By Eóin Kennedy
Teofimo Lopez is trying to appeal to an untapped boxing market as he takes on Steve Claggett in Miami Beach, Florida tonight. Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will fight for the now vacant IBF heavyweight world title in a massive all-English encounter at Wembley Stadium. Gervonta Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko look like they might finally throw down, is it still a massive fight? Let’s take a look further into some of the biggest stories in boxing today.
Teofimo vs Claggett. Do we Really Care?
No disrespect is meant towards super-lightweight world challenger tonight, Canadian Steve Claggett, when I say that this upcoming fight with Teofimo Lopez has no buzz. It’ always cool to see boxing venture into lesser-known markets and introduce the viewing audience to a different atmosphere. We’ve become so accustomed to Las Vegas, New York and now Saudia Arabia shows, that the novelty of a Phoenix, Arizona or Miami Beach, Florida is always welcomed. What’s not so welcomed is the choice of opponent for Lopez. Steve Claggett is a journeyman from the prairie province of Alberta, Canada and he brings seven loses to the ring tonight. Lopez is an elite fighter on his best nights, but he’s hampered by inconsistency and tends to fight either up or down to the level of his opponent. Fans aren’t particularly interested in Teofimo vs Claggett and Top Rank are running into the same issues with Lopez as they are with Shakur Stephenson. They’re having too many insignificant fights. Bob Arum needs to ensure that Lopez navigates this challenge and then start providing the Brooklyn fighter with massive fights before he slips on another banana skin and loses his world title again.
Joshua vs Dubois – A Fun Wembley Fight
Heavyweight world-title fights are always fun occasions, especially when there’s a personality clash between the two fighters. When you add into the mix that it’s a domestic fight and that the winner will go on to fight the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury rematch and earn astronomical amounts of money in the process, well then then the sheer magnitude within the boxing world of the upcoming clash between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois cannot be overstated. For Joshua it’s a chance to become a three-time heavyweight world champion like the iconic Muhammed Ali. For Dubois it’s the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of the sport for the very first time. Each man has tasted defeat to current heavyweight kingpin, Usyk. Win this fight and they could possibly be fighting for redemption against the Ukrainian. Realistically the boxing world doesn’t desire seeing Usyk run it back against either man. The boxing world also doesn’t want Dubois to end up facing his Queensbury Promotions stablemate, Fury. Boxing wants Fury vs Joshua. This may be the last chance for the sport to see this fight come to life. A hell of a lot rides on the upcoming fights in the heavyweight division and the clash of two British powerhouses give fans plenty to get excited about.
Tank vs Lomachenko May Be Next – Too Late?
The fight that has been talked about for years may finally come to fruition, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs Vasyl Lomachenko. Lots has been made of Lomachenko’s age and how significant a factor it is in why Davis is finally choosing to fight him. The Olympic gold medalist is now thirty-six years old, and while we’ve seen older fighters than Lomachenko put on the gloves and take punishment, the length of his amateur career must also be considered. The Ukrainian has been on the road a long time and whether it be amateur or professional boxing, the toll is tough on the body and the wear and tear on the joints in particular can be unforgiving. Lomachenko has already had shoulder surgery and at this stage of his life he must at least be considering the prospect of retirement. ‘Tank’ Davis is one of boxings current stars, but he still badly needs a stand-out signature win. Beating Leo Santa Cruz at a higher weight than he usually fights at, and Ryan Garcia are not elite wins. Lomachenko is still a reigning world champion and modern legend of the sport, so he qualifies. If Tank gets the job done, he can say it’s the stand moment of his career thus far. Lomachenko has had a Hall of Fame boxing career already, but it feels like a long time since he’s had a truly massive night where the whole boxing world and beyond stopped and watched, and he was the one celebrating at the end. Losses to Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney are what’s fresh in the memories of fans when they think of Lomachenko now, therefore he also finds himself desperately searching for another signature win to remind the fans who he is before finally hanging the gloves up or good. Lots at stake, it’s certainly not too late for this fight.