The Biggest Things Boxing Fans Have to Look Forward to in 2016

Let's be real for a minute. 

Boxing hasn't been all that interesting lately. In fact, other than Tyson Fury's shocking upset over longtime heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, boxing has been a bit of a bore the last few months.

And even that fight was absolutely dismal to watch. 

But fret not, fight fans—the year has barely begun. While we in the boxing culture are usually a cynical lot, there are at least a few noteworthy things to look forward to throughout the remainder of the year.

Here are the biggest and best of them. 

The Emergence of New Stars

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Is Crawford the next Mayweather?

With Floyd Mayweather Jr. in retirement and Manny Pacquiao surely soon to follow, boxing is in desperate need of establishing new torchbearers alongside Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez. Gennady Golovkin, Terence Crawford, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia and Deontay Wilder all have the components necessary to do that. 

People just seem to like Golovkin. It's hard to quantify, but it's difficult to find a fight fan who doesn't like watching him fight. It doesn't hurt that he's an exciting fighter, one who demolishes middleweight competition in ways not seen since Mike Tyson was storming the heavyweight division in the early 1980s.

And Crawford appears to be a special fighter. He's fast, lanky and just plain mean when the bell rings. He's already been lineal lightweight champion, and it's not hard to imagine him doing the same at 140 and 147 pounds, too. 

Both benefit by having HBO behind them.

Al Haymon manages the other three potential superstars. Thurman and Garcia are two welterweights who seem like the cream of Premier Boxing Champions' bountiful welterweight crop. Assuming they clean out that division, at least on the PBC side, the winner of Thurman vs. Garcia would have a foothold on being the PBC fighter who is most likely to become a real superstar.

Wilder, on the other hand, is a good American heavyweight. That's become rarer than a four-leaf clover. Hasn't it? With a public so desperate to see the heavyweight championship return to this side of the world, Wilder has at least a shot at becoming a really big deal. 

A Superfight for Superfans: Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward

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Will Ward hand Kovalev his first professional loss?

If there's a more interesting, higher level potential showdown this year than Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward, it hasn't yet been conceived. Kovalev vs. Ward is almost everything a superfight should be.

Both mean are legitimately elite fighters who seem to be in the prime of their careers. Both are undefeated and have a style that will test the other man to the fullest.

Kovalev is a fantastic boxer, but his greatest attribute is his power. He has great balance and fast feet, and he's adept at running his opponents into punches.

To put it bluntly, when Kovalev lands, it hurts. Bad.

But Ward is a grisly tough and supremely skilled competitor. He doesn't possess the same kind of power as Kovalev, but he's darn near elite at every other facet of the game. At his best, there might not be any fighter in boxing more unbeatable than Ward. 

It's a great fight, and while the mainstream sports fan probably won't come even close to hearing about it, it will end up being much more entertaining than the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight that everyone fawned over last year. 

The Impending Trash Talk 'Pocalypse: Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder

There are no better trash-talkers in boxing than the two men who lay claim to the title of heavyweight champion. In fact, there probably isn't a duo better at it in any sport.

Tyson Fury, the true and lineal champion, is an Irish traveler from the U.K. who talks smack, goes to press conferences dressed like Batman and sings love songs after becoming heavyweight champion of the world. He's as wildly entertaining as they come. 

Meanwhile, Wilder is as vociferously cocky American who wholeheartedly believes he's the man who can bring heavyweight glory back home to America. 

Both are charming in their own way. And while neither will likely reach the same level of historical accomplishment as Muhammad Ali, both men would give the Louisville Lip a run for his money in the gift of gab department. 

And maybe those two will even fight each other this year, too. 

PBC Fights That Really Matter

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Garcia narrowly escaped with a win against Peterson the first time around. Time for a rematch?

It's full steam ahead over at PBC. With televised fight cards on virtually every network on the planet (besides HBO), it's high time the folks over at PBC consistently offer fights that matter. I think they will this year. They really should.  

Let me put it another way.

What's the point of exposing boxing to the masses if all they see are mismatches and/or fights that not even hardcore fight fans are all that interested in watching?

Seriously. 

It doesn't have to be that way. PBC has a solid roster of good fighters.

For example, PBC has a slew of talent competing in and around welterweight. The aforementioned Thurman and Garcia should have their sights set on Shawn Porter, Adrien Broner, Devon Alexander, Andre Berto, Lamont Peterson and Errol Spence Jr. 

In fact, why not throw some or all of those guys into a welterweight tournament to crown the best 147-pounder at PBC?

It doesn't have to be at welterweight, but it seems likely the fledgling outfit will offer more big fights than it did last year. Doesn't the law of averages say something about that?

Olympic Boxing in Rio

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Will Shields capture gold again?

Did you forget? I almost did. Olympic boxing is just around the corner!

Nothing is quite as grand as the sweet science on the Olympic stage. There's just something special about fighters representing their countries by duking it out for gold medals.

In Rio de Janeiro, the fights should be as solid as ever. First, perhaps the greatest female boxer ever, Claressa Shields, will be going after her second gold medal in as many tries. Can she do it? And if she does, will anyone care enough about it to make her the boxing equivalent of Ronda Rousey?

And can the men's team redeem itself after going without a single medal for the first time in history? And who will be this class's breakout star? Heavyweight Cam F. Awesome? Lightweight Carlos Balderas?

And maybe most importantly, thanks to a recent rule change, the most interesting question of all: Are professional fighters such as Wladimir Klitschko and Manny Pacquiao really going to compete in 2016?

Like, for real?