The month of July gets started with a bang for boxing fans as Wladimir Klitschko returns to the ring Saturday night in his latest title defense against David Haye.
Not only will Klitschko be defending his numerous titles against Haye, but he can also add another belt to his already crowded waist. The fight is a unification bout for the WBO, IBF, IBO, and Ring Magazine Heavyweight titles that Klitschko holds, and the WBA Heavyweight title owned by Haye.
Klitschko is of course the favorite in the bout, listed at -200 at Sportsbook. Dr. Steelhammer has won his last 13 fights and hasn't been defeated in the ring since April 2004. He last fought in September when he beat Samuel Peter with a 10th-round knockout.
Haye is a +170 underdog in the fight at Sportsbook. He also has an impressive win streak going, having won his last 15 fights; his last loss was in September 2004. Haye last fought in November and successfully defended his title with a third-round TKO of Audley Harrison.
Klitschko vs. Haye is just the beginning when it comes to title fights in the month of July. The next title fight bettors need to be aware of comes up on July 9 when Lucian Bute defends his IBF Super Middleweight title against Jean-Paul Mendy.
Bute is a heavy favorite at Sportsbook at -1500, while Mendy is a +1000 underdog. Bute is undefeated in his professional career at 28-0 with 23 wins by KO. Bute has already successfully defended his title seven times, and his last title defense was in March when he defeated Brian Magee by TKO.
Mendy is also unbeaten at 29-0-1 with 16 wins by KO. His last fight ended in controversy as he was declared the Sportsbook against Sakio Biko after Biko was disqualified in the first round for punching Mendy while he was on his knees.
Next on the list of July title fights is Ricky Burns vs. Nicky Cook on July 16. Burns will be putting his WBO Super Featherweight title on the line as a -600 favorite at Sportsbook. Cook is a +450 underdog in the bout.
Burns has won his last 16 straight fights and last defended his title in March when his opponent Joseph Laryea was forced to retire after breaking his knuckle. Cook earned his title shot with a win over Youssef Al Hamidi in his last fight.
On July 20 former title holder Antonio Tarver tries to gain another championship when he faces Danny Green for the IBO Cruiserweight title. Tarver, a +260 underdog, rebounded from back-to-back losses in his last fight with a unanimous decision win over Nagy Aguilera. Green is a -320 favorite and has won his last 10 fights.
Finally, on July 23 WBA Light Welterweight champion Amir Khan clashes with IBF Light Welterweight champ Zab Judah. Khan is a big favorite in the fight at Sportsbook at -550, while Judah is a +425 underdog.
Khan has won seven fights in a row, which includes four successful title defenses. Judah has a five-fight winning streak going and won the IBF title in his last fight with a seventh-round TKO of Kaizer Mabuza.
