LAST YEAR, we listed our top 10 boxing prospects. There have been defeats, injuries and world title shots since then for the fighters included.
Here, we take a look at how each of them has fared since we made our list and what could lie ahead.
Egidijus Kavaliauskas
The hard-hitting Lithuanian super-lightweight returned from a bicep injury last year and fought two times in as many months to close out 2015. He stopped Jake Giuriceo inside a round in November before knocking Pablo Munguai out in two rounds.
He did the same thing to Prenice Brewer in February and is scheduled to face unbeaten Deniz Ilbay on the Manny Pacquiao vs Tim Bradley undercard in Las Vegas on April 9.
With a 92% knockout ratio, Kavaliauskas has only boxed 29 rounds as a professional but looks set to wade into the top rankings this year.
Luke Campbell
The Olympic gold medallist topped a big show in his hometown, Hull, in August. He looked sensational when outclassing and eventually stopping Tommy Coyle in 10 rounds that night.
Disaster struck in his next outing when he took on the dangerous Yvan Mendy in London. Dropped for the first time as a pro in the fifth, Campbell was unable to claw back enough points on the cards and lost a close decision, his first defeat in the paid ranks. A win would have taken him within touching distance of a lightweight world title shot, but now has a minor rebuilding job on his hands.
That task starts on March 26 when he boxed Gary Sykes for the vacant Commonwealth strap.
Oscar Valdez
The highly-touted Mexican saw out 2015 with three impressive wins. He outpointed Ruben Tamayo over 10 in June before stopping former world title challenger Chris Avalos in five rounds three months later.
In December, he knocked out Ernie Sanchez in three rounds. Avalos – whose best days were at super-bantam – is the standout name on Valdez’s ledger but that should change come April 9. He takes on former IBF ruler Evgeny Gradovich on the Pacquiao undercard. Should he come through that, a world title shot beckons.
Gilberto Ramirez
One of two fighters on this list to have a world title shot confirmed, the Mexican super-middleweight will face WBO king Arthur Abraham in Las Vegas on April 9.
He soundly outpointed Derek Edwards and Gevorg Khatchikian in the second half of 2015 to move himself into the mandatory position for Abraham’s title. Should he win, he would become the first Mexican to win a world title at 168lbs.
Callum Smith
The big Merseysider picked up his two biggest professional wins in 2015. In June he dropped and outpointed tough Frenchman Christopher Rebrasse to set up a fight with local rival and fellow unbeaten contender Rocky Fielding.
He went on to dismantle Fielding inside one round in November, and will face Hadillah Mohoumadi in a final eliminator for Badou Jack’s WBC world title. The European strap will also be up for grabs.
A standout amateur who narrowly missed out on going to the Olympics, Smith is one of the UK’s brightest talents and should he pick up a world title, there are myriad exciting fights for him at super-middleweight.
Jessie Magdaleno
The unbeaten Las Vegan may have seen his brother, Diego, blitzed inside two rounds by WBO world lightweight champion Terry Flanagan, but he continued to cut a swathe through his fellow super-featherweight fringe contenders.
Raul Hilares took him the distance over eight in may – though lost every round – while Vergal Nebran didn’t make it out of the first stanza and Rey Perez was stopped in seven last month.
Anthony Joshua
Joshua’s superstar status will hit overdrive should he wrest the IBF world heavyweight title from Charles Martin in April, in what will be his 16th fight as a professional.
He picked up the Commonwealth and British titles in quick succession last year. In September, he walloped Gary Cornish inside a round and in December he confirmed his pay-per-view star power by drawing in an impressive amount of buys when he took on bitter rival Dillian Whyte. Joshua was taken past the third round for the first time, stopping Whyte in the seventh.
Already one of the hottest properties in British boxing, Joshua could be set for a colossal 2016 should he prevail on April 9.
Artur Beterbiev
The Canada-based Russian wrecking ball was on the verge of a light-heavyweight world title opportunity last year before a shoulder injury sidelined him.
He was set to face compatriot Igor Mikhalkin in a final eliminator for the right to face 175lb king Sergey Kovalev.
He is yet to secure a return date but once he’s back in the ring, excitement will ensue.
Felix Verdejo
The Felix Trinidad-protege overcame a hand injury after his two-round blowout of Josenilson Dos Santos to outpoint the unbeaten William Silva over 10 last month.
It remains to be seen if the hand injury will be an ongoing problem, but the uber-talented lightweight already has two dates pencilled in. In April, he will box in his native Puerto Rico, where he is quickly becoming a superstar, before fighting at Madison Square Garden in June.
With promoters Top Rank behind him, Verdejo looks set to broach the world stage very soon.
Errol Spence Jnr
Four stoppage wins – including ones over Phil Lo Greco and Chris Van Heerden – prompted Spence’s handlers to quickly step him up.
On April 16 he will take on former super-lightweight world champion Chris Algieri, who has only been beaten by Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao.
The Texan stylist will be looking to make a statement against Algieri. It will be the first show he has headlined and should he win, the spotlight glare will only grow fiercer.
