems good to attain that. Carrington may even be made full champion if he extends his unbeaten file, as WBC featherweight champion Stephen Fulton is stepping up a division for his subsequent battle (towards O’Shaquie Foster on Aug. 16) and should resolve which division he’s staying in. Carrington has been calling out the champions, however that is his first 12-round scheduled battle. The Brooklyn-based boxer appeared convincing in March when he grew to become the primary boxer to cease Enrique Vivas, and it would not be a shock to see him go on the lookout for a KO.
8. Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia – July 26 in New York (ESPN/ESPN+)
What’s at stake: The vacant WBO junior middleweight title
Zayas faces a tricky opponent in his first try and win a world title, however he has sufficient high quality to prevail and be hailed because the successor to the likes of Puerto Rican boxing greats Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad. Garcia appeared spectacular when he stopped Charles Conwell in April, and the robust Mexican’s energy punching could possibly be an issue for Zayas if he will get drawn right into a brawl. However Zayas, who has been an expert since he was 17, is a proficient and properly skilled boxer, and this ought to be his second of glory. When he outpointed Patrick Teixeira in June 2024, Zayas successfully focused the physique. And if he bins to his potential once more, he can have an excessive amount of selection for Garcia to beat.
7. Edgar Berlanga (-120) vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (-105) – July 12 in Queens, New York (DAZN)
What’s at stake: An opportunity for Sheeraz at a superfight towards Canelo Alvarez
Sheeraz is without doubt one of the choices for a profitable battle towards undisputed tremendous middleweight champion Canelo in February, in line with Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Common Leisure Authority. However first Sheeraz must win his tremendous middleweight debut towards a former world title challenger. Berlanga appeared subdued and cautious in a large determination loss to Alvarez in September, however he bounced again with a first-round win over Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in March. Speak of Sheeraz combating Canelo subsequent yr aggravated Berlanga throughout DAZN’s “Face Off” present launched on June 30, and consequently you would possibly see him go on the lookout for the KO. There’s a lot on the road for Sheeraz, and he should do higher than in his final battle, through which he challenged Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title. Sheeraz failed to return to grips with Adames, who ended Sheeraz’s 15-fight knockout streak in a break up attract February. Does Sheeraz have what it takes towards elite-level opposition, and can the transfer up in weight class go well with him?
6. Sebastian Fundora (+120) vs. Tim Tszyu (-150) 2 – July 19 in Las Vegas (Amazon Prime Video PPV)
What’s at stake: Fundora’s WBC and WBO junior middleweight titles
After a disastrous 2024, Tszyu might be out to revive his fame and mend his profession — if he can beat 6-foot-5 Fundora in a rematch. Tszyu misplaced a break up determination in a massacre of an encounter with Fundora in March 2024, when the 5-foot-9 Tszyu suffered a minimize over his hairline in Spherical 2, and he was dropped 4 occasions in an much more damaging third-round TKO loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev in one other world title battle in October. Tszyu gained some confidence with a fourth-round stoppage win over Joseph Spencer in April, however the query stays unanswered: How a lot injury did final yr’s two defeats do? Fundora stopped Chordale Booker in 4 rounds in March, and Tszyu should produce a career-best efficiency to beat the large American.
5. Shakur Stevenson (-1200) vs. William Zepeda (+650) – July 12 in Queens, New York (DAZN)
What’s at stake: Stevenson’s WBC light-weight title
0:45
How Shakur Stevenson retained his WBC light-weight title
Recap Shakur Stevenson’s second WBC light-weight title protection along with his win over Josh Padley.
Stevenson appeared sharp in his final outing towards substitute opponent Josh Padley — however now comes a more durable take a look at. The 27-year-old from New Jersey splits fan opinion, with some saying his defensive fashion is a turn-off. Different fighters might generate extra pleasure, however there is no such thing as a denying Stevenson’s technical potential, precision and protection. Zepeda is unbeaten however he wanted to stand up from the canvas in Spherical 4 to defeat Tevin Farmer by break up determination final November, earlier than going the gap as soon as once more towards Farmer within the rematch. His aggressive, pressure-fighting fashion might go well with Stevenson’s counterpunching on the again foot.
It’s value preserving the religion in Stevenson’s undoubted expertise, however he wants to point out greater than a decent, backpedalling protection towards Zepeda if he’s to create curiosity in followers and promoters. A cautious, safety-first strategy will not be going to assist him make a conflict with Gervonta Davis. If Stevenson adopts a extra aggressive strategy, it won’t solely be good for his recognition but in addition make for a greater battle, as Zepeda is a high-volume puncher.
