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Nick Parkinson
A few fights in October will provide an opportunity for some fighters to establish themselves as a force in their respective divisions, ranging from heavyweight to junior lightweight.
WBO heavyweight interim champion Joseph Parker cannot afford to lose against Fabio Wardley if he wants to remain in pole position for a shot at undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2026.
O’Shaquie Foster and Sebastian Fundora can strengthen their reputations at junior lightweight and junior middleweight, respectively, while Jaron “Boots” Ennis will look to produce a statement performance in his debut at 154 pounds. Jesus Ramos Jr., now a middleweight, can graduate from prospect to serious contender if he takes care of business against Shane Mosley Jr.
Reputations and status can be built or damaged in October in some significant fights. ESPN marks your calendar with the best fights next month.
Best fights in October
1. O’Shaquie Foster (-125) vs. Stephen Fulton (Even) – Oct. 25 on PBC PPV on Prime Video
Fulton is challenging for a world title in his first fight at junior lightweight as he attempts to become a three-weight champion. His only defeat came by stoppage to Naoya Inoue in July 2023 at junior featherweight, and since then he has outpointed Carlos Castro in September 2024 and Brandon Figueroa in February.
Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) impressively outworked Figueroa in their rematch, outlanding him in total punches (214-153), jabs (32-29) and power punches (182-114). It is a strategy he will look to adopt against Foster. But can he have the same success against the clever movement and skills of Foster?
After winning back the WBC junior lightweight title with a split decision win over Robson Conceicao in their November rematch, Foster (23-3, 12 KOs) looks to elevate his career with a win against Fulton. Foster’s superior size and reach could be decisive against Fulton, who was dropped in Round 5 when he fought Castro at featherweight.
This is Foster’s sixth fight at junior lightweight, and it looks like an opportunity for him to produce a spectacular performance to boost his profile.
2. Joseph Parker (-550) vs. Fabio Wardley (+375) – Oct. 25 on DAZN
Wardley might lack experience, but his abundance of heart and a big right hand make this fight worthy of your attention for excitement and a potential upset.
Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KOs) has been in entertaining fights recently. He knocked out the previously unbeaten Justis Huni in Round 10 in June when he was down on the scorecards 83-88, 82-89 and 82-89. That thrilling finish followed a first-round KO win over Frazer Clarke in a rematch, after a gruelling draw in March 2024.
Wardley will walk to the ring to face Parker as the WBA interim champion. But that title does not reflect Wardley’s true status amid the heavyweight elite — he’s the No. 10-ranked heavyweight in ESPN’s divisional rankings — and it will take a big shock for him to derail Parker’s recent run. Parker (36-3, 24 KOs), a former WBO champion, was hoping to challenge undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk instead of Wardley, but now he must overcome Wardley to stay in contention for a world title shot.
Helped by the tactics of experienced trainer Andy Lee, Parker has boxed smartly and sharply to KO Martin Bakole and outpoint big punchers Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder in his past three fights. Parker is favored to win, but Wardley has produced excitement in his last three fights and has shown he can find a way to win fights in which he is trailing.
3. Jaron “Boots” Ennis (-2000) vs. Uisma Lima (+950) – Oct. 11 on DAZN
“These dudes can’t tie my shoes. I’m the best in the world, and they know it,” Ennis said back in August when the fight against Lima was officially announced.
Big words like that demand a big performance from ESPN’s No 1 welterweight in his junior middleweight debut.
Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs), in against an unheralded opponent, is the heavy favorite to produce a big performance in front of his home city fans in Philadelphia.
After unifying the IBF and WBA welterweight titles with a sixth-round KO of Eimantas Stanionis in April, a step up in weight is a good move for Ennis, with some big matchups available at 154 pounds. Given that not much is known about Lima, the expectation is that Ennis will provide a crowd-pleasing KO.
The backdrop to this fight is speculation that Ennis will progress to face Virgil Ortiz Jr. (if Ortiz defeats Erickson Lubin in November), which would be a fight of far more significance.
