Calling Fact or Fiction on the Biggest Speculations in Boxing
There is nothing that takes up more dead time for boxing fans than speculating over potential fights. In team sports, leagues draw up schedules. Once the playoffs begin, we know that if Team A beats Team B, it will play the winner of Team C vs. Team D.
In boxing, we have to wait for each individual bout to be made.
The building drama that surrounds getting a fight made is part of the sport's allure. But the process can turn even an optimist cynical at times.
Vasyl Lomachenko Will Face Jezreel Corrales in a Unification Bout: Fact
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As far back as last September, promoter Bob Arum floated the idea of a unification bout between WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko and WBA standard bearer Jezreel Corrales. According to USA Today's Mike Coppinger, Arum said his boxing promotion, Top Rank, "would be happy to do it."
On Monday, Arum said Lomachenko will fight in April and that Corrales will "mostly likely" be his next opponent, per James Slater of East Side Boxing.
Let's be clear: Just because Arum says something is happening, it does not mean that it is happening. And in this case, Arum only said "most likely."
But the fight does make a lot of sense. Lomachenko has developed into one of the sport's biggest stars. Corrales is not a household name in the United States, but his two wins over Takashi Uchiyama last year established him as a deserving name on the international scene.
Andre Ward Will Retire: Fiction
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The speculation for Andre Ward's possible retitrement comes directly from the light heayvweight champion himself. Over a month ago, Ward told Fight Hype's Ben Thompson he was contemplating the end of his career following his unanimous-decision win over Sergey Kovalev.
In a sense, Ward has accomplished all he can in the sport. He won Olympic gold, beat great fighters in two divisions and is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
But ultimately, Ward will realize he owes Kovalev a rematch in order for his resume to be fully squared with the boxing gods.
Beyond Kovalev, there are a number of impressive challengers at light heavyweight right now. With just a few more bouts, Ward could put himself in the company of the greatest light heavyweights of all time.
If Ward decides the best decision for him and his family is to walk away from the sport, I will still tip my cap to him in respect. He is an all-time great.
But he will stay active, earn more money and chisel out an even more glorified place in boxing lore.
Mikey Garcia Will Fight Adrien Broner: Fact
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Mikey Garcia's long-awaited return in 2016 was one of the year's better boxing stories. The undefeated Garcia is a two-division world champion (35-0, with 29 KOs). He is set to take on WBC lightweight champion Dejan Zlaticanin on January 28 in a bid to become a three-division world champion.
On January 5, Garcia's older brother and trainer, Robert, told EsNews (warning: video contains NSFW language) Garcia would fight Adrien Broner later in the year. While Robert definitely has a lot of knowledge about the direction his brother's career will take, this one is still just speculation.
Still, it is speculation from a reliable source and a fight that makes plenty of sense. Broner has Adrian Granados in the first part of the year, which is not a guaranteed win. But like Garcia's clash with Zlaticanin, it is a bout that he should win.
For either man, the other could very easily be the best opponent available for the later half of 2017.
Canelo to Fight GGG in September: Fiction
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In a logical boxing universe, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin would have fought last year. Alvarez entered 2016 as the lineal middleweight champion. Golovkin was the only worthy contender to that title.
Instead, Alvarez fought Amir Khan and Liam Smith last year, a welterweight and untested super welterweight, respectively. Golovkin knocked out Dominick Wade, an untested middleweight, and Kell Brook, a welterweight.
So far in 2017, they have both at least secured interesting fights. Golovkin faces Daniel Jacobs in March, who is the true No. 2 fighter in the division, behind only Golovkin himself. Alvarez will face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in May.
Cynics will note that Alvarez is fighting Chavez at a 164-pound catchweight after refusing to fight Golovkin at 160. But Alvarez can hardly be faulted for making the fight. Battling the legend's son on Cinco De Mayo weekend will make for a major event.
The speculation will now turn to September as a possible showdown for Alvarez and Golovkin. Last November, Golden Boy's Eddie Gomez claimed the bout was still in play for September 2017, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.
But this fight has become Mayweather-Pacquiao 2.0. Until I see the fight officially signed, I am calling fiction on any speculation that it will ever take place.
Floyd Mayweather to Face Conor McGregor: Fact
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I do not like the answer I gave above for this entry. I hate to think that a fight as pointless as Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor would ever take place.
If you understand much of anything about boxing and mixed martial arts, you know that McGregor has no chance in a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather.
No truly honest athletic commission would even sanction it. McGregor is 0-0 as a professional boxer.
McGregor is a terrific MMA striker. But the stand-up game in boxing employs a much different stance and must take into account a radically different terrain. Concepts of distance and angles are far different in the two sports.
But based on the money-making potential of this fight, it's starting to look like a no-brainer that it will take place. It might be an irrelevant fight, but it has also been more speculated upon and debated about over the last year than any other potential boxing match.
That is a sad state of affairs, indeed. But when I heard ESPN's Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg discussing the fight during their morning radio show last week, I resigned myself to the fact this fight is going to happen.
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