10 Things for Boxing Fans to Look Forward to in 2017
The new year might have only just begun, but the boxing calendar is filling up fast. January is usually a slow month for the Sweet Science, but 2017 will feature a rematch of last year's classic between Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz and a super middleweight unification fight between James DeGale and Badou Jack.
It's difficult to look forward to the endless speculation over a potential fight between Gennady Golovkin and Saul Alvarez. Not to mention the chatter that will surround a potential clash between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.
But boxing fans can look forward to the following 10 fights in 2017.
10. Adrien Broner vs. Adrian Granados (Feb. 18)
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By this point, it is fair to say that Adrien Broner has failed to live up to the hype he was receiving just a few short years ago. He is not the "future of boxing" or a second Floyd Mayweather.
He is a talented, second-tier fighter who has come up short against busier and more determined opponents such as Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter.
But he remains one of the sport's more recognizable names. And it is still worth taking note when he returns to action.
Adrian Granados has the potential to be a perfect foil for Broner. He has lost four times, but each loss was either by split or majority decision. He forced his way into contender status in November 2015, when he stopped Amir Imam, one of the sport's most highly touted prospects.
9. Jose Pedraza vs. Gervonta Davis (Jan. 14)
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This bout between Jose Pedraza and Gervonta Davis is the co-main event for the super middleweight unification fight between James DeGale and Badou Jack. Pedraza's IBF super featherweight title is up for grabs.
The IBF 130-pound belt is lacking legitimacy. It was vacant when Pedraza claimed it by virtue of defeating Andrey Klimov in June 2015. Pedraza deserved to lose it when he escaped with a split decision against Edner Cherry in October of that year.
As super featherweight titles go, it ranks last—behind Vasyl Lomachenko's WBO strap, Francisco Vargas' WBC belt and Jezreel Corrales' WBA championship.
Still, this is a compelling matchup between two undefeated talents with star potential. Pedraza is vying to be Puerto Rico's next big boxing hero. Davis is 16-0 with 15 knockouts, and at just 22, he is one of boxing's most promising young talents.
8. Takashi Miura vs. Miguel Roman (Jan. 28)
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Takashi Miura is the former WBC titleholder at the super featherweight level. He dropped his title to Francisco Vargas in a November 2015 war.
He's one of the world's most exciting fighters, so it is hard not to get excited about his clash with Miguel Roman, a true Mexican ring warrior.
At just 31, Roman has already fought 67 professional bouts. He's stopped 43 of his opponents inside of the distance.
Roman has 11 professional losses, but he has won 18 straight going back to the start of 2013.
7. Mikey Garcia vs. Dejan Zlaticanin (Jan. 28)
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By January 2014, Mikey Garcia had won world titles in two divisions. He was 34-0 with 28 knockouts, and at only 26, he looked like a superstar in the making. But then he took a two-and-a-half-year break.
Fortunately, Garcia returned to action last July, knocking out Elio Rojas in five rounds. He looked as if he had not lost a single step during his extended break.
But Rojas is a level below WBC lightweight champion Dejan Zlaticanin, who Garcia faces later this month. Zlaticanin has wins over world-class opponents like Petr Petrov and Ricky Burns.
So long as Garcia can take care of Zlaticanin, the drums will begin beating for a showdown with Vasyl Lomachenko.
6. Francisco Vargas vs. Miguel Berchelt (Jan. 28)
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In each of the past two years, Francisco Vargas has participated in a leading candidate for Fight of the Year. In November 2015, he climbed off the canvas and stopped Takashi Miura, even with his eyes nearly swollen shut.
Last June, he waged an all-action war with Orlando Salido, retaining his WBC super featherweight belt by virtue of a draw on the cards.
Vargas has the chance to start 2017 with another unforgettable fight when he faces Miguel Berchelt on Jan. 28. Known as "El Alacran" or "The Scorpion," Berchelt is a once-beaten slugger with a KO percentage of 87 percent.
5. James DeGale vs. Badou Jack (Jan. 14)
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The super middleweight division has been largely out of the spotlight since the retirement of Carl Froch in 2014. But that will change in 2017, as the year's first big fight takes place at 168 pounds on Jan. 14.
That night in Brooklyn, New York, IBF champion James DeGale of England will face Sweden's Badou Jack, the WBC's banner holder. This is exactly the sort of unification fight the sport needs.
DeGale captured his title with a terrific performance against Andre Dirrell in May 2015. Jack took the WBC title when he defeated George Groves, the only man to have defeated DeGale, in September of the same year.
One can only hope the winner faces WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez, another of boxing's young stars.
4. Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz (Jan. 28)
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This is a rematch of one of 2016's best fights. Last July, IBF super bantamweight champion Carl Frampton moved up to the featherweight level to challenge WBA champ Leo Santa Cruz. It was a battle between two undefeated stars.
Frampton executed a brilliant game plan and took Santa Cruz's belt by majority decision. While I had Frampton winning by eight rounds to four, it was a competitive bout. As the former champion, Santa Cruz deserves a rematch.
A win for Frampton solidifies his newfound status in the pound-for-pound top 10. But if Santa Cruz can adjust from the last fight and exact revenge, his own star will be back on the rise.
3. Gennady Golovkin vs. Daniel Jacobs (March 18)
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Undefeated middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin is riding a 23-fight knockout streak. He is a pound-for-pound star and one of the sport's hottest names.
But fans have begun to grow anxious to see him face a true challenge. This sentiment should only be stronger following his victory over Kell Brook last year. The welterweight champion arguably won three of the first four rounds until he was forced to stop due to a broken eye socket in Round 5.
Daniel Jacobs is the No. 2 fighter in the world at 160 pounds. His Round 1 KO of Peter Quillin in December 2015 is better than any one of Golovkin's 36 wins.
Jacobs has legitimate middleweight power and is a strong technical fighter. Golovkin will be the favorite when the two face off this March, but there should be no shortage of fans picking Jacobs for the upset.
2. Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia (March 4)
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This is yet another much-needed unification fight already on the schedule for 2017. Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia are both undefeated welterweight titleholders. Thurman holds the WBA strap, and Garcia has the WBC version.
On March 4, one man should leave with two belts.
It is hard not to favor Thurman heading into this one. Last June, he bested Shawn Porter in one of the year's best fights.
Garcia, meanwhile, is coming off a non-title fight with Samuel Vargas last November. Still, it would be a mistake to write off Garcia too quickly. He might "cherry-pick" on occasion, but he has also defeated some good fighters in his career.
1. Wladimir Klitschko vs. Anthony Joshua (April 29)
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In November 2015, Wladimir Klitschko lost his heavyweight crown by shocking upset to Tyson Fury. They were supposed to have a rematch in 2016, but that fight never came to pass.
Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua spent last year solidifying his claim to top status in the heavyweight division. In April, he stopped undefeated Charles Martin to claim the IBF trinket.
In June, he stopped previously unbeaten Dominic Breazeale. In December, he steamrolled tough veteran Eric Molina. At this point, Joshua's record now stands at 18-0 with 18 knockouts.
Joshua is a large, athletic heavyweight, just like Klitschko. He is a strong technical boxer with an Olympic gold-medal pedigree, just like Klitschko.
Even when he was at his best, Joshua would have been a tough matchup for the longtime Ukrainian star. If Klitschko shows up and fights the same way he did against Fury in 2015, he will fail to see the final bell.
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