With the change of the calendar to the month of May, we get ready for fighters like Naoya Inoue, "Zurdo" Ramirez, Fabio Wardley and Oleksandr Usyk to defend their titles.
As we have flipped the calendar to the month of May, already, it's time for arguably the most massive month of championship fights that boxing has had in the last couple of years. Starting with this weekend there will be four massive championship main event cards from Japan to Las Vegas to England to Egypt.
It begins in Tokyo early Saturday morning in the Western Hemisphere as undisputed 122 lb. champ Naoya "The Monster" Inoue, who is arguably the top pound for pound fighter in the world, will put his titles on the line against fellow countrymen and unified bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani.
This fight doesn't need extra hyperbole, as it is quite possibly the biggest all Japanese world title showdown ever. Inoue, 32-0, 27 KOs, has already been undisputed in the bantamweight division and has a Hall of Fame Legacy secured. And, if Nakatani, 32-0, can somehow stay with The Monster, much less pull the upset, it will be one of the most remarkable nights in the history of Japanese boxing.
The 55,000 seat Tokyo Dome was sold out in a matter of a couple of hours earlier this year. And now, it's time to see if Inoue, who's won 27 straight world title bouts, can continue his massive roll that he's been on?
Then, later on Saturday night U.S. time in Las Vegas, the highly anticipated cruiserweight unified world title defense by Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez takes place against WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez. Staged on the traditional "Cinco de Mayo" fight weekend, these two Mexicans are ready to do battle in a high-stakes main event.
Benavidez, 31-0. 25 KOs, is looking for his third world title in a third different weight division and Ramirez, 48-1, 30 KOs, is looking for the biggest win of his career. Both Fighters can punch and there is plenty of drama with this main event.
Watch Dan Rafael with me off our "Big Fight Weekend Youtube Preview" giving our insight on the Inoue and Benavidez fights by clicking play below,
That leads to next weekend and the WBO heavyweight title showdown between Brit's Fabio Wardley, who will be making his first title defense ,and former world champ, Daniel Dubois. Wordley, 20-0-1, 19 KOs, is fresh off his dramatic TKO stoppage of Joseph Parker in October to claim the WBO belt. Meanwhile, Dubois, 22-3. 21 KOs, who has a recent knockout over former champ Anthony Joshua, has also suffered a couple of knockout losses to Olexandr Usyk.
And, Speaking of Usyk, the winner of this fight, particularly if it's Wardley maybe in position to fight the Ukrainian unified heavyweight champ coming up later this year.
That's after Usyk, 24-0. 15 KOs., caps the month on May 23rd, when he defends the WBC and Ring magazine heavyweight titles against championship kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.
Usyk has dominated the heavyweight division over the last four years with two wins over Joshua, two wins over Tyson Fury and the two knockouts of Dubois. He is a lock for the Hall of Fame and arguably, along with Inoue, the best pound for pound fighter active in the game.
You combine this with the Intrigue of whether the kickboxer Verhoven, who hasn't boxed in over a decade, can actually threaten him, plus the backdrop of the Egyptian pyramids, and you've got plenty to get excited about in that one.
There are no guarantees, but it appears to be a loaded May of title bouts.