On its highest levels, the sport of boxing stood still this week. Manny Pacquiao and Robert Easter Jr return to action next weekend, thankfully, but until then we have some minor news and notes from the dead week that was featuring a potential Juan Manuel Marquez return date, Lomachenko, Wilder, and Top Rank back in the heavyweight business.
- 43 year old Juan Manuel Marquez is reportedly now targeting August 19th for his return. He intended to return earlier this summer, but a bicep injury has kept him out of action. This fight, if it happens, will be a tune up for a bigger fight this winter. All signs point to that bout being a huge, classic Mexico v Puerto Rico clash against Miguel Cotto. Marquez has not fought since his 2014 win over Mike Alvarado.
- Vasyl Lomachenko is also looking at a yet to be determined August date for his next fight. The idea was for him to try to avenge his sole defeat to Orlando Salido, but the talk is that that fight is off on Salido’s end and Top Rank is scrambling for a new opponent. Ray Beltran is a logical potential replacement from in house at Top Rank, but that might require Lomachenko to go up to lightweight. If the rumors about Top Rank and ESPN are true, this card would fall on that network instead of HBO.
- Eddie Hearn made Deontay Wilder a three million dollar offer to defend his belt in the UK against Dillian Whyte. Wilder has been throwing a fit about this on social media, saying it isn’t a good enough offer. He has said he is open to travel for a defense for the right amount of money, however. Both Whyte and Tony Bellew want him. Wilder did prove he is willing to travel when he went to Russia to defend against Alexander Povetkin, but a Povetkin drug test failure prevented the fight from actually taking place. Whether it is in the UK, back in Alabama, or somewhere else, Wilder is looking to return in the fall.
- Finally, Top Rank is bolstering its roster, presumably for its rumored soon to be announced massive TV deal with ESPN. They have signed heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings. Jennings’s last two fights were both losses to top fighters Luis Ortiz and Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, but he gave spirited efforts in both and remains one of America’s top heavyweights. He is a good name to either provide support for a main event or to headline a smaller card himself.
