In March 2021, I wrote an article about the 10 top boxing match up’s I was hoping to see for the next 12 months.
16 months later, from that article, three fights in my top ten and one of my honourable mentioned fights have happened. Also, one more will happen in a few months.
So I decided to do another one. Inevitably, there will still be some fights from my article last year, as I am still very much hoping to see them materialise.
1. Terrence Crawford vs Errol Spence Jr
This was my no1 fight to see last March and nothing has changed that notion for me. It isstill the fight most boxing fans want to see and has been for the past 4 years or so.
The positive now compared to last year is it seems the two parties are talking and negotiations are imminent. So I expect these two elite fighters to get it on within the next 12 months.
Since my March article, Crawford had a superb 10th-round TKO win against Shawn Porter, to retain his WBO welterweight title. Spence Jr had an impressive 10th-round TKO victory over Yordenis Ugas to add the WBA title to his IBF and WBC welterweight titles.
So it is set up perfectly for an undisputed unification bout. We are literally at the perfect time for this fight to happen and when it does, it will undoubtedly be one of the biggest fights for a generation, where all eyes and ears will be upon it.
Verdict: Crawford wins a split points decision
2. Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
This was also on my list last March at no6, although at that time both had not fought in 2020.
So I knew we would be hard pressed to see this fight within the next 12 months, no matter how much we all wanted to see it and how much the division needed it. Even though they are on separate promotions.
Both have fought three times and are in much better positions. Bivol holds the WBA belt and Beterbiev has the WBC, IBF and recently claimed the WBO light heavyweight belt.
The good thing that has changed since my article last March is that the fight will now be for the undisputed light heavyweight titles. Their stocks have risen and they both strengthened their respective positions with impressive performances.
In Bivol’s last fight, he welcomed Canelo up to the division in May and became only the second man to defeat him in 61 fights after a very dominant points victory. Beterbiev continued to wipe out the division as he stopped three opponents since last March to make it a very impressive 18 knockouts from 18 fights. In his last fight, he stopped Joe Smith Jr to claim the WBO title.
Verdict: Beterviev wins via 10th round stoppage
3. Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Román González 3
This monumental trilogy was set to happen in March this year, however, it was postponed due to Estada getting Covid.
Their rivalry started when González won their first bout via a unanimous points victory in 2012.
The rematch came almost nine years later in March of last year, when in my mind, Estrada won a controversial split decision victory in one of the fights of the year, where they combined for 2,529 punches in an absolute war.
In 2012 they fought at light flyweight. However, in their rematch last year, Estrada claimed the WBA super flyweight bout to add to his WBC and The Ring magazine super flyweight bout and has not fought since, although there is talk of him taking a tune-up fight.
Due to Estrada pulling out, Gonzalez still took a fight and won on points, but this is the only fight to be made for them both. Estrada is 32 with 45 fights, Gonzalez is 35 with 54 fights. So I am hoping this fight happens sooner rather than later for these two highly technical but tough warriors.
Verdict: Estrada wins on a split points decision
4. Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano 2
This was on my list last March at no5, and thankfully, it happened in April which undoubtedly turned out to be one of the fights of the year so far.
However, I was not sure about Taylor getting a points victory but it could it was one of those fights where at one stage, I thought Serrano was about to stop Taylor, who rallied very well to come back in the second half of the fight.
With that said, due to the exciting and explosive nature of the fight and outcome, I was expecting an immediate rematch but they have both new opponents.
Their first fight will go down in the history books of women boxing in and out of the ring. It was one of the best fights I have seen in recent years.
It was more or less the biggest fight in women’s boxing thus far and has opened doors for the sport to be elevated in ways it has never seen. However, I do believe a rematch is necessary after how their first fight went.
This is added to the fact that skill level wise, even with Serrana moving up two weight classes, there are no other boxers in or around their weight classes who can give either of them as good a fight as they can.
Verdict: Serrano wins via 10th round stoppage
5. Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia
Both of these fighters were on my list last March but fighting different opponents.
Since this time, they have continued their war of words and although both have been linked with and in Tank’s case, fought other opponents, but they have never stopped their war of words and I feel a fight between the two could be massive inside and outside the ring.
Tank remains a huge draw, although he just has a version of the WBA lightweight title, Garcia has not fought in a year but is due in the ring in a matter of days.
Both have a massive following behind them and are both exciting, power punchers, who fans love to watch.
They both have interesting outside-the-ring personalities as they do inside the ring and the build-up alone would be as interesting as the fight itself. Tank showed he can perform under pressure when he stopped Romero in 6 rounds in May.
I am expecting Garcia to do something similar, although against a lesser opponent, but once he takes care of business, this fight could make huge business sense.
Verdict: Davis wins via 9th round stoppage
6. Teofimo Lopez vs Vasiliy Lomachenko 2
In the red hot lightweight division, I feel this rematch works on all levels and is a fight that both possibly need at this moment.
Since their first bout in October 2020, where Lopez won a shock but comfortable points victory. Just over a year later, Lopez then lost his belts to Kombosos Jr in what everyone thought was also a shock defeat.
