2016: Starts the world circus of boxing

By Primiano Michele Schiavone

Wednesday, January 5, 2016 – The beginning of the new year boxing, strong of 93 world champions – considering only the 4 authoritative WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO – comes loaded with championship events since the first week of January.

It starts on Saturday 9 in Germany, at Baden-Arena of Offenburg, in which the young German Vincent Feigenbutz (21-1-0, 19) will face for the second time the Italian Giovanni De Carolis (23-6-0, 11 ), defending the world WBA interim super-middleweight belt, along with the world GBU title.

On January 16 will be the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, to host the defence of WBC world heavyweight title by the holder Deontay Wilder (35-0-0, 34), American of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, against the left-handed Polish Artur Szpilka ( 20-1-0, 15).
It will be the first heavyweight title fight in Brooklyn since James Jeffries knocked out James Corbett in the 23rd round on May 11, 1900, on Coney Island.

Then it's up to Canadian Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, on 30 January it will host the second match between Russian Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25) and the local Haitian-born Jean Pascal (30-3-1- 1 NC, 17). The European fighter will make the defence of his three world belts: WBA super champion, WBO and IBF light heavyweight.

On February 12, in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, the WBO world bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu (51-3-0, 35), Thailand, will give a chance to the Philippine Jetro Pabustan (26-2-6, 7).

The next evening, February 13, in the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, the WBO world lightweight champion Terry Flanagan (29-0-0, 12), English southpaw, will be making his second title defense when will address the local Derry Mathews (38-9-2, 20), already world WBA interim champion of the category.

The following week, on February 20, in the German city of Oberhausen, the WBA world super-middleweight champion Fedor Chudinov (14-0-0, 10) will defend his belt against German Felix Sturm (39-5-3-1 NC, 19). The Russian will grant a rematch to German – former world titleholder of  WBO, WBA and IBF middleweight titles – against whom he won the vacant title in December 2014.

After 7 days, on February 27, in the Manchester Arena, the local Scott Quigg (31-0-2, 23),  WBA world super champion of super-bantamweights, will face the Carl Frampton (21-0-0, 14), from Belfast, Northern Ireland, owner of the IBF world super-bantamweights, in a big matchup. The two titles will be at the stake.

Primiano Michele Schiavone