Boxing Picks 2026- Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu (Saturday 25th July)

It has been a relatively quiet time for Boxing fans since Jaron Ennis beat Xander Zayas at the end of June, although that is partly down to the fact that promoters would have been keen to avoid clashes with the Football World Cup being hosted in North America.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that some big names are making comebacks on the first weekend since Spain won the World Cup for a second time, while Zuffa Boxing have their latest card taking place on Sunday.

All attention in this thread is on the fights taking place across a number of hours featuring Anthony Joshua and a returning Errol Spence Jr as he goes straight back into the deep end. The former is fighting in Saudi Arabia yet again, while The Truth travels Down Under to take on Tim Tszyu in what feels like a crossroads fight for both in the Middleweight Division.

Three selections returned winners in the last Boxing thread at the end of June, but there are some big nights ahead before the end of the 2026 calendar year and there is still some making up to do in what has been a slow first half of the year for the Picks being made.

Saturday is the start of the second half of the year for the Boxing Picks and building on the momentum from the last night is the ambition.

Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu

It may have something to do with the fact that I've always been a big Errol Spence Jr fan that this fight is the headline one for the Boxing Picks on Saturday 25th July.

The Truth was last in action three years ago when losing to Terence Crawford and that was a night in which his unbeaten run was ended and the Undisputed Welterweight crown was convincingly taken by Bud. A rematch clause was activated, but allowed to expire, and Crawford went on to dethrone Canelo Alvarez at Super Middleweight before retiring, which underlines the length of time Errol Spence Jr has been out of a ring.

This will be just the fourth fight since 2020 for Errol Spence Jr who had also suffered a significant car accident and retina issues before the defeat to Terence Crawford.

So the big question has to be what has Errol Spence Jr got left in the tank? That can soon be followed by why has the layoff been as long as it has for the Texan who is now 36 years old?

These will be answered on Saturday night with Errol Spence Jr returning to action with a new trainer having criticised previous trainer Derrick James and becoming embroiled in a legal dispute with him. In recent weeks, Derrick James has spoken about the issues Errol Spence Jr had in camp prior to the defeat to Crawford and you do have to wonder if this three year layoff has given Spence Jr time to heal both mentally and physically and whether it has been too long a time spent away from competitive action.

Ring rust is a real issue and it has to be a worry that Errol Spence Jr's team requested this bout to be changed to a Middleweight limit having previously agreed to a 158 pound catchweight.

Suffice to say there are plenty of red flags around the return!

However, at his best, Errol Spence Jr would really fancy doing the job against Tim Tszyu, even as the road fighter, and the style of the Australian is one that would have gelled perfectly for The Truth to expose and exploit.

The problem is we can't really be sure that the best of Spence Jr, or anything close to his former best, is going to be entering the ring and that is where Tim Tszyu could make things very tough.

There is nothing special about what Tszyu is trying to do- he will walk forward, throwing plenty of leather, and he will be looking to out-will his opponent. That has worked against a certain level of opponent, but also saw Tim Tszyu walk into huge shots from Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev who were both able to close the show before the final bell.

A couple of wins over lesser opponents back home has given Tim Tszyu this opportunity and he has continued to remind anyone that listens that he has yet to lose in Australia.

Much like Errol Spence Jr, Tim Tszyu will know a win offers one more shot at the big time, but a defeat likely ends his time at this kind of level. That puts both men under pressure, but styles make fights and this is a fight that looks like it could catch fire pretty quickly.

Errol Spence Jr is the superior boxer with the better jab and the footwork would have also been to his advantage, at least before this long layoff.

There has been nothing wrong with the Tim Tszyu heart, even taking his defeats into consideration, and he is not going to want to lose in Australia. This could push him to keep getting forward and may eventually lead to a mistake that can be capitalised on by Errol Spence Jr.

At the same time, Tim Tszyu has to be thinking about taking Errol Spence Jr into the second half of the fight and see if there is much left of the former Unified World Champion, especially at a higher weight class and with that time spent away to think about.

It shouldn't take too long for the fight to catch fire, but the first couple of Rounds could be a feeling out process before either is willing to let more go.

Both have shown they can wear down opponents and the Twelve Rounds gives that bit more opportunity to do that and it would not be a big surprise if this contest ends in the second half of the contest, although picking a winner is as tough as the layers think with so much to think about for both fighters.

