New Year's Wishes for Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather Jr. and Other Top Boxing Stars

It's New Year's Eve. Or, as I like to call it, National Amateurs' Night, when millions of inexperienced and/or out-of-practice revelers will crowd into public venues to mix lingering holiday regrets, anxiety over the future and drink specials.

Well, I'll be out with the throngs myself later tonight, wearing a coat and tie no less. But for now I'm just a Keyboard Palooka looking to get in one last story before the end of the year. 

What follows is a speculative look at the year ahead. If even most of my wishes come true for these boxing stars, boxing fans should have a memorable 2012.  

For Manny Pacquiao: Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Juan Manuel Marquez and Nobody Else

2011 has to be regarded as a mixed year at best for Manny Pacquiao, 54(38)-3(2)-2. In May, he completely shut-out Shane Mosley, 46(39)-7-1, in a unanimous decision win that left PPV customers less than satisfied, due to Mosley's refusal to engage.

Then in November, Pacquiao fought longtime rival Juan Manuel Marquez, 53(39)-6-1, for a third time. This time, fans got their money's worth, a thrilling back and forth battle that showcased two of this generation's truly elite talents.

In the end, Pacquiao escaped with a majority decision. While it was a win where it counts most, it was less than total victory in the court of public opinion. At least as many fans probably think Pacquiao lost as think he won, and the air of invincibility has lifted at least somewhat.

Pacquiao retains his spot at the top of The Ring pound-for-pound list, but it is tenuous.  

And once more another year ends without the "The Fight" taking place, the long-anticipated showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. That fight looked like it might finally be a go for sometime in the Spring. But with Mayweather starting the year in jail, who knows at this point?

If Pacquiao is not going to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2012, there is only one other fight I would like to see him make, and that is another rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez. And if it's going to be that one, let's do it early in the year and get it over with. 

I had Marquez winning that fight 115-113. There are a bunch of things that would be interesting to look for in a rematch.

Freddy Roach will no doubt have adjustments to implement with Pacquiao and hopefully, in a return bout, Marquez will look to counter aggressively until the closing bell, even if he does seem to be way ahead on points. 

But if Pacman can't get one of those two fights in 2012, I would just as soon see him retire. I mean, it's his right to still earn millions and millions of dollars putting on fights, and I will ultimately pay some attention. But I won't be excited about it. 

Floyd Mayweather Jr.: A Life Overhaul

As much as I would really like to see Mayweather fight Pacquiao in 2012, watching this video, I can't help but think he might just need to go away somewhere and learn how to be an actual functioning human being at this point in his life. 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the premiere boxing prodigy of his generation. Regardless of all the soap-opera antics of his personal life, he has never been less than 100 percent disciplined and focused in the practice of his art. 

A victory over the celebrated Filipino Congressman would be the ultimate jewel for his crown.

But he doesn't need the fight. By now he should have earned all the money he will ever need. He is a legendary fighter with an express ticket to the Hall of Fame.

What he should "need" right now, for starters, is to make sure he stops being the kind of person who rages out of control in front of his children.

If he never fights Pacquiao but does manage to straighten up his life, then disappointed or not, as fans, we should all be willing to say God bless and thanks for the memories. 

Juan Manuel Marquez: A Rematch

Juan Manuel Marquez, 53(39)-6-1, ended 2011 by re-establishing himself as one of the sport's premiere competitors. Although he left the ring on Nov. 13 disgusted by the judging that handed him a majority-decision loss, his performance won him new fans and brought renewed interest to his career. 

Marquez, who turns 39 next August, has hinted that he will retire if he can't secure the fourth fight with Pacquiao. 

If negotiations for Pacquiao-Mayweather fall through (and they always seem to in the end) then Pacquiao-Marquez IV becomes a very real possibility. 

Brian Viloria: A Superfight with Pongsaklek Wonjongkam

"Hawaiian Punch" Brian Viloria, 30(17)-3(1), is my choice for 2011 Comeback Fighter of the Year.

After dropping his IBF light flyweight belt in 2010, he moved up to 112 pounds and beat Julio Cesar Miranda for the WBO flyweight strap.

He followed that up by TKOing pound-for-pound entrant Giovani Segura in eight rounds on Dec. 11, in what will be regarded as one of the year's biggest upsets.

Viloria has brought some real excitement to the 112-pound division, so why not crank it up all the way and get him a fight with Thai legend Wonjongkam, 83(44)-3(1)-2?

If Viloria can knock off two Ring pound-for-pound top 10 guys back-to-back, he will have earned own right to consideration on such a list.

Nonito Donaire: Fights That Will Showcase His Talent

All things considered, Nonito Donaire, 27(18)-1, had a pretty good 2011. His second-round knockout of Fernando Montiel in February will be showing up on "greatest knockout" lists for years to come.

His East Coast debut in Madison Square Garden against Omar Narvaez, 35(19)-1-2, in October was a less smashing success.

Donaire won every round, but after realizing early that he simply did not have the speed to  counter Donaire successfully, Narvaez spent the rest of the night in a defensive, turtle position that made for less-than-thrilling action.  

