Highlights
- 2023 was a great year for boxing with dream fights finally happening.
- 2024 is shaping up to be another incredible year for the sport with exciting matchups on the horizon.
- High-stakes bouts like Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford and Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk will crown champions and define legacies.
It's hard to emphasize how good 2023 was for the sport of boxing. Fans finally got to see long-discussed dream fights, such as Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr., Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, and more. Furthermore, it seems like 2024 is set to be another incredible year for the sport, with contests such as Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk already announced.
10 MMA Fights We're Looking Forward To In 2024
These are the most exciting MMA fights in Bellator and the UFC to look forward to in 2024.That bout will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, who last pulled it off over two decades ago. However, even going beyond that heavyweight clash, 2024 is shaping up to be another incredible year for boxing.
10 Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford
'Bud' Aims To Become A Three-Weight Champion In 2024
Canelo Alvarez | Terence Crawford |
|---|---|
5'8" | 5'8" |
168 Pounds | 147 Pounds |
60-2-2 (Pre-Fight Record) | 40-0 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Following Terence Crawford's victory over Errol Spence Jr. earlier this summer, he made history. With the win over 'The Truth', he became the first man in boxing history to become a two-time undisputed champion. However, he doesn't want to stop at a second weight class.
In recent months, Crawford has called out Canelo Alvarez for a fight at super-middleweight. A battle between two of the sport's pound-for-pound best would be wild to see, and will also be a legacy-defining bout for both.
9 Teofimo Lopez vs. Subriel Matias
'The Takeover' Will Reportedly Return Next Year
Teofimo Lopez | Subriel Matias |
|---|---|
5'8" | 5'9" |
140 Pounds | 140 Pounds |
19-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 20-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Teofimo Lopez retired following a victory over Josh Taylor earlier this year. However, almost as soon as he retired, he began teasing that he would return for the right fight. In recent weeks, that "right fight", has been revealed to be Subriel Matias.
'Browny' is something of a boogeyman at junior welterweight, holding a 20-1 record with all wins coming by finish. This fight is yet to be finalized, but if it comes together there's no doubt it would be a thrilling one.
8 Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron 3
'KT' and 'II Capo' Will Reportedly Meet at Croke Park in 2024
Katie Taylor | Chantelle Cameron |
|---|---|
5'5" | 5'11" |
140 Pounds | 140 Pounds |
23-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 18-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Katie Taylor's rivalry with Chantelle Cameron really came out of nowhere. Heading into 2023, she was expected to rematch Amanda Serrano, but after 'The Real Deal' suffered an injury, she decided to move up in weight.
There, she met the U.K.'s Cameron, who defeated her in the first fight. The Irish star later avenged her defeat in Dublin in the November, and Eddie Hearn has stated their plans to book the trilogy fight at Croke Park next year.
7 Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia
'The Dream' and 'KingRy' Seem Destined To Meet
Devin Haney | Ryan Garcia |
|---|---|
5'8" | 5'8" |
140 Pounds | 140 Pounds |
31-0 (Pre-Fight Record) | 24-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia are both now fighting at super lightweight. For a long time, the two teased that they would meet at lightweight, but failed to book a fight against each other. However, following their recent wins, they showed renewed interest in booking the bout.
It still remains to be seen if this bout will happen in 2024, as there's still a lot of work to be done. However, Garcia's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, who hasn't been on his side recently, stated his intention to make the mega fight happen.
6 Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn
These British Stars Will (Hopefully) Clash Next Year
Chris Eubank Jr. | Conor Benn |
|---|---|
5'11" | 5'8" |
160 Pounds | 147 Pounds |
33-3 (Pre-Fight Record) | 22-0 (Pre-Fight Record) |
The saga between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn has been going on for nearly two years now. In early 2022, the two booked a fight for the Fall, that was canceled due to 'The Destroyer' failing a drug test.
As of now, these two are hoping to finally book their long-awaited bout for February at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, that remains to be seen, as Benn is still dealing with the fallout from his failed drug test.
5 Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev
Light Heavyweight Gold Is Up For Grabs
Dmitry Bivol | Artur Beterbiev |
|---|---|
6'0" | 6'0 |
175 Pounds | 175 Pounds |
21-0 (Pre-Fight Record) | 19-0 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev have been in talks to fight for years now. The two light heavyweights have dominated every challenger they've faced thus far, but have been unable to reach a deal.
However, the two have renewed optimism for a 2024 fight thanks to Bivol's association with Saudi Arabia. He still has to defeat Lyndon Arthur in December but could meet Beterbiev next summer.
4 Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou II
'The Gypsy King' and 'The Predator' Clashed in Saudi Arabia Earlier This Year
Tyson Fury | Francis Ngannou |
|---|---|
6'9" | 6'4" |
277.7 Pounds | 272.1 Pounds |
33-0-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 0-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou met earlier this year, in one of the more shocking fights of the year. Naturally, the British boxer entered the matchup as a massive betting favorite and was expected to dominate the debuting MMA fighter.
Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury (And 9 Other Times MMA Fighters Competed in Boxing)
Many MMA fighters such as Francis Ngannou crossed over to boxing, some failed while others succeeded.Instead, the PFL star knocked down Fury and nearly upset him out on the scorecards. Ultimately, the boxer walked away with the win by split-decision. However, both Fury and Ngannou have called for a rematch, after the Brit's February bout with Oleksandr Usyk.
3 Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder
'AJ' and 'The Bronze Bomber' Are Finally Expected To Fight
Anthony Joshua | Deontay Wilder |
|---|---|
6'6" | 6'7" |
250 Pounds | 214 Pounds |
26-3 (Pre-Fight Record) | 43-2-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were in talks to finally meet in December in Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, plans changed, and they will instead co-headline a pay-per-view event that month. 'AJ' will face Otto Wallin, while 'The Bronze Bomber' will face former champ Joseph Parker.
While some were frustrated by those matchups, the good news is that both men have signed multi-fight deals with the Saudis. If Joshua and Wilder win in December, they're expected to finally meet next year.
2 Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez
These Mexican Superstars Are On A Collision Course
Canelo Alvarez | David Benavidez |
|---|---|
5'8" | 6'2" |
168 Pounds | 168 Pounds |
60-2-2 (Pre-Fight Record) | 28-0 (Pre-Fight Record) |
David Benavidez has been Canelo Alvarez's WBC mandatory challenger for years now. While the undisputed champion has been looking for superfights with names such as Jermell Charlo and Terence Crawford, 'The Mexican Monster' has been busy dominating.
7 Canelo Alvarez Losses And Controversial Wins In Boxing
Canelo Alvarez is an all time great but has suffered huge losses and benefited from perceived favourable scoring.As of now, these two don't have a deal to fight. However, recent reports have indicated that they will likely meet in September, for Mexican Independence Day.
1 Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk
History Will Be Made On February 17th
Tyson Fury | Oleksandr Usyk |
|---|---|
6'9" | 6'3" |
277.7 Pounds | 220.9 Pounds |
33-0-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 21-0 (Pre-Fight Record) |
As previously mentioned, a fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will be a historic one. These two had a whirlwind of a time trying to book a contest together. However, thanks to Saudi Arabia, they somehow got the deal done.
While the fight was postponed from December to February, there's no doubt this bout is worth the wait. The winner of this bout will solidify themselves as the greatest heavyweight of their generation, and one of the greatest ever in their weight class.