The chief support is Stephen Fulton versus Luke Wilson after Jermall Charlo was not given a visa to travel to Australia.

This feels like another crossroads bout, but Stephen Fulton is rightly favoured and the layers expect him to win this one on the cards.

However, Luke Wilson will take some confidence from the fact that he has never been beaten at the final bell of any contest with all three defeats ending in Stoppage when he has stepped up his level. Luke Wilson did give Emmanuel Navarrete a scare before losing in the Ninth Round and was then Stopped by Oscar Valdez in the Seventh.

Stephen Fulton has not really shown that kind of power at the world level, but should have enough skills to bounce back from his loss to O'Shaquie Foster.

The American is moving up in weight class again, but the expectation is that he could nick this one narrowly on the Judges' cards... (Since writing this, Fulton has missed weight significantly and the fight has been scrapped- anyone missing weight by a pound can be excused, but this was a bout set for a 130 limit and, even after allowing for 133, Fulton failed to weigh below 139 and that is an utter disgrace).

If things had been different, Callum Peters would have been travelling to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, but he has not allowed his disappointment to slow down what is beginning to be an eye-catching start to his professional career.

Fighting an unbeaten southpaw from South America can be dangerous, but Callum Peters can steal some of the limelight on this big show by producing a big performance.

So Tyson Fury was able to win a fight on Friday that did not have a broadcast deal and now the attention turns to Anthony Joshua to try and do his part and make sure the all-British Heavyweight Fight can be set later this year.

Most expect that contest to be announced if AJ can win, although there is also a real feeling that both are well passed their best and this is a bout that should have taken place several years ago.

Anthony Joshua was last seen crushing Jake Paul when finally cornering an opponent that refused to engage and simply run around the ring, but he suffered a devastating personal blow when two of his best friends passed away in a car accident in Nigeria. The former Champion is fortunate he was able to leave the incident with a few bumps and bruises, but the mental impact cannot be assessed and there were suggestions that he may not fight again.

Now the motivation is there to honour his friends and Anthony Joshua is expected to have little issue dismissing Kristian Prenga.

The underdog has a record that looks great on paper, but scratching the surface shows there is little depth to the resume and Prenga is stepping up multiple levels.

At 35 years old and with a perfect record in terms of Stoppages in wins, you have to question why Kristian Prenga has not stepped up to see if he can mix it with better company.

That alone is telling and he should be ripe for Anthony Joshua to produce an impressive Stoppage to give him momentum to take into the bout against Tyson Fury and the expectation is that his opponent may offer the opportunity to close the show pretty early on.

A couple of big names from British Boxing are defending World Titles on the undercard.

Josh Kelly fulfilled his potential by upsetting Bakhram Murtazaliev and picking up the IBF World Title in the Light Middleweight Division. That came back in January, but Kelly has not been able to entice one of the other Champions into the ring with him and instead he will be defending that World Title against unbeaten Caoimhin Agyarko.

The opportunity is one that the Irishman is desperate to take, but Agyarko has had issues with eye swellings in his last couple of fights and only just got the better of Ishmael Davis in September last year.

Caoimhin Agyarko has been out of the ring recovering, but he is unbeaten and steps up to face Josh Kelly filled with confidence.

However, the British fighter has the higher experience and should be the sharper puncher, which could end up reaggravating that previous eye issue.

Stopping fights is not something either is used to, but Josh Kelly could be a big price to get this one done inside the distance and then target the other Champions again.

The expectation is that this will be a competitive World Title fight, but the same cannot be said for Hamzah Sheeraz who is still hoping to be the next ticket drawn in the lottery to fight Canelo Alvarez, assuming the latter wins his next fight.

With that said, the promoters around Sheeraz have been very careful with his match-making and that has allowed the British fighter to produce some highlight reel performances.

It feels like the fortunate draw with Carlos Adames has perhaps spooked the advisors and Hamzah Sheeraz has not exactly been fighting opponents expected to offer a lot of resistance since then. In May he crushed Alem Begic and you do have to wonder what Simon Zachenhuber has done to earn the chance to fight for the WBO World Title in the Super Middleweight Division.

A 29-1 record may suggest something else, but Simon Zachenhuber was beaten in April by Pawel August, who happens to be an unbeaten fighter in a different bout on the undercard, and so little resistance is expected here.

