THE Last Crescendo card on February 22 proved that stacked fight cards are now possible and an absolute pleasure to watch. Every fight had a story behind it, whether it was the ultimate clash between the elite light-heavyweight duo of Beterbiev and Bivol topping the card, or the show-stealing brawl Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi offered to open the card.
Even the most one-sided bout on the night -where pound for pound star Shakur Stevenson picked apart late notice replacement Josh Padley- offered intrigue as viewers rooted for the underdog to put in a proud performance against astronomical odds.
After witnessing the card from ringside, it begged the question, what is the greatest fight card that could possibly be made in the sport at this present time?
I’ve decided to make mine, a list of standouts that would be dead certain to star on the card, plus a few contenders. This card will be realistic, so if a fighter already has a fight, he can’t be matched with another on the card.
Main Event: Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev 3
Boxing fans have already been blessed with two of these high intensity, elite skill level clashes between two genuine pound for pound greats and in my opinion, two future hall of famers. Whilst these two are humble in nature and not the biggest sellers on the card, it’s still the best fight in the sport.
It’s one apiece, both bouts were razor thin decisions going to each man. I feel the right man won in each instance, something boxing notoriously gets wrong more often than not, taking the shine away from the brilliance of the battle.
A third fight will settle the score and establish who is the best of the two. With Beterbiev, still an elite operator but now into his 40s, it has to happen ASAP whilst both men are still firing at their best.
With all the marbles on the line at 175lbs, a rubber match will be the true last crescendo of one of this era’s rare, high quality rivalries. Based on the first two fights, the quality of this third fight will be of the highest order.
Co Main: Canelo vs David Benavidez
Truthfully, this one would be the main event, over the light-heavyweight rubber match as Canelo is the sport’s major star and the massive, aggressive David Benavidez is the toughest challenge that could realistically be imposed upon him.
Although Benavidez has moved up to 175, he has frequently expressed interest in facing the Mexican superstar, in a fight which has evaded him.
We saw Canelo troubled by the larger Bivol, who physically controlled his smaller opponent. Benavidez could be a handful for this version of Canelo, who seems to have lost that extra edge to finish fights in recent years.
But Canelo is still a tremendous fighter and will undeniably be the hardest test Benavidez has faced in his career. Whilst a fight with 154 champion Crawford has materialised, I can’t help but think a fight with Benavidez would cement his legacy further.
It would prove that he’d willingly take on the most formidable challenge possible and would exponentially enhance him as an all-time great. The clash of styles would also result in a mouthwatering clash.
Undercard: Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani
The second undisputed fight on the card would subsequently be the most important fight in Japanese history. The country has always produced extraordinary talent, since the legendary multi-weight champion Fighting Harada, but in my opinion Naoya Inoue is their greatest boxer ever.
Having cleared four divisions, most emphatically bludgeoning all the notable names at 118 and 122lbs, the biggest fights are seemingly at 126lbs and beyond. But a fellow monster lurks at 118lbs in Junto Nakatani.
Nakatani is a tall, power punching southpaw, consistently destroying an array of fighters with knockout after knockout. He is tall for the weight and similarly to Inoue has already conquered multiple weight classes.
The battle for Japanese supremacy would be the most intriguing on the card and the winner would be a strong contender for pound-for-pound number one, a status I already have Inoue holding.
Undercard: Terence Crawford vs Vergil Ortiz Jr
Terence Crawford is one of the sport’s leading elite talents. He was seemingly unbeatable from 135 – 147lbs, where he became the first two division undisputed champion with a masterclass against fellow pound for pound star Errol Spence Jr.
His form has transferred to 154lbs, where he defeated the highly rated Champion Israil Madrimov. But it wasn’t easy and the Uzbek amateur star pushed Bud all the way.
Vergil Ortiz looks to be an elite talent on the cusp of his pound-for-pound-level breakthrough. Whilst Crawford is a more complete and accomplished fighter than Ortiz Jr, I can’t help but think his style would pose problems at this weight.
Ortiz similarly beat Madrimov, showing that his style is not just ruthless but also calculated, showing great poise and patience in that bout. He also showed his grit at the weight defeating Bohachuk prior in a fight of the year candidate.
Victories against ex-champion Maurice Hooker and another Crawford foe, underrated Lithuanian Kavaliauskas proves that Ortiz is the real deal.
With Canelo tied up with Benavidez on our fantasy card, this leaves Ortiz as Crawford’s most challenging test at 154 at this present time. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis could also be interesting, but he’s currently unifying 147lb titles.
Undercard: Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson
This one makes so much sense. The lightweight division offers an abundance of talent, but in recent times, it has been a little anticlimactic in delivering the great fights we want to see.
American stars Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson are the biggest and most primed elite stars at the weight at this point in time. Keyshawn Davis looks impressive but is newer on the scene and Vasyl Lomachenko is seemingly coming to the end of his glorious career, in which he has gone out of his way to challenge the top dogs that would fight him at 135lbs.
Both men are pushing the top 10 pound-for-pound slot at this point in time, but against the likes of Usyk, Bivol and the other elites above them, need a real great name on their win column to cement them as true modern day greats.
Shakur is the more complete boxer of the two, but lacks the punch Davis has. Davis himself is also a very calculated counter puncher who can tactically close the distance on the front foot.
Fight Card Contenders:
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez
A fight that may be past its sell-by date, but lower on the card, legend slayer ‘Bam’ Rodriguez could have a chance to claim the final and most illustrious scalp: Roman Gonzalez.
Gonzalez returned in 2024, but is towards the end of his legendary career. This clash could give him the chance for one last hurrah, but at this stage I would find it difficult to favour Chocolatito over ‘Bam’.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Jai Opetaia
Oleksandr Usyk is the best heavyweight in the world, that much is proven. Whilst a Dubois rematch is on the cards, I still favour Usyk and, while a Parker fight would be intriguing, Oleksandr would remain a heavy favourite there too.
Current cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia is looking like a destroyer at his weight. Barring Briedis, his resume is currently a little scarce of top talent to put him on Usyk’s level, but I feel as the champions begin to unify with him he’ll prove just how good he is. Currently, a move to heavyweight may be a bit too soon to fit on this fantasy card.
