Not much on the boxing schedule this week, which is because it’s Independence Day weekend in the U.S. and boxing promoters here generally avoid the weekend. A couple of years ago, Oscar De La Hoya had the idea to make it an annual big Golden Boy thing but that went nowhere.
But there will be some fights internationally, anyway.
Social Media, 11:00 am ET, Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury press conference. We probably won’t do LIVE! coverage since we really just never, ever see any real numbers for the actual live stream thing, but we’ll link the video here when they send it to us. But we’ll have immediate quotes and the full video after it’s over, too.
ESPN+, 5:00 am ET, Mairis Briedis vs Jai Opetaia. This is for Briedis’ IBF cruiserweight title, postponed from an original May date, taking place in Australia, so Opetaia will have home advantage. It wouldn’t be the biggest shocker if the home underdog won; he’s a good fighter, a southpaw, and Brieidis has spent a lot of time farting around on a hopeless chase of Jake Paul and wearing Mario costumes to Lawrence Okolie fights. ESPN+ picking this one up is encouraging. Hopefully they’re looking into more of these. Speaking of, the next thing down! Bad Left Hook might have live coverage.
ESPN+, 2:00 pm ET, Joe Joyce vs Christian Hammer, Jason Cunningham vs Zolani Tete, Callum Johnson vs Igor Mikhalkin. Look, Joyce vs Hammer stinks, but the other two fights are decent, and there will be more on the show. And it’s more boxing on ESPN+! Let’s make this a wild ESPN+ morning and afternoon, my fellow Americans! Bad Left Hook will have live coverage.