4. Sebastian Fundora (-500) vs. Keith Thurman (+350) – Oct. 25 on PBC PPV on Prime Video
“The Towering Inferno” can firmly solidify himself as the best junior middleweight in the world with a third defense of his WBC belt against veteran Keith Thurman.
The 6-foot-5 Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) has already registered two title wins this year, stopping Chordale Booker in March and Tim Tszyu in July. Fundora dropped Tszyu in Round 1 and forced him to retire after seven rounds. It was a dominant win for Fundora, whose height and reach advantages will inevitably give the 5-9½ Thurman problems.
Thurman’s best days, as a welterweight from 2013 to 2017, seem a long time ago. He has also rarely been seen in recent years. Since losing his WBA welterweight title to Manny Pacquiao in July 2019, he has only fought twice. His third-round win over Brock Jarvis in March, his first fight in three years, was seen as good enough to earn him another title shot at 36 years of age.
If Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) can upset the odds to become a two-division world champion, it would be one of the biggest shocks this year.
5. Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr. (-1000) vs. Shane Mosley Jr. (+550) – Oct. 25 on PBC PPV on Prime Video
A shot at WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames is at stake in this title eliminator, and many will be intrigued to see what sort of performance Ramos can produce.
Ramos (23-1, 19 KOs) took this fight after winning his last three by stoppage. The southpaw is now on the verge of big fights. A unanimous decision defeat to Erickson Lubin in September 2023 has left many still to be convinced about what sort of impact Ramos can have, but perhaps this is the fight where he changes people’s opinions.
But Mosley (22-4, 12 KOs) is coming off the biggest win of his career, a unanimous decision victory over former champion Daniel Jacobs in July 2024 that sent him to retirement, and has built some momentum since losing to Jason Quigley in 2021. This is also his big moment to emerge from the shadow of his father, “Sugar” Shane Mosley, who was a three-division world champion.
As both need a win to earn a first world title shot, this fight has the ingredients to be a competitive, no-compromises and exciting encounter.
6. Mary Spencer (N/A) vs. Mikaela Mayer (N/A) – Oct. 30
The fight is very important for both fighters’ futures, but what’s at stake for Mayer if she wins is the most interesting aspect of the bout.
Mayer continues her journey up the divisions as she attempts to become a three-weight world champion and set up a megafight with Claressa Shields, ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in women’s boxing.
After beating Sandy Ryan by decision in two tempestuous tussles at welterweight, the 5-9 Mayer (21-2, 5 KOs) is going straight into a world title fight at junior middleweight. Mayer is an educated boxer with great energy, but how will she cope at the higher weight against 40-year-old Spencer (10-2, 6 KOs)?
If Mayer triumphs, talk will turn to a potential match up with Shields, which would be probably the biggest fight to make in women’s boxing now that Katie Taylor is taking a break from the sport.
“If Claressa gets down to 154 pounds, I think that’s something that we’ve both discussed making happen,” Mayer told Sky Sports in June.
Shields and Mayer teammates on the U.S. women’s boxing team at the 2016 Olympics, could become rivals as Mayer climbs through the weight classes. Shields, the only three-division undisputed champion in women’s boxing, became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the women’s game earlier this year. If she is comfortable moving down from heavyweight (over 175 pounds) to 154 pounds, then a fight with Mayer is possible.
7. Danny Garcia (N/A) vs. Daniel Gonzalez (N/A) – Oct. 18 on Millions.co PPV
With Garcia calling this his “Farewell to Brooklyn,” many fight fans will tune in or turn up to the Barclays Center wondering if this might be the last time we see the two-division world champion in a boxing ring, at least in Brooklyn.
If Garcia (37-4, 21 KOs) has serious ambitions of securing big fights, he needs to overcome Gonzalez (22-4-1, 7 KOs) following his ninth-round retirement defeat to Erislandy Lara a year ago. This will be just Garcia’s fourth appearance in nearly five years, and at age 37, a third defeat in four fights could convince him to hang up the gloves.
If Garcia shows some of the form that saw him beat such fighters as Erik Morales, Lamont Peterson and Paulie Malignaggi at the Barclays Center, that would be a fitting end to a distinguished career.
Odds accurate as of Sept. 26. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET
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