6 hours ago
2
Nick ParkinsonJul 3, 2025, 07:52 AM ET
- Reports connected boxing for ESPN.com and has been covering British boxing for implicit 25 years.
Some of the world's champion boxers are successful enactment successful July, and this period besides volition diagnostic the instrumentality of a boxing fable astatine the property of 46. From Oleksandr Usyk astatine heavyweight to Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez astatine inferior bantamweight, this period has satellite rubric fights featuring the champion successful respective divisions -- and connected the pound-for-pound list.
Manny Pacquiao, 1 of the champion boxers of the modern era, makes his ringing return aft astir 4 years out, and there's besides the trilogy fight betwixt undisputed inferior welterweight champ Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, which is possibly the hardest combat to foretell the outcome.
Such is the prime of this month's offerings that determination is nary spot connected our best-of-July database for fights specified arsenic Alberto Puello vs. Subriel Matias for the WBC inferior welterweight title, undisputed women's inferior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner vs. Jennifer Miranda and the welterweight clash betwixt Jack Catterall and Harlem Eubank.
What are the champion fights this period and wherefore should you ticker them? ESPN ranks the fights for you.
Odds close arsenic of July 3. All likelihood by ESPN BET
.
10. Claressa Shields (-2500) vs. Lani Daniels (+1100) - July 26 successful Detroit (DAZN)
What's astatine stake: Shields' undisputed women's heavyweight championship
Shields, boxing's archetypal undisputed satellite champion successful 3 value classes, defends her women's heavyweight titles successful beforehand of her location fans against an experienced opponent. The likelihood mightiness look stacked successful Shields' favor, but Daniels is simply a erstwhile IBF champion who has won her past 7 fights. The New Zealand-based boxer should springiness the section leader a person combat than her past one, successful which Shields wide outpointed Danielle Perkins to beryllium crowned undisputed heavyweight champ successful February.
9. Bruce Carrington (-5000) vs. Mateus Heita (+1600) - July 26 successful New York (ESPN/ESPN+)
What's astatine stake: The vacant WBC interim featherweight title
3:56
Bruce Carrington's roadworthy backmost to the ringing aft his brother's tragic death
Boxer Bruce Carrington details the decease of his brother, Michael Hayden, and his travel backmost to the ringing up of his combat connected Sept. 27.
"Shu Shu" Carrington tin publication himself a satellite rubric changeable with a triumph implicit Heita, and successful his existent form, helium looks bully to execute that. Carrington could adjacent beryllium made afloat champion if helium extends his unbeaten record, arsenic WBC featherweight champion Stephen Fulton is stepping up a part for his adjacent combat (against O'Shaquie Foster connected Aug. 16) and indispensable determine which part helium is staying in. Carrington has been calling retired the champions, but this is his archetypal 12-round scheduled fight. The Brooklyn-based boxer looked convincing successful March erstwhile helium became the archetypal boxer to halt Enrique Vivas, and it wouldn't beryllium a astonishment to spot him spell looking for a KO.
8. Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia - July 26 successful New York (ESPN/ESPN+)
What's astatine stake: The vacant WBO inferior middleweight title
Zayas faces a pugnacious hostile successful his archetypal effort to triumph a satellite title, but helium has capable prime to prevail and beryllium hailed arsenic the successor to the likes of Puerto Rican boxing greats Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad. Garcia looked awesome erstwhile helium stopped Charles Conwell successful April, and the pugnacious Mexican's powerfulness punching could beryllium a occupation for Zayas if helium gets drawn into a brawl. But Zayas, who has been a nonrecreational since helium was 17, is simply a talented and good trained boxer, and this should beryllium his infinitesimal of glory. When he outpointed Patrick Teixeira successful June 2024, Zayas efficaciously targeted the body. And if helium boxes to his imaginable again, helium volition person excessively overmuch assortment for Garcia to overcome.
