Five 'agreed' boxing fights we never got to see including Haye vs Fury & Wilder vs Povetkin

There is a litany of compelling matchups which, for whatever reason, never materialised after getting scrapped from the boxing calendar.

The latest example is Abdullah Mason vs Joe Cordina, as while both combatants had signed on the dotted line, their showdown was ultimately cancelled after the challenger failed to secure a US visa.

With their fight unlikely to be revisited, it is worth remembering five other instances where a high-profile clash fell by the wayside.

David Haye vs Tyson Fury

The two British heavyweights were supposed to collide in September 2013, only for David Haye to pull out after suffering a cut in sparring.

Their domestic dustup was then rescheduled to the following February before David Haye withdrew yet again, this time due to a shoulder injury.

At the time, the Londoner was considered a sizable favourite, coming off a mightily impressive fifth-round finish over Derek Chisora in 2012.

Tyson Fury, meanwhile, was relatively unproven but, given his subsequent achievements, their contest might have offered more two-way action than many had anticipated.

Gennady Golovkin vs Dmitry Pirog

While yet to win his first major title, Gennady Golovkin had already cemented himself as a formidable force, threatening to dominate the middleweight division in years to come.

Likewise, Dmitry Pirog was considered a dangerman for any opponent, particularly after defending his WBO title with a fifth-round stoppage over Daniel Jacobs in 2010.

The two ferocious punchers were then set to square off in August 2012, only for Pirog to pull out with a career-ending back injury.

Golovkin, on the other hand, went on to become a modern great, crafting an illustrious career that secured his place in the Hall of Fame.

Deontay Wilder vs Alexander Povetkin

While the aforementioned cancellations were the result of injuries, this particular fight was called off due to a failed doping test.

It was Alexander Povetkin, in fact, who tested positive for banned substance meldonium ahead of his WBC title challenge against Deontay Wilder.

As a result, the Russian heavyweight – who, back then, posed a serious threat to the ‘Bronze Bomber’ – was removed from their contest scheduled for May, 2016, in Moscow.

Povetkin would then fail another doping test later that year, but nonetheless ended his career in 2021 without having served a single ban.

Billy Joe Saunders vs Demetrius Andrade

Coming off a near punch-perfect display against David Lemieux, Billy Joe Saunders was set to defend his WBO title against Demetrius Andrade in October 2018.

It was hardly expected to deliver fireworks, being that these were two defensively-minded southpaws, yet their middleweight contest nonetheless appealed to boxing purists.

Unfortunately, though, Saunders ended up testing positive for oxilofrine, a stimulant whose presence he later blamed on an over-the-counter nasal spray.

In any case, the Brit was promptly removed from what many considered a 50/50 matchup, with Andrade subsequently outpointing Walter Kautondokwa to claim the vacant WBO strap.

Naoya Inoue vs John Riel Casimero

Unlike Saunders-Andrade, the fiercely-anticipated unification match between Naoya Inoue and John Riel Casimero was destined to deliver an all-action thriller.

This was before Inoue became a two-division undisputed champion and, in turn, established himself as a modern great, while Casimero had just claimed his WBO title with a stunning third-round demolition over Zolani Tete.

The two hard-hitting bantamweights had then agreed to lock horns in April 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately scuppered their Las Vegas main event.

Regrettably, the pair never revisited their mouthwatering matchup which, even now, would surely make for an enthralling battle.