As the curtain closes on an eventful 2019, British boxing fans will be hoping that 2020 will be an auspicious year for the sport in the UK context. Even if many British fighters aren’t able to make waves at world level, there are still a plethora of exciting fights to made at the domestic level. With this in mind, we list five feasible fights for the year ahead.
Joyce-Dubois
Of the five on the list, this matchup appears to be the most likely to materialise. As both fighters are with the same promotional company and are at similar stages in their professional development, the wheels are set firmly in motion for a showdown between the two Londoners; one that would be likely to sell out an indoor arena.
Dubois’ bulking poise and punching power is beyond question, but it is noteworthy also that Joyce is a significantly more accomplished amateur and harbours an unbridled confidence in his ability to not only overcome Dubois, but also any other heavyweight in the world.
Buatsi-Johnson
Joshua Buatsi has been described by his promoter Eddie Hearn as the most talented prospect in all of boxing and has impressed accordingly so far in his career, amassing a perfect record of 13-0 and capturing the British and Commonwealth championships in the process. However, many believe he still needs to establish himself as the country’s premier light-heavyweight before he can fully enter the world title conversation.
Therefore, a victory over the heavy-handed and seasoned Callum Johnson, a former Commonwealth medallist as an amateur and a former IBF world title challenger as a professional, would naturally provide the fans with an interesting showdown to savour, in addition to answering numerous questions that are yet to be asked of the Croydon hopeful.
Khan-Brook
Part of the reason why some are so keen to see this fight made is because only then can we simply stop talking about it. For many years, Kell Brook’s name has been inextricably linked with Amir Khan’s -and seemingly vice-versa – but for whatever reason, the fight has not been made.
Whether that is because Khan has preferred to pursue the biggest names available Stateside, or whether it is because Brook has been unreasonable in negotiations, will no doubt remain a topic of fierce contention across forums on social-media. Whatever the case, having suffered punishing setbacks in recent years, both fighters may eventually decide to cash in on a long-festering enmity that should still attract a significant audience courtesy of a sufficiently spicy build-up.
Saunders-Smith
General consensus in the UK dictates that it is imperative for Callum Smith and Billy-Joe Saunders to unify their respective super-middleweight titles as soon as possible, when taking into consideration the possibility of upcoming mandatory obligations in addition to the fact that both fighters delivered unconvincing displays in their most recent defences.
If nothing else, the fight represents an intriguing clash of styles coupled with an opportunity for the victor to assert themselves as one of the division’s most-valuable-players. Saunders, an educated southpaw with a slick style, is technically a two-weight world champion whilst Liverpudlian Smith is similarly undefeated with aspirations of headlining at Anfield in the foreseeable future.
Joshua-Fury
Regardless of whether Fury prevails against Wilder or not, a showdown with the immensely marketable Anthony Joshua is surely the biggest fight in British boxing history. Joshua and Fury are not only two of the most popular British fighters, but two of the most prominent British sporting personalities. After years of back-and-forth, fans are positively chomping at the bit to see who would actually emerge victorious if the pair were to meet in the ring.
Preview by: Navi Singh
Follow Navi on Twitter at: @DarkMan________