7. Edgar Berlanga (-120) vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (-105) - July 12 successful Queens, New York (DAZN)
What's astatine stake: A accidental for Sheeraz astatine a superfight against Canelo Alvarez
Sheeraz is 1 of the options for a lucrative combat against undisputed ace middleweight champion Canelo successful February, according to Turki Alalshikh, the president of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority. But archetypal Sheeraz needs to triumph his ace middleweight debut against a erstwhile satellite rubric challenger. Berlanga looked subdued and cautious successful a wide determination nonaccomplishment to Alvarez successful September, but helium bounced backmost with a first-round triumph implicit Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz successful March. Talk of Sheeraz warring Canelo adjacent twelvemonth annoyed Berlanga during DAZN's "Face Off" amusement released connected June 30, and consequently you mightiness spot him spell looking for the KO. There is simply a batch connected the enactment for Sheeraz, and helium volition person to bash amended than successful his past fight, successful which helium challenged Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title. Sheeraz failed to travel to grips with Adames, who ended Sheeraz's 15-fight knockout streak in a divided draw successful February. Does Sheeraz person what it takes against elite-level opposition, and volition the determination up successful value people suit him?
6. Sebastian Fundora (+120) vs. Tim Tszyu (-150) 2 - July 19 successful Las Vegas (Amazon Prime Video PPV)
What's astatine stake: Fundora's WBC and WBO inferior middleweight titles
After a disastrous 2024, Tszyu volition beryllium retired to reconstruct his estimation and mend his vocation -- if helium tin bushed 6-foot-5 Fundora successful a rematch. Tszyu mislaid a divided determination successful a bloodbath of an brushwood with Fundora successful March 2024, erstwhile the 5-foot-9 Tszyu suffered a chopped implicit his hairline successful Round 2, and helium was dropped 4 times successful an adjacent much damaging third-round TKO loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev successful different satellite rubric combat successful October. Tszyu gained immoderate assurance with a fourth-round stoppage triumph implicit Joseph Spencer successful April, but the question remains unanswered: How overmuch harm did past year's 2 defeats do? Fundora stopped Chordale Booker successful 4 rounds successful March, and Tszyu volition person to nutrient a career-best show to bushed the elephantine American.
5. Shakur Stevenson (-1200) vs. William Zepeda (+650) - July 12 successful Queens, New York (DAZN)
What's astatine stake: Stevenson's WBC lightweight title
0:45
How Shakur Stevenson retained his WBC lightweight title
Recap Shakur Stevenson's 2nd WBC lightweight rubric defence with his triumph implicit Josh Padley.
Stevenson looked sharp successful his past outing against substitute hostile Josh Padley -- but present comes a harder test. The 27-year-old from New Jersey splits instrumentality opinion, with immoderate saying his antiaircraft benignant is simply a turn-off. Other fighters whitethorn make much excitement, but determination is nary denying Stevenson's method ability, precision and defense. Zepeda is unbeaten but helium needed to get up from the canvas successful Round 4 to decision Tevin Farmer by divided determination past November, earlier going the region erstwhile again against Farmer successful the rematch. His aggressive, pressure-fighting benignant whitethorn suit Stevenson's counterpunching connected the backmost foot.
It is worthy keeping the religion successful Stevenson's undoubted talent, but helium needs to amusement much than a tight, backpedalling defence against Zepeda if helium is to make involvement successful fans and promoters. A cautious, safety-first attack is not going to assistance him marque a clash with Gervonta Davis. If Stevenson adopts a much assertive approach, it volition not lone beryllium bully for his popularity but besides marque for a amended fight, arsenic Zepeda is simply a high-volume puncher.
4. Jesse Rodriguez (-2500) vs. Phumelele Cafu (+1100) - July 19 successful Frisco, Texas (DAZN)
What's astatine stake: Rodriguez's WBC inferior bantamweight rubric and Cafu's WBO inferior bantamweight title
This is the archetypal accidental this twelvemonth to spot arguably boxing's astir breathtaking fighter.
"Bam" Rodriguez, from San Antonio, is successful ruthless signifier and could bulldoze his mode to becoming a unified champion astatine a 2nd value class. "Bam" defeated Pedro Guevara successful Round 3 successful November to support his WBC inferior bantamweight title, aft knocking retired Juan Francisco Estrada a twelvemonth agone and, earlier that, forcing Sunny Edwards to retire successful a flyweight rubric unification bout successful December 2023. The triumph implicit two-division champion Estrada was peculiarly impressive, and the uppercut that near Guevara stretched retired connected the canvas was brutal.
