5 Boxers Who Are Just a Win Away from Being Elite

The elite names that are currently in the boxing world are easily recognizable by both the hardcore and casual fans. 

Names such as Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez are household names.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden states that Gennady Golovkin is an elite boxer despite not having a marquee fight under his belt. 

An elite boxer is more than just a fighter who displays amazing skill and can bring exciting fights, although that is a key part of the equation.

Elite boxers are defined by who they fight and how they handle top-ranked competition on a consistent basis. There is only way to be an elite boxer and that is to defeat elite fighters.

There are several fighters who are just one win away from gaining that elite status. Here are five fighters on the cusp of the elite.

5. Vasyl Lomachenko

Kin Cheung/Associated Press

Division: Featherweight

Record: 3-1, 1 KO

It's hard to believe that a boxer with four fights is even considered on this list. But Vasyl Lomachenko is not your average four-fight boxer. 

The two-time Olympic gold medalist has already earned the WBO featherweight title by beating defeating previously undefeated Gary Russell Jr. He then injured his left hand against Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo this past November, but he still won in a shutout. The most impressive thing about that win: He's a southpaw. 

Also, according to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who promotes Lomachenko, is looking to set him up against Nicholas Walters for a title unification bout after each has one more fight. Walters earned his elite status by easily handling Nonito Donaire in October of last year.

In less than 10 professional fights, Lomachenko has the possibility of putting two title belts around his waist. At this rate, he could validate a quote by Bleacher Report's Lyle Fitzsimmons, who said,"...by the time his career arc is complete, he’ll probably have far surpassed all but the very peak climbers on the premium cable/PPV mountain." 

4. Leo Santa Cruz

Associated Press

Division: Super Bantamweight

Record: 29-0-1, 17 KOs 

There is one win that will put Leo Santa Cruz among boxing's elite: a victory against Guillermo Rigondeaux.

The fans want the fight. Rigondeaux's camp, Oscar De La Hoya and Santa Cruz himself want the fight, according to Rafael.

The only person who doesn't want the fight: Al Haymon, who now manages Santa Cruz and bought out his contract from Golden Boy Promotions.

According to BoxingScene.com's Miguel Rivera, Santa Cruz stated, "Haymon told me that it wouldn't be an interesting fight and that none of the fans would want to see it."

I don't know where Haymon gets his information from, but that is definitely a fight that would captivate boxing fans. The stalled negotiations for a Rigondeaux/Santa Cruz fight demonstrates how politics deprives fans of the best possible fights. 

The politics of Haymon also act against Santa Cruz's best interests, because even a very close fight against Rigondeaux would raise his stock. 

3. Mikey Garcia

USA TODAY Sports

Division: Junior Lightweight

Record: 34-0, 28 KOs

Mikey Garcia's last fight was an unanimous decision win over Juan Carlos Burgos at Madison Square Garden nearly 13 months ago. For some reason, he just stopped fighting.

There were speculations that he had a dispute with his promoter, Top Rank. He told ESPN's Bernardo Osuna that there were "some promotional disputes and disagreements" (via Adam Gershon from Bad Left Hook).

Garcia is an exciting fighter that can both box and punch. He also has amazing hand speed and great footwork that could create a great matchup with Pacquiao.

According to an interview with ESPN's Making The Rounds (h/t BoxingScene.com's Jake Donovan), Garcia looks to be back in the ring around March or April to fight at 140 pounds.  There is a lot of talent in that division, and a fight with Terence Crawford, who is looking to head in that direction, would be a very lucrative matchup. 

2. Deontay Wilder

John Locher/Associated Press

Division: Heavyweight

Record: 33-0, 32 KOs

Deontay Wilder increased his drawing power by being the first American to hold a piece of the heavyweight title since 2007.

It wasn't the fact that he won it, but how he did it. Wilder shut up all the doubters about his chin, his boxing ability and his ability to go the distance with an unanimous decision victory over Bermane Stiverne.

Now, Wilder is on the radar for the division's top contenders.

According to Kevin Garside of The Independent, Tyson Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, has called Wilder "the biggest fight out there." If Fury wins his fight against Christian Hammer on February 28, a Wilder-Fury showdown is definitely in the cards. It should be a matchup that brings fireworks, given their capacity to brawl.

A Wilder victory over Fury would seal his elite status and set up a heavyweight mega-fight with Wladimir Klitschko. 

1. Terence Crawford

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Division: Lightweight

Record: 25-0, 17 KOs

Without a doubt, if Crawford is not currently in boxing's elite, he is definitely on the cusp. The 2014 ESPN Fighter of the Year is a hair away from being in the same discussion of Cotto, Alvarez or Golovkin.

Crawford has truly made his mark on the boxing landscape. He started 2014 by dominating Ricky Burns for the lightweight title in Burns' home country in Glasgow, Scotland. Crawford followed that victory by coming back to Omaha, Nebraska, and knocking out Yuriorkis Gamboa. Then, in his second title defense, he shut out Ray Beltran.

He obviously didn't take the easy road in his first two title defenses. 

Now, Crawford is poised to make a move up to the 140 pound class where the talent pool runs deep. The way Crawford is running, he is not looking to enter the division with a whimper. He has earned his shot to fight some of the top fighters at 140 pounds. This will be the year that Crawford cements his place among the boxing elite.