That was a defeat in a Six Rounder and it is simply not possible to believe Zachenhuber is ready for a test like this one- those advising Hamzah Sheeraz may not be ready to see him in with the biggest names in the sport (unless for the kind of money Canelo Alvarez will provide), but he has shown this level of opponent is one that he can blitz through and that is the likely outcome of this World Title defence.

MY PICKS: Errol Spence Jr-Tim Tszyu Fight to Go the Distance- NO @ 1.66 William Hill (2 Units)

Callum Peters to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Anthony Joshua to Win Between 1-4 @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Josh Kelly to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 6.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 1-4 @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing 2026: 18-31, - 7.56 Units (75 Units Staked, - 10.08% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven (Saturday 23rd May)

The Heavyweight Division produced a classic for those tuning into Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois earlier this month and, once again, the latter came through to become WBO World Champion.

Some have questioned Oleksandr Usyk and a potential desire to face Daniel Dubois for a third time, but that is a fight that will have little appetite from the fans, while Wardley-Dubois II is also much more likely.

Instead Usyk has already stated that he feels he has done enough in Boxing to make his own decisions and one of those has led to this headline fight against the 'King of Kickboxing', but a fighter in Rico Verhoeven having just his second professional Boxing contest.

That is the fight that will headline the latest showing from Riyadh Season under Turki Alalshikh, although the rumours around a growing disinterest in sport from those in Saudi Arabia cannot be ignored.

Other sports have already been impacted with LIV Golf looking like it is struggling, while the Snooker Saudi Masters has come and gone already.

Add to that the reports that the Newcastle United investment is looking to be cut by 25% and you do have to wonder how many more of these standout Riyadh Season events we are going to be getting in the coming months and years?

Perhaps the idea is to eventually navigate all fighters to Zuffa Boxing once they are signed on some poor terms, but that is something we will have to keep an eye on.

Oleksandr Uysk vs Rico Verhoeven

No one is going to doubt the credentials of Rico Verhoeven as a combatant, but you do have to make this a huge mismatch as far as a Boxing contest goes.

The 'King of Kickboxing' has had one professional Boxing bout back in 2014 against an opponent who had lost all five previous professional contests.

Suffice to say that this is a huge step upwards.

Some will point to Frances Ngannou and his efforts against Tyson Fury, but Anthony Joshua made short work of the MMA powerhouse.

Oleksandr Usyk is unlikely to put anyone down with the first big punch thrown, and especially not against someone of the size and stature of Rico Verhoeven, but the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion can do what he does best and that is sure to wear out his opponent.

Taking punches from awkward angles may take a bit of getting used to, but Usyk is a supreme Boxer with fantastic footwork and that is likely going to be mean it will take something very, very special for Rico Verhoeven to find the punches to hurt the Champion who has been in with some monster hitters.

You have to expect the Promoters to be talking up Rico Verhoeven's chances, but even some of those have admitted there is a very small chance the Dutchman can win this fight.

The early part of the contest could be fun with Verhoeven likely going to want to use his size and strength to push Oleksandr Usyk backwards, but the Champion is going to be wearing him down mentally and physically.

That should pay dividends in the middle of this Twelve Round fight and Oleksandr Usyk has enough pop to force the Stoppage at that kind of stage.

As mentioned, this is not the same kind of undercard that fans have become accustomed to seeing at these Riyadh Season events, but there is some intrigue and an opportunity for fighters to take the next step in their careers.

Both Jack Catterall and Shakhram Giyasov are hoping to get into the mix with the World Champions in a wide open Welterweight Division and the winner should be in line for a shot at a World Title by winning this one.

Picking a winner is not easy, although Catterall has been in with the higher level of opponent, which is perhaps why he has been set as the favourite.

The main event involves the Undisputed Heavyweight king, but there is an opportunity for Richard Torrez Jr to move up alongside Moses Itauma as one of the young guns looking to take over when Oleksandr Usyk chooses to call it a day.

As with any fighter developing, Torrez Jr is taking another step in his career by taking on once beaten Frank Sanchez, although there are serious doubts about the health of the latter.

The Cuban has fought once in the last two years since losing to Agit Kabayel in a contest where his knee gave way- surgery and rehabilitation have been completed, but there is a real uncertainty about whether Sanchez has the movement needed with the knee.

