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Nick Parkinson
Bouts between British boxers have garnered international attention in recent years, and Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is now the sport’s most sought after fight.
Tony Bellew-David Haye, Haye-Dereck Chisora, Carl Froch-George Groves and Josh Warrington-Carl Frampton have been among the biggest all-British fights in the past decade. Going back further, we had Nigel Benn-Chris Eubank, Eubank-Michael Watson and Lennox Lewis-Frank Bruno.
Boxing might be on hold right now due to the coronavirus pandemic, but with restrictions due to ease are there any all-British fights in the pipeline?
ESPN looks at the potential British blockbusters and assesses their chances of becoming a reality in the next year or so.
Daniel Dubois vs. Joe Joyce
Let’s start on a positive note — this mouth-watering heavyweight contest between two unbeaten contenders is set to go ahead. We just don’t know when yet as promoter Frank Warren has had to put it back from April, and then July. Warren wants to stage this bout in front of fans, so autumn is a possibility.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 5/5
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua
This fight is one that most fans want to see happen more than any other in the next year. It would decide the undisputed world heavyweight champion. But it does not look like it will be their next fight due to other bouts scheduled for later this year.
Both WBC champion Fury and WBA-IBF-WBO king Joshua are keen on facing each other in 2021, but what if Fury loses to Deontay Wilder in a third meeting later this year? Will Joshua, who has an easier task against Bulgarian veteran Kubrat Pulev next, then switch his focus to Wilder in 2021? Some doubts remain when, or if, we will get to see Fury-Joshua next year.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 4/5
Anthony Yarde v Joshua Buatsi
These two light-heavyweight contenders are likely to take different routes until they are world champions. Buatsi is well positioned for a shot at the WBA or IBF belts, and he might feel he needs another fight or two before taking on the likes of Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
Meanwhile, Yarde, who lost his father and grandmother to coronavirus last month, faces English rival Lyndon Arthur next as he attempts to secure a WBO shot following stoppage defeat to Russian Sergey Kovalev for that title in August last year. Yarde-Buatsi is a fight we want to see — just not yet.
Reality check (chances of happening inside a year): 0/5
Callum Smith vs. Billy Joe Saunders
If Smith and Saunders miss out on the jackpot (a money-spinning fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez either in September or December) then another option has to be to face each other in a super-middleweight title unification fight. Smith (WBC) and Saunders (WBA) are looking for a big fight and facing each other generates more interest and cash than any other fight outside of facing Canelo or Gennadiy Golovkin. With Canelo-Golovkin III possible for the end of the year, Smith-Saunders could come into play if both are overlooked by Canelo. Both are promoted by Eddie Hearn.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 3/5
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams
Both appear in top five rankings of different world governing bodies, so matching them could prove difficult. Predicting Eubank’s career course has been difficult and, after a foray in the super-middleweight division, he is back targeting the middleweight division. Now based in the United States with trainer Roy Jones Jr., these two seem miles away right now. Eubank is talking about the likes of WBC champion Jermall Charlo, or even Golovkin and Canelo.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 1/5
Kell Brook vs. Liam Smith
For years we have craved a fight between Brook and Amir Khan, and with time running out on Brook’s career, he has a better chance of a British blockbuster happening against Liam Smith. The former world champions share the same promoter (Hearn), and are looking for one more big night. Both have been linked with US opponents — Brook with Terence Crawford, Smith with Jessie Vargas — for their next bout, and a match-up with each other could potentially mean the end of the loser’s career.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 3/5
Luke Campbell vs. Lee Selby
Both are promoted by Hearn, but we won’t see these two stylists meet next. Campbell is set to dispute the interim WBC lightweight title with Javier Fortuna in latest news, while Selby is ranked No. 9 with the same governing body. Selby, the former IBF world featherweight champion, is also ranked No. 1 with the WBO so is likely to take a different course to Campbell, No. 2 in the WBC.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 2/5
Michael Conlan vs. Ryan Walsh
This fight hinges on what Shakur Stevenson does. If the American vacates the WBO featherweight title, then Conan-Walsh becomes a big possibility. Conlan, from Northern Ireland, is No. 1 with the WBO, and Walsh, from England, is No 3. Ruben Villa is sandwiched between. Both Walsh and Conlan are managed by MTK Global, and it is a fight that seems logical to make.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 5/5
Josh Warrington vs. Kid Galahad
If you caught Warrington-Galahad I a year ago, you will take a lot of convincing on why you should tune in to watch a sequel. Despite the turgid first encounter, there is a good chance a rematch will happen in the next year or so as local rival Galahad has recovered from the split points defeat to Warrington to earn mandatory challenger status again. Warrington has bigger targets — Shakur Stevenson being one — but he may have to deal with challengers closer to home, in his native Yorkshire, as well.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 4/5
Charlie Edwards vs. Kal Yafai
This fight seemed one to look forward to, but Edwards recently switched promoters making it less likely they will face each other at junior bantamweight, now that Edwards has stepped up a division. Whether a title is on the line or not, it remains an interesting match-up.
Reality check (chances of happening within a year): 0/5