Blueprints for Top Boxing Stars to Make the Most Out of 2015
The 2015 boxing calendar is already off to a great start. This weekend, ESPN's Friday Night Fights will feature a great matchup between rising contender Willie Monroe Jr. and tough middleweight gatekeeper Bryan Vera. On Saturday, Las Vegas will host a hotly anticipated WBC heavyweight title fight between champion Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder.
As reported by ESPN's Dan Rafael and other media outlets on January 14, power broker Al Haymon has engineered the return of boxing to network television. Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero, Adrien Broner vs. John Molina and Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson have traditionally been premium-cable quality fights, but this spring, they will appear on NBC.
And the biggest news of all could be on the way. I hesitate to admit it, but I'm close to feeling optimistic about the possibility of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather actually meeting in the ring.
Danny Garcia
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In 2012 and 2013, Danny Garcia emerged as one of the hottest young stars in the sport. In July 2012, he stopped Amir Khan to unify the WBC and WBA light welterweight belts. In September 2013, he turned back knockout machine Lucas Matthysse, the hottest fighter in his division.
But last year, his stock took a regrettable hit. In March, he struggled against wily veteran Mauricio Herrera and was lucky to escape with a majority decision. In August, he fought unrated lightweight Rod Salka, an embarrassingly inappropriate opponent.
It looks like he'll return to where he belongs in 2015. He's already slated to face IBF belt-holder Lamont Peterson in April. Since Lucas Matthysse smashed Peterson in 2013, it's hard to consider his title a credible one, but he's still legitimately one of the best at 140 pounds.
If Garcia gets by Peterson, he should face Adrien Broner, provided The Problem can handle John Molina. The two could even have a rap battle at the press conference.
I expect Garcia to win and am picking Broner, although Molina is a bruiser. Garcia vs. Broner later in the year would provide a tremendous amount of young star power.
Sergey Kovalev
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As far as blueprints go, light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev is already starting 2015 in a smart manner. In March, he travels to Montreal to face former champion Jean Pascal.
Pascal is a compelling opponent for Kovalev, but his value extends beyond that. The major fight Kovalev truly wants is a unification bout with lineal and WBC champion Adonis Stevenson, who is also based out of Quebec. If Kovalev takes care of business in predictable fashion, the Russian will get the opportunity to call out Stevenson in his own hometown.
The winner of that fight would be the undisputed champion at 175 pounds. Undisputed champions are regrettably rare in today's boxing world, so that could be one of the biggest stories in boxing for 2015.
Andre Ward
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Andre Ward spent all of 2014 inactive. He is unquestionably one of the elite talents in the sport, but talent means nothing if it is stowed away in moth balls.
So the first step on any blueprint for Ward to make the most of this year is for him to return to the ring and fight a worthy opponent. He thoroughly cleaned out the super middleweight division three years ago, but new names have finally emerged.
An ideal opponent for Ward's first fight back would be Anthony Dirrell, the reigning WBC champion. Dirrell's older brother and Ward's former Olympic teammate, Andre, would be another suitable option for a return bout.
Ward deserves a high-profile fight, but taking off a year is going to cost him a lot of momentum. For now he needs to get himself back in the spotlight.
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Gennady Golovkin
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Gennady Golovkin has emerged as the sport's hottest fighter over the past two years. The undefeated WBA middleweight champion has now stopped 18 straight opponents.
But for GGG to make the most of 2015, he's going to need some cooperation from opponents who are willing to stand up to the Olympic silver medalist's dangerous power. Golovkin has been the most avoided fighter in the sport in recent years.
In a just world, he would have been the opponent for lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez last June, instead of Miguel Cotto. In a just world, GGG would be Cotto's first defense.
In the real world, Golovkin will have to continue to wait for another star to be willing to put it on the line against him. Meanwhile, he can sustain his incredible momentum by extending his knockout streak against whoever he can find to face him.
Juan Manuel Marquez
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Last April, at age 40, Juan Manuel Marquez turned in a typically exciting and stellar performance, beating Mike Alvarado by wide margins on all three cards. The four-division champion did not look to have lost a step.