The contest is scheduled over Twelve Rounds and Richard Torrez Jr is capable of closing the show within the time allotted to make a statement to his rivals.

Hamzah Sheeraz has long been a favourite of the Riyadh organisers and he should be able to pick up the vacant WBO World Super Middleweight Title.

There would have been a real hope that Sheeraz could have been out much more quickly after crushing Edgar Berlanga last July, but he has had to wait for this opportunity and should have far too much for unbeaten Alem Begic.

The 39 year old has not fought in thirteen months and this does not feel like a fighter who deserves a shot at the WBO World Title, even if it is a vacant Belt.

The Super Middleweight Division looks pretty weak right now though and that gives Begic this chance, but Hamzah Sheeraz should have far, far too much for him.

MY PICKS: Oleksandr Usyk to Win Between 5-8 @ 2.87 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Richard Torrez Jr to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.05 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 1-6 @ 1.61 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Boxing 2026: 14-29, - 13.18 Units (64 Units Staked, - 20.59% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2024- Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois (Saturday 21st September)

Some like Canelo Alvarez may be paying little attention to the money being spent by the Saudi Arabian authorities in the world of Boxing, but there are others like Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren who have welcomed the investments with both hands held out.

Eighteen months ago Hearn and Warren hadn't even spoken, never mind being in a room working together, but that has all changed with both British promoters keen to keep strong ties with Riyadh Season.

There is more to come, but for the first time it will mean hosting a card in the United Kingdom with Wembley Stadium the setting for this Heavyweight World Title bout. The winner will go on to bigger and better things in Riyadh, but the losing fighter will also have opportunities to come again and the IBF World Title is on the line after Oleksandr Usyk was almost forced to relinquish the belt.

A decent undercard has also been put together, but I am not convinced the extra seating was needed as all look to pronounce this as the highest attended Boxing fight at Wembley. That announcement will be made, but there are plenty of giveaways and you can still buy tickets, but a WWE approach of fudging numbers is to be expected.

Make no mistake, a very decent crowd will be in attendance and there will be a really good atmosphere, while the main event could produce plenty of fireworks. This is all good news and the hope for UK fans is that more of these events will be hosted in the country, especially in a year where there has been a genuine complaint about the lack of big fights/nights taking place.

The last couple of events have not been very positive for the Boxing Picks, but the management of the units has been important to keep the year in the black.

More has to be expected from the selections, and the hope is that we will see that kickstarted this weekend with a couple of big names headlining different cards.

Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois

To paraphrase the late, great Sid Eudy, the IBF continue to make 'bogus' decision when it comes to their World Titles, and stripping Oleksandr Usyk for going into a rematch with Tyson Fury might be the 'most bogus act they've ever pulled off'.

So now we have Daniel Dubois calling himself a World Heavyweight Champion and Eddie Hearn proclaiming that his man, Anthony Joshua, can sit alongside some of the Heavyweight greats of the past by becoming a 'three time' World Champion.

It's bogus.

Take nothing away from the main event, it's a good fight and one that would be worthy of giving us the next Number 1 contender to the winner of the Usyk-Fury rematch that is set to take place in December. But the winner of that fight should be the only Heavyweight Champion walking around and all of the governing bodies should be ashamed that is not the case with their fees more important than anything else.

This has frustrated fans for years and it would be a very good day when these kind of things are no longer happening or simply not allowed to happen.

The red Belt will be given to the winner of this fight, but it is Daniel Dubois who will be bringing it into the ring at Wembley Stadium, even if it very much feels like he is the Challenger. Daniel Dubois not someone who will be making speeches that will go viral, but he is a solid Heavyweight and one who will feel is entering a career defining fight.

His respect has been there for Anthony Joshua by describing himself as the 'King Slayer, while Dubois has picked up solid momentum with his wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic since losing his World Title bid against Oleksandr Usyk. Daniel Dubois showed plenty that day in August 2023, but taking another knee was not a good look and something had to change.

Confidence looks much improved now having come through the verbal warfare waged by Miller and then taking plenty of shots that had onlookers wincing before breaking down Filip Hrgovic.

It is encouraging for Dubois to show he can come through a storm, but most observers will also note that the Champion cannot afford to take the same kind of flush shots from someone who hits as big as Anthony Joshua.

