by David P. Greisman

In these August weeks when the Sweet Science is slow enough that truly desperate boxing fans consider dropping their standards and expectations and ordering a pay-per-view headlined by David Tua against a designated opponent, one cannot help but look to the future.

The coming months bring numerous noteworthy bouts and a nice change of pace from earlier in the year, when no matter what was coming soon most were choosing instead to talk about Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the fight that was seemingly supposed to save boxing.

By no means was De La Hoya-Mayweather a can’t-miss fight – though more than 2 million buyers felt otherwise. It was, however, a match-up that couldn’t be ignored, not when it garnered mainstream attention and months’ worth of discussion.

Not everything coming up is must-see television. But there is indeed enough that, combined with the bouts that are more intriguing than important, will keep many boxing fans’ eyes glued to the screens.

Here, then, are five fights that cannot be missed, plus another four that can’t be ignored:

Can’t Miss:

Sept. 29, 2007 – Jermain Taylor-Kelly Pavlik

The Can’t-Miss Factor: It’s been more than two years since Jermain Taylor completed his journey from heir apparent to heir actual by taking a controversial split decision over longtime middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins. But since then, any momentum has been stifled by the overriding opinion that Taylor has neither fulfilled his potential nor met expectations.

Taylor unanimously outpointed Hopkins in the rematch, though again many saw the victory as controversial. He followed up with a disputed draw against Winky Wright and less-than aesthetically pleasing wins over Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks, the last of which was followed by a massive outcry for Taylor to face top contender Kelly Pavlik.

This is it, then, for Taylor, who must win big against Pavlik before moving on to super middleweight and the winner of November’s Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler unification. But standing in Taylor’s way will be Pavlik, an undefeated middleweight whose last two performances, had they come in 2004 and 2005, might have placed the Youngstown native ahead of Taylor into the role of heir apparent. Pavlik has won eight consecutive bouts by knockout, and he has the size and power to truly challenge Taylor and bring out the best of “Bad Intentions.”

Sept. 29, 2007 – Andre Berto-David Estrada

The Can’t-Miss Factor: The undercard to Taylor-Pavlik should have no problem setting the stage for the main event, not when one of the sport’s top young fighters in Andre Berto meets his stiffest challenge to date in David Estrada.

Estrada’s only three losses have come to Ishe Smith, Shane Mosley and Kermit Cintron, the latter having stopped Estrada in an all-out war. Berto, then, will need to be properly armed for battle, prepared for the kind of dire straits he hadn’t truly seen until he got floored last month against Cosme Rivera.

Estrada is another step up from Rivera. On this date, Berto’s performance against the welterweight contender will decide whether the soon-to-be-24-year-old is a prospect or just suspect.

Oct. 6, 2007 – Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera 2

The Can’t-Miss Factor: Typically, four years might seem like too long for a rematch, especially when one of the parties involved is an old 33 after a career of wars. But Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Marco Antonio Barrera comes at a time when the “Baby Faced Assassin” has only lost once since, in a competitive battle with Juan Manuel Marquez, while the Filipino Firebomber’s lone blemish afterward was a close decision defeat at the hands of Erik Morales.

Since getting stopped by Pacquiao, Barrera has taken down Paulie Ayala, Morales, Mzonke Fana, Robbie Peden and Rocky Juarez (twice). Pacquiao, meanwhile, has added Hector Velazquez, Morales (twice), Oscar Larios and Jorge Solis to his list of victims. It’s possible that Pacquiao is even better now than when he demolished Barrera in 2003. What makes this rematch all the more intriguing, though, is that Barrera, as he showed in the Juarez rematch, is capable of foregoing brawling and boxing his way to revenge.

Nov. 3, 2007 – Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler

The Can’t-Miss Factor: How often do we see a division’s top two fighters actually agree to a contract and meet up in the ring? So much could have kept super middleweight titlists Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler away from each other – promoters wanting to protect their investments, egos that cannot settle on money and location, the possibility of a training injury leading to postponement or cancellation.

Knock on wood, Calzaghe-Kessler will go off without a hitch.