4. Jesse Rodriguez (-2500) vs. Phumelele Cafu (+1100) – July 19 in Frisco, Texas (DAZN)
What’s at stake: Rodriguez’s WBC junior bantamweight title and Cafu’s WBO junior bantamweight title
That is the primary alternative this yr to see arguably boxing’s most enjoyable fighter.
“Bam” Rodriguez, from San Antonio, is in ruthless kind and will bulldoze his approach to changing into a unified champion at a second weight class. “Bam” defeated Pedro Guevara in Spherical 3 in November to defend his WBC junior bantamweight title, after knocking out Juan Francisco Estrada a yr in the past and, earlier than that, forcing Sunny Edwards to retire in a flyweight title unification bout in December 2023. The win over two-division champion Estrada was notably spectacular, and the uppercut that left Guevara stretched out on the canvas was brutal.
Rodriguez should be cautious of Cafu’s energy — the South African dropped Kosei Tanka in a break up determination win in October 2024 — however Rodriguez is presently the most effective pound-for-pound fighters on the earth, so anticipate pleasure towards Cafu.
3. Manny Pacquiao (+260) vs. Mario Barrios (-350) – July 19 in Las Vegas (Amazon Prime Video PPV)
What’s at stake: Barrios’ WBC welterweight title
One reality says all of it about this battle: Barrios was born 4 months after Pacquiao started his skilled profession 30 years in the past.
Many imagine Pacquiao shouldn’t be anyplace close to an expert boxing ring at 46 and after almost 4 years retired. However that won’t cease thousands and thousands in his native Philippines and elsewhere from tuning in to comply with Pac Man’s quest to change into the oldest welterweight champion in historical past. Solely two boxers, heavyweight George Foreman and lightweight heavyweight Bernard Hopkins, have gained world title fights on the age of 46 or older.
The final time we noticed Pacquiao he was a a lot slower model of himself in a unanimous determination loss to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. Pacquiao has had 72 skilled fights and has conquered eight weight divisions. If there’s one boxer that may defy Father Time, it’s Pacquiao, who can be making an attempt to interrupt his personal file as boxing’s oldest 147-pound world champion (he beforehand did it at 40 years, 215 days). If Pacquiao pulls it off, there might be no higher sports activities story this yr.
2. Oleksandr Usyk (-400) vs. Daniel Dubois (+300) 2 – July 19 in London (DAZN PPV)
What’s at stake: Usyk’s WBC, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles and Dubois’ IBF heavyweight title
0:30
Dubois vows to depart ‘little question’ forward of Usyk rematch
Daniel Dubois speaks in regards to the controversial low blow from his first battle towards Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk has a two-fight exit plan for his profession, and when he is gone we’ll miss him. He has dominated in a four-year reign as heavyweight champion, twice beating every of the 2 greatest different boxers of his period, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. However Dubois brings knockout energy — simply ask Joshua, whom Dubois stopped within the fifth spherical in September. Dubois challenged Usyk two years in the past and claims he scored a professional knockdown with a physique punch, but it surely was dominated a low blow. Usyk was given time to get better and ultimately overwhelmed Dubois, stopping him in Spherical 9. Undisputed heavyweight title fights are uncommon, and if Usyk achieves undisputed standing for a 3rd time (he has already completed it as soon as at cruiserweight, as soon as at heavyweight), you can be witnessing historical past.
1. Katie Taylor (+135) vs. Amanda Serrano (-170) 3 – July 11 in New York (Netflix)
What’s at stake: Taylor’s undisputed ladies’s junior welterweight championship
0:56
Katie Taylor edges out Amanda Serrano in controversial determination
Katie Taylor defeats Amanda Serrano to stay undisputed champion at AT&T Stadium.
Their first two fights had been so good and aggressive that Taylor and Serrano will run it again for a 3rd time at Madison Sq. Backyard. Ladies’s boxing has not seen a higher rivalry, which has produced two enthralling fights determined by razor-thin — and disputable — selections. In 2022, they grew to become the primary ladies to headline a boxing card on the Backyard, and it was such battle that it led to a 2024 rematch that was streamed on Netflix and shattered data by averaging 74 million viewers globally, changing into the most-watched ladies’s sporting occasion in U.S. historical past. The rematch was named Ladies’s Combat of the Yr by ESPN. Taylor earned scores of 95-94 from all three judges, however Serrano was sad after struggling a minimize over her proper eye in Spherical 4 from a headbutt (Taylor was deducted a degree in Spherical 8 for headbutting). Serrano was formidable and efficient regardless of the harm, which makes this trilogy battle laborious to name. Will Taylor get penalized once more for extra use of the top, and the way decisive will that be? Can Taylor repel Serrano’s early strain to as soon as once more dominate the later rounds?