DOMESTIC DUTIES
If there was one thing we were reminded of the weekend before last, it was that big British fights are like no other. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the three best domestic world title fights we could potentially see in 2024.
Daniel Dubois vs Anthony Joshua
It has been a strange two years in the world of Daniel Dubois, from winning the WBA Regular title in a flooded Florida Casino, to hitting the canvas three times in one round before a crowd of 60,000. Even still, he now sits in one of the division’s most powerful positions.
Granted, there are many pieces of the puzzle to be assembled before he can defend his IBF world title against Anthony Joshua. For starters, he has to beat Filip Hrgovic on June 1st.
Even before that, there is some belt-related admin to resolve in the 14 days that follow Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua will see the opportunity as too good to pass up - a chance to become three-time world champion, and line up an undisputed contest with the winner of the Fury-Usyk clash.
What an era this is.
Chris Billam-Smith vs Richard Riakporhe
We are likely to get an official announcement for this one soon, making it five years since the pair’s first meeting. On that occasion, it was Riakporhe who came out on top at London’s O2 Arena.
And once again we are expecting a clash in the capital, with Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park one of the rumoured venues for the already-agreed June showdown.
After his win in 2019, you’d have found it hard to imagine Billam-Smith would have beaten his counterpart to a shot at a world title, but Riakporhe can relay such happenings to severe mismanagement of what was a flying career.
The ‘Midnight Train’ went static after he was pulled from a purse bid to fight then-IBF world champion Jai Opetaia. Instead, it was an eight rounder against Dylan Bregeon in Wolves.
Thankfully for him - and the eye - Lawrence Okolie’s move to Bridgerweight has scuppered a Billam-Smith rematch, meaning we have a fight between the WBO champion and Riakporhe.
Sunny Edwards vs Galal Yafai
It will be quite the story, considering the lengths in which their brothers went to actively avoid making an Edwards vs Yafai matchup. From Charlie vs Kal, to now Sunny vs Galal.
Thankfully I think things are a little bit different with these two.
Sunny has shown that he will put his mouth on the line and fight anyone, anywhere, regardless of the threat they pose.
Yafai’s pedigree means both he and Eddie Hearn are eager to formulate the big fights, which at flyweight are few and far between.
Of course, for this to be a world title fight, one of the two will need to get their hands on a piece of the pie. Galal is ranked top 15 in ALL governing bodies, whilst Sunny is in all but one.
The pair are ranked in the top 10 together with both the WBC and IBF, but have two fierce propositions clutching said belts.
One, of course, being Jesse Rodriguez… we’ll move on.
WBC champion Julio Cesar Martinez hasn’t shown himself to be the most disciplined, failing even to make weight for his super-flyweight battle with Roman Gonzalez in March 2022.
He didn’t look particularly polished in his title defence last month, scraping past Angelino Cordova on a split.
That being said, he is no slouch. A move up to 115 or even 118lbs could leave wiggle room for one of Sunny or Galal to fight for the title won by Charlie back in November 2018.
There are moves to be made first, but being under the same promotional banner, and with a backstory sellable beyond the boxing clique, there is no reason as to why this one couldn’t happen before the end of 2024.
Oscar Bevis
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