Boxing in 2024

 

Boxing in 2024: four burning questions surrounding the game's biggest stars heading into a brand-new year

 

Boxing has always been an unpredictable recreation, from outcomes within the ring to what fights may even get made. mix in a number of sanctioning our bodies with world championships throughout a huge range of weight classes and it can be hard to understand what a new 12 months will bring for the game.

 

looking returned at 2023, the 12 months proved unpredictable in large ways. Fights that by no means appeared as though they could get made came together, superb warring parties rose their performances to new degrees and upsets have been sprinkled in at some point of the yr.

 

knowing the chaos of the sport and with this kind of massive 12 months now inside the rear-view replicate, it's time to take a glance beforehand and reflect on consideration on what 2024 could convey.

 

With a lot to pick out from, the writers at CBS sports activities took it upon themselves to reply some of the most important questions at the leading edge as a clean 365 days of combating is ready to begin this weekend.

 

let's dive proper in now to the questions and predictions from "Morning Kombat" host Brian Campbell as well as workforce writers Brent Brookhouse and Shakiel Mahjouri.

 

can not get sufficient boxing and MMA? Get the state-of-the-art inside the world of combat sports activities from two of the best in the commercial enterprise. enroll in Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the first-class analysis and in-depth news.

 

 

With many super fights going down in 2023, what is the most important unification fight of 2024?

Unanimous: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury

 

the short answer is that, from a ancient viewpoint, there in all likelihood might not be a larger combat in 2024 than the Feb. 17 heavyweight unification among unbeaten champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, if you want to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt technology. it's a fight between two of the pinnacle pound-for-pound boxers of the day and a definitive matchup set to crown the nice heavyweight of this era. however what occurs after that combat, consisting of the possibility of a direct rematch, should get exciting. Former unified champion Anthony Joshua, who will face former UFC megastar Francis Ngannou in March, may want to stumble right into a identify shot if the IBF follows through on its hazard to strip the Fury-Usyk winner after the fight must they are seeking for a rematch and avoid obligatory challenger Filip Hrgovic. If Joshua defeats Hrgovic for the name, him dealing with Fury in a protracted-awaited meeting among global stars based inside the UK , could be a good larger unification given the famous person energy of both. -- Campbell

 

Who's primed for a breakout 12 months?

Campbell: David Benavidez

 

although he came up quick as a finalist for boxer of the year in 2023, unbeaten exquisite middleweight David Benavidez is primed to emerge as a global celebrity if matters cross his way in the new year. fresh off of dominant wins over Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade, each of which established him as a valid pay-according to-view megastar, Benavidez has his eyes set on undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. maximum accept as true with a title showdown is inevitable for September, at some point of Mexican Independence Day weekend in Las Vegas. but Benavidez has even long past the route of pronouncing he is inclined to fight any of Alvarez's capability might also combatants just to cast off them as opportunities for the champion's spring return. both way, the "Mexican Monster," that is the moniker Benavidez was given by using none apart from Mike Tyson, is the most effective fighter south of 175 kilos that one would consider favoring towards Alvarez. Benavidez has the size, hand speed and demeanor to be a trouble towards all and sundry.

 

Brookhouse: Xander Zayas

 

Zayas closed out 2023 with his 0.33 win of the 12 months, raising his seasoned file to 18-0 with 12 KOs. In his final fight of the year, Zayas turned into put in the featured undercard bout on the card that featured Rafael Espinoza scoring his surprise win over Robeisy Ramirez inside the combat of the year. Zayas made the maximum of the highlight, scoring  body shot knockdowns of Jorge Fortea, the second of which completed the fight. Zayas' team has taken a strong route in transferring him up through the ranks and grabbing a few fringe belts, however after the win, he called for a fight with former global champion Patrick Teixeira. it truly is a remarkable step for Zayas to take as he seems to make a piece more noise at 154 pounds. At just 21 years old, Zayas is a person who can be making quite a few noise before the quit of 2024.

 

Mahjouri: Junto Nakatani

 

Nakatani cruises into the brand new 12 months with the wind in his sails. Nakatani's vicious stoppage of Andrew Moloney won CBS sports activities' 2023 Knockout of the yr and optimistically exposed him to a brand new audience. The WBO junior bantamweight can grow to be a three-division champion via beating Alexandro Santiago on Feb. 24. It took longer than it have to have for the North American audience to recognize Naoya Inoue's brilliance. Inoue's fulfillment has drawn worldwide eyes to Japan, optimistically drawing attention to exquisite opponents like Nakatani who are primed for huge matters.

 

How usually does Francis Ngannou appear inside the ring?