Rodriguez volition person to beryllium wary of Cafu's powerfulness -- the South African dropped Kosei Tanka successful a divided determination triumph successful October 2024 -- but Rodriguez is presently 1 of the champion pound-for-pound fighters successful the world, truthful expect excitement against Cafu.
3. Manny Pacquiao (+260) vs. Mario Barrios (-350) - July 19 successful Las Vegas (Amazon Prime Video PPV)
What's astatine stake: Barrios' WBC welterweight title
One information says it each astir this fight: Barrios was calved 4 months aft Pacquiao began his nonrecreational vocation 30 years ago.
Many judge Pacquiao should not beryllium anyplace adjacent a nonrecreational boxing ringing astatine 46 and aft astir 4 years retired. But that volition not halt millions successful his autochthonal Philippines and elsewhere from tuning successful to travel Pac Man's quest to go the oldest welterweight champion successful history. Only 2 boxers, heavyweight George Foreman and airy heavyweight Bernard Hopkins, person won satellite rubric fights astatine the property of 46 oregon older.
The past clip we saw Pacquiao helium was a overmuch slower mentation of himself successful a unanimous determination nonaccomplishment to Yordenis Ugas successful August 2021. Pacquiao has had 72 nonrecreational fights and has conquered 8 value divisions. If there's 1 boxer that tin defy Father Time, it is Pacquiao, who is besides trying to interruption his ain grounds arsenic boxing's oldest 147-pound satellite champion (he antecedently did it astatine 40 years, 215 days). If Pacquiao pulls it off, determination volition beryllium nary greater sports communicative this year.
2. Oleksandr Usyk (-400) vs. Daniel Dubois (+300) 2 - July 19 successful London (DAZN PPV)
What's astatine stake: Usyk's WBC, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles and Dubois' IBF heavyweight title
0:30
Dubois vows to permission 'no doubt' up of Usyk rematch
Daniel Dubois speaks astir the arguable debased stroke from his archetypal combat against Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk has a two-fight exit program for his career, and erstwhile he's gone we volition miss him. He has dominated successful a four-year reign arsenic heavyweight champion, doubly beating each of the 2 champion different boxers of his era, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. But Dubois brings knockout powerfulness -- conscionable inquire Joshua, whom Dubois stopped successful the 5th round successful September. Dubois challenged Usyk 2 years agone and claims helium scored a morganatic knockdown with a assemblage punch, but it was ruled a debased blow. Usyk was fixed clip to retrieve and yet overwhelmed Dubois, stopping him successful Round 9. Undisputed heavyweight rubric fights are rare, and if Usyk achieves undisputed presumption for a 3rd clip (he has already done it erstwhile astatine cruiserweight, erstwhile astatine heavyweight), you volition beryllium witnessing history.
1. Katie Taylor (+135) vs. Amanda Serrano (-170) 3 - July 11 successful New York (Netflix)
What's astatine stake: Taylor's undisputed women's inferior welterweight championship
0:56
Katie Taylor edges retired Amanda Serrano successful arguable decision
Katie Taylor defeats Amanda Serrano to stay undisputed champion astatine AT&T Stadium.
Their archetypal 2 fights were truthful bully and competitory that Taylor and Serrano volition tally it backmost for a 3rd clip astatine Madison Square Garden. Women's boxing has not seen a greater rivalry, which has produced 2 enthralling fights decided by razor-thin -- and disputable -- decisions. In 2022, they became the archetypal women to header a boxing paper astatine the Garden, and it was specified a bully combat that it led to a 2024 rematch that was streamed connected Netflix and shattered records by averaging 74 cardinal viewers globally, becoming the most-watched women's sporting lawsuit successful U.S. history. The rematch was named Women's Fight of the Year by ESPN. Taylor earned scores of 95-94 from each 3 judges, but Serrano was unhappy aft suffering a chopped implicit her close oculus successful Round 4 from a headbutt (Taylor was deducted a constituent successful Round 8 for headbutting). Serrano was ambitious and effectual contempt the injury, which makes this trilogy combat hard to call. Will Taylor get penalized again for much usage of the head, and however decisive volition that be? Can Taylor repel Serrano's aboriginal unit to erstwhile again predominate the aboriginal rounds?
