IT IS not often that the heavyweight division fails to deliver fireworks, and whenever it does, the entire sport will typically suffer as a result.
But for now, at least, the land of the giants seems to offer a fruitful home to its army of predators, all eagerly awaiting their opportunity to pounce.
And even while the top dog, Oleksandr Usyk, extends his well-deserved break from the ring, there is nonetheless a plethora of matchups which, quite simply, make perfect sense.
So here, Boxing News selects five of the most appealing, and indeed realistic, heavyweight fights that could soon come to fruition.
Joseph Parker vs Agit Kabayel
Social media rumours suggest that Joseph Parker will face Fabio Wardley on October 25, while Agit Kabayel – as confirmed by his manager, Spencer Brown – is heading directly towards a homecoming in Germany.
As the two leading contenders at heavyweight, though, it would only make for a compelling spectacle if the pair were to duke it out later this year.
Not only that, but with Kabayel establishing himself as a monstrous body puncher, and Parker remaining perhaps the most technically proficient heavyweight behind Usyk, their encounter would offer far more than just a slobberknocker between two hard-hitting lumps.
Anthony Joshua vs Martin Bakole
It has now been confirmed that Anthony Joshua is targeting a comeback fight in January, while Tyson Fury, it seems, remains unsure as to whether he wishes to once again come out of retirement.
In the meantime, a clash with Martin Bakole could emerge as an enticing option for Joshua, especially now that his team is exploring the idea of a fight in Africa.
And despite his dip in form, Congolese wrecking machine Bakole would certainly represent a solid dance partner, while ‘AJ’, a man of Nigerian heritage, looks to bounce back from his defeat to Daniel Dubois with a meaningful win.
Daniel Dubois vs Lawrence Okolie
Much like with Parker-Wardley, the boxing rumour mill would lead us to believe that Daniel Dubois, following his emphatic defeat to Usyk, is gearing up for an all-London tangle with David Adeleye.
Yet while there is, indeed, plenty of merit attached to that matchup, one cannot help but feel that Lawrence Okolie would provide ‘Triple D’ with a marginally more intriguing test.
The unorthodox style of Okolie would likely present Dubois with a series of nightmarishly awkward obstacles while, in equal measure, the 27-year-old’s explosive power could see him halt proceedings at any moment.
Richard Torrez Jr vs Jared Anderson
With the state of American boxing slowly crumbling into disrepair, perhaps the emergence of a genuine heavyweight contender could offer some sort of lifeline.
It was not so long ago that the hype train of Jared Anderson had gained plenty of momentum, only for it to then get derailed following a shock defeat to Bakole last year.
After that, the 25-year-old failed to set the world alight in his return fight, while Olympic silver medallist Richard Torrez Jr, on the other hand, comes off an impressive display against Guido Vianello.
Fabio Wardley vs Filip Hrgovic
This is a fight that makes sense for a number of different reasons but, most importantly, it would see one of the division’s biggest punchers take on the seemingly indestructible Filip Hrgovic.
Particularly in his last outing, against Adeleye, Hrgovic proved that, no matter how many times he gets clocked on the chin, his powers of recovery are so extraordinary that he just always seems to spring back to life.
That survival instinct, however, would surely get put to the test against Wardley who, if nothing else, has established himself as a purely natural one-punch knockout artist.