Lomachenko has gone on to fight twice since that defeat with a TKO win against Masayoshi Nakatani and a comfortable unanimous points win over Richard Commey.
Both fighters desperately need to get back into the limelight and back into title contention. Their first fight was a bitter affair with both fighters bad-mouthing the other before and after.
So much so that Lopez refused a rematch. However, with both holding no titles in a division that is one of the best in the sport, a win in a rematch could be just what is needed to put their name back in the mix for a title fight. But, neither can afford a defeat, so that fear of a loss may just keep this rematch from happening.
Verdict: Lomachenko wins via a split points victory
7. Jermall Charlo vs Demetrius Andrade
Although these are two current middleweight champions, they are both somewhat of forgotten men or avoided men.
Both are undefeated, but for some reason, have not gotten the recognition they deserve, which means a unification fight would be ideal.
Charlo’s had to play second fiddle to his twin brother Jermell, who despite having a loss on his record, became the 7th male undisputed champion in boxing at light middleweight. Andrade, maybe even more than Charlo, has been actively chasing fights with Canelo and Golovkin and must be frustrated to see those two gear up for a mega third bout.
There has been talk for a while about these two champions fighting, but for one reason or another, it did not happen. They both mentioned bouts against the 40-0 Mexican sensation Jamie Manguia.
Andrade won a belt at light middleweight before moving up to win the WBO middleweight title in October 2018. Charlo also won a belt at light middleweight before moving up to win the interim WBC middleweight belt and defending it before winning it outright in June 2019.
It’s uncanny how their careers are so similar, including questions about the quality of opponents. So it makes sense for a unification bout where the winner can attempt to unify the division unless a rematch is needed.
Verdict: Charlo to win via unanimous points decision
8. Mikaela Mayer vs Alycia Baumgardner
I am cheating a little with this one as it has just been announced that Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner have agreed to meet in a super featherweight unification fight.
As grudge matches go, this will rival the Shields vs Marshall bout which will be on the same fight card and could even steal the show.
Both ladies are undefeated and have had words back and forth on social media for months, where neither is giving an inch and retaliating with responses more scathing as they go.
Mayer has the WBO, IBF and The Ring magazine titles, with Baumgardner holding the WBC title. In her last fight, Mayer defeated Jennifer Han via a unanimous points victory in a tough and brutal affair.
Baumgardner won her title in November 2021, when she went to England and stopped Terri Harper in four rounds. She then defended her title against Edith Matthysse via a dominant points victory.
This is an intriguing match-up as both have power but both can box. However, judging by the build-up, it looks as though this will be an all-out war where neither will want to take any back steps.
Verdict: Baumgardner to win via a unanimous points decision
9. Paul Butler vs John Riel Casimero
This is a fight to earn the right to fight Naoya Inoue for the undisputed bantamweight title. After winning the WBO interim title and defending it in 2019.
Big punching Casimero won it outright in his fourth fight for 2019, with a devastating third-round ko of Zolani Tete. He defended it once in 2020 with another stoppage then again in August 2021 with a split points victory over Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Butler was the mandatory challenger and was due to fight Casimero in Dec 2021, but Casimero fell ill and the bout was cancelled. It was rescheduled for April but Casimero was unable to fight due to breaching medical guidelines with how he cut weight.
Butler, who had a failed attempt at winning the bantamweight title in his last defeat in May 2018, was on a seven-fight winning run. He then beat Jonas Sulton for the interim WBO bantamweight title.
This situation is just a mess and the only way to sort it out is for these two warriors to get it on in what will be a real tear-up. Then the winner can have an undisputed bantamweight title fight with Inoue, who destroyed Nonito Donaire in their rematch in two rounds last month.
Verdict: Casimero wins via 7th round stoppage
10. Devin Haney vs Shakur Stevenson
Although this fight is a possibility, it’s unlikely since these two fighters are close friends and grew up together through the ranks.
However, they are both on Top Rank and boxing is a business, so a real possibility for the future. For me, it’s a fight I would love to see due to their immense skills.
Both have the experience of training in the Mayweather gym, they are pound for pound two of the most skilled boxers of today’s generation, and because of that, it would be a mouth-watering fight.
Having already held the WBC lightweight title in June, Haney defeated Kambosos Jr, in Melbourne, Australia, in a relatively comfortable points victory.
This moved him to 28-0, where he became only the eighth male boxer in history and the youngest to be a four-belt undisputed champion.
In April, Stevenson added the WBC and The Ring magazine belt to his WBO super featherweight title after his surprisingly comfortable points victory over the previously undefeated Oscar Valdez to move to 18-0. This fight would truly be one for the ages and a fight that would be too hard to call.
Verdict: majority draw
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Richard Riakporhe vs Lawrence Okolie
Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall 2
Natasha Jonas vs Terri Harper 2
Jerwin Ancajas vs Fernando Martinez 2
Deontay Wilder vs Joe Joyce