Following his drubbing of Jeff Lacy, Calzaghe jumped from Showtime to HBO and pulled in major paydays despite the opponents being Sakio Bika and Peter Manfredo Jr. Kessler’s team was only able to get highlights of his knockout of Markus Beyer on the Calzaghe-Bika broadcast, but Kessler’s dominance of Librado Andrade led the powers-that-be to see the proverbial light and work to bring the two top 168-pounders together.

Knock on wood.

Nov. 10, 2007 – Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley

The Can’t-Miss Factor: When Shane Mosley had his September 2003 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto was still fighting on the undercards of the big boys. The then-prospect stopped Demetrio Ceballos on the Mosley-De La Hoya 2 pay-per-view, and since then he has steamrolled through the junior welterweights on his way to a coming-out party in the 147-pound division.

Mosley could put a stop to that.

Pre-Vernon Forrest, Mosley was to the welterweights what Cotto is now. But “Sugar Shane” got bit twice by the “Viper,” jumped to 154, dropped two to Winky Wright and has yet to fully regain his superstardom. Mosley is older now, but he still has the speed and the strength to hold his ground when the bull comes charging at him.

Cotto-Mosley will be at Madison Square Garden in New York City, a venue sure to attract many of Cotto’s faithful Puerto Rican supporters. The fight itself is hard to pick – Cotto could overwhelm Mosley, and Mosley could stun and stop Cotto with fast counter-punching and dazzling combinations. It is the best kind of crossroads bout, a 50-50 match-up where there will be plenty of firepower before any torch passing can go on.

Can’t Ignore:

Sept. 8, 2007 – Fernando Vargas-Ricardo Mayorga

The Can’t-Ignore Factor: We’ve seen this before, Ricardo Mayorga mouthing off ahead of a pay-per-view bout against an opponent returning from an extended layoff. But whereas Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya shut Mayorga up so as to re-launch their careers, Fernando Vargas is looking to end his career on a high note after a tumultuous decade as a professional prizefighter.

Vargas hasn’t fought since the middle of last year, when he endured the second of two stoppages to Shane Mosley. But Vargas is a proud man whose only other defeats came to Trinidad and De La Hoya , and he will either go out firing or go down in flames, meaning Mayorga and his propensity to both hit and be hit make him the perfect dance partner for Vargas’ swan song.

Sept. 15, 2007 – Juan Manuel Marquez-Rocky Juarez

The Can’t-Ignore Factor: What was once a shake-your-head pay-per-view main event of Marquez against Jorge Barrios has become, due to Barrios undergoing surgery for retina tears in both of his eyes, a shake-your-head pay-per-view main event of Marquez against a Juarez whose last outing was a snoozer victory over Jose Andres Hernandez.

For years, Marquez had been the most avoided person in the featherweight division, a man fighting for high praise and low purses while Naseem Hamed, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales enjoyed the perks of stardom. But Marquez’ May 2004 draw with Manny Pacquiao, followed by March’s decision win over Barrera, brought Marquez to the forefront.

The question, then, is if a late replacement in Juarez can show up in the form that gave Barrera so much trouble in May 2006 and not the form that Barrera out-boxed four months later. With Barrera and Pacquiao fighting in October, Marquez runs the danger of looking past Juarez at possible rematches when a still-formidable foe is directly in front of him.

Oct. 13, 2007 – Sultan Ibragimov-Evander Holyfield

The Can’t-Ignore Factor: Just when partial heavyweight unification seemed likely, Ruslan Chagaev came down with a chronic illness, allowing Evander Holyfield to get a shot at Sultan Ibragimov and his World Boxing Organization heavyweight title. The belt means little when Holyfield’s goal is to become “the undisputed heavyweight champ of the world,” but that doesn’t make Ibragimov-Holyfield any less intriguing.

Ibragimov is undefeated but inexperienced – his best competition ended with a draw against Ray Austin and a win over Shannon Briggs. Holyfield has experience, but that also comes from his being nearly 45 years old. Yet Holyfield’s comeback has been far more believable than those attempted by other aging and inconsequential big men – one can imagine Holyfield still capable of winning a title while younger men fall short. Ibragimov, though, will attempt to ensure that scenario doesn’t come true, ending Holyfield’s American dream inside a Russian ring.

