Rumored Fights Boxing Fans Want to See Made

It's the moment that all boxing fans like you and me live for; the moment the bell rings to start a mega-fight.

Unfortunately, due to the climate of boxing politics today, we're getting fewer major fights now than in years before, but with Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum reconciling and starting to make fights together again, maybe there's light at the end of the tunnel.

As the saying goes, "styles make fights" so naturally all of the rumored matches that made the list are fights that should lead to some fireworks and make for great TV.

We've probably all learned by now never to get excited for a fight until all the paperwork is signed because negotiations can fall apart quickly—see the talks for Gennady Golovkin against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or Adonis Stevenson vs. Sergey Kovalev—but it doesn't hurt to hope and speculate.

I'm sure you'll all agree that these fights would be must-see TV if they get made; fingers crossed!

Oh and one more quick note: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao isn't on this list. Not because I don't want to see it, but because I still believe, despite all the trash that some people in the sport are spewing, the fight has no chance of being made.

I've been over those reasons why dozens of times on here and on Twitter so I'll save you the details—you should know them all by now anyway—this list will focus on potential fights where discussions and negotiations have already taken place instead of just idle talk.

Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

This one hardly even feels like a rumor with how often it's discussed by not just the media and fans, but also the same people in power who would eventually make the fight official.

Of course those powerful people are Top Rank CEO Bob Arum and Golden Boy founder Oscar De La Hoya who recently started making fights together again after years of feuding and not working together.

De La Hoya told RingTV.com recently that discussions and negotiations have begun in an attempt to make the fight for probably May 2015:

"

There are preliminary talks with the Cotto camp and obviously with Golden Boy on behalf of Canelo. So the fact is that Cotto wants the fight and the fact is that Canelo wants the fight.

We have to iron out details, but I’m very confident that this fight is going to be made because both fighters understand that the fans are demanding for this one to happen.

"

A potential Miguel Cotto vs. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fight is the second-biggest fight that could be made in boxing today behind only the unlikely match between pound-for-pound stars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

Not only will the fight do huge business both at the box office and on pay-per-view, but on paper it also looks like a fight that would be highly entertaining as well since both guys fight an aggressive offensive style.

What better way to celebrate the renewed business relationship between the two biggest promoters in the sport than making the biggest fight since Alvarez fought Mayweather in September 2013?

Gennady Golovkin vs. the Winner of Alvarez/Cotto

Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press

Gennady Golovkin will be the mandatory challenger for the winner of the rumored Canelo Alvarez vs. Miguel Cotto fight, so while making this fight isn't a lock it has a good chance of eventually being made.

Golovkin became the mandatory challenger by winning the WBC "interim" belt with his win over Marco Antonio Rubio in their October 2014 fight.

Some fans complained about the Rubio fight as a step-down in competition for Golovkin—despite Rubio being ranked as a top-10 middleweight by ESPN—but what they missed was the genius tactical move by Golovkin and his support team.

Golovkin has had difficulty convincing other top fighters to face him for years, but by winning an interim belt to become the mandatory challenger, he'll put Cotto or Alvarez in a tough situation.

They'll have to either face him or possibly give up the belt; so either Golovkin will get the big match he's been waiting a long time for or have a shot to unify belts with a match for the vacant title; it's a win-win situation for GGG.

Golovkin's promoter Tom Loeffler told the Los Angeles Times that it's his job to create opportunities for Golovkin which was what the fight against Rubio was all about:

"

Fighting Rubio was a strategic decision for Gennady to now be the mandatory for the Canelo-Cotto winner. It’s hard to predict what they’ll do, but it’s my job to create opportunities for Gennady. Canelo accepts almost every challenge, so that could happen. With Cotto, it’s hard to predict. I know they’re both warriors.

"

I'd be excited for either fight, hopefully one of these major stars will step up to the challenge unlike other fighters such as Felix Sturm and Chavez Jr. who have run away from facing GGG. For the record as of now I'd pick GGG to defeat either Cotto or Canelo.

Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Nicholas Walters

Kin Cheung/Associated Press

Both fighters are promoted by Top Rank Promotions, hold major belts and fight an exciting style, so making the match should be an obvious decision for everyone involved.

From Dan Rafael of ESPN, thankfully Top Rank CEO Bob Arum isn't looking to let the fight marinate as he's done with other potential fights in the past and won't keep everyone waiting for several years:

"

By the early summer I want to make that fight. Both sides want it. That’s what they’ve communicated to me. Egis Klimas, Lomachenko’s manager, has told me one more fight after this one and then early summer they’re ready to go. The Walters camp is saying the same thing.

"

Arum went on to say that he shares the same excitement and anticipation for this fight that many hardcore boxing fans feel and that his TV partner—HBO—also wants to make the fight:

"

Maybe they’ll fight on a doubleheader and then go at each other. I would be just as excited to see that fight as I would be to see Pacquiao-Mayweather. I can’t wait to see Walters fight Lomachenko. It’s really an interesting fight. I know the general public won’t share that enthusiasm but the boxing people and the true boxing fans will.

It’s a tough fight but they both want it and so do I and so does HBO.

"

Both guys are young, hungry and fight with a very entertaining and TV-friendly style, so I share Arum's enthusiasm and believe it could be a fight-of-the-year candidate.

Each fighter likes to throw a ton of punches, but each one does it in different ways. Walters looks to put his opponents to sleep, while Lomachenko fights a very strategic and tactical fight with movement, speed and combinations. He has power, but not as much as Walters.

Except for not having equal power for the division, Lomachenko's style reminds me some of Gennady Golovkin in terms of his aggressive offensive attack, willingness to go to the body, great ability to cut off the ring, push the tempo and punch at angles.

Really hope this fight gets made.

Sergey Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal

Tim Larsen/Associated Press

As impressive as the win over Bernard Hopkins was, it also brought along a feeling of being sad for me because at the time I couldn't figure out who else would be available to challenge Sergey Kovalev and make a great fight.

Of course we'd all like to see him fight Adonis Stevenson, but considering how ugly the fallout was when those negotiations collapsed and how obvious it is that Stevenson wants no part of Kovalev, I doubt that fight ever happens.

Going into the fight the 175-pound division was loaded at the top, but it didn't have the same depth as lighter divisions such as welterweight or junior welterweight. Andre Ward moving up in weight would make an interesting fight for Kovalev, but Ward can't step back into the ring until he settles his lawsuit against his promoter.

One option I didn't think of for whatever reason was a possible match with Jean Pascal whom ESPN currently has ranked as the third-best boxer in the light heavyweight division. Pascal is the mandatory challenger for lineal champion Stevenson, but of course making a fight against Stevenson is difficult to say the least.

From Dan Rafael of ESPN Kovalev's promoter Kathy Duva confirmed that there have been talks for a fight with Pascal: "There have been some discussions. But of course we have an IBF mandatory to consider as well."

Kovalev inherited the mandatory defense from Hopkins, but exceptions for major fights have been made before—Hopkins got one to fight Kovalev—and a fight against Pascal in Canada would be just that; a major fight.

HBO would obviously have interest in the fight, fans would have interest in the fight and a match between Pascal and Kovalev would do huge business if they put it in Montreal at the Bell Centre where Pascal fought Hopkins in their second fight.

Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado III

Like the rumored Alvarez vs. Cotto match, a third fight between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado seems like a lock for early next year. Their first and second fights were both candidates for Fight of the Year with each boxer winning one match apiece; the demand and need for this fight is obvious.

I mean there are all-action fights, and then there are what Rios and Alvardo put on display inside the ropes. They didn't just trade power punches all night in both fights, they traded knockout punches all night and never stopped coming; both fights will be remembered for a long time.

Negotiations appear to be ongoing as they first attempted to make the fight for late December, but they now seem to be aiming for January or February. If they do finalize the fight, it's obviously a must-see event.

Just watch their first fight—check above where the picture usually is for the video—and tell me you disagree.

Can't wait for their third fight.