EIGHT FIGHTS THAT WE WANT TO SEE ON A QUEENSBERRY VS MATCHROOM 5VS5

It’s approaching the two-year anniversary of the first-ever Matchroom vs Queensberry 5vs5 and, with talk currently extremely quiet about a second fight card between the pair, we’ve taken a look at some fights that could feature on a card this year if Frank and Eddie decide to run it back.

Heavyweight: Moses Itauma vs Justis Huni

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is the fight we all want to see in the heavyweight division but, with time seemingly running out to make that fight, we’ve picked out a different match-up which seems just as realistic.

Moses Itauma, regarded by many as the future of the heavyweight division, up against the talented Aussie Justis Huni.

Both have fights scheduled for the coming months, with Itauma set to face Jermaine Franklin later this month and Justis Huni taking on Frazer Clarke on the Fury vs Makhmudov card early next month.

If both come out victorious in those fights, it’s a fight that will definitely make sense.

Huni, who was winning comfortably against the now WBO world champion Fabio Wardley before getting caught with a monster shot, will arguably be Itauma’s best opponent to date if they were to fight and he’ll be seen as a good stepping stone for the young contender who is on course to get a world title shot before the end of the year.

If Itauma can stop both Franklin and Huni, it’ll leave no doubt that he is now ready to be thrown into world title fights.

Cruiserweight: Aloys Junior vs Pat Brown

Now to a fight in the cruiserweight division that really does make plenty of sense: 11-1 Aloys Junior up against Olympian Pat Brown.

Since making his professional debut a year ago, Brown has picked up five stoppage wins from his five bouts in the past 12 months and he takes on the durable Vasil Ducar in a cracking piece of matchmaking early next month.

We expect Brown to get the victory and, if he manages to become just the second man to stop Ducar, it’ll be a heck of a statement.

Aloys, as it stands, doesn’t have a fight scheduled, so if Brown gets through his fight with Ducar relatively unscathed, it’s certainly a fight that can be made for late spring or early summer. With Viddal Riley seemingly looking to move on from his British title, it would be the perfect fight to put the vacant title on the line for.

Light-Heavyweight: Brad Rea vs Ben Whittaker

Highly regarded as a future superstar of not just British boxing but global boxing, Olympic silver medallist Whittaker obliterated Benjamin Gavazi on his Matchroom debut at the end of last year.

He’s poised to make his American debut on Boots Ennis’s undercard in the near future but, with an announcement pending, we’re already looking ahead to his next move and we’ve picked out Queensberry’s Bradley Rea as the perfect opponent and step-up for Whittaker.

A talented amateur himself, Rea lost his European title by the narrowest of margins in his last fight with Lyndon Arthur.

Tough, fit and able to punch, he’ll ask questions of Whittaker which no one has so far in the Wolverhampton man’s professional career, so don’t be surprised to see this match-up get made before the end of the year.

Super-Middleweight: Hamzah Sheeraz vs Diego Pacheco

A fight that has been in the works before and one that feels like it’s been rumoured for the past decade: England’s super-middleweight sensation Hamzah Sheeraz up against America’s super-middleweight sensation Diego Pacheco.

The fight was officially ordered by the WBO for their vacant world title at the end of last year. However, earlier this year, Pacheco and his team decided to withdraw from negotiations as he wanted more time with new trainer Omar Villanueva following his split from Jose Benavidez Sr.

Despite this, it’s still an obvious fight to make, with neither fighter having a date set for their next bout.

It’s a top-quality match-up, especially for world honours. Two massive super-middleweights putting their undefeated records on the line to be crowned world champion.

If anything, it makes too much sense not to happen next.

Super-Welterweight: Bakary Samake vs Josh Kelly

It might not be the biggest fight on the list but it’s certainly one that would deliver: Matchroom’s newly crowned IBF World Super-Welterweight champion Josh Kelly up against Queensberry’s new signing Bakary Samake.

Kelly shocked the world earlier this year when upsetting Bakhram Murtazaliev to become world champion and, after signing a promotional deal with Frank and the team, it was confirmed that Frenchman Samake would make his Queensberry debut on April 25th in Paris against Ermal Hadribeaj.

It is unclear who Kelly will make the first defence of his world title against but it may well be a voluntary defence or a potential unification with Xander Zayas, with Brandom Adams and Caoimhin Agyarko facing off in a final eliminator next month.

The Sunderland man may even sit out and wait for that mandatory fight in the summer but, if he does and he wins it, along with Samake winning his clash against Hadribeaj, it would be an easy fight to make with the Frenchman well ranked in the IBF.

Lightweight: Jaidier Herrera vs Andy Cruz

What’s better than watching one Cuban box? Watching two Cubans box each other and, in this fight, we’ll get exactly that.

Queensberry’s newly crowned WBC World ‘Interim’ Lightweight champion against arguably one of the best amateur boxers of all time in Andy Cruz.

Olympic gold medallist Cruz came up just short in his first world title fight against Raymond Muratalla in his last bout for the IBF title but, with him ranked #4 in the WBC, it puts him in pole position for a crack at his Cuban counterpart.

With William Zepeda and Lamont Roach Jr set to fight for the vacant title, it’s the perfect fight to make for two exciting Cubans on a big stage. Even if you don’t know either of them — which the vast majority of boxing fans do — just the thought of two Cubans battling it out for a version of a world title is enough to sell it.

Super-Featherweight: Ryan Garner vs Leigh Wood

Now this is a proper crossroads fight. Former world champion Leigh Wood, fresh off the back of his second victory over Josh Warrington, up against the undefeated Ryan Garner, who’s full of momentum after adding the British and Commonwealth Super-Featherweight titles to his collection back in July when stopping the game Reece Bellotti.

It’s a fight that makes sense for both men.

Yes, Wood may be past his prime but the last thing that goes from a fighter is their power and he’ll still be a massive threat to Garner.

For both fighters, it’ll put them into world title contention. Garner is ranked #3 in the WBC and #15 in the IBF so adding Wood to his CV will only enhance his chances of a world title shot this year.

Featherweight: Nick Ball vs Shabaz Masoud

For the final fight we would like to see on a potential 5vs5, we head to the featherweight division where we’ve picked out former world champion Nick Ball up against European Super-Bantamweight champion Shabaz Masoud.

Unbeaten in his first 24 fights, Ball came up short in his last fight when beaten on home soil by Brandon Figueroa to be dethroned of his WBA world title.

Meanwhile, in Masoud’s last fight, he put in a career-best performance to beat Ball’s gym-mate Peter McGrail for the European Super-Bantamweight title. However, in the aftermath he was quick to announce that he’d be moving up in weight in his next fight, which sets this fight up with Ball perfectly.

It’s a classic case of boxer vs brawler and, at this stage of their careers, it would be the perfect fight for both men.