RINGSIDE
• Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn , a done deal for April 26 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. I know this grudge match may not move the needle that much in the U.S., but imagine if one of Oscar De La Hoya’s sons boxed professionally and took on one of Fernando Vargas’ three fighting sons (preferably Emiliano). Now amp that buzz to 11 and you’ll have an idea of the crossover interest Eubank-Benn will have in the U.K. (There’s a reason it landed in a freakin’ stadium!) The rivalry between their fathers – Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn – invigorated British boxing during the early 1990s. And the sons genuinely hate each other as much as their dads did. This middleweight showdown will be the first of many events presented by The Ring in collaboration with SNK Games’ “Fatal Fury: City of Wolves” (an anime-stylized fighting game). • Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney co- headlining an outdoor event at New York City’s Times Square in May. Haney will take on former unified
Melikuziev – Pacheco, who’s about as well-rounded as one can expect a 23-year-old to be, continues to climb the 168-pound rankings (currently top five in The Ring, WBO, WBC and IBF ratings). Melikuziev, who’s 8-0 since getting KTFO by Gabriel Rosado in 2021, has not been able to rekindle the buzz he had prior to his lone loss, when he was known as “Bek the Bully.” However, the 28-year-old Uzbek remains a dangerous fringe contender and has the kind of reckless offensive style that could bring the best out of the sometimes lackadaisical Pacheco.
Matchroom Boxing and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions . If you recall, last year’s inaugural “5 vs. 5” event resulted in Sir Eddie’s quintet losing 0-5 to domestic rival Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions team, but Matchroom’s deep roster is thought to have a decided edge against Golden Boy’s stable of fighters. I’m not so sure about that, but this latest tournament – tentatively scheduled for June – has the wannabe-matchmaker portion of my brain churning. Here’s the lineup that I want to see (main event up top, Matchroom fighters to the left):
his shocking sixth-round KO of Jaime Munguia), and Moses Itauma (the just-turned 20-year-old heavyweight sensation who took home the Prospect of the Year award). Congratulations to all of the 2024 award winners and to the other nominees. As I stated in my brief speech before the awards were announced, these fighters and events are the boxing legends and lore of the future. However, the boxers and industry luminaries that converged upon London for the exclusive ceremony weren’t just there to hobnob and conduct interviews on the red carpet. Many of the sport’s top talents and attractions that were present – including Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Teofimo Lopez, Shakur Stevenson, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia – weren’t even award nominees. They were there to do business and cut deals with the owner of this fine publication, all of which led to exciting news during the first month of 2025. As we went to press, the following
junior welterweight beltholder Jose Ramirez in a non-title bout, while Garcia is slated to face Rolando “Rolly” Romero. This will be the second Ring Magazine/SNK Games-branded event and the first on U.S. soil. Both bouts will likely be contested a few pounds above the junior welterweight limit, and if Haney and Garcia are victorious, they have reportedly agreed to an October rematch of their controversial 12-round “no-contest.”
land at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Canelo is expected to fight on May 3 (the Saturday of Cinco De Mayo weekend) possibly against William Scull, holder of the IBF belt that was stripped from Alvarez last year. It’s not known if Crawford, who currently holds the WBA 154-pound title, will take an interim bout as well. • Teofimo Lopez vs. Richardson Hitchins (and then Jaron Ennis , and then maybe the winner of Garcia-Haney II). OK, this potential three-bout deal with the Ring Magazine/WBO 140-pound champ is still being worked out and, clearly, a lot of things have to happen to see it play out. However, both Lopez and his promoter, Bob Arum, have stated on record that they like this ambitious plan set forth by His Excellency. The first leg, expected to take place this summer, is risky. Hitchins, The Ring’s No. 4-rated junior welterweight and undefeated holder of the IBF strap, is the kind of stick-and-move stylist that has troubled Lopez in the past. But if Lopez were to defeat Hitchins, a showdown with Ennis – slated for October (and contingent upon The Ring’s No. 1-rated welterweight besting No. 2-rated Eimantas Stanionis for the vacant Ring Magazine championship on April 12) – would be one of the most anticipated all-American matchups of the year. If Lopez were to get by Ennis (and that’s a very big “if”) he would face the winner of the other anticipated all-American matchup, Garcia-Haney II, in February 2026. But of all of the news that followed the awards gala, what piqued my interest the most is a proposed title unification bout between unbeaten Ring Magazine/IBF cruiserweight champ Jai Opetaia and The Ring’s No. 1-rated 200-pounder, WBA/WBO beltholder Gilberto Ramirez . The matchup was mentioned as part of a “5 vs. 5” showdown between Eddie Hearn’s
• Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford for Alvarez’s Ring Magazine super middleweight
5. Ishmael Davis vs. Charles
championship and unified alphabet titles in September. This matchup of two future first-ballot hall of famers is undoubtedly the biggest potential event of 2025 (at least in North America). It will most likely happen on the 13th (the Saturday before Mexican Independence Day) and
Conwell – It says here that Davis is the best junior middleweight currently on a two-bout losing streak. Last year, the 29-year- old stylist from Leeds dropped a 12-round majority decision to Josh Kelly and was stopped after going six rounds with Serhii Bohachuk, but he took both bouts on very short notice (less than two weeks) and was still competitive. I’d like to see what Davis can do with a full camp. I’d also like to see Conwell – my choice as the darkhorse of the very deep 154-pound division – remain active (The Ring’s No. 8 contender is 3-0 with 3 KOs since signing with Golden Boy last year), showcasing his considerable talent and skill while waiting for his deserved title shot. Just my opinion, but I don’t think either promotional company will sweep this tournament. It will be close enough – and more importantly, entertaining enough – for fans to demand a 5 vs. 5 rematch. The main event for that one should be Vergil Ortiz Jr. (should he get by the skilled and dangerous Israil Madrimov on February 22) vs. Ennis (again, if “Boots” is successful against Stanionis). But I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I? What’s currently on the schedule is more than enough to start 2025 off with a bang.
1. Jai Opetaia vs. Gilberto
Ramirez – This all-southpaw clash pits Opetaia’s explosive athleticism vs. Zurdo’s experience, technique and workrate. Both have granite chins, so we can expect a world-class battle of attrition that rages into the championship rounds. 2. Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda – Like most fans and media, I expect Stevenson to successfully defend his WBC 135-pound title against Floyd Schofield on February 22. “Kid Austin” is a brash but still-developing prospect. Zepeda is a grown-ass man and a legit top- five lightweight contender (No. 4 according to The Ring). This is a classic boxer/technician vs. pressure fighter/volume puncher matchup. The Mexico-vs.-USA rivalry conjures images of Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Frankie Randall, Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Kennedy McKinney and Jose Luis Castillo vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. in my mind. 3. Jack Catterall vs. Oscar Duarte – This 140-pound matchup is contingent upon Catterall defeating Arnold Barboza and Duarte beating Regis Prograis (both bouts take place on February 15). If victorious (and both are the odds favorites), I’d love to be treated to another boxer (Catterall)-vs.-scrapper (Duarte) matchup. 4. Diego Pacheco vs. Bektemir
matchups were either rumored to be near finalization or had been announced:
A history-making event in Times Square could be followed by a second Garcia-Haney clash.
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