What fights need to happen immediately once boxing resumes?
Being a true boxing head means you are finding it hard to feel inspired on Saturdays now that boxing is cancelled. It means you are undoubtedly going crazy for any type of boxing match. Hell, even a Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (20-1, 13ko) fight would be good right about now.
Furthermore, it means missing some of the back and forth arguments inside the boxing community during fight breakdowns. Yet, the semi-coma state of boxing won’t stay like this forever. Eventually, fights will resume and business will pick back up.
The real question is what fights need to happen right away to immediately get the fans back into the arena.
Moreover, if there is one thing this crisis has shown us, its that marinating fights needs to become like the dinosaurs. Those days hopefully have been put in the rear-view for a while.
THE APPETIZERS
There are plenty of fights that can jump-start things and put butts back in the seats. Furthermore, looking at each division, there are some mouth-watering bouts that all the entities in the sport need to work together to make happen.
The junior bantamweight division is on fire and packed with nothing but high-profile fights. WBA champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (49-2, 41ko) has changed the dynamic by recapturing a title. A unification bout with any of the other champions would generate serious interest. However, a rematch with WBC champion “El Gallo” Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3, 27ko) would pack any arena.
The bantamweight division is ruled by unified champion Naoya “The Monster” Inoue (19-0, 16ko), the hard-punching Japanese phenom. After winning the World Boxing Super Series tournament, he is set for a collision course with WBC champion Nordine Oubaali (17-0, 12ko) or WBO champion John Reil Casimero (29-4, 20ko). Either would be an excellent fight.
Newly crowned unified junior featherweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev’s (8-0, 6ko) upset victory over Daniel Roman (27-3-1, 10ko), has shifted the balance and a fight with either champion, WBC Rey Vargas (34-0, 22ko) or WBO Emanuel Navarrete (31-1, 27ko), is worthy of attention.
THE SIDE DISHES
The featherweight and junior lightweight divisions could use some serious work and any unification bout would help this situation. Then, of course, there is the potential undisputed bout at junior welterweight. Fans would pay to watch a unification between unified champions Jose Ramirez (25-0, 17ko) and Josh Taylor (16-0, 12ko).
Furthermore, a tasty unification bout between two champions that have been going at it over social media, WBC Super Middleweight champion David Benavidez (22-0, 19ko) and IBF champion Caleb Plant (20-0, 12ko), would gain fan’s interest.
WBC lightweight champion “In-Recess” Devin “The American Dream” Haney (24-0, 15ko) wants to mix it up with anybody in the division. Moreover, once things resume, unified champion Vasyl “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko (14-1, 10ko) is locked in on fellow stablemate IBF champion Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12ko).
THE MAIN MEAL
Boxing’s biggest earner Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (53-1, 36ko) belongs in a category all to himself. The Mexican mega-star never has any problems getting people to reach in their wallets and paying to see him fight.
Once the dust is settled between WBC champion Tyson “Gypsy King” Fury (30-0-1, 21ko) and Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (42-1-1, 41ko), and unified champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua (23-1, 21ko) and IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev (28-1, 14ko), the race to crown an undisputed champion should immediately be the next order of business.
Finally ending things, there is the one fight that all of the boxing community wants to see and could potentially have a major financial impact.
Enter, unified welterweight champion Errol “The Truth” Spence (26-0, 21ko) face to face against WBO champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (36-0, 27ko). These two dogs in the ring going at it would have a serious impact with returning the sport into power.
The community is hungry and ready to eat. Now it is up to the sport to go into the kitchen and prepare an awesome meal.
By: Garrisson Bland
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