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Four pounds.
That’s all that separates the best bantamweight in the world, Naoya Inoue, and the man who may prove to be the best Jr. featherweight in the world, Stephen Fulton.
For now.
A lot can change. Some of the changes could happen in the next week. Over the course of four days, boxing will have a loaded slate of fights highlighted by three stellar top five clashes in three different weight classes.
06/04: 135 – World Champion George Kamobosos (20-0, 10 KO, WBA/WBC Franchise/IBF/WBO/Ring) vs. TBRB #4 Devin Haney (27-0, 15 KO, WBC)
06/04: 122 – #1 Stephen Fulton (20-0, 8 KO, WBC/WBO) vs. #3 Daniel Roman (29-3-1, 16 KO)
06/07: 118 – #1 Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KO, WBA/IBF/Ring) vs. #2 Nonito Donaire (42-6, 28 KO, WBC); vacant World Championship
We’ll get back to the lightweight title clash.
Fulton and Inoue are both in fights where they will be favored but there are no guarantees for either man. Daniel Roman, with a little different luck, could still have the other two major belts at Jr. featherweight. Murodjon Akhmadaliev won a close, excellent fight against Roman in 2021 and Roman has rebounded with top form in two fights since. Fulton has looked very good against other young, hungry fighters like Angelo Leo and Brandon Figueroa. Roman is the sort of experienced veteran that can elevate his ceiling or send him back for more finishing.
Inoue will face Donaire for the second time. Their first fight saw Inoue overcome a broken orbital bone to win a decision. It could have been a knockout win for Inoue with different officiating. Donaire has been destructive in two wins since but he hasn’t been hit back by one like Japan’s Monster. Donaire is a live underdog.
It would be no surprise if Roman or Donaire got the job done.
It would be no surprise if they didn’t. If Inoue and Fulton both win, they would each stand one win away from capturing all the hardware in their class. Inoue still has attractive opponents three pounds south and Fulton will probably be a featherweight one day.
With every win, the small gap between them will narrow: four pounds is the distance from a showdown. It’s not the first fight on the lips of hardcore fans right now but that’s going to change quickly if they keep winning.
Between those two, a lightweight clash will settle all disputes.
Undisputed
Regardless of who one thinks is the rightful owner of the WBC lightweight belt, and that includes a WBC who has sent mixed signals about what they intend with their franchise belts, it won’t matter after the first weekend of June. Devin Haney is traveling without all of his normal corner to Australia for a chance to win every primary belt available at lightweight.
Kambosos is looking to turn the tables on another young lightweight future star. Kambosos shocked boxing by trading knockdowns with Teofimo Lopez and with a win over Haney could open up wealthy defenses against Vasyl Lomachenko or Gervonta Davis among others. This will be a hell of an event. In a year where title consolidation is happening at a rapid pace, it will fit nicely with a light heavyweight clash later in the month.
Light Heavyweight Wittles to Two
Just a month after Dmitry Bivol furthered his claim as the best light heavyweight in the world, the lineal king will have his say with a chance to narrow the number of beltholders in class to two:
06/18: 175 – World Champion Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KO, WBC/IBF) vs. #2 Joe Smith Jr. (28-3, 22 KO, WBO)
Beterbiev will be a big favorite over Smith but this fight is going to be fun as long as it lasts. Smith only knows how to fight one way and the bombs will fly. If Smith wins, further unification might not feel as necessary; Bivol nearly shut Smith out just a few fights ago. If Beterbiev wins, the deck is cleared (at least in theory) for the best light heavyweight clash of the decade to date.
It’s just one more quality clash in a month that will also feature a top ten clash for Jermall Charlo at middleweight and a loaded card at the end of the month with significant action at Jr. bantamweight and flyweight.
It’s already been a fantastic 2022. The year will be just half over one month from now.
Additional Title Fights in May
Men
06/04: 130 – #4 Kenichi Ogawa (26-1-1, 18 KO, IBF) vs. Joe Cordina (14-0, 8 KO)
06/10: 108 – #2 Hiroto Kyoguchi (15-0, 10 KO, WBA Super/Ring) vs. #8 Esteban Bermudez (14-3-2, 10 KO)
06/18: 160 – #2 Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KO, WBC) vs. #8 Maciej Sulcki (30-2, 11 KO)
06/24: 108 – #3 Jonathan Gonzalez (25-3-1, 14 KO, WBO) vs. Mark Barriga (11-1, 2 KO)
06/25: 115 – #2 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (50-5-1, 43 KO) vs. #9 Jesse Rodriguez (15-0, 10 KO, WBC)
06/25: 112 – #2 Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2, 14 KO, WBC) vs. #7 McWilliams Arroyo (21-4, 16 KO)
Women
06/10: 122 – Mayerlin Rivas (16-4-2, 10 KO, WBA) vs. Isis Perez (8-5, 3 KO)
06/16: 118 – Yuliahn Avila (23-3-1, 4 KO, WBC) vs. Jessica Gonzalez (8-5-2, 1 KO)
06/25: 147 – World Champion Jessica McCaskill (11-2, 4 KO, WBA/WBC/IBF/WBO) vs. Alma Ibarra (10-1, 5 KO)