August starts strongly, with a DAZN doubleheader featuring three Ring-rated boxers as a new lightweight champion will be crowned overnight in Las Vegas.
Before all of that, the weekend's fun begins in South Africa where former WBO junior bantamweight champion Phumelela Cafu (11-1-3, 8 KOs) seeks a return to winning ways against Philippines' Jemuel Aranas over 10 rounds.
A year after a courageous effort in defeat against Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, the 27-year-old is hunting a statement showing to climb back into the public consciousness. Kenshiro Teraji's classy points win to claim gold in a third weight division last month saw Cafu drop to No. 4 among The Ring's 115-pound ratings, so how will he respond?
On the other side of the world hours later, a cacophonous noise will greet Mark Chamberlain (17-1-1, 12 KOs) as he looks to break hearts at Dublin's 3Arena against unbeaten home hero Pierce O'Leary.
The Ring's No. 9 junior welterweight has long waited for an opportunity to shine on the big stage and against the Portsmouth man, can catapult himself to new heights with an impressive display.
Then a few hours later, another intriguing Stateside offering topped by Lamont Roach-William Zepeda. Highly-regarded welterweight contender Raul Curiel (17-0-1, 14 KOs) looks to do what former WBO beltholder Brian Norman and Rohan Polanco both couldn't, by being the first to stop Texas' durable Quinton Randall (17-3-1, 4 KOs).
IBF 135-pound champ Raymond Muratalla (24-0, 17 KOs) makes the second defense of his crown against the evergreen Robson Conceicao (21-3-1, 10 KOs) and would love nothing more than a career-best showing. Why?
That would whet the appetite for a IBF, WBC title unification next against the main event winner: former WBA 130-pound titlist Roach or the relentless Zepeda, who fell short last summer in challenging Shakur Stevenson.
The Ring's Mike Coppinger went safe but calculated with his four-fight selections this week after a perfect 100% during an even more stacked schedule to end July. Time is running out... Read his picks below and try to beat him!