Technically he is a fine puncher and Joshua looks relaxed and happy within his current surroundings and that makes him very dangerous. Like his opponent, Anthony Joshua has been rebuilding himself after consecutive defeats to Usyk and four straight wins have propelled him back to the top.

Activity has been important for Joshua who beat Jermaine Franklin in April 2023 in a largely forgettable bout before showing improvement in Knocking Out Robert Helenius in the Seventh Round, forcing Otto Wallin to call it a day at the end of the Fifth Round and then wiping out MMA star Francis Ngannou in just two Rounds.

It has certainly gotten people talking about Anthony Joshua again and winning this fight and holding a version of the World Title will mean going into 2025 looking to have one more crack at becoming Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, which has long been the ambition for him, his promoter and all around AJ.

The reality is that this feels his most significant test since those losses to Oleksandr Usyk and you have to believe that Anthony Joshua is going to be tested far more by a young, hungry Daniel Dubois than any of his last four opponents. This time the fighter across the ring is a genuine threat, one who is amongst the stronger Heavyweight contenders out there.

Anthony Joshua's experience edge may be important, especially when it comes to headlining these massive nights in the United Kingdom. However, he is an older fighter now and one that weighs in considerably heavier than when he was beaten by Usyk and that likely means Anthony Joshua is much easier to find in the ring than when he tried to become a lighter Boxer on his feet.

It should make for a fantastic main event, albeit one that may not last very long.

Daniel Dubois will want to show that he has the power edge in the fight and he has arguably shown a bit more punch resistance compared with Anthony Joshua. The younger Heavyweight had his eye closed by Joe Joyce, but took plenty of shots from a then imposing opponent and people have almost forgotten that Dubois was up on the cards before he decided to save himself to fight another day.

Ultimately it was the correct decison, even if Dubois has been labelled a 'quitter'.

The shots taken against Filip Hrgovic shows the resiliency that Daniel Dubois does have, although taking those on Saturday may see him break down a bit quicker.

In saying that, Anthony Joshua still has something of a vulnerability when it comes to being given a good crack back and it has been a long time since he has faced someone as outwardly dangerous as Daniel Dubois looks to be. The last four opponents have been good confidence builders for the former two time World Champion, but he may have to show more in this one and it really feels like a fight that won't take too long to really ignite.

The lean has to be with Anthony Joshua if only for his experience edge in fighting on this kind of headline event, while Daniel Dubois has been without his trainer Don Charles. Rumours abound of some kind of falling out between Dubois and Charles, which has been denied, but this has been a very important figure in rebuilding the Champion and his absence would feel like a huge blow.

Daniel Dubois has decent fundamentals, a rock solid jab and perhaps the power edge so you don't want to rule him out.

Much like Edgar Berlanga's best approach should have been to get after Canelo and see if the miles on the clock have added up, Daniel Dubois might need to get after Anthony Joshua early. That could leave him open to a big counter, but Dubois may buzz the former Champion and all in all, this main event feels like one that should be over inside the first half, either way.

The Wembley card is being run under the Riyadh Season banner and it is no surprise that a solid undercard has been put together, plus an early preview of how Liam Gallagher will sound when the Oasis concerts begin next year.

It is a bit of a shame that Liam Smith has had to pull out of the event, but Josh Kelly has been handed a very interesting replacement in Ishmael Davis and this looks a rock solid fight.

Experience is with Josh Kelly, but Davis looks highly motivated and extremely confident even if he is stepping up his level and you can understand why the layers are finding it so tough to separate the two with a lot of belief.

Replacements can cause problems as one half of the main event will tell you so Josh Kelly has to be on his game- he can ill-afford a defeat at this stage of his career and so this is a pressurised spot for him.

But one fighter who has handled the pressure of being 'hand selected' by Turki Alalshikh is Mark Chamberlain who is expected to open up the card.

His last two fights have actually been in Saudi Arabia, and Chamberlain has Stopped his last five opponents, although he is fighting at his heaviest weight and against an unbeaten fighter.

Josh Padley will be fighting with that confidence of having never been beaten, but this feels a considerable step upwards in terms of level of opponent and Mark Chamberlain may continue to impress the Saudi backers with another early night.

The remainder of the undercard involves fighters that may be looking to get one more really big win out of the way and then challenge the elite of their respective Divisions.

