Boxing predictions: Fundora-Spence, Inoue-Nakatani, more

​​There was a chance Sebastian Fundora would face Tim Tszyu in his next fight, a rematch of last year's bloody decision win, but with Tszyu losing by TKO to Bakhram Murtazaliev on Saturday, Fundora has another opponent in mind: Errol Spence Jr.

Spence, a former welterweight world champion, has not fought since his ninth-round TKO loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023. Spence then had to undergo cataract surgery in January. Although the fight has not been officially announced yet, there is a possibility that they could fight each other early next year. Can Fundora seize the opportunity and defeat Spence?

Shakur Stevenson was scheduled to face Joe Cordina this month, but suffered an injury to his right hand during practice that required surgery. Now Stevenson is looking for a new opponent – possibly a top-five fighter – for February in a Riyadh season ticket.

Jack Catterall and Regis Prograis need statement wins when they face each other on Saturday, but can they deliver? Rafael Espinoza scored a surprising victory over Robeisy Ramirez last December in one of the best fights of the year. Can they put on another watchable fight in the rematch?

One of the best pound-for-pound fighters, Naoya Inoue, has won world titles in four weight classes and appears unbeatable. But his Japanese compatriot Junto Nakatani wants to get into the ring with Inoue and has won titles in three divisions. Can they meet in the ring next year despite still being separated by a division?

Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson have some answers to some of these pressing questions.

Don't be surprised if…Sebastian Fundora defeats Errol Spence Jr.

Fundora and Spence are scheduled to meet in early 2025, sources told ESPN. It will be Spence's first fight since his dismantling by Crawford in July 2023.

The bout will also be Spence's first bout at 154 pounds after fighting at welterweight his entire career. Given the inactivity, new weight class and the enormous punishment he took in his last fight, Spence should be considered an underdog against Fundora.

Fundora is a difficult opponent for virtually any fighter, as evidenced by his March title win over Tim Tszyu. Apparently, Fundora learned from his first loss in his career – a knockout to Brian Mendoza in a major upset last April – and decided to use his enormous size and achieve more.

At 6-foot-5 ½ with an 80-inch reach, Fundora has otherworldly size for a 154-pounder. Of course, Spence cannot be ignored after all he has achieved in the sport. He has been a staple on the pound-for-pound list for years and is one of the best welterweights of the last 10 years. — Kupferner

Don't be surprised if…Regis Prograis denies Jack Catterall a knockout win

Catterall told ESPN last week that he believes he is in the form of his life and based on his last outing – a unanimous decision victory over former undisputed champion Josh Taylor – it is hard to argue with the English competitor. After a controversial split decision loss to Taylor in 2022, Catterall should be a world champion by now, but a win over Prograis should give him another shot at glory in 2025.

That desire could lead Catterall to a win over Prograis, who may have experience on his side as a two-time world champion but is out of form and, at 35, may well be out of time. His recent performances suggest that Prograis may be on a downward trend.

Prograis suffered a landslide decision loss to Devin Haney in December after being knocked out in Round 3 and losing every round on the judges' scorecards. To rub salt into the wound, Prograis had the ignominy of breaking the CompuBox record for fewest punches landed in a 12-round championship fight with 36. He was also lackluster in a split decision win over Danielito Zorrilla in June 2023, a disappointing homecoming fight in New Orleans.

But Prograis is tough and will be motivated by the need to put in a big performance to save his career. In 2019, when he was at his peak, Prograis took Taylor to points in a grueling battle to unify the world title with a defeat in the final of the World Boxing Super Series, and that consistency is likely to deny Catterall a follow-up win in front of his home fans Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.

As strong as Catterall's performances have been recently, he is not a famous finisher. Since October 2017, Catterall has won by stoppage just three times, all against opponents with double or even triple-digit defeats on their record (Kevin McCauley had 163 defeats when they fought in March 2018), and a points decision seems a likely outcome. — Parkinson's

Don't be surprised if… Shakur Stevenson faces William Zepeda in the Riyadh season ticket for February

Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, is planning a major event for February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and one fight that would certainly fit into such a show would be Shakur vs. Zepeda. The fight has been in the works for months, with Stevenson lined up for a bout against Cordina this month, while Zepeda is preparing to face Tevin Farmer on November 16th.

Farmer, of course, has a similar style to Stevenson as a skilled, defensive-minded southpaw. Stevenson was never able to fight Cordina as he underwent hand surgery in September. But afterward, Stevenson said he planned to take on the pressure fighter Zepeda anyway.

Hopefully the fight bears fruit, but first Zepeda needs to look impressive again, and this time the opponent (Farmer) presents a tougher challenge. — Kupferner

Don't be surprised if… Naoya Inoue faces Junto Nakatani in a megafight next year

An Inoue-Nakatani fight is not only perhaps the greatest fight in Japanese history. It's also one of the best fights you can do in boxing.

Nakatani finally broke ESPN's pound-for-pound list last week with another dominant title defense at 118 pounds. And it is clear that there is no greater challenge for “The Monster” than his own compatriot.

Nakatani has the size, strength and technique to give Inoue his toughest fight yet, if not outright defeat him. Such a fight at the Tokyo Dome – where 55,000 people saw Inoue defeat Luis Nery in May – for Inoue's undisputed 122-pound championship would certainly generate huge business.

First, Inoue will fight Australia's Sam Goodman in Tokyo on December 24th before possibly returning to the US in the spring. Thereafter? We got to see Inoue fight his first pound-for-pound opponent. — Kupferner

Don't be surprised if… the rematch between Rafael Espinoza and Robeisy Ramirez produces another Fight of the Year candidate

The last time these two met was a thriller that saw both fighters share the screen in one of the best fights of 2023. So expect another classic fight on December 7th.

Espinoza surprised Ramirez after entering the fight unnoticed. His punching rate, especially late, was crucial to a majority decision and winning the WBO featherweight title. The 30-year-old Espinoza then impressed again when he defeated Sergio Chirino in the fourth round of the first defense in June.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ramirez will need to produce something different to avenge the loss, which is what makes this fight such an exciting prospect. The 30-year-old Ramirez has since shined in a fight in June, securing a round 7 TKO victory over Brandon Leon Benitez.

Espinoza's size (6-1), the greatest featherweight champion of all time, will also be a deciding factor in this fight. Can Ramirez use his crafty skills to get within Espinoza's reach? He dropped Espinoza in round 5 in December before going to the canvas himself as the volume of punches in the final round took its toll.

The rematch has all the ingredients for another classic. — Parkinson's