July 2024 boxing predictions

The June Report

Riyadh's 5 vs 5 card was a fun way to kick off the month. I'm still not sold on the team aspect though. I don't like boxing promoters. Nobody does. It makes zero sense to push their brands and figureheads the faces of the sport. The biggest star in UFC history is Dana White, why would anyone want boxing to suffer the same terrible fate?

• Zinad never had much chance as a late replacement. But you know what was nice to see? Turki AlAlshikh bigging him up after the fight for staying in there for so long against a top p4p fighter and even taking the fight to Bivol. Zinad lost the fight but he won my respect (and even a few rounds).
  • Prediction: Bivol by unanimous decision
  • Result: Bivol by TKO 6
• It was always going to be close but I thought Ford might've felt the need to go up a gear since his last performance.
  • Prediction: Ford by KO/TKO in the second half the fight
  • Result: Ball by split decision
• This was a pretty big upset by anyone's measure. Matías had chances but wasn't taking them, whereas Paro fought like a professional. Even a little dirty, which is something that people will do when they want to win badly enough.
  • Prediction: Matías by KO/TKO in the first half of the fight
  • Result: Paro by unanimous decision
• Tank is a great fighter. I just wish he'd stop fighting bums.
  • Prediction: Davis by KO/TKO in rounds 7-9
  • Result: Davis by KO 8
• While I figured it would be a close win for Billam-Smith, I never would have figured that Madonna would be involved with Riakporhe.
  • Prediction: Billam-Smith by split decision
  • Result: Billam-Smith by UD
• Judging by the comments under the """highlights""" I made the right call not watching this live.
  • Prediction: Adames by unanimous decision
  • Result: Adames by unanimous decision
• Espinoza scored a knockdown in the first round after a textbook Mexican uppercut and Chirino's slim chances only dwindled from there.
  • Prediction: Espinoza by KO/TKO in the middle rounds
  • Result: Espinoza by TKO 4
• They streamed this whole card for free on YouTube (with some muted sections, presumably due to copyrighted music), finally gave me a reason to watch a ProBoxTV card.
  • Prediction: Roach by unanimous decision
  • Result: Roach by TKO 8
• I said he might prove me wrong. Now we can say that Rodriguez has beaten both Estrada and Sunny 'The Rat' Edwards in convincing fashion.
  • Prediction: Estrada by unanimous decision
  • Result: Rodriguez by KO 7
• 🥱
  • Prediction: López by unanimous decision
  • Result: López by unanimous decision

7/10 on calling the right winner, not bad but room for improvement on calling a knockout or a decision.

July Schedule

Jul. 6th - Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan, WBC @ 135lbs

Harutyunyan couldn't beat Frank Martin, so I seriously doubt he'd beat Stevenson. Hopefully Stevenson steps up and fights Tank or Loma later this year. A man can dream.

Prediction: Stevenson by unanimous decision

Jul. 6th - O'Shaquie Foster vs. Robson Conceição, WBC @ 130lbs

Foster is a good boxer. Conceição is a great boxer (and Olympic gold-medallist) who has been on the unfortunate end of some decisions. If he does lose this one, let's hope that it's a fair one.

Prediction: Conceição by unanimous decision

Jul. 7th - Ioka Kazuto vs. Fernando Martínez, WBA/IBF @ 115lbs

Neither of them are power punches. But Martínez couldn't stop Jerwin Ancajas despite having 24 rounds to do so, something that the pillow-fisted Inoue Takuma did in a fight I called completely wrong. Ioka, fighting in Japan, should be able to see things over the line.

Prediction: Ioka by unanimous decision

Jul. 13th - Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Andrei Mikhailovich, WBO/IBF @ 160lbs

The streets are saying Janibek is being avoided, leaving him fighting a little-known (yet undefeated) Russian-born New Zealander. Middleweight shouldn't be this quiet. Adames likely won't fight again until 2025, Lara has always been a game fighter though so hopefully that fight gets made soon.

Prediction: Alimkhanuly by KO/TKO in the middle rounds

Jul. 13th - Jaron 'Boots' Ennis vs. David Avanesyan, IBF @ 147lbs

Boots became champ-on-paper when the IBF stripped Bud Crawford. He'll almost certainly beat Avanesyan, whose most recent fight bar one was getting hit in the human off-switch by Bud. I think Boots will do the same.

Prediction: Ennis by KO/TKO in the first half of the fight

Jul. 20th - Nakatani Junto vs. Vincent Astrolabio, WBC @ 118lbs

Astrolabio gets hit too much. Nakatani doesn't hit too lightly.

Prediction: Nakatani by KO/TKO in the second half of the fight

Jul. 20th - Tanaka "The Mexican Assassin" Kosei vs. Jonathan Javier Rodriguez, WBO @ 115lbs

Ok, you caught me, that's not his real nickname. It's a good one though. Rodriguez is the second Mexicano fighter being asked to take the trip across the Pacific to try and become champion. I'll be forced to reconsider Tanaka's nickname if he loses or fails to get the stoppage like in the fight against Rangel.

Prediction: Tanaka by KO/TKO in the second half of the fight

Jul. 20th - Kanō Riku vs. Anthony "Princesa" Olascuaga, WBO (vacant) @ 112lbs

No, I'm not joking. That is his real and official nickname. Princess is 6-1 (4 KOs), with the 1 being a last-minute replacement against Teraji Kenshiro last year. Despite eventually getting knocked out, he did better than most expected him to. Now at his preferred weightclass, he gets another title shot against Kanō, who is also in his first title fight at a more seasoned 22-4-2 (11 KOs). It's in Japan but Olascuaga has shown up in Japan before under worse conditions.

Prediction: Olascuaga by KO/TKO middle rounds

Jul. 28th - Shigeoka Ginjiro vs. Pedro Taduran, IBF @105lbs

There's every chance this fight might be rescheduled or cancelled.

Prediction: Shigeoka G. by KO/TKO middle rounds

Wilder-Zhang was a great match and it gave us one of the best boxing photos of the year so far.

Here's hoping Wilder is okay.

I had no idea Mikaelian-Rozicki was a Don King promotion, apparently Mikaelian picked up an eye injury so that fight is postponed. Speaking of Don King, I've requested his response to the Bunce podcast/documentary and have been told "Don will listen [to the series]". I feel more than a little bad asking a 92 year old man to respond to his haters, and I feel even worse asking anyone else to listen to Steve Bunce. In any case, I'll update that review with comments if they arrive.

The Joshua-Dubois fight will be happening at Wembley in September and my goodness those are some high prices. Just over two hours after the fight had been on sale and the card-carrying boxing addicts rushed to get the best seats, it was announced that Liam Gallagher would be performing at some point. My perspective is I'd rather no music acts and cheaper tickets.