Fans can only enjoy the fights that get made. With two months in 2022, there is still a cloud lingering from a few that haven’t been.
Good fights clear the gray.
Of all the cards this month, none may be better than the November 5th card on DAZN. It provides three title fights with two of particularly high quality:
11/05: 175 – TBRB #1 Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 KO, WBA) vs. #2 Gilberto Ramirez (44-0, 30 KO)
11/05: 140 – Chantelle Cameron (16-0, 8 KO, Ring/WBC/IBF) vs. Jessica McCaskill (12-2, 5 KO, Ring/WBA/WBC/IBF/IBO/WBO @147); vacant WBA/WBO
11/05: 130 – #4 Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (16-0-1, 13 KO) vs. Zelfa Barrett (28-1, 16 KO); vacant IBF
In the main event, Bivol will defend his title and attempt to follow up on the biggest win of 2022. Bivol’s career stalled a bit in the aftermath of HBO shuttering its boxing business. A chance to be challenged by super middleweight champion Saul Alvarez has Bivol back on the right track. Now he faces an opponent who has also been stuck in career neutral for too long. This might be the best fight one can make at light heavyweight without Artur Beterbiev involved.
The chief support bout is yet another piece of exceptional matchmaking in women’s boxing. Lineal welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill is moving down the scale to attempt to become a two-time lineal Jr. welterweight champion. Cameron has home court advantage in what will be the best opponent of her career.
On paper, this might be the show of the month. It might not produce the best fight.
More Unification in 2022
The fight of the month could happen before November 1 is over. 2022 has seen multiple unification bouts in men’s and women’s boxing and this month gives us two more:
11/01: 108 – #1 Kenshiro Teraji (19-1, 11 KO, WBC) vs. #2 Hiroto Kyoguchi (16-0, 11 KO, Ring/WBA); vacant Lineal
11/12: 154 – Natasha Jonas (12-2-1, 8 KO, WBC/WBO) vs. Marie Eve Dicaire (18-1, 1 KO, IBF)
Of these two bouts, one is a bit more must-see than the other. The Jr. flyweight unification between Teraji and Kyoguchi has violent promise. The styles should mesh well and while some may have to see it later in the day (the ESPN+ start time for the card is 4:30 AM EST), it will likely be worth it. Don’t be surprised if the Fight of the Year race has a new entrant, and maybe even a leader, by the closing bell. Titlist Jonathan Gonzalez is on the undercard so we might be on the road to undisputed at Jr. flyweight for the first time.
Dicaire gets her second chance at unification at Jr. middleweight. Will it go better without Claressa Shields on the other side of the ring? Jonas has won three in a row since a failed challenge of lightweight champion Katie Taylor.
Additional Title Fights in September
Men
11/01: 108 – #3 Jonathan Gonzalez (26-3-1, 14 KO, WBO) vs. Shokichi Iwata (9-0, 6 KO)
11/05: 168 – David Morrell (7-0, 6 KOs, WBA Regular) vs. Aidos Yerbossynuly (16-0, 11 KOs)
11/11: 112 – #1 Sunny Edwards (18-0, 4 KO, IBF) vs. Felix Alvarado (38-2, 33 KO)
11/12: 160 – #7 Janibek Alimkhanuly (12-0, 8 KO, WBO) vs. Denzel Bentley (17-1-1, 14 KO)
11/19: 200 – Arsen Goulamirian (26-0, 18 KO, WBA) vs. Aleksei Egorov (11-0, 7 KO)
11/26: 140 – #2 Regis Prograis (27-1, 23 KO) vs. #3 Jose Zepeda (36-2, 28 KO); vacant WBC
Women
11/12: 105 – Seniesa Estrada (22-0, 9 KO, WBA) vs. Jazmin Villarino (6-1-2, 1 KO)
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.