Predictions for the Biggest Fights Remaining in 2016
We are quickly approaching the homestretch for 2016, but some major boxing matches remain on the schedule. The heavyweight title still hangs in the balance.
A light heavyweight championship bout of historic importance will take place in November, when unified champion Sergey Kovalev faces Andre Ward.
Manny Pacquiao also returns in November, in a fight with Jessie Vargas that is receiving little of the fanfare we have come to expect from a Pacquiao event.
7. Juergen Braehmer vs. Nathan Cleverly on October 1
1 of 7
Juergen Braehmer is the WBA "regular" world champion. WBA "regular" world titles are about as legitimate as a toy watch from a box of crackerjacks, but there is no question that the German is one of the world's top light heavyweight contenders.
Former WBO champ Nathan Cleverly is a top star at 175 pounds, as well. His unanimous-decision loss to Andrzej Fonfara last year was one of 2015's best fights.
Clevery, at 29, is nearly a decade younger than Braehmer, 37, but has faced the better competition. Look for the Welshman to push a blistering pace and grind out a decision win. It is worth noting, however, that this bout is taking place in Germany, where hometown fighters have often received gift decisions.
6. Joseph Parker vs. Alexander Dimitrenko on October 1
2 of 7
Joseph Parker entered 2016 as one of the spot's top prospects. The heavyweight division has become suddenly exciting again, and Parker is a part of that story. The New Zealander is big, young and talented, with good punching power.
He proved he was a true contender last May, when he handled Carlos Takam. Alexander Dimitrenko is a step down from Takam, but still a name opponent. The Russian has fought some very good opponents and has a notable size advantage over Parker.
Still, expect the rising star to notch another win. Dimitrenko was stopped in Round 11 by Kubrat Pulev in 2012. Parker will end the night much quicker. I do not see this fight making it out of Round 7.
Do not be surprised, either, if Parker squeezes in yet another bout before the end of the year.
5. Hughie Fury vs. Andy Ruiz on October 29
3 of 7
This clash of undefeated rising contenders between Hughie Fury and Andy Ruiz will take place on the undercard for the rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko. Hughie is the younger cousin of Tyson.
This is the biggest fight yet for both men. Both men have looked good against second-tier competition.
Ruiz made Tor Hamer quit on his stool in 2013. He won decisions over former belt-holders Siarhei Liakhovich in December 2014 and Raphael Zumbano Love in October 2015. His last win was over Franklin Lawrence, a decent, if elderly, stepping stone.
Fury beat fringe contender Andriy Rudenko in February 2015 and journeymen Dominick Guinn and Fred Kassi earlier this year.
If you based your pick on physical appearance, you would have to go with Fury. At 6'6", he is the taller, leaner athlete.
But the portly Ruiz can flat-out box. I think he will use Fury's aggressiveness against him and counter-punch his way to a decision, allowing him to take a big step up in the heavyweight division.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
4. Anthony Crolla vs. Jorge Linares on September 24
4 of 7
Last year, Jorge Linares travelled to England and stopped Kevin Mitchell in a bloody slugfest, to retain the WBC lightweight title. This weekend, he will be in Great Britain again, to face WBA champion Anthony Crolla.
Crolla won his title by knocking out Darleys Perez with a blistering body shot in Round 5 last November, a rematch of a majority draw four months earlier.
Crolla vs. Linares is one of the best fights that can be made right now at 135 pounds, a division without a whole lot of charisma.
Linares is a fighter that has never quite lived up to his talent, prior to beating Mitchell last year. All three of his losses have come by stoppage.
Twice he failed to make it out of the second round. His third KO loss came against Antonio DeMarco in Round 11, in 2011, when he was way up on the cards.
But Linares climbed off the canvas to defeat Mitchell last year. He is riding a nine-fight win streak. I think he will win a decision over Crolla and leave England with a new world title.
3. Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas on November 5
5 of 7
It is hard for me to see this fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas as anything besides a cynical money grab. In April, Pacquiao retired after defeating Timothy Bradley. But now he will return, seven months later, for a fight that will prove absolutely nothing.
Vargas can hardly be faulted for taking the biggest payday available to him. And he is a very good fighter, a legitimate top-10 talent at welterweight.
But despite landing a big punch late on Timothy Bradley when they fought last year, Vargas was cleanly out-boxed by the man Pacquiao cleanly outboxed in April. So unless Pacquiao has suddenly aged steeply in the last few months, it is hard to see this bout being very compelling.
Pacquiao will win an easy decision. The fact that this one feels so easy to predict says a lot about why there is so little enthusiasm for it.
2. Tyson Fury vs. Wladimir Klitschko on October 29
6 of 7
Last November, Tyson Fury shocked the boxing world by defeating Wladimir Klitschko to earn the World Heavyweight Championship. It was a terrible fight, rivaling Nikolai Valuev's December 2008 majority decision over Evander Holyfield as the worst boxing exhibition of the past decade.
But Fury absolutely deserved to win. And despite how unexcited I am over the prospect of sitting through a return bout, I will not deny that a champion with Klitschko's record deserves a return bout.
Last year I predicted Klitschko would win by knockout. Instead, he was incredibly passive and allowed the younger man to thoroughly out-work him.
Klitschko seemed intimidated by a rare opponent who was larger than him. I still think Klitschko should be able to use his legendary jab to keep Fury off balance and set him up for the pile-driver straight right.
But that will require Klitschko to let his hands go and mix it up. And at this point, it is ultimately tough for me to believe he will do it. So I am going to predict another boring decision for Fury.
We will have to wait for a bout with somebody like Luis Ortiz or Anthony Joshua before we will see Fury truly forced to fight.
1. Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward on November 19
7 of 7
While I am hardly looking forward to Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas or Tyson Fury vs. Wladimir Klitschko, when it comes to Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward, I am already getting giddy with anticipation.
This is a fight of historical importance. Kovalev and Ward are both top-five, pound-for-pound stars. I have them two and three, respectively, in my own ratings.
So this is a bout that will define both men's careers. The winner will being punching his ticket to the Hall of Fame.
It will be a great fight, featuring outstanding technical boxing and some very exciting exchanges. But do not expect a game of Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots.
Ward has always been outstanding at staying out of position to get hit. Kovalev has always been extremely calculating and patient about getting his opponents into position to hit them.
So this is going to be a chess match.
My prediction is that Ward will manage to stay away from Kovalev's power well enough to earn a fairly close decision win. But I can picture either man getting his hand raised at the end of this one, which is exactly why this is such a great matchup.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
