By Olu Allen
2023 promises to be a great boxing year. 2023 is starting to take shape. Though much of the calendar is still to be confirmed, key fights have already been booked.
And what way to start than with the undisputed champ himself?
In a lightweight contest, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis kick off by getting an early win under his belt this evening with Hector Luis Garcia.
Garcia currently holds the WBA world super featherweight title and will prove a tough test for Davis.
With the biggie scheduled for later this year against Ryan Garcia. The bout of tonight’s outing is at the Capital One Arena ahead of what could be a monumental fight against his American rival.
The undercard for tonight’s match are;
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia; Lightweight
Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian; Welterweight
Rashidi Ellis vs. Roiman Villa; Welterweight
Demetrius Andrade vs. Demond Nicholson; Super middleweight
Unbeaten Frazer Clarke is eager to spar with WBA, WBO, and IBF champ Oleksandr Usyk ahead of the Ukrainian’s potential clash with WBC king Tyson Fury.
Frazer is 6ft 6in and weighing in at 271lb last time out, the unbeaten Clarke, currently preparing for his fifth professional bout in two weeks’ time, is of similar stature to WBC champion Fury and would seemingly provide ideal preparation for the 6ft 3in, 221lb Usyk.
The WBA, WBO, and IBF title holder and ‘The Gypsy King’ are in the process of finalizing a hotly-anticipated showdown for all the belts in the first quarter of this year, and Fury’s fellow Brit Clarke would be more than happy to help and learn from Usyk.
The New Zealander, Joseph Parker, a former world champion himself, takes on local man Jack Massey as he hopes to set himself up for a big 2023.
Ekow Essuman against Chris Kongo promises to be an exciting British and Commonwealth welterweight title fight and Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke will take another step on his road to professional glory.
The boxing universe could finally get an undisputed heavyweight champion soon too. Tyson Fury, the WBC titlist, is on the way to finalizing a deal to fight Oleksandr Usyk, the unified WBA, WBO, and IBF champion.
Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant and David Benavidez traded trash talk today on Instagram ahead of their fight on a still determined date.
Below are the known fights
Jan. 13: Laval, Canada
Title fight: Kim Clavel vs. Jessica Nery Plata, 10 rounds, for Clavel’s WBC women’s junior flyweight title and Plata’s WBA women’s junior flyweight title
Mazlum Akdeniz vs. Samuel Teah, 10 rounds, junior welterweights
Marie Pier Houle vs. Marisol Moreno, 8 rounds, women’s welterweights
Eric Basran vs. Juan Carlos Ramirez Garcia, 6 rounds, lightweights
Caroline Veyre vs. Estefania Gonzalez Franco, 6 rounds, women’s featherweights
Derek Pomerleau vs. Gustavo Magana Rodriguez, 6 rounds, middleweights
Jan. 14: Verona, NY (ESPN/ESPN+)
Efe Ajagba vs. Oscar Rivas, 10 rounds, heavyweights
Guido Vianello vs. Stephan Shaw, 10 rounds, heavyweights
Adam Lopez vs. Abraham Nova, 10 rounds, junior lightweights
Floyd Diaz vs. TBA, 8 rounds, junior featherweights
Haven Brady Jr. vs. TBA, 8 rounds, junior lightweights
Dante Benjamin vs. Emmanuel Austin, 6 rounds, light heavyweights
Bryce Mills vs. Margarito Hernandez, 6 rounds, junior welterweights
Jan. 21: Manchester, England
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith, 12 rounds, middleweights
Jan. 28: London (ESPN+)
Title fight: Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde, 12 rounds, for Beterbiev’s WBC, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight titles
Title fight: Artem Dalakian vs. David Jimenez, 12 rounds, for Dalakian’s WBA flyweight title
Willy Hutchinson vs. TBA, 12 rounds, light heavyweights
Karol Itauma vs. TBA, 20 rounds, light heavyweights
Joshua Frankham vs. Joe Hardy, 4 rounds, welterweights
Jan. 28: Las Vegas (Showtime)
Title fight: Jermell Charlo vs. Tim Tszyu, 12 rounds, for Charlo’s WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF junior middleweight titles.
Feb. 3: Glendale, Arizona (ESPN/ESPN+)
Title fight: Emanuel Navarrete vs. Liam Wilson, 12 rounds, for the vacant WBO junior lightweight tile
Jose Pedraza vs. Arnold Barboza Jr., 10 rounds, junior welterweights
