Bravose Previews: Title fights happening in August 2019

Paddy Gallagher v Chris Jenkins Commonwealth welterweight title

On Saturday 3 August Chris Jenkins will come face to face with home-crowd favourite Paddy Gallagher in Belfast, for the vacant Commonwealth welterweight title. In each of the boxers’ previous successful fights, Jenkins beat Johnny Garton to become the British welterweight champion, while Gallagher beat the formerly undefeated Liam Wells. Jenkins said: “The fight has come out of the blue, a bit like the fight against Johnny Garton did. Because I am always in reasonable shape and like to keep fit, I jumped at it." Meanwhile Gallagher is looking forward to the locals giving him a subconscious edge. He said: “It is brilliant to finally get a big fight here as I have always had to travel for them.”

Emanuel Navarrete v Francisco De Vaca WBO super bantamweight title

  Emanuel Navarrete will make a defence of his WBO super bantamweight title on Saturday 17 August at the Los Angeles Banc of California Stadium. In this Mexican match-up, Navarrete’s opponent will be Phoenix-based Francisco De Vaca, who is ranked 11 by the WBO. Having fought most of his bouts in the US city, he faces a huge step up in class. But while on paper it may look as though De Vaca is not a qualified challenger, an untested opponent does not necessarily equal a guaranteed win. Navarrete himself was untested when he burst on to the boxing scene in a 2018 title fight, dominating and beating Isaac Dogboe. It was no fluke either; Navarrete went on to repeat the feat in his second title defence in May 2019.

Sergey Kovalev v Anthony Yarde WBO light heavyweight title

Sergey Kovalev will attempt to retain his WBO light heavyweight title against Anthony Yarde outside Moscow on Saturday 24 August. In February, Russian Kovalev regained the belt with a points victory against Eleider Alvarez, after he first took the title in 2013. Hackney-born Yarde took his unbeaten record to 18 wins in March, when he beat Travis Reeves in five rounds. The fight is happening after Kovalev snubbed a mega match-up with Mexican Saul Alvarez, with promoter Kathy Duva saying there was “no other alternative for the summer”. Nevertheless Yarde’s trainer Tunde Ajayi said: “Anthony is a strong-minded individual. I want the full credit when we stop him. Kovalev is getting knocked out.”

Vasyl Lomachenko v Luke Campbell WBA super world, WBC world and WBO world lightweight titles

Luke Campbell will take on Vasyl Lomachenko for three lightweight world titles on his home turf at the London O2 Arena on Saturday 31 August.   Ukrainian Lomachenko is looking to add the vacant WBC world crown to his current WBA super world and WBO world lightweight titles. Said by many to be the pound-for-pound king, his ultimate aim is to unify all belts in the lightweight division. Coincidentally, both fighters became gold medal winners at the London 2012 Olympics with Lomachenko taking the lightweight crown and Campbell winning at bantamweight. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for mandatory challenger Campbell. While his promoter, Eddie Hearn, said he did not agree with the WBC decision to order the fight, he has backed the Brit to cause a shock.