WE’VE seen some great fights made in recent months – at the back end of last year we had Miguel Cotto vs Canelo Alvarez and Wladimir Klitschko vs Tyson Fury, while this year Carl Frampton took on both Scott Quigg and Leo Santa Cruz, Terence Crawford defeated Viktor Postol and, weirdly, Canelo fought Amir Khan.
However, there are many more stellar fights that could – and should – be made. As ever, there are obstacles in the way of some of these match-ups and plenty of the combatants already have different fights lined up – this is more of a wish list, rather than a set of demands. Let us know what fights you would like to see in the comments below.
- James DeGale vs George Groves II (Super-middleweight)
Their fortunes have differed since their bitter fight in 2011, but their profiles are still huge and the bad blood still runs thick.
The needle is real – they really don’t like each other, and while their first fight wasn’t exactly thrilling, a rematch would still pit two of the world’s leading super-middleweights against each other.
- Vasyl Lomachenko vs Nicholas Walters (Super-featherweight)
Both have moved up from feather and have been linked for a while in what would be an elite level encounter.
Lomachenko, one of the most gifted fighters around, has called Walters out several times and seems eager to face the Jamaican, however Walters has remained relatively quiet on the subject. Both are in the Top Rank stable, so Bob Arum could conceivably get the fight made if both men wanted it.
- Roman Gonzalez vs Noaya Inoue (Super-flyweight)
The Nicaraguan master will fight WBC super-flyweight Carlos Cuadras in September, and if he wins then a battle with division leader Inoue would be a purist’s dream.
Even when Gonzalez reigned supreme at flyweight there was significant clamour for him to fight the unbeaten Japanese power-puncher.
- Keith Thurman vs Danny Garcia (Welterweight)
The welterweight division is red hot and these two champions could produce a terrific scrap, but both are in need of a truly career-defining fight. Thurman proved his credentials by beating Shawn Porter while Garcia holds great wins over Amir Khan and Lucas Matthysse (though both were at super-lightweight).
However, fans are still waiting for the welterweight leaders to start tearing into each other. Both are handled by Al Haymon, making it easier to produce.
- Carl Frampton vs Leo Santa Cruz II (Featherweight)
Their first fight was a thriller and full of skill – a sequel is highly liketly to be the same. Plus, Frampton’s decision win was fairly close, certainly close enough to merit a return – which both men are open to.
They met in New York first time around, but with Frampton now holding all the cards it would be terrific to see him bring Santa Cruz over to Belfast in front of his fervent fan base.
Plus, their first fight encapsulated everything that is good about boxing – mutual respect, elite skill and unwavering bravery. Who wouldn’t want to see that again?
- Manny Pacquiao vs Terence Crawford (Super-lightweight)
Pacquiao, Filipino icon and global superstar, has officially announced he will end his retirement on November 5 to fight WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas. Though it’s not hugely competitive, it’s still a decent fight and could set up a mouth-watering battle between Manny and unified super-lightweight boss Crawford.
Crawford was in the running to face Pacquiao, but Manny’s trainer Freddie Roach would rather fight the Omaha native early next year, to ensure ‘Pacman’ is 100 per cent.
Pacquiao has fought at welter for the past few years though could fairly comfortably move back to super-lightweight, where Roach believes he is more dangerous.
- Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder (Heavyweight)
Alternatively, a meeting between these two charismatic champions would provide fireworks in and out of the ring.
Again, the same hurdles for Fury stand, plus Wilder needs to recover from some nasty injuries he sustained in his last fight, which are likely to sideline him until 2017.
Fury confronted Wilder earlier in the year, with hilarious consequences, and both have gone back and forth on social media, drumming up interest for a unification clash.
- Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua (Heavyweight)
This heavyweight grudge match has been bubbling for some time, and that it would be a unification fight – if both remain unbeaten – makes it all the more special.
Fury holds the WBA and WBO titles, while Joshua picked up the IBF strap taken off of Fury when he chinned Charles Martin earlier this year. The two unbeaten Brits generate an enormous amount of attention – both good and bad. Fury has polarised with some of his comments, though few can downplay his extraordinary win over Wladimir Klitschko last year, while Joshua is one of the UK’s most popular athletes.
It could only fit in an outdoor stadium, and both sides have mentioned the possibility of it occuring next summer. Of course, Fury has the small matter of his rematch with Klitschko to attend to, plus allegations of doping – which he vehemently denies.
- Sergey Kovalev vs Andre Ward (Light-heavyweight)
After Ward cruised past Alexander Brand at the weekend, this elite-level encounter is set for November 19 – though a venue is yet to be officially announced.
There have been rumblings from Kovalev’s team over concerns about the fight definitely happening, with Kathy Duva complaining about Roc Nation Sports, who promote Ward. As it stands, though, it’s on – and that is great news.
Both men are easily in the top five, pound for pound, fighters in the world with proven records against stellar opposition and the victor of their November meeting will have a very strong argument of being the best fight on the planet.
- Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin (Middleweight)
Both have high-profile and important fights to get through first. Canelo faces Liam Smith on September 17, while Golovkin meets Kell Brook a week earlier. Both are fascinating clashes in their own right and have generated a lot of interest, though Canelo and ‘GGG’ are both heavy favourites and expected to win.
If they’re both victorious, it brings us a step closer to the biggest fight that can be made right now, and one that, arguably, should have already happened. The saga of negotiations continues to grow, with Canelo vacating his WBC middleweight title and Golovkin doing everything he can to get the fight signed.
For now, there’s a verbal agreement between the two sides to stage this monster fight next September. Fingers crossed.
