Ranking the 10 Best Boxing Fights from the First Quarter of 2015

The biggest fights of 2015 are still yet to happen. On April 18, Lucas Matthysse faces off with Ruslan Provodnikov in a "can't-miss" fight. It's hard to imagine that one won't be on the short-list for 2015's Fight of the Year. 

On that same night, rising star Terence Crawford will make his junior welterweight debut against hard-punching Thomas Dulorme, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. battles light heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara. Also in April, Danny Garcia meets Lamont Peterson, and heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko defends his belts against unbeaten Bryant Jennings.

And the superfight we've been waiting a half-decade for, Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao, takes place May 2. A week after that, Mexican superstar Saul Alvarez fights the destructive James Kirkland.

None of the fights from the first quarter of 2015 are likely to still be in the discussion for Fight of the Year come December, but there has still been a wealth of outstanding action.

10. Tyson Fury TKO 8 Christian Hammer

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This was a one-sided fight in favor of Tyson Fury, and it certainly wasn't aesthetically beautiful.

But there's always an element of excitement involved when a couple of big, tough dudes are exchanging power punches with bad intentions. Despite being backed up all fight by Fury's long jab, Christian Hammer made a gritty effort to close the distance and force the action at his own, preferred range. 

The big story on this fight is that Fury continues to look like an improving fighter. Even among modern heavyweights, Fury is a giant. At 26, he's put together an undefeated record against a legitimate list of opponents. 

I've never viewed Fury as a future heavyweight champion, but there's no question that he has earned the right to take his shot in 2015.

9. Willie Monroe Jr. UD 12 Bryan Vera

This was ultimately a one-sided fight, but it was a pleasure to watch for the boxing purist. The crafty southpaw, Willie Monroe Jr., demonstrated that he's a legitimate top-15 contender at middleweight by breezing past the rugged veteran, Bryan Vera. 

Monroe used excellent footwork and quick combinations to control the fight from the outside. But even when Vera managed to crowd inside, Monroe still got the better of most of the exchanges by landing blistering uppercuts. 

The victory was Monroe's first fight after his dominant run through last year's ESPN Boxcino tournament. It was enough to earn him the opportunity of a lifetime this May, a shot at undefeated WBA champion Gennady Golovkin.

8. Deontay Wilder UD Bermane Stiverne

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On paper, this looked like it had a high probability of ending in an exciting knockout. Both Deontay Wilder and Bermane Stiverne are big punchers, even for heavyweights. Wilder came into the bout having won all 32 of his professional fights by stoppage, with nobody making it out of the fourth round. 

In the ring, the fight didn't play out as expected, but it was still exciting to watch the leading hope of the American heavyweight scene answer some vital questions that fans had been asking for years. 

Wilder showed that he could dig in and box his way to victory when confronted by an opponent who didn't fold in the face of his power. He also proved he could absorb a heavyweight punch. 

Wilder's win even brought a piece of the heavyweight title back to the United States. The WBC belt doesn't really have the legitimacy of Wladimir Klitschko's stack of hardware, but it's still a positive development for American boxing. 

I'm still not ready to call Wilder the next great U.S. heavyweight, but it's pure cynicism to scoff at what he's accomplished after getting such a late start in the sport. 

Wilder won the U.S. Olympic Trials in just his 21st amateur fight, and then won a bronze medal at the Games. His power and athleticism are entirely legitimate, and his win last January was something all true boxing fans should be excited about.

7. Jermell Charlo UD Vanes Martirosyan

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This was a fight for the boxing purists, as top-10 junior middleweight contenders Jermell Charlo and Vanes Martirosyan faced off in the last weekend of March. It was much more of a chess match than a rumble, but it was waged at a quick enough pace to keep all of the impatient boo birds in the bleachers silent. 

Almost every round of the fight was close enough to call a tossup. Much was made during the Showtime broadcast of judge Adalaide Byrd scoring 97-93 for Charlo.

While the fight seemed much closer than seven rounds to three, there were probably seven rounds that could've been argued in favor of Charlo. 

But there were at least six that could have potentially gone to Martirosyan. It was that close of a fight.

Both of these two fighters are young and should still remain as factors in the light middleweight division, so don't be surprised if a rematch happens down the line. Next time out, a world title might be up for grabs.

6. Gennady Golovkin TKO 11 Martin Murray

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In the record books, this one is going to be one more notch on Gennady Golovkin's belt. It was the 19th straight knockout for the undefeated WBA middleweight champion. 

But the durable Martin Murray came very close to ending that streak, even as he paid a dreadful price to remain in the fight so long. Murray was obviously the toughest opponent GGG has faced to date, but the bout was a one-sided pounding nonetheless. 

Murray's heart combined with Golovkin's destructive skill to make for a compelling bout. Murray was knocked down twice in Round 4 and went to the canvas for a third time in Round 10. 

