By Spencer Brown: Perhaps the greatest moment in sport is the opening bell of a bona fide super-fight. Months of frenzied anticipation and excitement culminate in this one moment: the waiting is over, and the truth, amidst all the bluster, will finally reveal itself. Here are 5 fights that, in no particular order, will hopefully provide that special moment in 2015.
Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao
A blindingly obvious pick, but excitement is mounting that after years of talk, the two greatest fighters of their generation will finally meet in the ring in 2015. The protracted wrangling from both camps over the years has reflected poorly on the sport – how do you explain to non-boxing fans that the fight might not happen because of arguments over money, random blood and urine testing, rival television networks, rival promotion companies and a guy called Bob Arum? The greatest and purest sport known to man is reduced to a messy, bickering soap opera.
If it happens, the fight would undoubtedly be the most lucrative in the history of the sport. Although both of them have shown signs of slippage, it would still mesmerise the sporting world.
Trainer Virgil Hunter recently compared the potential blockbuster to Ali-Frazier III, forever known as the ‘Thriller in Manila’. “They [Ali and Frazier] were both supposed to be past it at that point, but name me one heavyweight fight that was better” he said.
After years of talk and empty bombast, let’s hope 2015 delivers the once-in-a-generation super-fight we all crave.
Andre Ward-Gennady Golovkin
In pure boxing terms, this fight is arguably more intriguing than Mayweather-Pacquiao. Andre Ward is a boxing savant: he expertly and emphatically climbed his way to #2 in the pound-for-pound rankings after clearing out the super-middleweight division with beguiling ease, but his career has stalled. He endured a barren 2014 due to a messy legal dispute with his promoter Dan Goossen (who has subsequently passed away), and since outclassing Carl Froch in December 2011 he has fought only twice. The 2004 Olympic gold medallist is danger of seeing his peak years slip by.
Inactivity has not been a problem for the explosive middleweight Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin. The Kazakh has demolished multiple high-ranked contenders, but he has yet to step in the ring with someone who will really test him. His popularity is soaring with each fresh knockout win and every endearing post-fight interview. He is a fearsome athlete and possesses concussive power, but he is not just a puncher; he has a strong amateur grounding, and one of his vanquished opponents – the Briton Matthew Macklin – described him as the “real deal”, and said he was “way better” than Sergio Martinez. Golovkin has expressed his wish to move up to super-middleweight down the line.
Both of them need this fight: it is a chance for Golovkin to prove that he really belongs amongst the super-elite in the sport, and it provides Ward with the opportunity to become the globally-renowned star his talent deserves. It is more likely that it will happen in 2016, when the hype and demand reach fever pitch, but we can still hope for a meeting late next year.
Guillermo Rigondeaux-Vasyl Lomachenko
This would be, without exaggeration, one of the most highly-skilled match-ups in boxing history. Combining their amateur records (even allowing for the fact that reports vary slightly on Rigondeaux’s exact statistics) they amassed nearly 900 wins between them, with a combined total of little more than a dozen losses. Between them they also boast two Olympic gold medals each. Let those facts sink in for a moment.
This would be a purist’s dream: high-speed chess between two supremely-skilled in-ring sages. Rigondeaux’s one-sided schooling of Nonito Donaire in 2013 should have catapulted him into the sport’s super-elite, but instead he has found himself shunned by the television networks and dodged by wary rivals. He is keeping himself ticking over by travelling to Asia and fighting obscure challengers, but he deserves better. In what other sport would one of the most technically skilled and accomplished performers be totally ignored and side-lined? It’s like Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal not being allowed to play at Wimbledon because they’re too good, and instead having to earn a living by playing in minor, non-televised tournaments.
A fight with Lomachenko would not, sadly, be a major crossover event, but it would at least provide them both with a platform to exhibit their other-worldly abilities. It would be a test of intelligence, patience and guile; every tiny mistake would be punished, and one feels they would bring the best out of each other.
Rigondeaux’s team have said in the past he is willing to go up to 126 pounds, as long as his opponent doesn’t weigh over 135 pounds on fight night. This shouldn’t be a problem with Lomachenko, who was last seen on the Pacquiao-Algieri undercard cruising to a comfortable win with only one functioning hand.
There is definitely a place in boxing for tempestuous bust-ups like Gatti-Ward or Castillo-Corrales, but there would be something special about a clash between these two spellbinding craftsmen.
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez-Miguel Cotto
Mexico vs Puerto Rico; fearless young buck vs war-scarred veteran – this fight has all the ingredients to become an unforgettable classic. To the eternal credit of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, he didn’t retreat into his shell after being comprehensively out-boxed by Floyd Mayweather in 2013. He jumped back into action less than 6 months later, defeating Alfredo Angulo, and then took on Erislandy Lara in July, despite the fact the slick Cuban was clearly going to be a stylistic nightmare. Some say he was fortunate to be awarded the split-decision victory against Lara, but either way he is deservedly a fan-favourite for taking on the biggest challenges. With the fanatical Mexican support behind him, he is potentially a future superstar.
Miguel Cotto, a future Hall-of-Famer, is equally as popular. It is difficult to find anyone in the boxing world who has a bad word to say about the Puerto Rican. He is a champion in every sense of the word, and his destruction of a beleaguered Sergio Martinez in June suggested the twilight years of his career might be brighter than some had feared.
This fight is a guaranteed pay-per-view hit, and if they fight on the weekend of Cinco de Mayo (as Canelo intends to) they would usurp Floyd Mayweather on an iconic date he has made his own… unless of course, Floyd fights a certain Filipino that weekend instead. Is it too much to dream for Canelo-Cotto to co-feature alongside Mayweather-Pacquiao? Probably.
Vladimir Klitschko-Tyson Fury
Vladimir Klitschko’s unerring dominance of the heavyweight scene shows no sign of wavering. He deserves to be commended for his work ethic outside the ring, and ruthless efficiency inside the ring, but equally the heavyweight division has been moribund for years now. This is not Klitschko’s fault, but it is undoubtedly true. Anthony Joshua is a source of optimism for some, but he is years from his peak; Deontay Wilder may prove to be the real deal, but he is sorely untested.
As it stands, the only heavyweight out there who might cause Klitschko a few problems is the eccentric Briton Tyson Fury. He boxed smartly and stopped Dereck Chisora last month (Chisora managed to last the distance with Vitali, Klitschko’s older brother) and is extremely confident in his ability.
He is 6ft 9in tall, and although he can occasionally look ungainly in the ring, he is a crafty and powerful boxer. The smart money would obviously be on Klitschko, but Fury would be no pushover. At the very least, it would be an intriguing fight, and Fury provides a refreshing alternative to the cannon fodder Klitschko has been fed over the last few years.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive – it is just a selection of the highlights. Other fascinating fights include Stevenson-Kovalev, GGG-Canelo/Cotto/Froch, Mayweather-Khan, Khan-Brook, Broner-Maidana II, Crawford-Pacquiao, Joshua-Price, Frampton-Quigg etc. The list goes on.
This time next year it will be interesting to see how many of our wishes have been fulfilled.
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