The bout will be aired on ESPN Classic. The uncertainty is whether it will be this fight – or Holyfield himself – that is consigned to the vaults.

Jan. 26, 2008 – Roy Jones Jr.-Felix Trinidad

The Can’t-Ignore Factor: Felix Trinidad has tried this comeback thing before, wailing away on Ricardo Mayorga before failing to slay Winky Wright. Roy Jones Jr., meanwhile, has refused to leave the sport, even when losses to Antonio Tarver and Glencoffe Johnson left many hoping Jones would retire.

Since losing the rubber match to Tarver, Jones has fought only once each in 2006 and 2007, decisions in minor pay-per-views against Prince Badi Ajamu and Anthony Hanshaw. He has, however, been active and showing flashes of what made him a superstar. Trinidad seems to be leading himself to the slaughter, unless he knows something that he isn’t telling anyone but those in his camp.

Mike Tyson’s 2005 fight with Kevin McBride truly meant little to the heavyweight landscape, but people still tuned in. Jones-Trinidad is another of those three-ring circuses where people will pay to see someone fall, especially since one of this bout’s two contestants will attempt to fly high again without necessarily having the benefit of a safety net.

The 10 Count

1.  Mike Tyson appeared on World Wrestling Entertainment programming nearly a decade ago, back when the promotion that went by World Wrestling Federation was in the middle of its successful Attitude Era. This past weekend, though, it was Evander Holyfield who showed up on WWE’s “Saturday Night’s Main Event,” sharing the ring with wrestler Matt Hardy in a worked (scripted) boxing match.

In the storyline, Holyfield stepped in for heel (villain) wrestler Montel Vontavious Porter, or MVP, against babyface (good guy) Hardy due to Porter’s recently (and truly) being diagnosed with a treatable heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Hardy had defeated MVP in arm wrestling and wrestling matches. Boxing, it seems, was what was to come next, though this time Holyfield was brought into the mix – as was Michael Buffer and a WWE referee who appropriated Joe Cortez’ “I’m fair but I’m firm” line.

Holyfield dominated the first two-minute round, sending out extremely pulled combinations that sent Hardy to the canvas thrice and left him reeling. Hardy made it out of his corner for the next stanza but was clearly out on his feet, causing Holyfield to express concern. MVP came into the ring, urging Holyfield to finish Hardy off, but Holyfield instead decked MVP, ensuring the right marketing push for Holyfield’s aforementioned October heavyweight title fight with Sultan Ibragimov.

2.  Holyfield’s week wasn’t finished with “Saturday Night’s Main Event,” which was taped at Madison Square Garden earlier in the week after “Monday Night Raw.” Three days later, Holyfield went three rounds in Panama with Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, executive vice president of the World Boxing Association, in an exhibition bout that raised money for two different charities, according to the sanctioning body’s Web site.

The bout was contested under special rules, with $50 going to the charities for every punch thrown by Mendoza. Mendoza ended up launching 300 shots, raising a total of $15,000.

3.  With just eight days to go before his Saturday title defense against undefeated rising WBO minimumweight titlist Ivan Calderon, WBO junior flyweight beltholder Hugo Cazares checked in at an astonishing four divisions above the 108-pound limit, according to a press release.

Both fighters were required – for reasons unknown to this scribe, considering I am not aware of either the WBO or Puerto Rico having a seven-day pre-fight weigh-in requirement – to be less than 113.4 pounds, or five percent above the junior flyweight limit, as of Aug. 17. But while Calderon came in at 111.5 pounds, Cazares tipped the scales at 121 pounds, meaning he will need to have lost 13 pounds by this Friday.

“I apologize because of my weight,” Cazares said in the press release. “I have problems with my flights, delays, and arrived this early morning to Puerto Rico, and couldn’t train recently.”

4.  Boxers Behaving Badly, part one: Johnny Tapia had, according to the Associated Press, been given a conditional release Aug. 10 from a drug rehabilitation center, provided he wear an ankle monitor and be tested for drugs. The former three-division titlist, however, has returned to rehab after testing positive for cocaine at the New Mexico treatment center, according to The Albuquerque Tribune.

