The championship fight. The pinnacle of achievement across combat sports for centuries. A premiere attraction that draws millions every year. But not all title bouts are created equally.
So which title bouts every week are the ones to watch? We’ll look over every title fight from across the combat sports landscape and give you the five best based on five criteria:
- Competitiveness: Is this an even matchup? Or just a warm body to throw at a champion? It’s a title fight, so we want the best possible at that division in that promotion.
- Excitement: How exciting will this fight be? A clash of two elite talents throwing everything they have at each other in an attempt to win the gold? Or a half-dead plod-fest devoid of action or risk?
- Juice: A sort of catch-all term for all the factors behind the matchup. Is there a story leading up to the match? A true rivalry? Anticipated rematch? Do the fighters dislike each other? Were the circumstances leading to the fight extraordinary, or was it just a promoter putting two names against each other? Is there a lot of excitement or hype going into it?
- Prestige: Applies to the belt itself, but also to the fighter wearing it. Is this a long-tenured champion defending? Is this an interim title or one that was vacated? Has the champion increased the prestige of the title or is this a fight that will increase the prestige of it?
- Viewing Ease: We all don’t mind suffering for our art (or hobbies), but sometimes paying twenty dollars for a choppy stream, or searching your cable plan for a channel you’re pretty sure was just invented three days ago in the 6000s isn’t the best of times. How easy, affordable, and stress-free is this bout to watch?
So here are your five best gold options for the weekend.
t4. Vacant WBA Super World Junior Lightweight Championship: Leo Santa Cruz (36-1-1) vs. Miguel Flores (24-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 9:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 2: Nobody wants to see this. This bout was already scheduled in February, but Flores had to pull out because of injury, and now, they’re running it back, and the WBA somehow has Flores as their #2-ranked boxer, despite having no great wins to speak of.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 2: LSC goes for a world championship in his fourth different weight class.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 15
t4. Glory Women’s Super Bantamweight Championship: Anissa Meksen (c) (98-4) vs. Tiffany Van Soest (21-5-2)
When/Where: Friday, 10:00pm, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 3: Van Soest can hang with any fighter in her division, but the facts are that Meksen has gotten the best of her twice. By decision, yes, but this might be her last shot at the champ.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 3: The roving three-woman carousel of Meksen, Van Soest, and Jady Menezes rolls on.
Prestige: 3
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 15
3. WBA World Junior Lightweight Championship: Andrew Cancio (c) (21-4-2) vs. Rene Alvarado (31-8)
When/Where: Saturday, 7:30pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 2: These two tangled in December of 2015, and it ended in eighth round with a KO win over Cancio. Since then, Alvarado has reeled off a couple decent wins, but Cancio has certainly not gotten any worse.
Excitement: 4: These two go for it, for better or for worse.
Juice: 2
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
2. WBA Super World Super Middleweight Championship: Callum Smith (c) (26-0) vs. John Ryder (28-4)
When/Where: Saturday, 2:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 3: Ryder is a hell of a fighter, and better than his record indicates, but he just doesn’t have the guns to keep up with Smith.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 3: This should unify the interim and Super championships, and that would leave just one left. “Regular” champion, one Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 18
1. WBC World Heavyweight Championship: Deontay Wilder (c) (41-0-1) vs. Luis Ortiz (31-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 9:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 5: To, I think most of our surprise, these two went out and delivered an absolute barn-burner of a heavyweight tilt. It was one of the best fights of the year and a throwback to heavyweight fights of yore. Both fighters were rocked, both were vulnerable, and these two laid everything they had against each other. Props to Deontay for taking a rematch.
Juice: 4: See above.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 21
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