Quarantine is starting to wind down nationally, with the hopes that the protocols sports organizations are implementing will keep COVID-19 cases down.
The UFC has led the way with reopening sports in the States. Now that they are a few fights in, sports are getting ready to reopen across the board.
So what can we look forward to now that sports are returning? Here are the top ten sporting events to look forward to:
Boxing: Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III
The third fight between heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and former titlist Deontay Wilder is still on track to be their next bout, but it will not take place on July 18 as originally planned due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.
After Fury knocked out Wilder in the seventh round of their rematch on Feb. 22 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Wilder exercised his contractual right to an immediate third fight.
After watching Wilder take an epic loss, that has Fury looking like the smartest man in boxing, the world definitely wants to see this finale!
The NBA 2020 Season Restart
According to multiple reports, the NBA could be back as soon as July. Although, currently, the NBA Players Union is mulling a stop to a return of play during the current protest movement. The NBA is looking to provide normalcy as the world tries to adjust to the “new normal.” However, according to multiple reports, Adam Silver and prominent league players have been in numerous in-depth discussions of a summer return.
Major League Baseball 2020 Season
By now, the boys of summer would have suited up to knock it out of the park, literally.
However, Major League Baseball said to Yahoo Sports:
“We made a proposal to the union that is completely consistent with the economic realities facing our sport. … Players, such as New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman, took the league proposal as a sign there may not be baseball in 2020. This season is not looking promising.
Baseball might be heading to a 2021 return disappointing baseball fans Stateside who can only loo towards Korea for their baseball fix.
NFL Season 2020
The NFL was one of the few sports leagues in America that did not have its regular season directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA and NHL seasons were forced to a sudden stop in mid-March. However, the NFL was already in its offseason, with six months before more football was set to be played in stadiums.
Adjustments still had to be made. The league held its first-ever virtual draft in April, and league commissioner Roger Goodell announced picks from his basement. Overall, the NFL has gotten off relatively unscathed.
As things stand, the league is hoping that trend continues and planning to go forward with the 2020 season as scheduled until a change is absolutely necessary. When the schedule was released in early May, Week 1 was still scheduled to begin in early September, with the Houston Texans traveling to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, September 10, to kick off the season, followed by a full slate of games that Sunday.
Boxing: Gervonta “Tank” Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz
Baltimore boxer Gervonta Davis has reached a deal for the highest-profile fight of his career against fellow world champion Leo Santa Cruz. Davis is currently dealing with fallout from the battery charge he’s facing in Florida.
The undefeated Davis, 25, will fight Santa Cruz (37-1-1) this fall on Showtime pay-per-view, per reports. The bout, hotly anticipated by hardcore boxing fans, will be contested at the 130-pound super featherweight limit and will likely occur on the West Coast. Davis won his last fight in December at 135 pounds.