Tapia pleaded guilty in May to a felony drug possession charge stemming from a March cocaine overdose that left him hospitalized for several days, according to The Tribune. Tapia was sentenced to no prison time and 18 months of probation, a ruling contingent upon his completion of a substance abuse program.

5.  Boxers Behaving Badly, part two: Jeremy D. Brooks, a 4-2 heavyweight who last fought in October 2005, was arrested last week in North Dakota and charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing a Minnesota woman, according to the Twin Cities newspaper Star Tribune.

Brooks was the subject of a three-state manhunt after the 27-year-old and an accomplice allegedly killed three people – one in Minnesota and possibly two in Kentucky. The pair could also be charged with attempted murder for a June incident in which they allegedly beat and robbed a man in Louisiana.

6.  While the clash between Jermain Taylor and Kelly Pavlik is still more than a month away, Arthur Abraham continues to make a case for himself as one of the top middleweight fighters.

Abraham, who captured the International Boxing Federation paper title after Taylor vacated it, has since successfully defended the bauble five times, including an 11th-round knockout Saturday of Khoren Gevor. Abraham, who had Gevor wobbled with a left hook, followed up with a vicious left uppercut that dropped Gevor like a 160-pound sack of bricks.

Taylor has indicated that the Pavlik bout will be his last at middleweight, and a rematch clause exists that would see the second go-around at a catch-weight of 166 pounds. The next best option for Abraham remains WBA beltholder Felix Sturm, who has an October mandatory defense against Randy Griffin but who would bring to the table a profitable and important unification bout between men who fight out of Germany.

7.  Meanwhile in Japan, Chris John retained his World Boxing Association featherweight belt Sunday via technical knockout when challenger Zaiki Takemoto remained in his corner after the ninth round, according to the Associated Press.

John became an interim titlist in 2003 when he took a split decision over Oscar Leon and a “regular” titlist shortly afterward while Juan Manuel Marquez held unified belts. But Marquez was unjustly stripped by the IBF, and his meeting with John ended with the undefeated Indonesian being given one of the worst decisions in recent years.

John has gone 3-0 since then, but he remains an unproven commodity until he defends against a name 126-pounder – or if he moves up to junior lightweight to compete in a division that now houses superstars Marquez, Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera.

8.  What is it with heavyweights whose comebacks are heavy wastes of time? Michael Moorer, following a December 2004 stoppage win over Vassiliy Jirov, quit boxing to focus on being a trainer, and then months later went on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” to announce his return. Moorer’s former trainer Teddy Atlas, though, expressed his displeasure with his former charge’s choice, and before the broadcast ended, Moorer said he would stay retired and work as a trainer.

Except he didn’t.

In December, Moorer kayoed Cliff Couser about halfway into the first round. Since then, the former heavyweight champion has merely taken a 10-round unanimous decision over divisional measuring stick Sedrick Fields and, last week, stopped a Rich Boruff whose undefeated record was somewhat meaningless.

9.  Not that David Tua has blazed any paths himself. The former heavyweight contender spent nearly two years out of the ring after an ugly draw with Hasim Rahman, and his six opponents since returning have been a Who’s Who of, well, “Who?” – Talmadge Griffis, Cisse Salif, Edward Gutierrez, Maurice Wheeler, Robert Hawkins and, as of Saturday, Saul Montana.

Somehow Tua-Montana became a pay-per-view attraction, though that last word is being used quite loosely. Tua, of course, dispatched his designated opponent with a first-round knockout.

10.  Not that things were any better on the undercard, on which former fringe heavyweight contender Jeremy Williams – who spent a brief time in mixed-martial arts after suffering a frightening December 2004 knockout at the left hand of Samuel Peter – dropped down to cruiserweight and won an eight-round split decision over some dude named Gary Gomez.

Williams had gotten some recognition for his work as a trainer on a certain Mark Burnett-produced boxing reality series. What do you think was going through Williams’ head during the Gomez bout? My guess: “I coulda been on ‘The Contender.’ I coulda been somebody.”

David P. Greisman’s weekly column, “Fighting Words,” appears every Monday on BoxingScene.com. He may be reached for questions and comments at fightingwords1@gmail.com