Gavin McDonnell v Vusi Malinga, 25 October, Sky
Doncaster’s Gavin McDonnell relinquished his British super bantamweight crown in August and is hoping to follow the groove rutted out by his twin brother Jamie – who is world-ranked at bantamweight. With five years less experience than his sibling, McDonnell (11-0-2, 4 KOs) makes a considerable step up in class against South Africa’s Vusi Malinga, who has contested three 115lb world title-fights (unsuccessfully).
McDonnell will go into the fight as the underdog against Malinga (21-5-1, 12 KOs), who provided Darlington’s Stuart Hall with a tumultuous tussle just before Christmas last year. (Hall, incidentally, bids to become a two-time world titlist against American Randy Caballero later this month.)
The career trajectories of both fighters will intersect at Hull’s Ice Arena. At 34, Malinga is a strong and sharp puncher who has mixed in a higher class but is possibly slipping; McDonnell, aged 28, is bidding to be fast-tracked, despite only having gone 12 rounds for the first time last year. You can write your own ticket attempting to predict the result.
Tom Stalker v Jack Catterall, 25 October, BoxNation
In an example of how intriguing bold matchmaking can be, unbeaten prospects Tom Stalker and Jack Catterall gamble with their reputations on 25 October at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
Catterall, a 21-year-old from Lancashire (9-0, 5 KOs), is a quick southpaw who works well to the body. He flattened another Liverpudlian prospect, Nathan Brough, in his last bout – Brough, a good amateur, had been unbeaten in 11 fights.
Stalker (9-0, 2 KOs) is a highly decorated amateur who captained Team GB at the London Olympics and, at nine years Catterall’s senior, is looking to accelerate towards major titles in the pros. Fighting out of the Macklin gym in Marbella, Stalker had been scheduled to face Welshman Chris Jenkins – an even more mouth-watering clash – in an eliminator for the British title, but made a U-turn once the Catterall fight presented him with a potential alphabet world ranking. He will be favoured to win but will need to avoid Catterall’s snappy-looking left hand.
Gary Sykes v Liam Walsh, 29 November, BoxNation
Gary Sykes and Liam Walsh finally meet on 29 November, having been scheduled to face off on numerous occasions, dating from as far back as 2012. Dewsbury’s Sykes is the British junior lightweight champion; Walsh, a left-hander from Cromer, is the Commonwealth king.
Sykes, 30, has been blighted by bad luck: while winning the Lonsdale belt outright against Jon Kays in May – a career high point – he broke the middle finger on his right hand, which subsequently became infected and resulted in multiple surgeries. Walsh, 28, is one of a trio of boxing brothers and he will be vociferously supported at London’s ExCel Arena.
The result could hinge on whether Sykes (27-3, 6 KOs), a high-energy distance fighter, has been satisfied by securing the belt or whether he has improved again as a result. Walsh (16-0, 11 KOs) will be banking on opposing Sykes at precisely the right time.
Billy Joe Saunders v Chris Eubank Jr, 29 November, BoxNation
After a two-year apprenticeship (consisting of 17 routine wins with 12 KOs), the jury is still very much out on middleweight Eubank. Saunders (20-0, 11 KOs), the outspoken British and European boss from Hatfield is well-tipped within the trade to have too much experience, skill and nous for his flamboyant foe when they met on the same card as Sykes v Walsh.
Eubank is reported to have shown his mettle in sparring against the likes of Carl Froch, George Groves and James DeGale, exhibiting greater potential there, perhaps, than any of his paid outings, where he has often resembled a man who is playing at the sport.
British promoters are marketing a lot of bouts behind the perception of a grudge, but the malice appears genuine in this case. In that sense, the fight echoes middleweight rivalries such as Mark Kaylor v Errol Christie and the original Eubank’s bouts against Nigel Benn and Michael Watson – although it’s probably closer to the super middleweight showdown between DeGale and Groves in 2011.
Stephen Ormond v Terry Flanagan, 24 November
Manchester’s Terry “Turbo” Flanagan, who became the British lightweight champion this summer, faces Dubliner Stephen Ormond on 24 November in a charity boxing show in London on 24 November.
Ormond, 31, is in fine fettle, having seen off Adam Dingsdale, Derry Mathews and Karim El Ouazghari in successive fights; Flanagan, the fit-as-a-whippet, Steve Maylett-trained lefty, has struggled for opponents over recent years, yet after halting the tough Walsall man Martin Gethin in July, the 25 year-old will be hoping that a strong showing against Ormond will continue his rise.
Known as “The Rock”, Ormond (17-1, 8 KOs) is a brawny and aggressive fighter who comes wielding a tommy gun. The unassuming Flanagan (25-0, 9 KOs), who holds a victory over Nate Campbell and the aforementioned Sykes and Mathews (the latter two wins came in a 2012 Prizefighter tournament), will look to use his laser-sharp jab and clever feet to eke out a hard-fought decision. This could be the best fight on the list.
• This article first appeared on The Queensberry Rules
• Follow The Queensberry Rules and Andrew Harrison on Twitter
• Follow Guardian Sport on Facebook
