Ranking the 10 Most Exciting Fighters in Boxing Today
While the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao, may have lacked for thrills, overall, the past month in boxing has been filled with outstanding action.
On April 18, Ruslan Provodnikov and Lucas Matthysse delivered precisely the type of war that fans had expected them to. On the same night, Terence Crawford recorded a terrific knockout of Thomas Dulorme in his light welterweight debut.
The weekend following Mayweather and Pacquiao's low-action chess match, Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland did their best to recreate Marvin Hagler's all-time classic TKO of Thomas Hearns in 1985.
This past weekend, Gennady Golovkin almost seemed to go out of his way to create a bit of "big-drama show" before knocking out another contender, and Roman Gonzalez made a smashing debut on U.S. premium cable just as his career is climbing into the category of historical greatness.
So there are plenty of great candidates to choose from when picking out the members of this list.
Rating excitement for a true fan entails more than just picking the fighters most likely to stand in front of each other trading power shots. Naturally, these fighters are all action-oritented ring warriors capable of the big finishes that bring the crowd to its feet.
But they also have the possibility to be involved in megasized fights in the next year or two, with the potential to etch their names into the all-time record books.
10. Nicholas Walters
1 of 10
It's a sign of how hot boxing is right now that I can't see a place any higher than 10 for Nicholas Walters at the present moment. Last year, the Axe Man knocked out two future Hall of Famers in Vic Darchinyan and Nonito Donaire.
Darchinyan and Donaire are both older and smaller than Walters, but it was still an impressive campaign for the undefeated WBA featherweight champion. Walters is a talented fighter with the explosive power to end things with a flourish.
And the 29-year-old is entering his prime at a moment when his weight class is one of the most exciting in the sport. A fight between Walters and Ukrainian star Vasyl Lomachenko could be among the most important showdowns of this generation.
Walters also has the potential for meaningful and action-packed fights with fellow champion Evgeny Gradovich and Gary Russell Jr. Walters has the frame to move up to super featherweight and lightweight. If he can carry his power with him, he could to be a multiple-division world champion.
9. Vasyl Lomachenko
2 of 10
Vasyl Lomachenko is arguably the greatest amateur fighter of all time. He compiled a record of 396-1. In the professional ranks, he has wasted no time in establishing that he can fight in a highly effective manner at the highest levels of the featherweight division, capturing the WBO belt in just his third fight.
He has also demonstrated a highly marketable style. Lomachenko is a well-rounded boxer but has the power in both hands to also fight like a puncher when it's to his advantage to do so.
He has the potential to do some big things at the professional level, and featherweight is a perfect place for him to start doing so. It's currently one of the sport's hottest divisions.
Lomachenko could make major fights today with WBA champion Nicholas Walters or IBF beltholder Evgeny Gradovich. A rematch with Gary Russell Jr. could also be interesting. Russell looks to have rebounded nicely after his loss to Lomachenko, knocking out Jhonny Gonzalez for the WBC belt.
8. Ruslan Provodnikov
3 of 10
When it comes to putting together a can't-miss fan-friendly fight, booking Ruslan Provodnikov as one side of the showdown is a great first step. In 2013, he just missed knocking out Timothy Bradley in that year's best fight.
So far this year, his majority-decision loss to Lucas Matthysse is the leading contender for Fight of the Year. In that fight, Matthysse once again showed that it's possible to beat Provodnikov with a little bit of movement.
But Provodnikov demonstrated that even though he is a bit one-dimensional, his relentless pressure makes him a threat to overwhelm an opponent even when down on the cards.
Provodnikov should be facing a large number of high-profile fight opportunities, including rematches against Bradley or Provodnikov and battles with Brandon Rios or Terence Crawford.
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7. Lucas Matthysse
4 of 10
In his majority-decision victory over Ruslan Provodnikov last month, Lucas Matthysse once against showed he is among the sport's most exciting offensive fighters. Using a highly effective jab to set up his attacks, he managed to beat up Provodnikov enough to grind out a fairly decisive victory.
I was in press row for that fight, and afterward, I heard Oscar De La Hoya speak about trying to make the biggest fights possible for Matthysse. He said he saw Matthysse as worthy of "a Mayweather or a Manny Pacquiao" at this point.
Matthysse could make for a great fight with Pacquiao if and when the Filipino superstar returns from shoulder surgery. For now, he's a marquee performer in the sport based on his track record for creating exciting fights against world-class opponents.
