With 24 world title belts to be contested in events from Melbourne to Mexico, and London to Las Vegas, the next six weeks of live boxing on Fox Sports and Main Event is historically stacked.
The overflowing schedule begins when ‘undisputed’ super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez celebrates his Mexican homecoming at the Estadio Akron against English giantkiller John Ryder on a double-header Sunday (alongside UFC 288) on Main Event this weekend.
Prominent on Sunday’s undercard will be likeable Queenslander Stevie Spark, who is best known in Australia for stepping up two weight divisions on short notice to face Tim Tszyu, but is now a serious player at super lightweight after upsetting emerging star Montana Love in Cleveland.
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Spark will have an enormous Mexican crowd against him when he fights Guadalajaran local Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela but has a brutal plan to convert the masses.
“This is going to be the most watched card of the year. Canelo Alvarez is the face of boxing. This is his homecoming and that’s great but this is my own legacy now,” Spark told Ben Damon on the Main Event Boxing Podcast.
“I’ve been brought over here against a Mexican in Guadalajara for Cinco de Mayo. Hell I don’t really care – when everyone jumps out of the ring it’s just me and him in there.
“As much as the Mexican people might not like me on the day – and they’re going to hate me for knocking out their boy, because that’s what I’m here to do, I’m going to knock out Gabriel Valenzuela – one thing they can count on is they’re going to have a new fighter to support. I’m going to leave this stadium with fifty thousand new fans.”
Watch Canelo v Ryder LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday May 7 from 9am AEST. ORDER NOW >
One week later is another busy Sunday on Main Event with British YouTuber KSI to face Joe Fournier live from Wembley Arena in London in the AM, before another Aussie contests a major bout on the afternoon broadcast from the USA.
Jason Moloney has previously fought twice for world titles, with those fights being the only losses of his stellar professional career, but Moloney is strongly favoured to capture his first world championship belt when he faces Filipino Vincent Astrolabio for the WBO’s bantamweight strap.
Moloney v Astrolabio is part of world title double-header alongside Janibek Alimkhanuly’s defence of his WBO Middleweight World Title against big-punching Canadian Steven Butler in Stockton, California on Main Event on Sunday 14 May, while Jason’s twin brother Andrew fights for a world title exactly one week later.
Andrew Moloney’s clash with undefeated Japanese southpaw Junto Nakatani for the WBO Super Flyweight World Title will take place on one of the biggest fight cards of the year when the impeccable Devin Haney defends his ‘undisputed’ lightweight title against the brilliant Vasiliy Lomachenko.
“It’s the fairytale. The stars have aligned and we’ve both got the chance to achieve our dreams and become world champions only one week apart and on huge platforms in America,” Jason told Ben Damon on the Main Event Boxing Podcast.
“To bring two world titles back on the plane is going to be extremely special.”
In the morning before Haney v Lomachenko begins another of the true superstars of boxing will celebrate her own homecoming when ‘undisputed’ lightweight queen Katie Taylor returns home to Ireland and meets England’s ‘undisputed’ super lightweight champion Chantelle Cameron, exclusive in Australia on Main Event.
Watch Haney v Lomachenko LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday May 21 from 12pm AEST. ORDER NOW >
Tyson Fury headed to Australia?? | 02:29
Irish-born, Brisbane-based super welterweight Dennis Hogan has scored a highly-prized place on the undercard, and will defend his IBO belt against England’s James Metcalf.
“It makes a big difference when you’ve got a big crowd behind you – it’s like a third arm in the ring. Any time you land a shot you hear the crowd going off – it’s a big inspiration,” Hogan told Ben Damon on the Main Event Boxing Podcast.
“I do believe I’m that level above (Metcalf) in skill. I believe I’ll get the job done but it won’t be an easy night.”
On Wednesday 24 May a major event will hit Melbourne and Main Event when former WBO Heavyweight World Champion Joseph Parker fights former Australian Champion ‘Django’ Opelu for the Commonwealth Heavyweight Title on the same show that features emerging star Nikita Tszyu against undefeated Victorian Benjamin Bommber.
It’s Parker’s first fight in Australia as a professional and his first shot at the Commonwealth belt, and the first time a Tszyu has fought in Melbourne since Kostya stopped Jesse James Leija in 2003.
Watch heavyweights Joseph Parker v Faiga ‘Django’ Opelu, the return of Nikita Tszyu plus former AFL stars Cameron Mooney and Tom Bellchambers in a pro-boxing debut. LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Wednesday 24 May 7PM AEST. ORDER NOW >
Parker confirmed for Aussie bout | 01:27
On Sunday 28 May the Fox Sports audience will see an all-English world title fight when the WBO’s cruiserweight champ Lawrence Okolie faces the imposing Chris Billam-Smith live from the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth.
And there is another double dose of action on Sunday 11 June with a world championship triple-header live from Wembley on Fox Sports in the morning, followed by Josh Taylor v Teofimo Lopez on Main Event from New York’s Madison Square Garden in the afternoon.
Australia’s reigning IBF Super Bantamweight World Champion Cherneka Johnson defends her belt against England’s unbeaten Ellie Scotney on the British show, which is headlined by Sunny Edwards v Andres Campos, while Taylor’s WBO Super Lightweight World Title is on the line when he faces Lopez in the US.
LIVE BOXING SCHEDULE – NEXT SIX WEEKS
May 7 – Canelo Alvarez v John Ryder + Stevie Spark v Gabriel Valenzuela – Main Event
May 14 – KSI v Fournier – Main Event
May 14 – Janibek Alimkhanuly v Steven Butler + Jason Moloney v Vincent Astrolabio – Main Event
May 21 – Chantelle Cameron v Katie Taylor + Dennis Hogan v James Metcalf – Main Event
May 21 – Devin Haney v Vasiliy Lomachenko + Junto Nakatani v Andrew Moloney – Main Event
May 24 – Joseph Parker v ‘Django’ Opelu + Nikita Tszyu v Benjamin Bommber – Main Event
May 28 – Lawrence Okolie v Chris Billam-Smith – Fox Sports
June 11 – Sunny Edwards v Andres Campos, Cherneka Johnson v Ellie Scotney – Fox Sports
June 11 – Josh Taylor v Teofimo Lopez – Main Event
