With Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou announced this week as a sequel to the illustrious Day of Reckoning card in Saudi Arabia, it seems 2024 will continue 2023’s mission to establish a new Mecca in boxing. However, everything beneath the lofty sphere of Riyadh Season continues to move, and there are some absolute belters scheduled for the first quarter of the year.
Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith – Light-Heavyweight Title
Artur Beterbiev went 96-10 as an amateur in a frosty post-communist system, has won all of his 19 professional bouts by KO, and scooped up three-quarters of the undisputed light-heavyweight title on the way. Beterbiev is ferocious, quick, coordinated, tough, and fit. He’s been knocked down, bloodied, and gone on to win conclusively. Smith’s camp will prefer to focus on the fact he’s 38 years old, hasn’t fought in a year, and has recently overcome a bone infection in his jaw.
Callum Smith set himself apart with six consecutive first-round knockouts at the start of his pro career. He quickly proved himself to be above British level, winning the 168-pound ‘World Boxing Super Series’ and WBA title in 2018. Unfortunately, he relinquished his title with a tentative performance against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez three fights into his reign. He has since scored two knockouts at light-heavyweight, albeit against unrenowned opponents.
Beterbiev and Smith fight on Saturday 13th January in Beterbiev’s adopted home of Quebec City, with all three of the champion’s belts on the line. As in Smith vs Alvarez, size disparity will not dictate this fight. It will follow the beat of the aggressor, Beterbiev. Smith’s catch-counter left hook could knock a horse out. That, and its accompanying apparatus, are his only reliable weapons. At 6’3″ and with the wingspan of a pterodactyl, Smith chooses to fight on the inside and if he does so here it will cost him. Beterbiev will swarm him. It’s up to Smith whether he tucks up against the ropes and looks for short counters, or establishes his jab and cross. Easier said than done.
Natasha Jonas vs Mikaela Mayer – Welterweight Title
Natasha Jonas defends her welterweight belt against Mikaela Mayer in Liverpool’s Echo Arenaon January 20th. Alycia Baumgardner scuffed Mayer’s undefeated record via split decision in 2022. Baumgardner’s subsequent adverse test results throw an asterisk over that result, however. Jonas has boxed as high as 149 lbs. and as low as 127. She has lost to Katie Taylor, drawn with Terri Harper, and continues to pursue success at the top of the sport aged 39.
This has got ‘distance fight’ written all over it. With women restricted to ten two-minute rounds at championship level in most jurisdictions they have less opportunities to score the knockouts that often build hype for a fighter, and consequently their division. With 9 KOs in 14 wins, Jonas is the bigger puncher on paper but will probably be the smaller woman in the ring. She has a clean southpaw right hook and has retained the amateur fundamentals from her Team GB days. Mayer, with only 5 KO’s in 19 wins, is a rugged volume puncher with a solid jaw and a seeming disdain for boxing-and-moving. These two are well matched and have comparative championship experience. Expect a dogged, rough, affair.
Jaimie Munguia vs John Ryder
British super-middleweight John Ryder was more determined against the aforementioned Alvarez at the Estadio, Akron in May 2023, than his compatriot Callum Smith. Admittedly, he was dropped and outpointed, but he never gave in and rallied late. He will need that strength of mind against Jaimie Munguia on January 27th in Phoenix, Arizona.
At 27, Munguia has followed the Mexican tradition of compiling an obscene professional record his thirtieth birthday. Munguia’s is 42-0 with 33 knockouts. He’s now in his third weight class and looks like he could go higher. He still moves about the ring with the exuberance of youth, which in this case is supplemented by durability. Ryder will need to crowd and work him all over. He has shown his willingness and aptitude to do so many times. He’s a strong southpaw with solid fundamentals who knows how to take chances. This will not be a boring fight.
Dan Azeez vs Joshua Buatsi – British and Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight Title
Wembley Arena welcomes Dan Azeez and Joshua Buatsi on February 3rd as the two Londoners contest the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles. It’s the small-hall stormer against the Olympic darling. The rugged puncher versus the smart technician. Both need to get a move on if they’re to establish a run at world level.
When Buatsi left-hooked his way to bronze at the Rio Olympics, the chatter was he had the perfect style for the pro game. “What a smart lad he is, finishing university before signing a deal with Eddie.” “Good head on his shoulders. He’ll go far.” Fast forward eight years. Buatsi has managed two outings per annum, a solitary British title win, and faced a string of unrecognised opponents (bar Craig Richards). In the same span and with nowhere near the same promotional support, Azeez has capped a late career surge with both the British and European titles which he’ll be defending here. They’re not worlds apart, but Azeez has made the most of his means while Buatsi has floundered despite his advantages. Azeez, late stoppage.
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – Undisputed Heavyweight Title
February 17th sees a return to Riyadh for the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the ‘four-belt’ era; Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk. Two technicians, one increasingly immobile and returning from a canvas visit against a debutant, the other still looking for the testicle Daniel Dubois punched into the third row.
In truth, this fight is the rarest of rarities, ‘summa raritas’ as Google translate reliably informs me. There are so many problems that prevent a fight like this from happening more often. But the short version is money solved all of them, so here we are . For all its historical significance, the fanfare, the achievements of the combatants, their teams, and the organisers, this fight will probably be a tough watch. Fury and Usyk are the two best boxing minds in the division and the stakes are high. This will be a circumspect, tetchy, point-grabbing affair; one for the aficionados who have to pretend they’re interested because boxing has become part of their identity. At least we’ll have one man at the top of the mountain when it’s over. Unless it’s a draw. Which it might well be.
2024 – The Year The Madness Stopped
It appears the big fights will continue, at least until the well runs dry. Observers will likely point to Joshua vs Ngannou, the second crossover boxing-mma fight inside six months, as some kind of apocalyptic sign. The truth is, boxing fans and the general public are sick of it. They’re sick of the talk. Sick of the will-they won’t-they? Sick of the alphabet title belts. We want big fights, marquee names, mind-blowing purses, a pre-fight concert, and a load of western celebrities wearing keffiyehs. Give us what we want! Make 2024 the best boxing year in history.
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
