We have some new fight bookings to report. New welterweight titleholders Errol Spence Jr and and Jeff Horn has first defenses now set up. A trio of new HBO fights are either done or close to done too. Finally, heavyweights Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte have contests upcoming as well.
- IBF welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr will make his first defense in January on Showtime against Lamont Peterson. The Barclay’s Center is in the lead to host the event on either the 13th or the 20th. Lamont Peterson had one of those secondary WBA belts they pretend are world titles, but he has vacated it. Spence won the IBF strap from Kell Brook in May while Peterson last defeated David Avanesyan in February.
- On December 13th, Brisbane will host Jeff Horn’s first title defense against lightly regarded British non-contender Gary Corcoran. Last summer Corcoran was stopped late against Liam Williams in his only fight of note. This will be his second fight down at welterweight from one division up. For Horn, this is purely a victory lap defense. These are to be expected in modern boxing.
- HBO is looking to air a pair of junior lightweight title defenses on either December 9th or 16th. The card would be headlined by an intriguing meeting between Miguel Berchelt and Orlando Salido for the WBC belt. That would be a good fight, though Berchelt would likely be heavily favored. The co-main event would be a battle for the vacant IBF strap if this all comes through between Tevin Farmer and Kenichi Ogawa.
- Speaking of HBO, their November 11th card featuring Danny Jacobs and Jarrell Miller has now been expanded into a tripleheader. Local favorite welterweight Cletus Seldin will help pack the Nassau Coliseum against Roberto Ortiz in the opener. For an HBO broadcasted fight, this is an odd one. Seldin is a popular fringe contender, but not a real prospect. Ortiz has proven himself below this level already.
- Dillian Whyte and Robert Helenius will fight on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s mandatory defense against Kubrat Pulev on October 28th. They will meet for a secondary WBC title that Whyte is hoping positions him to get a crack at their heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. There wouldn’t be many complaints about that fight.
- Finally, Alexander Povetkin is returning on December 15th in Russia. There is no official opponent yet, but word is that Christian Hammer is in the lead. Povetkin is likely to have a difficult time landing opponents above that level going forward due to his drug test failures in the past.
