Here are ten bouts that I would like to see in the upcoming year. I excluded any fights that are already made or on their way to being consummated. The fights I chose aren’t necessarily the biggest bouts in boxing, but ones I believe have intrigue and also have the possibility of providing fireworks. Admittedly, some of these hypothetical clashes won’t capture the attention of the general, mainstream media or the casual fight fan
- David Haye vs. Tomasz Adamek: I’ll say it right now, this contest between the last two cruiserweight kings is the best pure slugfest that can be made in the heavyweight division. Haye, who just recently won a heavyweight title, has advantages in speed, quickness and pure punching power but Adamek is a relentless, grinding pressure fighter who is more durable than the “Haye-maker.” The Pole has been out-sped and out-boxed before but Haye has also been stopped (in 2004 by Carl Thompson) in the past. For as big as his offensive arsenal is, Haye may not have a heavyweight chin. This fight harkens back to an era when heavyweights weren’t all built like power forwards.
- Tim Bradley vs. Marcos Maidana: It’s ironic, that in one of my articles last week, that in doing a fantasy “Super Six” at junior welterweight, that I somehow forgot to include Maidana; the hard-punching Argentinean. Shame on me. As Larry Merchant once famously uttered, I should be pistol-whipped. “Desert Storm” is the sports premiere 140-pounder and a gifted boxer. How would he deal with the punching power of Maidana? And could Maidana handle the speed and boxing acumen of Bradley?
- Yohnny Perez vs. Abner Mares: Perez has become must-see-TV. Every time he fights, leather is thrown in abundance. After his thrilling late KO of Silence Mabuza in May, he returned in late October to out-work Joseph Agbeko for the IBF bantamweight title. Mares is a talented young prizefighter who successfully returned from a detached retina and is primed for a title shot in the immediate future. If Hozumi Hasagawa moves up and vacates the WBC title as expected, Mares is in line to fight for that belt. Perez and Mares would make for an exciting unification tilt in what is a deep division.
- Giovanni Segura vs. Brian Viloria: Who says little guys can’t punch? This pair of junior flyweight belt-holders disproves that theory. Segura is a heavy-handed rock thrower with not much in the way of technique while “The Hawaiian Punch” has really regained his footing the past year and finally found a ring identity. It says here that this could be the modern day version of Chiquita Gonzalez-Michael Carbajal.
- Chris Arreola vs. David Tua: This fight pits one overweight heavyweight of Dan Goossen’s past, against one of the present and future. The beauty of this pairing is that neither guy would need a GPS unit to locate one another. Both boxers need to be kept away from heavyweights with a long reach and height, but they thrive with opponents right in front of them; which they would find in each other.
- Lucian Bute vs. Sakio Bika: With most of the other marquee 168-pounders locked into the “Super Six,” Bute, one of the sports most consistent ticket sellers, needs dance partners. There is a lot of support for one Allen Green but I’ll take the ruggedness and toughness of Bika in this instance. Bute would most certainly be favored in this battle but he’d be forced to work for all 36 minutes.
- Humberto Soto vs. Robert Guerrero: This potential fight was strongly discussed last year. Well, now is the time to make it a reality. “The Ghost” went 12 hard rounds with Malcolm Klassen last summer to capture the IBF 130-pound title and Soto has been a mainstay at this division for years. How would “The Ghost” handle the punching power and strength of Soto? On the flipside, how does Soto deal with the speed and activity of Guerrero?
- Tavoris Cloud vs. Danny Green: OK, this is assuming that “The Green Machine” doesn’t face Bernard Hopkins this upcoming spring and that Cloud actually fights in 2010 (Seriously, Cloud has to be one of the most mismanaged fighters in recent memory.). But Cloud and Green are very much alike: they are two-fisted ****ers who like to come forward with aggression and make a fight. How can you go wrong with that?
- Kermit Cintron vs. James Kirkland: I’m expecting Kirkland to be a free man early in 2010 and get a fight or two under his belt. Cintron, despite his victory over Alfredo Angulo last May, has had difficulties getting back on the big stage. Well, what better way to re-emerge than by facing this all-out brawler? Cintron has re-invented himself as a boxer/puncher but you get the feeling that he would have to stand and fight against the pressure of Kirkland. In the past, he has wilted under the heat and Kirkland is anything but a southpaw cutie. He can be touched up.