At Light Heavyweight, an undercurrent of tension has surrounded Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson and there is no love lost between the figthers.

In recent years, Joshua Buatsi has always been mentioned as a potential World Champion and has just been on the edge of a fight for a World Title, but it simply has not happened. It is widely accepted that he turned down an opportunity to face Dmitry Bivol and Buatsi has lost some momentum after beating Dan Azeez back in February.

He has not been out since with a rumoured monster fight against Anthony Yarde failing to materialise, but the WBO Interim World Title is on the line on Saturday.

Winning would make Joshua Buatsi a leading contender to take on whoever wins the Light Heavywight Undisputed fight between Bivol and Artur Beterbiev which takes place in three weeks time, but the focus is on Willy Hutchinson for now.

The Scot has gotten under the skin of the higher profile fighter, but Willy Hutchinson is more than a wind up merchant.

Willy Hutchinson's career looked to be moving very positively until he ran into Lennox Clarke and was brutally stopped in the Fifth Round in a British Super Middleweight fight. That was back in 2021 and Hutchinson was out of the ring for over a year before returning at Light Heavyweight.

Four wins in a row against opponents he was expected to beat rebuilt the confidence before Hutchinson deservedly beat Craig Richards in June in Saudi Arabia. That has given him this opportunity to gatecrash the top of the Light Heavyweight scene both domestically and globally, but this is another big step upwards and Joshua Buatsi can be a spiteful finisher.

With no love lost, this should be a feisty contest, but Joshua Buatsi looks like he is firmly with his eyes on the man next up to face him. Unlike with his friend Dan Azeez, Joshua Buatsi may not take a step off if he hurts this opponent and he can maintain his unbeaten record with a late finish.

It is going to be a very good Light Heavyweight contest and you have to expect fireworks when Anthony Cacace and Josh Warrington get into it in the Super Featherweight Division.

They clearly respect one another and both are looking forward to the first bell, but there is a unbelievable amount of intensity soaring through the roof when Cacace and Warrington have been within any kind of proximity to one another.

The styles should gel really nicely and even the IBF's latest 'bogus' move should not have an impact on the actual contest.

It was supposed to be for the IBF World Title that Anthony Cacace ripped from Joe Cordina in an awesome display, but the IBF in all of their wisdom have decided to change the parameters on fight week rather than three months ago when the fight was announced. Now only Cacace can leave with the World Title, but an upset in favour of Josh Warrington will mean a vacated Belt, another embarrassment for an organisation that is becoming more and more irritating to fans, fighters and promoters alike.

On the actual fight, Anthony Cacace looks to be moving in a positive direction and it is fair to say that Josh Warrington may have had his best years. The style of the Leeds man means he has plenty of wear and tear on the body, and that has begun to let him down in recent fights.

He is stepping up in weight and feels stronger at Super Featherweight, but Anthony Cacace hits much harder than his Stoppage record suggests and he won't have to go looking for his opponent. At times it could be rough, but Cacace looks capable of dealing with all Josh Warrington brings to the ring and he can then move through the gears and find another Stoppage against one of the bigger names in British Boxing.

The chief support on the night is going to be provided by Hamzah Sheeraz and it feels a matter of time before he is headlining a big card himself. The Middleweight Division has never looked more wide open and Sheeraz is expected to be fighting for a World Title before the midway point of 2025.

If it was up to the Boxer himself, this would have been happening on this card, but the team have not been able to entice a World Champion into the ring. Even the rumoured fight with Chris Eubank Jr would be a huge Stadium seller, but that is another bout that has yet to materialise with the older man potentially a future Canelo Alvarez opponent.

Hamzah Sheeraz cannot allow frustration to get the better of him, but he looks a focused fighter looking to keep the momentum going after producing two big wins already in 2024. Beating up a veteran in Liam Williams was expected, but the performance in the win over Ammo Williams will have made headlines on both sides of the pond and Sheeraz looks capable of beating most in this Division.

Respect has to be given to Tyler Denny for overachieving- in recent times he has been upsetting the odds and he looks extremely confident.

And so he should being the European Middleweight Champion.

However, this feels a considerable step upwards in level of opponent and Denny is going to be dwarfed by the huge figure in front of him.

The power edge is with Hamzah Sheeraz and he can make another big statement to all of his rivals by finishing this one inside the first half of the scheduled Twelve Rounds.