In the end, Top Rank matchmaking deserves the blame. Narvaez was a smaller, slower, older fighter who knew how to defend himself from serious punishment. That should have had "boring fight" written all over it. 

Don't expect Bob Arum and company to be so careless with Donaire in 2012. There are a slew of exciting fights for Donaire as he moves up to 122 or 126 pounds.

Wilfredo Vazquez, 21(18)-1(1)-1, for the WBO super bantamweight title in San Antonio on Feb. 4, is a promising start. 

Gary Russell Jr.: Fights with Contenders

At 23 years of age and with a perfect 19(11)-0 record, Gary Russell Jr. has emerged as one of the sport's hottest prospects. He fought his first scheduled 10-rounder on Nov. 26 against veteran Heriberto Ruiz, 44-11-2, and the result was a stunning first-round knockout.

Russell has another 10-rounder scheduled for Feb. 12 at the MGM Grand in Vegas, opponent to be announced.

You never want to rush along a prospect like Russell too quickly. But I'll be shocked if he hasn't fought his first big-name opponent by the end of 2012.

Brandon Rios: Timothy Bradley

Brandon Rios, 29(22)-0-1, finished 2011 with an exciting TKO of John Murray on Dec. 3 on the Cotto-Margarito undercard.

I covered the fight live and Bam Bam's performance was typically exciting, with Rios smiling widely throughout.

At the press conference afterwards, Arum announced it would be Rios' last fight at 135 pounds.

There should be no shortage of good fights for Rios at light welterweight. A real challenge for Rios' straight-ahead, brawling style would be the awkward and technically tricky Timothy Bradley, 28(12)-0.

It would be a "somebody's O has got to go" fight, always exciting, especially when world champions are involved.  

Miguel Cotto: A Super Fight in Stadium Azteca

With his December TKO destruction of Antonio Margarito, 38(27)-8(2), Miguel Cotto, 37(30)-2(2), avenged one of his two career defeats and re-established himself as one of the sport's biggest draws.

After closing 2011 by defeating a Mexican legend in front of nearly 20,000 of his fellow Puerto Ricans in Madison Square Garden, I think the perfect next move for Cotto would be to travel south of the border and fight another Mexican champion in front of a packed crowd in Stadium Azteca. 

Saul Alvarez, 39(29)-0-1, who also holds a version of the 154-pound world title, would be the most obvious choice. WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 44(31)-0-1, could be another possibility. 

Sergio Martinez: True Superstar Status

The 36-year-old Sergio Martinez, 48(27)-2(1)-2, is probably the greatest fighter in the world that hardly anybody talks about. He spent 2011 firmly ranked at No. 3 on The Ring pound-for-pound top ten, behind only Pacquiao and Mayweather.

But since his spectacular one-punch knockout of Paul Williams in November 2010, he has been able to do very little to sustain excitement with boxing fans.  

He is nearly a victim of his own success. He has seemed so good in recent years that there is no longer anybody near him in weight that fans care about seeing him fight. 

He's frankly too big to drop down to fight Pacquiao or Mayweather and too small to jump up to 168 to challenge the talent up there. He will need to continue building his reputation fighting whoever is available at 154 and 160.

Fighting Matthew Macklin, 28(19)-3(1), in March is a good first start for the year. The Brit fighter is coming off a split-decision loss to WBA middleweight trinket holder Felix Sturm last June.

Macklin is an active and aggressive fighter and many people think he deserved the decision against Sturm. He should at the very least provide Marvilla with an entertaining foil. 

Andre Ward: All the Belts at 168 Pounds

Normally I don't even pay attention to the promotional belts. I have written entire articles about fights without even mentioning whatever alphabet soup trinket was on the line.

I'm not saying they are meaningless. But they are tools for promoting fights and fighters first and foremost. Sometimes they can be useful for helping to identify which fighter is actually the best at a certain weight, but just as often they muddy the waters instead. 

But the Showtime Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament has actually created  a situation where one fighter might actually end up holding all four of the major promotional belts.

After beating Carl Froch 28(20)-2, earlier this month, Andre Ward, 25(13)-0, now holds the WBA and WBC straps. IBF champ Lucian Bute, 30(24)-0, is under contract with Showtime, too, and is Ward's most likely next opponent.

Meanwhile, WBO champ Robert Steiglitz, 40(23)-2(2), is scheduled to defend against Mikkel Kessler, 44(33)-2 in April. In a perfect boxing universe, a full unification bout could take place some time in the later half of 2012. 

Seth Mitchell: A Fight with Another Contender

In my book, Seth Mitchell, 24(18)-0, has to be regarded as America's most exciting heavyweight prospect. The former Michigan State defensive starter in football fought four times in 2011 and looked good every time. Not one of his opponents made it out of the third round. 

Mitchell has applied his immense natural athletic ability to learning the sweet science. He has a technically very good offensive game. 

What he can do when he is being legitimately pressured remains to be seen. Since nobody has sufficiently tested him yet, it's time to step up in competition. 

Hopefully by the end of 2012 we will know if Mitchell has a legitimate shot to be the next big thing in the heavyweight division. The only way to find out, though, is for him to fight another one of the young lions with a legitimate claim to being the next big thing.