The fight probably should have ended in the corner following Round 10. When Murray continued to suffer unnecessary abuse in Round 11, referee Luis Pabon stopped the bout just 50 seconds into the round.

5. Sergey Kovalev TKO 8 Jean Pascal

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Fighting one of the hottest fighters in the sport, former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal looked to return to the top against WBA, IBF and WBO champion Sergey Kovalev. It was a matchup between two of the division's most athletic and powerful punchers. 

Pascal was fighting in front of his hometown crowd in fight-crazy Montreal, but Kovalev quickly demonstrated why he wasn't afraid to go on the road to defend his belts. In Round 3, "The Russian Krusher" knocked Pascal halfway out of the ring and had him out on his feet. 

Somehow, Pascal rallied and gave his Montreal fans at least some reason to cheer in the middle of the fight. In Round 5, he gave the champion better than he took. 

Still, Kovalev's superior skill and power asserted itself as the fight wore on. Although Pascal was quick to complain about the Round 8 stoppage, it may very well have saved him from serious damage. 

Kovalev was battering Pascal in the corner when the Russian slipped, causing a momentary break in the action. Pascal wobbled to a neutral corner on unsteady legs, and when the action was restarted, Kovalev walked right in on him and hammered him with two completely unblocked right hands. 

After making things exciting for two-thirds of the fight, Pascal was showing nothing even remotely like an intelligent defense.

4. Carl Frampton TKO 5 Chris Avalos

This fight was a complete mismatch, but Chris Avalos' gameness made it an exciting one. Avalos battled relentlessly to match Carl Frampton's firepower. 

But "The Jackal" demonstrated why so many fans view him as a potential superstar. Battling in front of a jubilant Belfast crowd, Frampton was electrifying. 

Frampton is one of three undefeated belt holders at super bantamweight, alongside Guillermo Rigondeaux and Leo Santa Cruz. Some unification fights in that division are way overdue. 

But first, a fight between Frampton and Scott Quigg could be the most anticipated domestic fight in the United Kingdom in 2015.

3. Arthur Abraham UD Paul Smith

Last September, Arthur Abraham beat Paul Smith with scores of 117-111 from two judges and 119-109 from another. Those were probably the three worst scoring cards of 2014. An argument could be made that Abraham should have won the fight, but the scores should have been much closer. 

An immediate rematch was signed for Feb. 21. In the return bout, Abraham fought a much better defensive fight and used his superior strength to consistently muscle Smith. 

Smith made a tough stand and kept the fight competitive through the first half of the fight, but Abraham wore Smith down and pulled away in the final third of the bout. 

It was far from the greatest or most exciting fight of Abraham's celebrated career, but it proved that he's still a world-class talent at 168 pounds.

2. Chris Eubank Jr. TKO 12 Dmitry Chudinov

Chris Eubank Jr. is the son of a British boxing legend. His father, Eubank Sr., was a two-division world champion, and his rivalry with Nigel Benn marks a high point in the history of English prizefighting. 

Eubank Jr. took an important step toward following in his father's footsteps on Feb. 28, coming back strong from a loss to Billy Joe Saunders last December to beat Dmitry Chudinov by Round 12 TKO. The win makes Eubank the interim WBA middleweight champion. 

As a belt, that means absolutely nothing. The WBA throws around "world titles" like confetti at a parade. Daniel Jacobs is the WBA's "regular" world champion at 160 pounds, and Gennady Golovkin is the "super" champ.

But the win itself is significant, as it establishes Eubank as a contender at middleweight, on the bubble outside of the top 10. 

Chudinov waged a game fight and did everything in his power to stay competitive with Eubank. Although one-sided on the cards, Chudinov made nearly every round competitive. However, Eubank's size and speed advantages were decisive.

1. Keith Thurman UD Robert Guerrero

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It's become a fairly reliable bet that a fight featuring Robert Guerrero is going to be a good one. Aside from his 2013 loss to Floyd Mayweather, when he was completely outclassed, his recent fights have been scorchers. 

His 2012 war with Andre Berto and his action-packed slugfest with Yoshihiro Kamegai last year were both Fight of the Year finalists. 

His March 7 loss to Keith Thurman is unlikely to be on this year's short list, but it's still the best fight through the first three months of the year. Despite losing in one-sided fashion, Guerrero made the fight exciting through sheer force of will. 

Thurman is the bigger, faster, younger man and fought a smart, technical fight. But even as Guerrero fell further behind on the cards, he kept pressing hard to give himself a chance to win.

Guerrero looked like he was finished when Thurman sent him to the canvas in Round 9, but "The Ghost" jumped up and fought harder than ever for the final three rounds. 

This fight was boxing's return to network television after a generation away, and Guerrero did everything in his power to make sure it was a memorable one.