6. Terence Crawford
5 of 10
Terence Crawford turned in one of 2014's greatest performances when he stopped previously unbeaten Yuriorkis Gamboa in defense of his WBO lightweight title.
Last month Crawford gave Ruslan Provodnikov and Lucas Matthysse some competition for grabbing headlines when he recorded an exciting stoppage of the tough Thomas Dulorme in his light welterweight debut.
I was on a media call the week before Crawford fought Dulorme, and he was asked to discuss the difference between himself and other young fighters who chose to be more outspoken and over the top in their self-promotion.
"I just don't feel like that's me," he said. "I'm a showman in the ring," he emphasized.
His win over Dulorme backed up that assertion. Crawford has the two-fisted power and technical skill to be viewed as a potential candidate for the next American superstar in the sport.
5. Naoya Inoue
6 of 10
Japan's Naoya Inoue is entering rare historical grounds already not even 10 fights into his career. Still just 22, Inoue is undefeated in eight fights with seven knockouts. He's also a two-division world champion.
In April of last year, Inoue stoppaged veteran WBC light flyweight champion Adrian Hernandez. In late December, he jumped over a weight class and blasted Omar Narvaez for the WBO super flyweight belt.
Narvaez was one of the longest-reigning champions in the sport. His only previous loss had been to Nonito Donaire, when he moved up to bantamweight. Donaire failed to even come close to knocking Narvaez out.
Inoue is a true phenom. A showdown with Roman Gonzalez late in the year would be a superfight. I hope somebody in the United States broadcasts it.
4. Sergey Kovalev
7 of 10
When it comes down to the top spots on this list, it becomes clear that subjectivity plays a role. If somebody told me he or she thought Sergey Kovalev was the most exciting fighter in the world, I'd be forced to accept it as a perfectly valid opinion.
A unification title fight between Kovalev and lineal light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson would be one of the year's most anticipated fights. It would yield that sadly rare animal: a true undisputed world champion.
Kovalev has established himself over the past two years as one of the most patient and destructive offensive fighters in the sport. He has developed a well-earned popularity in the U.S. now, and his fights will continue to be exciting events.
3. Saul Alvarez
8 of 10
In his thrilling Round 3 TKO of James Kirkland last weekend, Saul Alvarez demonstrated that nobody is more exciting than him against the right opponent. Given the intense popularity and broader appeal that Canelo enjoys, his fights always have the feel of a major event.
In the ring, he does his best to deliver an entertaining performance.
The potential for the big fights he could make with other current and emerging stars magnifies the excitement around Alvarez. No fight in the world would be bigger right now than Alvarez vs. Miguel Cotto or Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin.
At just 24, Alvarez should have years left in front of him. Welterweight stars such as Kell Brook, Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter could provide him exciting foils in the future.
2. Gennady Golovkin
9 of 10
Undefeated WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin extended his knockout streak to 20 straight fights on Saturday night, when he knocked out Willie Monroe Jr. in Round 6.
Monroe hit Golovkin with a number of punches, but the Kazakh boxer nearly seemed to be welcoming the exchanges for the sake of presenting what he is now famously referring to as his "big-drama show."
Golovkin is the most avoided fighter in the sport, but his own performances are proving to be compelling enough to generate tremendous fan interest. Once another major star agrees to get into the ring with Golovkin, it will probably justify a pay-per-view event.
1. Roman Gonzalez
10 of 10
Some might hesitate to name a 112-pound fighter as the most exciting in the sport, but at this point, Roman Gonzalez has put together a resume that justifies the hype. He is an extremely well-rounded boxer-puncher with fight-ending power in both hands.
He's been carrying that power up with him across weight classes. At strawweight, light flyweight and now flyweight, Gonzalez has continued to display dazzling power.
Gonzalez made his long-awaited debut on United States premium cable over the weekend and blasted tough veteran Edgar Sosa by Round 2 stoppage. It was an ideal performance to introduce him to American fans.
Gonzalez is moving into the realm where he battles the historical record in each new fight. He's at the point where he can enter discussions over the sport's best little-big men of all time.
There is an outstanding chance that he will fight WBO super flyweight champion Naoya Inoue later this year, per BoxingScene.com's Elisinio Castillo. HBO should make every effort to broadcast that fight.
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