Check Out the AMAZING Boxing Schedule Over the Next Month!

If you're a hardcore boxing fan, you don't need me to tell you what an incredible line-up of fights we have going on over the next month, but if you're a casual fan or maybe interested in potentially being interested, this is a great time to tune in. There are 4 pretty big fights worth watching, involving arguably the Top 3 pound-for-pound fighters, as well as some really intriguing match-ups. It is unfortunately something we don't see enough in boxing, as the higher-profile fights happen rarely enough in general, and almost never in rapid succession, so I look forward to enjoying it while I can! Here is what's on tap, as well as my thoughts and predictions.

Inoue vs. Fulton - Tuesday, July 25, 4:45am - ESPN +

I've said many times that Naoya Inoue is the greatest pound-for-pound fighter right now, but after dominating the flyweight and bantamweight divisions as an undisputed champ, he is moving up a weight class. Usually when fighters move up, their first fight in that new division is certainly a bit of a test, but rarely a very serious challenge. Inoue is doing the opposite. He has moved up and challenged the very best in the 122-pound weight class- one of the better pound-for-pound fighters period- in Stephen Fulton. He is fighting for belts right away against another undefeated champion.

You might wonder how much difference a few extra pounds could make, but it can be pretty significant in boxing, especially at the lower weight classes where those few pounds make up a bigger percentage of their overall bodyweight. Just about every fighter cuts weight the day before a fight- meaning, whatever weight at which they fight is not how much they usually weigh. Fighters spend 24 hours dehydrating themselves completely so they can make the agreed-upon terms of the bout regarding bodyweight. Some fighters cut anywhere from 10-30 pounds of water before they weigh in. This gives them an advantage in the fight after they have rehydrated, as they are bigger and usually stronger than someone in that class would be. Since everybody does it though, the cuts tend to cancel each other out most of the time. But not in this case. Inoue is coming up to a higher weight whereas Fulton is cutting. Plus, it is not like Inoue is coming up in weight for the first time. He started off fighting at 108 pounds and that means he has a particularly small frame.

So, when the bell rings, Fulton will be the bigger man. He is also taller, will have about a 3-inch reach advantage and fights well behind his jab so it may be difficult for Inoue to get to him (depending on what strategy Fulton goes with). In many cases, the smaller fighter's advantage can be speed but I don't think Inoue will have one in this fight. Fulton is pretty quick too. What Inoue does have though is smoothness - he is the best combination puncher I have ever seen and sometimes smoothness and flow can make up for any speed or quickness disadvantages. 

Who do I think will win? Vegas has Inoue as a slight favorite but I am not so sure. I want to roll with my guy (which is Inoue) but this might be too tough of a test for him in his first match at 122 pounds. I think it will be a close decision, maybe even one we don't all agree with. The fight is in Japan, which is why it is on TV so early in the morning over here but I don't believe in any kind of home-field advantage in boxing. It can even be a disadvantage for some because of the added pressure. This shouldn't be the case with Inoue though. He is as cool as a cucumber and if he can pull this out and look good, we might be able to start the conversation of him being on his way to all-time greatness. But that is a pretty big "if.” So, as much as I hate to say it, I think Fulton will win this fight but my heart is certainly with Inoue because I just love his style so much and want to see him continue to flourish.

Spence vs Crawford - Saturday, July 29, 8pm - Showtime PPV

Speaking of pound-for-pound best right now, Terence "Bud" Crawford has generally sat in that seat for the last few years, with Errol Spence not being far behind. Both are master technicians, with somewhat of a rivalry and this is a fight we have been taunted with for a long time now. In fact, while I am trying to stay positive, I won't truly believe it is happening until I see both fighters actually walk out into the ring. 

What a fight it should be though! One of the biggest we've had in a while! An undisputed title fight between two knockout artists who have never even been knocked down at any point in their careers and never defeated. If Crawford wins, he will be the first men's fighter in the four-belt era to become an undisputed champ in two divisions. Spence will be his toughest challenge by far and will be the naturally bigger man, with a reach advantage he knows how to use well. He probably has a better resume than Crawford too but will be the slight underdog according to the Vegas odds. That being said though, plenty of smart pundits are picking Errol Spence to win.

The only thing that takes a little bit of the shine off this fight for me is just that it took so long to happen. There has been chatter since as early as 2018. And neither man has fought in a while. It's been over a year for both of them and not against high-level competition so it's hard to know exactly where they are at. There may be some ring rust but I am sure the display of boxing skill will be top notch. Errol Spence may have some of the best basics in boxing and Terence Crawford has more weapons at his disposal. I could see Crawford winning it by stoppage but Spence winning by decision. If I had to bet once again, I would slightly go towards the latter. Spence by decision.

Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz - Saturday, August 5th, - DAZN PPV

So, while you may see some of the best technical boxing ever in Spence vs. Crawford, the same cannot be said of Jake Paul and Nate Diaz. If you don't already know, Jake and his brother, Logan Paul, were popular YouTubers with no amateur or professional fighting experience who decided to get serious about boxing only about 4-5 years ago. Jake made a name for himself in celebrity boxing, taking on an NBA star and some former MMA stars. Many boxing purists hated it as these fights got more attention and made more money than most talented, experienced fighters will ever see. While that may not be "fair" and while the Paul brothers may rub plenty of people the wrong way, I think it is undeniable that they take boxing very, very seriously. If Jake's fights had been sloppy and lackluster, he would have faded away pretty quickly. But they weren't. At least not from his side. Most of them ended in spectacular, highlight reel knockouts. He defeated several former UFC champions before taking on his first boxer (though not particularly experienced) in Tommy Fury earlier this year. Jake lost by decision but I don't think he was necessarily out boxed by Tommy. I think Tommy's speed and explosiveness was too much for Jake to handle and he couldn't make adjustments to solve the puzzle.

Nate Diaz is another veteran of the UFC.  He also has a famous brother, Nick, who was an MMA fighter and boxer too. If you don't know either Nate or Nick Diaz, it will be pretty tough to sum them up in just a few sentences but they are almost cartoonishly angry, badass dudes. They love fighting and seem like they would do it for free if no one paid them. Nate is as tough as they come, won't back down, won't get tired, won't stop coming, and probably won't be stopped.

Despite all of his fight experience though, Nate has never been a particularly great boxer. Some footage of him training for this fight has been leaked and he doesn't look real sharp. I am not sure I totally believe it though. Even if that leaked footage is not a ploy, both Nate and Nick Diaz have had striking success which seems to belie their technical deficiencies (Google "Stockton Slap" if you want to learn more). A bigger problem I see for Nate though is size and athleticism. He's fought in the UFC at 155 pounds and Jake boxes around 185. That might be a lot to overcome at this point in his career. Jake should be significantly younger, stronger and faster but with any Diaz fight, there is always a Stockton Slapper's chance.

Unfortunately, the biggest of all problems might just be Nate's face. It is weathered to say the least. He's taken a lot of strikes and has scar tissue everywhere. What that means is that he is far more likely to open up and bleed as soon as he starts getting hit, even from light punches. As happy as I'm sure he would be to keep fighting with his head gushing blood, the issue is that the judges will stop the fight is a cut gets too big and certainly if it is over his eye(s). This might seem like and edge case scenario but it is actually my prediction for the fight. I think it will be a doctor's stoppage in the later rounds due to a cut. Nate Diaz will be mad, throw his hands up in the air, flip-off people in the stands but the doctor and/or ref will call it and declare Jake the winner. Jake will say he's disappointed and offer to "run it back" for a rematch some time in the future.

It should also be noted that one of the best female fighters, Amanda Serrano, will be fighting on this card too. She is going against someone I know nothing about, Heather Hardy, but Amanda is another great one to watch if you're looking for good technique. Pretty solid at everything and has gotten a lot of notoriety lately, largely due to Jake Paul promoting her and putting her on earlier cards as the co-main event.

Navarrete vs Valdez - Saturday, August 12 - ESPN/ESPN+

Of all the bouts I have mentioned already, this one may actually be the most fun to watch. Two very unorthodox, offense fighters who everyone expects to just go at each other. Emanuel Navarrete's style is pretty crazy. He throws long, looping punches, usually from his hips and his feet just kind of go wherever. I can't imagine any coach would teach someone to box this way but he somehow makes it work at a very high level. He currently holds the WBO junior lightweight title and has won belts at 122 and 126 pounds as well. His only loss was to a unanimous decision vs. Shakur Stephenson, who is looking like he might be one of the very best in the game right now.

Oscar Valdez is more disciplined but he doesn't move or dance like many junior lightweights. He just comes forward on a straight line and is very successful leading with his cross. Everybody knows he's coming but it's hard to stop him. He is also a two-division champ and has just like Navarrete, is 31-1, with his only loss being against, once again, a unanimous decision to Shakur Stephenson!

I (and pretty much everyone else) expect major fireworks in this fight. Pundits always talk about the excitement that always comes with 2 Mexican fighters going at it but this is more than that. Even for Mexican fighters, these guys are both very aggressive and because their styles are so unique and different, it makes for an interesting match-up. I feel like Navarrate's not going to get away with keeping his hands down against a power puncher of Valdez's caliber but it's possible he will be able to use his length advantage to keep Oscar away. And we have seen Oscar not perform to the best of his abilities. Still, I'd pick Valdez to win by KO late, with both fighters getting knocked down at some point earlier.

But that's not even all for the month. There are some other intriguing fights afterwards featuring big names, big power punchers and some belts on the line:

• Anthony Joshua vs. Dillian Whyte - August 12
• Artur Beterbiev vs. Callum Smith - August 19
• Olexsandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois - August 26

And then this weekend, on July 22, we have former champ George Kambosos fighting again as well as USA silver medalist from last year's Olympics, Keyshawn Davis, taking a step up in competition. While not necessarily marquis matchups, I believe the fights are free on ESPN. Definitely a great time to get into watching boxing and plus, it gets us through that last leg of summer before football season starts up!