Boxing continues to roll on in 2021. After a rough 2020 that saw many stars either not compete or compete just once, the new year has seen a handful of fighters already seen ring time with big success.
Look no further than the pound for pound king himself, Canelo Alvarez. The Mexican superstar has scored a pair of knockouts already, stopping Avni Yildirim with ease in February before another stoppage of Billy Joe Saunders in May. Now, Alvarez hopes to get a date with Caleb Plant in September to achieve undisputed champion status in the super middleweight division.
And many in the boxing community were stunned when WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas outpointed legend Manny Pacquiao to retain his title in August. Despite the fight being made last minute because of an injury to unified titleholder Errol Spence Jr., many expected Pacquiao, 42, to be able to take care of business against the Cuban. Now, uncertainty surrounds Pacquiao’s fighting future.
Now as we turn toward September, one more major celebrity fight gets the spotlight as the legendary Oscar De La Hoya makes his return to the boxing ring to take on MMA great Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11 in Las Vegas. De La Hoya, 48, has not competed professionally since a December 2008 knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao. Because of that, this contest will have special rules involved, including two-minute rounds. Belfort, 44, will be making his second appearance in the boxing ring with his debut coming all the way back in 2006.
Heavyweights are set to make a splash in the fall with all the major players in action. First, unified champion Anthony Joshua is back when he takes on former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Joshua had been hoping to secure an undisputed bout with WBC titleholder Tyson Fury earlier in the summer, but talks broke down as Fury dealt with his own negotiation issues.
Despite a delay due to COVID-19, Fury and Deontay Wilder will finally settle the score in their rivalry in October when they meet inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight was originally scheduled for July 24 after Wilder won an arbitration ruling allowing him the third fight. But Fury tested positive for COVID-19 while in training camp and pushed back the date by nearly three months.
Below is a running list of boxing main events for the 2021 year.
Note: This will be updated constantly with changes and additions.
| Sept. 4 | Leeds, England | Josh Warrington vs. Mauricio Lara | Featherweights | DAZN |
| Sept. 10 | Tucson, Arizona | Oscar Valdez (c) vs. Robson Conceicao | WBC junior lightweight title | TBD |
| Sept. 11 | Las Vegas | Oscar De La Hoya vs. Vitor Belfort | Special exhibition | Triller PPV |
| Sept. 18 | Las Vegas | Stephen Fulton Jr. (c) vs. Brandon Figueroa (c) | Super bantamweight unification | Showtime |
| Sept. 25 | London | Anthony Joshua (c) vs. Oleksandr Usyk | Unified heavyweight titles | DAZN |
| Oct. 9 | Las Vegas | Tyson Fury (c) vs. Deontay Wilder | WBC heavyweight title | ESPN/FOX PPV |
| Oct. 23 | Atlanta | Jamel Herring (c) vs. Shakur Stevenson | WBO junior lightweight title | ESPN |
| Nov. 6 | Las Vegas | Canelo Alvarez (c) vs. Caleb Plant (c) | Undisputed super middleweight titles | PPV |
| Dec. 18 | Scotland | Josh Taylor (c) vs. Jack Catterall | Undisputed junior welterweight title | TBD |
