2024 has already offered some incredible boxing matches for fans to enjoy. Ray Ford’s right hook on Otabek Kholmatov was an awesome underdog victory. Eduardo Nunez’s knockout of Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov was similarly great. But the best fights of 2024 may still be in front of us.
Obviously, a lot of the upcoming fights are going to be promoted well. Jake Paul is arguably the biggest entertainer in boxing right now. He certainly draws the most public attention, and he has TWO fights scheduled for this calendar year.
On top of that, there are also several title matches for anyone looking to watch the best of the best duke it out. Here are the biggest boxing events to look out for in the second half of 2024.
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2024 Boxing Events
*All boxing events are subject to change
Date |
Main Event |
Weightclass/Title |
Location |
How to watch |
July 7 |
Kazuto Ioka (c) vs. Fernando Martinez (c) |
WBA/IBF Junior Bantamweight titles |
Tokyo |
ESPN |
July 12 |
Roman Gonzalez vs. Rober Barrera |
Bantamweight |
Nicaragua |
ESPN+ |
July 13 |
Janibek Alimkhanuly (c) vs. Andrei Mikhailovich |
WBO/IBF middleweight titles |
Las Vegas, NV |
ESPN/ESPN+ |
July 13 |
Jaron Ennis (c) vs. David Avanesyan |
IBF welterweight title |
Philadelphia, PA |
DAZN |
July 19 |
Alexis Rocha vs. Santiago Dominguez |
Welterweight |
Indio, CA |
DAZN |
July 20 |
Junto Nakatani (c) vs. Vincent Astrolabio |
WBC Bantamweight title |
Tokyo |
ESPN+ |
July 20 |
Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry |
Cruiserweight |
Tampa, FL |
DAZN |
July 27 |
Joey Joyce vs. Derek Chisora |
Heavyweight |
London |
ESPN+ |
July 27 |
Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (c) vs. Claressa Shields |
WBC heavyweight title |
Detroit, MI |
DAZN |
August 3 |
Israil Madrimov (c) vs. Terence Crawford |
WBA “super” middleweight title |
Los Angeles, CA |
DAZN |
August 10 |
Luis Alberto Lopez (c) vs. Angelo Leo |
IBF featherweight title |
Albuquerque, NM |
ESPN/ESPN+ |
August 10 |
Serhii Bohahcuk (c) vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. |
WBC junior middleweight title |
Las Vegas, NV |
DAZN |
August 17 |
Christian Mbilli vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko |
Super middleweight |
Quebec City, Canada |
ESPN/ESPN+ |
August 24 |
Jack Catterall vs. Regis Prograis |
Junior welterweight |
Manchester, England |
DAZN |
September 21 |
Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua |
IBF heavyweight title |
London |
DAZN |
November 15 |
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul |
Heavyweight |
Arlington, TX |
Netflix |
December 21 |
Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Tyson Fury |
Heavyweight championship |
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
TBD |
Best matches to watch out for
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury
The fight so nice, they’re doing it twice. After Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion after defeating Tyson Fury in March, the pair have already agreed to a rematch, slated for December 21 this year. Obviously, the pair already had a two fight deal intact before their first fight, but after the highly-anticipated first fight went blow-for-blow, resulting in a split decision, the second fight should be even more enticing for fans.
Jaron Ennis vs. David Avanesyan
Jaron Ennis will put his undefeated record on the line on July 13, less than a week from now, and moreover, he’s doing so in front of his hometown. Ennis obtained his welterweight title in January 2023 and retained in July 2023 with a tenth-round knockout against Roiman Villa.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson
Could you write a boxing article and not talk about this fight? It’s been hyped up so much, talked about everywhere, and had its own controversy (having to be pushed back after a medical scare from Tyson). Should a 58-year-old ever go into the ring with a 27-year-old? Would beating 58-year-old Mike Tyson actually convince people that Jake Paul is a legitimate boxer? Does Paul even care about earning that recognition, or is he just aiming to fight in a match that everyone will want to watch?
There is so much intrigue about this matchup; it’s baffling. It’s not even a title match, yet it’s the main event for a show that will feature a title match. That is wild.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boxing schedule and best fights for the second half of 2024