October won’t have any super fights and will likely feel to some fans a little bit like August did. There will be fights to see but the stars won’t quite align to be anything more than a breather before what could be a thrilling close to an excellent year.
The best action of the month may come at the midway part. That’s a little ironic as six pounds apart, the middle of October will settle on the middle of the boxing scale for a pair of main events with long range implications:
10/14: 160 – TBRB #3 Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KO, WBO) vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri (21-0-1, 7 KO, IBF)
10/14 : 154 – #1 Tim Tszyu (23-0, 17 KO, WBO) vs. #2 Brian Mendoza (22-2, 16 KO)
Starting with the heavier class, we see an attempt to make the most of a tough situation. Let’s be clear: middleweight is in a down period. Gennadiy Golovkin quietly vacated two belts and is likely retired. Erislandy Lara was elevated to full titlist but hasn’t fought in more than a year. Jermall Charlo remains a titlist despite two years of inactivity while WBC interim titlist Carlos Adames has chipped away with what’s available.
Middleweight is sort of like a messy room.
Cleaning it up has to start somewhere.
Alimkahnuly and Gualtieri aren’t household names and neither has a blow away win on their record, but they’re putting their stakes in the division up for grab. Could it be the beginning of giving middleweight some direction? It remains to be seen. Let’s just hope for a good fight.
One division down, Tim Tszyu will celebrate being elevated by the WBO after Jermell Charlo was stripped of their belt with a fight against a man who made his name in a big way this year. Brian Mendoza was down big when he landed bigger to snatch away the undefeated record of Sebastian Fundora.
The winner of this one is the clear number one contender to Charlo if the lineal and still tri-belted king returns to the class. They could also make themselves at least somewhat viable for Terence Crawford or Errol Spence should either move up. Tszyu has star pedigree and lineage; Mendoza is scrappy and already has one upset this year. Could he stun the world twice?
Additional Title Fights in October
Men
10/07: 126 – #2 Leigh Wood (27-3, 16 KO, WBA) vs. #8 Josh Warrington (31-2-1, 8 KO)
10/07: 105 – #1 Petchamanese CP Freshmart (39-1, 23 KO, WBC) vs. #8 Yudai Shigeoka (7-0, 5 KO)
10/07: 105 – #4 Ginjiro Shigeoka (9-0, 7 KO) vs. Daniel Valldares (27-3-1, 15 KO, IBF)
10/27: 108 – #1 Jonathan Gonzalez (27-3-1, 14 KO, WBO) vs. Gerardo Zapata (14-1-1, 5 KO)
10/28: 130 – #5 O’Shaquie Foster (20-2, 11 KO, WBC) vs. Eduardo Hernandez (34-1, 31 KO)
Women
10/07: 154 – Terri Harper (14-1-1, 6 KO, WBA) vs. Cecilia Braekhus (37-2, 9 KO); vacant WBO
10/07: 108 – Evelin Bermudez (18-1-1, 6 KO, IBF/WBO) vs. Kim Clavel (17-1, 3 KO)
10/11: 154 – Femke Hermans (16-4, 7 KO) vs. Marty Spence (7-1, 5 KO); vacant IBF
10/21: 112 – Arely Mucino (32-3-2, 11 KO, IBF) vs. Gabriela Fundora (11-0, 4 KO)
10/27: 126 – World Champion Amanda Serrano (45-2-1, 30 KO, IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO) vs. Danila Ramos (12-2, 1 KO)
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.