While 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for boxing, May has begun with a mix of news stories both positive and negative. Artur Beterbiev the WBC, WBO, and IBF light-heavyweight champion was slated to meet WBA champion Dmitry Bivol on June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia headlining a loaded card. It has been reported that Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus and will be out of action until at least September. The card will move forward with Deontay Wilder facing Zhilie Zhang in a heavyweight crossroads fight between the former WBC champ and recently defeated rising contender. Also on the card is Croatian heavyweight Filip Hrgovic finally getting another major fight against Britain’s Daniel Dubois in a fight to establish the top contender for the IBF. This one hurts especially given how long fans have waited for this fight. Bivol gave himself a larger profile following his dominant victory over Canelo Alvarez in a light-heavyweight title fight. Beterbiev looked vulnerable in a stoppage victory against Anthony Yarde where he showed leaks in his defense but followed that up by knocking out former unified super middleweight champion Callum Smith in seven one sided rounds. This fight looked to be an excellent clash of styles with two undefeated champions meeting in a boxer meets brawler match up. This is a truly flip of the coin type of fight with no clear favorite. The match up is also a fight that is guaranteed to deliver in terms of action. Hopefully, this fight can be rescheduled this year and more importantly, Beterviev will be back to form. I can still remember the terrible and quick decline of Sergio Martinez following a series of knee injuries.
The above mentioned Deontay Wilder is rumored to have a fight scheduled in August in Los Angeles against rising young prospect Jared Anderson. Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority is working on putting together his first US fight card. Is this legitimate is a big question as Wilder is set to fight June 1st and is rumored to return August 3. Wilder fights one to two times a year and is going to fight twice in two months? Is this a publicity stunt to boost the event? Wilder is oft injured, looked gun shy and unable to pull the trigger against Joseph Parker in December and Zhang is a heavy puncher. Despite losing to Parker, Zhang did break his nose and knock Parker down twice in defeat. I have a hard time seeing Wilder win unscathed and even if he had won might be broken down when facing Anderson a few months later. This reminds me of when Canelo Alvarez knocked out Sergey Kovelev a few months after Kovelev went to war with Anthony Yarde. Wilder is not in his 20’s anymore and I don’t know if he can do this turnaround. Anderson is a promising contender who I have written extensively on. In normal circumstances I would pick Wilder given his experience and power. Anderson also failed to impress against Charles Martin in his largest step up to date. He has also since regressed in level of opposition since. Does Anderson see something? Merely capitalizing on an older opponent coming off a loss and a short turnaround? Joseph Parker hit big with two fights in a short period of time and is seeing a renaissance after being written off. Wilder may be trying to replicate the model.
The Devin Hanev-Ryan Garcia WBC title fight at 140 lbs. was already controversial after Ryan came in three pounds over weight. The upset and star making performance by Garcia is now tainted by two positive tests for PED Ostarine on April 19 and April 20. This has all seemed to kill the rematch which was already unlikely. Haney’s promoter Match Room is pushing to have the results overturned to a no contest. Garcia can have the B-sample tested but he is likely to be fined and suspended. I am waiting to see what happens before commenting or speculating further. I will let one of my favorite boxing commentators discuss this below:
Turki Ahalashik reportedly approached David Benavidez to face Terrence Crawford at middleweight. Benavidez rejected this fight and the obvious inability to make the weight limit in a division he has not competed at professionally. Benavidez is also a well known weight cutter who blows up overnight after making the limit. The idea that the fight was offered to him is very curious to say the least. Much like the Wilder-Anderson fight, is this real or just a way to generate headlines? As Saudi officials expand into boxing time will tell if this is circus or serious. Interestingly enough, Crawford has expressed interest in Canelo at 168 but not Benavidez. I suppose its the reward for the risk. Benavidez is currently set t o face former WBC light-heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June while Terrence Crawford competes for the WBA 154 lb title against undefeated but little know Israel Madrimov from Uzbekistan. Crawford does have a win over Benavidez’s brother Jose Jr which adds an interesting angle but not interesting enough.
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