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 matches 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? 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?
1. WBC World Heavyweight Championship: Deontay Wilder (c) (36-0) vs. Chris Arreola (36-4-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 8:00, Fox
Competitiveness: 3: Arreola is a guy who can never get to the very top level. He’ll fight for world titles, but his window has pretty much closed.
Excitement: 5: Lots and lots of knockouts between the two, and Arreola might not get his lights turned out, but he’ll go down swinging.
Juice: 1: Arreola was a late-notice replacement for a much anticipated bout with Alexander Povetkin.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 5: Primetime on network TV, nothing easier. Would be a 6 if I allowed it.
Total: 19
2. EBI Featherweight Championship: Eddie Cummings (c) vs. Field
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 5: Fifteen other fighters trying to take your title and having to defend it up to four times in one night is just about as goddamned competitive as humanly possible.
Excitement: 5: It’s a freaking sixteen-man one-night tournament. If you can’t get excited for that…
Juice: 2
Prestige: 2
Viewing Ease: 4: My favorite thing that Fight Pass has done are bringing in a ton of other promotions/martial arts under their umbrella. Must-have now.
Total: 18
3. WBA World Super Middleweight Championship: Giovanni De Carolis (c) vs. Tyron Zeuge
When/Where: Saturday, 9:00, Untelevised
Competitiveness: 5: The rare event, especially in boxing, where the champion is the underdog.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2
Prestige: 4: Too many vacanies and interims has devalued what should be an easy 5.
Viewing Ease: 1: Unless you have access to local German television, sorry.
Total: 15
4. WBA Super World Junior Featherweight Championship: Guillermo Rigondeaux (c) (16-0) vs. James Dickens (22-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 1:00, BoxNation
Competitiveness: 1: Rigo is going to box this dude the hell up.
Excitement: 4: Your mileage may vary when it comes to Rigondeaux. Lots and lots of people don’t find him appealing, hence why he’s defending his title on a co-main on an England-only program, but I find him enthralling to watch. I have a lot more patience for technical brilliance in boxing than in every other combat sport for whatever reason.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 1: See the Flanagan/Fana entry.
Total: 12
5. WBO World Lightweight Championship: Terry Flanagan (c) (30-0) vs. Mzonke Fana (38-9)
When/Where: Saturday, 1:00, BoxNation
Competitiveness: 1: LOLNO.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 1: Unless you live in the UK and get BoxNation, it’s off to find more nefarious means to watch.
Total: 10
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