But Marquez has little left to prove in this sport. In December 2013, he knocked out longtime rival Manny Pacquiao, earning the signature win of his career. He's already in any conversation about the greatest Mexican fighter of all time.
All that's left for him now is to become Mexico's first five-division champion. The quickest route to making that happen would be to face off one more time against Pacquiao.
But if that fight can't happen, it might be best for the legend to walk away while he's still at the top.
Wladimir Klitschko
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My slant on this is probably biased by the fact that I live in the United States. Because I believe that the best way for Wladimir Klitschko to make the most out of 2015 is to increase his presence in North America.
Klitschko has built a huge fanbase in Germany and other parts of Europe, so it has made sense that he's spent so much time fighting there. Also, the majority of top contenders have been from Europe.
But with new faces like Bryant Jennings, Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder emerging recently, 2015 is the perfect time for the champ to launch a North American tour. I'd like to see him face Jennings in the first half of the year and the winner of Stiverne vs. Wilder in October or November.
Miguel Cotto
7 of 10
Migue Cotto's stunning TKO victory over lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez last June was one of 2014's biggest boxing stories. It made him Puerto Rico's first four-division world champion and also positioned him for some of the biggest fights of 2015.
Golovkin is by far the most deserving challenger out there at 160 pounds. But that is an incredibly risky fight for Cotto, who is not a true middleweight.
The logical first fight for Cotto in 2015 is young Mexican lion Saul Alvarez. The bout would sell huge pay-per-view numbers. If Cotto can turn back Canelo, then he can weigh the risk of GGG.
There's also potential for Cotto to fight a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, now that he can offer the pound-for-pound king the chance to become lineal champion in yet another division.
No matter what, 2015 should be a great year financially for Cotto.
Saul Alvarez
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Saul Alvarez is among the most popular fighters in the sport. And the young star's skills continue to improve from fight to fight. In 2015, he should once more be involved in some of boxing's biggest fights.
At this point, a move up to middleweight seems unavoidable. His victory over Erislandy Lara last July was contested, but it wasn't exciting enough to justify a rematch to promoters. And Lara was the other best fighter left at 154 pounds.
Middleweight will be a bigger challenge for Alvarez, who was compact even at 154. But when you are a young boxing superstar, you have to tackle big challenges.
The best possible situation for Alvarez in the first half of 2015 would be to face Cotto for the lineal middleweight crown. If he can manage to win that one, he should go after Golovkin before the end of the year.
Manny Pacquiao
9 of 10
It's been years now since I believed there was any realistic chance of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather meeting in a boxing ring. Happily, it's starting to look like my pessimism might have been premature.
On January 13, Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, told Yahoo Sports that Pacquiao had agreed to all of Mayweather's stipulations and that the fight was a go, as soon as Mayweather signed off on the bout.
If this is true, Pacquiao has already laid out the blueprint to make the most of 2015. Even if the long-delayed showdown doesn't come to pass, as of now it appears that Pacquiao and his side, at least, did everything possible to make it happen at last.
If this fight is finally about to happen, I'm torn about the prospect. Between 2009 and 2012, this would have legitimately been one of the biggest fights of the past 30 years. At this point, it looks a lot like two aging stars who are seeking to cash in on the ultimate payday.
Still, it's a fight that will help raise boxing's profile as a mainstream sport. Even if it fails to live up to the hype, which is likely, it will still be the biggest boxing event in years.
Floyd Mayweather
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As I write this, the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao superfight is looking closer to reality than it has in years. On January 13, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum told Yahoo Sports that his fighter had signed off on all of the Mayweather camp's demands and that the dream fight was waiting only for Mayweather's final agreement.
So far, there is no response from Mayweather. It's possible that the deal is still being delayed due to negotiations between HBO and Showtime. But if Pacquiao has indeed agreed to all of Mayweather's previous demands, Money needs to hurry up and sign the contract.
If he doesn't sign, nothing else he'll be able to do will salvage 2015 for him. If Arum is telling the truth about Pacquiao now agreeing to all of Mayweather's demands and Money still doesn't sign, then 2015 will officially go down as the year Mayweather ducked Pacquiao.
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