So 2013 is officially upon
us. And the hope for all boxing fans is that this year is as fun and
entertaining as the past year where there was no shortage of memorable moments
and good ol' fashioned slugfests. Most of the early schedule has been cemented (http://www.maxboxing.com/news/sub-lead/the-first-quarter-)
but here are some fights - as a boxing fan - I'd like to see at some point in
the next 12 months.
First, however, are the
requirements for the bouts I chose for my wish list:
- I tried to stay away from any match-ups
involving Golden Boy and Top Rank. Why? Well, because I'm a realist. These guys
aren't breaking bread anytime soon, unfortunately.
- No “important” fights, anything based on
mythical “pound-for-pound” lists or any independent rankings because those
fights are oftentimes better on paper than on canvas. Something that more
network executives have to be mindful of as they drain their budgets on such
fights.
- Also, any fights that are already on the
docket, I stayed away from.
- And simply put, they have to be fights that I
think will provide action. They don't have to be the biggest or most
anticipated fights.
So here we go...
-
David Price vs. David Haye: I
think Price might be the real article (as they say in Britain) but if you look
at his résumé, it's still relatively thin. Price has an upcoming fight with
Tony Thompson in the spring. Haye, who showed he still has something left in
the tank by handily dispatching of David Chisora, would be a dangerous test for
Price. And you wouldn't have to worry about selling tickets to this fight; this
does big business in the U.K.
-
Gennady Golovkin vs. Peter Quillin: Both of these guys hold belts in the middleweight division that is ruled by
Sergio Martinez. Both are talented but also unproven to a large degree. “GGG”
faces Gabriel Rosado on January 19th and “Kid Chocolate” takes on
Fernando Guerrero on February 9th. Both are offensive-minded boxers
who are setting down some roots in the Big Apple. I could see this fight doing
some business in New York by the end of the year. The winner of this match-up
could make a clear statement on who would be the clear number one challenger
for “Maravilla.”
-
Lucas Matthysse vs. Marcos Maidana: OK,
it's not clear if the WBC (or more importantly, Al Haymon) will let “The
Machine” anywhere near Danny Garcia. That said, “Cry for me, Argentina” between
Matthysse and Maidana would be would be the most un-civil of wars. Two
hard-hitting guys who don't like to give an inch.
-
Amir Khan vs. Josesito Lopez: Say
what you will about Khan but his flaws are what make him so fascinating. And
while Carlos Molina was simply too small and too soft-punching to exploit his
flaws, Lopez is a tall, rangy 140-pounder who has better-than-average power in
both hands. Lopez was simply overmatched physically against Saul Alvarez but
he's a strong, sturdy fighter between 140-147 pounds. He will test Khan all
night long.
-
Scott Quigg vs. Carl Frampton: I've tweeted in the past that this potential hook-up would be like the British
version of Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales. Alright, maybe that is a bit of
hyperbole but I think these guys have styles that go together like peanut butter
and jelly. I could see this becoming a multi-fight series.
-
Brian Viloria vs. Roman Gonzalez: Will the networks finally get rid of their glass basement and start paying
attention to divisions below the featherweight class? No, we're not saying you
can - or should - headline a card with flyweights but tell me they don't make
for good appetizers. Subscribers of HBO and Showtime were deprived of seeing
Viloria's entertaining affair against Hernan “Tyson” Marquez (and a strong
outing from “El Chocolatito” on that same card). If this fight could be
consummated, it would be a crying shame if it wasn't on one of the premium cable
outlets. The “Hawaiian Punch” has really come into his own as a blue-chip
fighter and Gonzalez is one of the hardest punchers in the sport.
-
Lamont Peterson vs. Ruslan Provodnikov: No,
this isn't the most high-profile fight on my list (far from it) but as the old adage
goes, “Styles make fights,” and I think these two would go well together.
Provodnikov is a heavy-handed grinder, who keeps coming forward and Peterson is
a skilled in-fighter who loves to attack the body. These two won’t need a GPS
to find each other.
-
Leo Santa Cruz vs. Vic Darchinyan: Hey, c'mon, you know I was going to fit Santa Cruz somewhere on my list. Now,
while he hasn't vacated his IBF bantamweight belt, my gut feel is that he will
move up to 122 pounds. If he does, it would be an early litmus test to see how
he does with the “Raging Bull” who's coming off a career-saving victory over
Luis Del Valle on “Boxing After Dark” in late September. This would show if
Santa Cruz, who had a huge 2012, is truly an elite fighter and it would be
interesting to see how he deals with the always awkward Darchinyan.
-
Andre Ward vs. Carl Froch II: Yeah, we've seen this one before; I know. So what? And yeah, I get that Ward
may always beat Froch. But by that standard, we should have never seen a
rematch between Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe, right? Say what you want
about “The Cobra” but he has clearly established himself as the second best
super middleweight in the world and he destroyed Lucian Bute last year on his
home turf. If he can gain revenge on Mikkel Kessler or defeat the dangerous
Adonis Stevenson, tell me who deserves more to face Ward for the super
middleweight championship. It certainly beats seeing Ward paired with Kelly
Pavlik (who was listed as a 16-1 underdog); doesn't it?
-
Deontay Wilder vs. Steve Cunningham: We're still a long way from finding out if Wilder is the real thing. Well,
facing Cunningham (who most believed did more than enough to defeat Tomasz
Adamek in December) would be a good start. Wilder is a big, tall heavyweight
who can certainly punch. Let's see how he does with a solid veteran like “USS”
who brings good boxing acumen to the table. Wilder has been protected, which is
fine. There are questions about his ability to take a good shot. Well,
Cunningham is a natural cruiserweight and has been floored more than once.
Certainly, that has to be to the liking of Wilder's management.
-
Nonito Donaire vs. Abner Mares: OK,
so I lied. I can't help myself. I still want to see this fight but yeah, it’s most
likely not going to take place.
MARCH 2ND
Originally, HBO was going to
televise the sacrificing of Kelly Pavlik to Ward on March 2nd but
with Ward on the mend and out for an indefinite period of time, it looks like
they have moved up the heavyweight bout between Chris Arreola and Bermane
Stiverne as the main event in what will now be a “Boxing After Dark” broadcast.
It's been speculated that hard-hitting Keith Thurman, scheduled to go on March
9th, could be shifted to co-headline this card. But Richard Schaefer,
Golden Boy Promotions CEO, didn't seem to know much about that on Thursday
afternoon.
No venue has been finalized
for this card but it will most likely take place in California, I'm told.
FINAL FLURRIES
Golden Boy announced that
Jermell Charlo has been added to the January 26th Showtime telecast
versus Tom Bob Anderson (TBA)...Frankie Gomez, who continues to rebuild his
career from JaMarcus Russell-ville, will face Lanard Lane from the Cosmopolitan
Hotel in Las Vegas. Also on this card - which will be televised by Fox
Sports/Deportes - are Joseph Diaz Jr. and Mickey Bey Jr...Brazilian Aldimir
Silva has been tabbed to face “JuanMa” Lopez in Puerto Rico on February 2nd....Schaefer
says that their March 2nd card featuring Daniel Ponce de Leon-Jayson
Velez will take place at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. If any of the fights are
really bad, “Sandman Sims” can give ‘em the hook...Andy Reid in KC?
Interesting...The SEC has struggled a bit in bowl games this season, haven't
they?...Ray Lewis is retiring at the end of this season. Truly an end of an
era. No doubt one of the greatest that ever played the game...