Campbell: twice. not only will Ngannou face Anthony Joshua in March, it's very viable -- win or lose -- that he is going directly to advantage a rematch against Tyson Fury earlier than the yr is performed. whether or not Fury finally ends up defeating Oleksandr Usyk or not in their February unification, there will nonetheless be a marketplace for a 2d Fury-Ngannou fight after the former UFC champion stunned the sector remaining fall while he dropped Fury in Saudi Arabia and nearly won their non-title bout, which ended thru disputed break up decision. the biggest loser in this state of affairs might be PFL, which signed Ngannou to a big MMA deal. however at 37, there's absolutely too much money to be had in the mean time for Ngannou in heavyweight boxing, mainly because of Saudi Arabia's beneficent monetary interest in bringing promoters collectively to make big occasions.

 

Brookhouse: After pushing Fury to the threshold and now touchdown a fight with Anthony Joshua, Ngannou is making the quality of his stint as a boxer. If Ngannou can beat Joshua, he nearly in reality packing containers once more earlier than the quit of 2024, in all likelihood even for the IBF championship if the sanctioning frame follows via on stripping the Fury vs. Usyk winner as their contractually obligated rematch will prevent them from following thru on the responsibility to fight their mandatory challenger. Filip Hrgovic is that obligatory challenger and the policies would country a No. 1 vs. No. 2 fight, which could likely be Hrgovic vs. Joshua after the next ranking replace. With a win over Joshua, Ngannou may be put into that slot. Or, there would be cash in a rematch with Joshua. If Joshua wins, however, i'd expect Ngannou to shift lower back to MMA for a fight or . A ability fight with Deontay Wilder nonetheless has a bit of shine for Ngannou, but Wilder's horrible performance in opposition to Joseph Parker did not inspire a number of self belief that Wilder plans to continue preventing a good deal longer. it is difficult to mention that Ngannou could stick round boxing for fights with men who do not have loads of call cost. to reply the question: Ngannou boxes twice in 2024 if he beats Joshua and handiest once if he does no longer.

 

Mahjouri: credit score to Ngannou, he seeks the most important names and hardest warring parties in heavyweight boxing. he will face Anthony Joshua in March. Ngannou can maintain himself in high-profile boxing fights as long as he appears able. A valiant attempt in defeat leaves room for Ngannou to field Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury, should the latter lose to Oleksandr Usyk. there's also the opportunity for Ngannou to step again and combat the ranks of Zhilei Zhang, Joseph Parker, Daniel Dubois, Joe Joyce or Jarrell Miller. A win puts him in line for just about whatever. Ngannou has more options in boxing than MMA. If he fights Joshua in March as predicted, Ngannou can match a second boxing bout in 2024.

 

Who disappoints/fails to meet expectancies?

Campbell: Jaime Munguia

 

For all of the speak surrounding how near the 42-zero Jaime Munguia is from doubtlessly going through Canelo Alvarez in an All-Mexico showdown in might also, there's next to no guarantee he even gets there. Munguia, a former 154-pound champion, has fought continuously woeful opposition at middleweight and excellent middleweight on the grounds that shifting up from junior middleweight in 2020. He stored himself from a cut up-selection loss in his hardest combat to this point remaining June towards 38-year-antique Sergiy Derevyanchenko with the aid of scoring a knockdown on a frame shot in the very last round. but Munguia need to first continue to exist every other hard take a look at to close January when he welcomes John Ryder, a long lasting high-quality middleweight who went the space remaining 12 months towards Alvarez in Mexico. Munguia has always been an thrilling fighter to observe but hasn't shown the need to be exceptional with the aid of taking over the great opposition. It would not be a shocker if all of it stuck up with him in 2024.

 

Brookhouse: Gervonta Davis

 

I hate that i am announcing this given he's one of the maximum popular, dynamic and exciting opponents in the game, however if Gervonta Davis would not combat an elite fighter in 2024, there can be a few critical questions. Davis fighting Ryan Garcia became a big fight at the field office and he confirmed just how right he is in dispatching any other younger star. in spite of Garcia's reputation, he isn't always at the tier of truly tremendous opponents around Davis' weight. With guys like Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson -- to name the "massive two" potential Davis warring parties -- inside reach and boxing all of sudden hitting an era of huge and vital fights happening at a rapid clip, Davis wishes to peer the ones forms of fights come collectively. This is not a knock on Davis but as an alternative a choice to look a person with terrific abilities get in with a person who can push him. If 2024 is a 12 months of fights like Davis vs. Isaac Cruz 2 and nothing more, that might be a seriously disappointing marketing campaign for one in every of the game's satisfactory.