There are no April Fools’ Day pranks around here.
Sure, we could have stuffed a record of hilarious phoney fights including Frank Bruno vs. Jake Paul and Eddie Hall vs. Tommy Fury for engagement. But when it comes to boxing, reality is typically stranger than fiction.
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Wait … Hall vs. Fury is a goer?
I give up.
Let’s take a nearer look at the best of the motion in April.
5. Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov, heavyweight, April 11
A Tyson Fury return to boxing is always going to be price a watch, but after his — checks notes — fifth about-face back into the ring, this Netflix conflict against Arslanbek Makhmudov only scrapes in the record at No. 5.
“The Gypsy King” hasn’t fought in the United Kingdom since besting his mate Derek Chisora in 2022. Since then, a disputed win over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and two losses to Oleksandr Usyk have raised critical query marks over Fury’s standing in the heavyweight division.
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There are still some paydays left for Fury, 37, if he navigates this period of his profession sensibly, most notably against career-long rival Anthony Joshua. And on-paper Arslanbek Makhmudov appears like a good choice to get him back on the horse and in the headlines for the proper causes.
Makhmudov has become a acquainted face in the United Kingdom after beating cult-hero David Allen last October, and his sizable body and grizzly options will permit Netflix to inform a compelling story to the informal fan.
4. Andres Cortes vs. Eridson Garcia, light-weight, April 5
Zuffa Boxing has served up a fairly fascinating predominant occasion at light-weight on its fifth official show.
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Andres Cortes vs. Eridson Garcia may not have the bells, whistles and trinkets hooked up to it to make it merely “unmissable,” but when fights are evenly matched in this sport, then it’s onerous to argue against them.
Cortes, 29, has been floating in and around the world title scene for a few years now without reeling in any weighty names to problem. He has an unbeaten file of 24 wins and dangers blowing this run up in smoke against an in-form challenger.
Garcia, 31, is on a six-fight successful streak after being blitzed and left staring at the ceiling by Jordan White in 2023, and has gathered good momentum in some wins over fringe contenders at 130 kilos.
But Zuffa being Zuffa means we are leaping up to light-weight here — a weight north of where both males compete at — throwing another variable into this onerous to call contest.
Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder face off during a press convention at Glazier’s Hall, London.
(John Walton – PA Images via Getty Images)
3. Deontay Wilder vs. Derek Chisora, heavyweight, April 4
Guys like Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder aren’t going to be instructed what to do with their careers, so at this level, it’s a case of taking your seat and letting them get on with it.
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The reality that Chisora comes into this heavyweight conflict as a betting favourite despite proudly owning 13 profession losses on his file speaks more about Wilder than it does the eccentric Briton, with “The Bronze Bomber” now wanting a shadow of the man who held the WBC title for 1,859 days from 2015-19.
Chisora is a struggle horse of the sport. He’s taken large blows from a who’s who of this technology of heavyweights, but is adamant on marching ahead into more profitable pay days.
He’s claiming that this struggle — both his and Wilder’s fiftieth — will be his last, but will Chisora truly handle to stroll away if he lodges one of his best on-paper wins inside London’s O2 Arena on April 4?
We’ll have to wait and see. Five years in the past this struggle would have been an abomination, but now it makes sense for both heavyweights as they proceed to cling onto life as a pugilist.
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2. Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Juan Francisco Estrada, bantamweight, April 11
The jury is out on Tenshin Nasukawa.
The kickboxing legend is eight fights into his professional boxing profession, and is wanting to bounce back from a stunning loss to Takuma Inoue this previous November in a failed bid to grab the vacant WBC world title at bantamweight.
The 27-year-old former unbeaten kickboxer is still studying, and now has been pitted against one of the hardest lecturers in the sport in Juan Francisco Estrada.
Estrada, 35, is a legend of the decrease weight lessons and out to show to himself that he has a lot more to give the sport after 49 fights, yet his two outings — going 1-1 — since his historic win over Roman Gonzalez in 2022 raises query marks over “Gallo’s” conditioning.
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Either means, the narrative of this struggle just pulls you in. It’s a crossroads struggle dialed up to 11 between a bona fide famous person and an getting old legend.
Callum Smith captured the interim WBO world gentle heavyweight title against Joshua Buatsi.
(Mark Robinson via Getty Images)
1. Callum Smith vs. David Morrell, for Smith’s WBO interim gentle heavyweight title, April 18
It’s onerous to argue against this gentle heavyweight contest topping the charts on April’s slate.
A real 50/50 contest between two guys sitting comfortably inside the prime 10 at 175 kilos, both eyeing a second likelihood at a world title struggle following mixed losses to the devilish duo of Artur Beterbiev and David Benavidez.
Two large punchers at the weight who are working out of wiggle room for defeats virtually ensures fireworks on April 18. They were both concerned in Fight of the Year contenders in 2025 — Smith beating Joshua Buatsi and Morrell’s loss to Benavidez — and the reality this struggle lands in the preventing metropolis of Liverpool provides an further kick of electrical energy in the air.
The gentle heavyweight division is top-heavy with some real pound-for-pound stars, and this struggle gives the victor the likelihood to be part of them at that esteemed desk.
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