- Alfredo Angulo vs. Cory Spinks: What, Spinks is in a list provided by Steve S. (for slugfests) Kim of fights he’d like to see?!?! Yup. Hey, this isn’t 2003. Spinks, as he’s gotten older and perhaps as his discipline has waned, has become a guy whose fights have become more entertaining. No, he’s not Arturo Gatti (God, rest his soul) but he’s no longer the “Spinks Stinx”, either. Angulo is always involved in fun fights but has had problems with movement. Well, Spinks can still move, but not as easily or as long as before. If “Perro” can’t
- David Haye vs. Tomasz Adamek: I’ll say it right now, this contest between the last two cruiserweight kings is the best pure slugfest that can be made in the heavyweight division. Haye, who just recently won a heavyweight title, has advantages in speed, quickness and pure punching power but Adamek is a relentless, grinding pressure fighter who is more durable than the “Haye-maker.” The Pole has been out-sped and out-boxed before but Haye has also been stopped (in 2004 by Carl Thompson) in the past. For as big as his offensive arsenal is, Haye may not have a heavyweight chin. This fight harkens back to an era when heavyweights weren’t all built like power forwards.
- Tim Bradley vs. Marcos Maidana: It’s ironic, that in one of my articles last week, that in doing a fantasy “Super Six” at junior welterweight, that I somehow forgot to include Maidana; the hard-punching Argentinean. Shame on me. As Larry Merchant once famously uttered, I should be pistol-whipped. “Desert Storm” is the sports premiere 140-pounder and a gifted boxer. How would he deal with the punching power of Maidana? And could Maidana handle the speed and boxing acumen of Bradley?
- Yohnny Perez vs. Abner Mares: Perez has become must-see-TV. Every time he fights, leather is thrown in abundance. After his thrilling late KO of Silence Mabuza in May, he returned in late October to out-work Joseph Agbeko for the IBF bantamweight title. Mares is a talented young prizefighter who successfully returned from a detached retina and is primed for a title shot in the immediate future. If Hozumi Hasagawa moves up and vacates the WBC title as expected, Mares is in line to fight for that belt. Perez and Mares would make for an exciting unification tilt in what is a deep division.
- Giovanni Segura vs. Brian Viloria: Who says little guys can’t punch? This pair of junior flyweight belt-holders disproves that theory. Segura is a heavy-handed rock thrower with not much in the way of technique while “The Hawaiian Punch” has really regained his footing the past year and finally found a ring identity. It says here that this could be the modern day version of Chiquita Gonzalez-Michael Carbajal.
- Chris Arreola vs. David Tua: This fight pits one overweight heavyweight of Dan Goossen’s past, against one of the present and future. The beauty of this pairing is that neither guy would need a GPS unit to locate one another. Both boxers need to be kept away from heavyweights with a long reach and height, but they thrive with opponents right in front of them; which they would find in each other.
- Lucian Bute vs. Sakio Bika: With most of the other marquee 168-pounders locked into the “Super Six,” Bute, one of the sports most consistent ticket sellers, needs dance partners. There is a lot of support for one Allen Green but I’ll take the ruggedness and toughness of Bika in this instance. Bute would most certainly be favored in this battle but he’d be forced to work for all 36 minutes.
- Humberto Soto vs. Robert Guerrero: This potential fight was strongly discussed last year. Well, now is the time to make it a reality. “The Ghost” went 12 hard rounds with Malcolm Klassen last summer to capture the IBF 130-pound title and Soto has been a mainstay at this division for years. How would “The Ghost” handle the punching power and strength of Soto? On the flipside, how does Soto deal with the speed and activity of Guerrero?
- Tavoris Cloud vs. Danny Green: OK, this is assuming that “The Green Machine” doesn’t face Bernard Hopkins this upcoming spring and that Cloud actually fights in 2010 (Seriously, Cloud has to be one of the most mismanaged fighters in recent memory.). But Cloud and Green are very much alike: they are two-fisted ****ers who like to come forward with aggression and make a fight. How can you go wrong with that?
- Kermit Cintron vs. James Kirkland: I’m expecting Kirkland to be a free man early in 2010 and get a fight or two under his belt. Cintron, despite his victory over Alfredo Angulo last May, has had difficulties getting back on the big stage. Well, what better way to re-emerge than by facing this all-out brawler? Cintron has re-invented himself as a boxer/puncher but you get the feeling that he would have to stand and fight against the pressure of Kirkland. In the past, he has wilted under the heat and Kirkland is anything but a southpaw cutie. He can be touched up.
- Alfredo Angulo vs. Cory Spinks: What, Spinks is in a list provided by Steve S. (for slugfests) Kim of fights he’d like to see?!?! Yup. Hey, this isn’t 2003. Spinks, as he’s gotten older and perhaps as his discipline has waned, has become a guy whose fights have become more entertaining. No, he’s not Arturo Gatti (God, rest his soul) but he’s no longer the “Spinks Stinx”, either. Angulo is always involved in fun fights but has had problems with movement. Well, Spinks can still move, but not as easily or as long as before. If “Perro” can’t
seriously? I thought some of those fights had potential to be intriguing match ups, they're not the biggest names in the sport but they could potentially make for some entertaining fights
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