MY PICKS: Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois, Either Fighter to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Mark Chamberlain to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.61 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Joshua Buatsi to Win By KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Anthony Cacace to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2024: 25-45, + 8.41 Units (94 Units Staked, + 8.95% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2023- Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois (August 26th)

In a year in which we have seen Undisputed Champions crowned in some of the lower weight classes, the Heavyweight Division has slowly begun to click into gear.

We might not be getting the Undisputed fight that all Boxing fans would have been hoping for, but Anthony Joshua has been out twice and this week we have three of the four World Titles being defended in Poland when Oleksandr Usyk takes on Daniel Dubois.

It might not be the fight that the fans would have wanted, but clears a mandatory out of the way before we hopefully have another shot at making the Undisputed fight. Frank Warren and Queensberry promotions would be very happy with a Dubois win on Saturday as that would become a very easy in-house Undisputed fight to make against Tyson Fury and likely would land in a big Stadium in the United Kingdom, but an Usyk win will likely lead to more negotiations and the hopes from all parties that Saudi Arabia are willing to put in the big bucks that both fighters will be demanding.

That might not be a situation that is cleared up until Tyson Fury has his crossover fight against Francis Ngannou in late October, but hopefully there will be more positive news from Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, who have been speaking about a fight of their own in Saudi Arabia.

In saying all of that, it is a real shame that the Heavyweights are as inactive as they have been (outside of Anthony Joshua) and I am not just talking about the big four names.

Andy Ruiz Jr is Ranked as high as Number 2 in a couple of the organisations and has not fought since September 2022, Daniel Dubois fights this weekend for the first time since December, Filip Hrgovic was back a couple of weekends ago for the first time in a year, while Frank Sanchez has fought a single Round since October 2022.

This is hugely frustrating to fans of the sport and the only hope is that we will get better news in the second half of the year, although it does feel the lure of a big payday in Saudi Arabia has too many sitting down and waiting to see if the offers come in.

At least prospect Jared Anderson is back quickly after a tougher than expected test against former Champion Charles Martin, but more out of the big men is needed just to give the sport another injection of headlines.

Despite the lack of activity in the Heavyweight Division, the second 'half' of 2023 looks to be very, very exciting with some huge fights scheduled and others set to make their way onto dates that have been left over. This can only be a positive for Boxing fans in what has been arguably one of the best full years in the sport for a long time.

Next weekend the United Kingdom fans will be looking forward to Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank II to open the month which will be concluded in a huge fight between Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo for all of the gold in the Super Middleweight Division. There are plenty of good fights in between, notably the rematch between Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce and it is another loaded schedule for fans of the sport.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois

There is a quiet confidence on the Daniel Dubois side of the road ahead of this World Heavyweight Title fight- his promoters, trainers and the boxer himself feel this is their time for an upset over an undefeated Champion.

That does give you some pause for thought, but it is still hard to imagine Daniel Dubois will have enough at this stage of his career to beat someone as good as Oleksandr Usyk.

The Champion is considerably older than Daniel Dubois, but Oleksandr Usyk has beaten a lot of quality fighters in moving to 20-0 and the way he bamboozled Anthony Joshua twice certainly has many believing the Ukrainian is the best fighter in the Division. Of course we will only know that for sure if Usyk and Tyson Fury are able to finally meet for all of the gold, but the three Belt holder has to make sure he is not thinking too far ahead.

It could be argued that Oleksandr Usyk is facing the biggest puncher he has ever been in the ring with and Daniel Dubois is naturally a bigger man. The British fighter has shown he can hurt most of the fighters he has been in the ring with and Daniel Dubois knows he needs to be able to let his hands go if he is going to have any chance.

He has admitted that it is unlikely he can out-box the Champion and win this on the cards, and Dubois is expected to be a little more sure with his tactics compared with Anthony Joshua who many feel overthought the way to approach any fight with Usyk. Personally it feels like Dubois will be blinkered as to his game plan and he should come forward and look to hurt Usyk anywhere he can hit him.

The footwork of the Champion is going to be key, while you do have to wonder how Daniel Dubois will deal with some of the punches that will be coming back at him. The eye injury against Joe Joyce is hard to forget, but Oleksandr Usyk probably does not hit as hard as The Juggernaut, although accuracy won't be an issue for Usyk at all.

