Thrilling Halloween Boxing Weekend

By Carlos Costa

CEBU — Some are the most exciting boxing battles for this unusual year 2020 – perhaps the craziest year of our lives – is about to unfold during this Halloween weekend, truly thrilling fights ready for the first bell.

Quick recap of the what is coming:

INOUE VS MALONEY on Halloween in Las Vegas! 
In a hot bantamweight unification battle, Japan’s unbeaten super champion “The Monster” Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KO’s), a man surely one the Planet’s top 10 pound4pounds fighters, defends his unified WBA/IBF 118-pound belts against tough world-class Australian challenger Jason Moloney (21-1, 18 KO’s), a fighter with solid punching power.

Stunning in every battle, the fantastic Nippon Naoya Inoue is a winner with Nonito Donaire of the award to “Best Fight of the Year 2019.” Is some thrilling stoppage destined to unfold for us this October 31?

Will “The Monster” improve his undefeated record to 20-0 by defeating the Aussie fighter?

Or will Naoya shockingly lose his 2 world belts in a blink of an eye, leaving his fans with their mouths open in disbelief?

I think the awesome Monster from Yokohama should prevail over the Australian on Halloween night. Simply put, the Japanese is in a superior fighting class.

Plus, if Naoya Inoue wins, the stage would get hotter for a possible unification showdown of the Japanese star against Filipino WBO champion Johnriel Casimero (30-4, 21 KO’s), a clash that will surely grab the attention of boxing fans. That’s why Inoue vs Moloney we need to watch. 

USYK VS CHISORA unwrapping in London on Halloween. Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk (17-0, 13 KO’s), the grand winner of the prestigious WBSS Muhammad Ali Trophy, collides against popular British veteran Derek Chisora (32-9, 23 KO’s), a battle that could very well define a future opponent for Briton superstars Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KO’s) or Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KO’s) for a Heavyweight World Title.

The momentum is on the side of the 6′ 3” strong, unbeaten Usky. We shall watch it.

KAMBOSOS VS SELBY in the co-feature of Usky vs Chisora has fan’s attention as the unbeaten George Kambosos Jr is a former sparring partner of Filipino Boxing King Manny Pacquiao.

The Greek-Australian Kambosos helped The Pacman prepare for his fight against the now-retired Argentinian Lucas Matthysse, with Kambosos doing a pretty decent job.

So let’s find out if what Kambosos learned from being in training camp with the master Pacquiao will help him defeat the more experienced British former world champion.

Furtheremore, this fight is important because the winner directly goes on to fight for the world title.

2 years ago, I attended Kambosos’ fight in Malaysia against Filipino JR Magboo. Kambosos looked like a devastating giant against Magboo. But Lee Selby (28-2, 9 KO’s) is in a class light-years superior to the class of unheralded Filipino. Things are way tougher for Kambosos, battling in the battling in the country of his opponent.

Will Kambosos (18-0, 10 KO’s) from Sydney have enough weaponry at his disposal to beat the fast and experienced former world Champion Lee Selby to get what he has always wanted: a shot at the lightweight world title?

MUNGUIA VS JOHNSON. Unbeaten Mexican former 154-pound world champion Jaime Munguia of Tijuana battles Bahamas warrior Tureano Johnson (21-2-1, 15 KO’s) for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental 160-pound belt, a war this Friday in Indio, California.

If the Tijuana slugger wins as widely expected, the doors for him to battle unbeaten WBO Middleweight World Champion Demetrius Andrade (29-0, 18 KO’s) get wide open.

But if the Mexican Munguía loses… his boxing world gets shattered.

Interestingly, Munguia (35-0, 28 KO’s) will again have in his corner his coach former star Erik “El Terrible” Morales. Munguía vs Johnson, what
happen?

SOTO VS BUITRAGO in the co-main event of the Munguía vs Johnson.
Mexican WBO 108-lbs world champion Elwin “La Pulga” Soto (17-1, 12 KO’s) defends his belt for the second time against experienced Nicaraguan 5-time world title challenger Carlos “Chocorroncito” Buitrago (32-5-1, 18 KO’s)

Buitrago – who is handled by Puerto Rican former champ Miguel Cotto – wants to use his experience and good conditioning to get Sotto’s Belt. Will he do that?

Or will the 23-year-old Mexican champion prevail over the Nicaraguan challenger?

DAVIS VS SANTA CRUZ on October 31 in San Antonio, Texas, is another major boxing trick or treat super thriller for Halloween.

Yes indeed, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, 25, battles Mexican 32-year-old multi-division champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz. (Terremoto meaning Earthquake)

This super clash is driving towards us in just a few day’s incomes with something unusual being in play: The winner gets belts in 2 different weight classes.

Yes, you read correctly. The victorious one becomes at the same time WBA super featherweight world champion as well as WBA lightweight world champion, how about that?

The big winner will smile, rejoice, and celebrate, taking it all. The loser going home empty-handed to ponder what if…

Will the fast southpaw attacks of Gervonta Davis confuse the Mexican Terremoto Santa Cruz?

Tough mission for Santa Cruz, likely the most challenging in his life.

That’s because the undefeated Tank” Davis, a protégésFloyd Mayweather pupil, “can boast fantastic speed, destructive firepower as well as confidence, and natural boxing skills. All those attributes are not easy to find, yet “Tank” is got them all.

I hope my Latino brother Santa Cruz, a fighter with class and heart could find ways to emerge victorious. We’ll find out.

Are the above fights OK for this Halloween weekend? I think YES! So Boxing fans, you better get this great weekend of high-class boxing.

May the best men win!

The author Carlos Costa lives in Cebu and can be reached at carlos512@hotmail.com and WhatsApp/Viber 09184538152.

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