More worrying has to be the way Kevin Lerena was able to put Daniel Dubois down three times in the First Round in the latter's last fight in December 2022. He did suffer an ACL injury in that fight and Dubois did rally, but he was perhaps given more opportunities to recover being the home fighter that day and the South African southpaw had not shown much form to believe he would have the power to floor someone like Dubois when coming up from Cruiserweight.

Oleksandr Usyk is a superior southpaw compared with Lerena, although he has not been a Stoppage merchant moving into Heavyweight. He clearly hits hard having rocked Derek Chisora and Anthony Joshua, but Usyk has admitted that he is not someone that will go chasing a Knock Out if it is not there.

The question in this one is whether Daniel Dubois will really go for broke in the first Six Rounds as he looks for the upset.

If he does and Oleksandr Usyk is able to weather any early storm, the Ukrainian can go through the gears and he is likely going to gas out Daniel Dubois and 'drown him' in the second half of the fight. It does mean the lean is with a late Stoppage in favour of the defending Champion, although there is every chance that Daniel Dubois will see a run to the cards as a win and may end up being a lot more cautious.

We have seen Usyk just do enough to win fights and not look to finish opponents, but this feels like a fight in which he can show that he is a capable finisher in this Division. Daniel Dubois might just begin to feel the pace after four or five Rounds and Oleksandr Usyk has the capability of just turning it on and forcing the ref to step in at some point around the Ninth Round.

Another British fighter is out in Poland looking to get the better of a Ukrainian opponent, but Hamzah Sheeraz is a favourite against Dmytro Mytrofanov.

Both are unbeaten, but Mytrofanov is much older and has not really taken on any opponent of note. He is naturally smaller than Hamzah Sheeraz, while a single fight since December 2021 is hardly ideal preparation.

Since a controversial win over Bradley Skeete, Hamzah Sheeraz decided to move up to Middleweight and has produced three dominant wins in the new Division. He has been out of the ring since November 2022, which is never ideal for a developing fighter, but he has broken into the top 10 in the Rankings of a couple of the organisation bodies, while Sheeraz looks more comfortable at the weight class.

Ukrainian fighters are tough, but over Twelve Rounds you would have to expect Sheeraz to find one or two openings in which he can make the kind of impact to see avoid having to win on the cards on the road.

Over in the United States, young prospect Jared Anderson is back in action a little over six weeks since being pushed to the cards for the first time in his career by Charles Martin. The former Heavyweight Champion gave Anderson plenty to think about, but that could prove to be valuable lesson for the next great American Heavyweight.

This is another test against a veteran for Anderson who faces Andrii Rudenko, although the Ukrainian looks to have had his best days. At 39 years old, Rudenko has only had one fight since being Stopped for the first time in December 2021 and you do have to wonder if he has enough in the tank to keep a power hitter like Jared Anderson at bay.

Andrii Rudenko has taken guys like Lucas Browne, Hughie Fury, Alexander Povetkin and Zhilei Zhang the distance, but the last of those fights was back in 2019. He is much older now and Jared Anderson might show what he learned from the Charles Martin fight by winning this one in the first half of the fight as he continues closing in on the top five of the World Rankings in a couple of the organisations.

Jared Anderson only ended up fighting Charles Martin because Zhan Kossobutskiy had visa issues heading to the United States. The unbeaten Heavyweight is able to head across this weekend though and Top Rank have perhaps decided that the Kazakh and Anderson can meet with more on the line in 2024.

The build for that fight can begin as soon as this weekend if Kossobutskiy can beat Efe Ajagba, a fighter who had built a decent reputation before losing to Frank Sanchez.

He has won two in a row since then, but Zhan Kossobutskiy has a big reputation building and some have compared him with Gennady Golovkin, albeit at a much higher weight class.

This could be a big hitting Heavyweight contest, but there looked to be some vulnerabilities in Ajagba in his loss to Frank Sanchez. The feeling was that Sanchez could have closed the show with a bit more desire to do so, and that is likely to be an approach Zhan Kossobutskiy will take as he sets himself in a position to face Jared Anderson down the line.

MY PICKS: Oleksandr Usyk to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Jared Anderson to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Zhan Kossobutskiy to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.62 Coral (2 Units)

Boxing Update 2023: 36-69, - 26.02 Units (196 Units Staked, - 13.28% Yield)