The final quarter of the year will soon be here, and we boxing fans have quite a lot of good stuff to look forward to. But in the opinion of most fight fans there are two big match-ups – one set, the other still in the works but seemingly very promising in terms of being signed – that are most anticipated.
First up we have the middleweight title fight showdown between pound-for-pound operators Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez, and then, just before the Christmas holidays, we have (hopefully; the fight still to be made 100-percent official) a super-featherweight clash between arguably the two best P-F-P boxers in the world today: Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Both fights promise so much: skill, power, pride, an unwillingness to give an inch and, very possibly, a nasty KO ending. But which of these two genuine Super Fights are you most looking forward to; salivating over even?
If it’s pure skill, beautiful Sweet Science skill that you want, then the pencilled in December 9 battle between duel Olympic gold medal winners Lomachenko and Rigondeaux is the fight that ticks the boxes for you – and in one big way. But if you enjoy a slugfest and/or a battle or attrition (and who doesn’t!) then the September 16 fight – or anticipated war – will be your pick.
Both fights, for different reasons, have the special ingredient or ingredients needed to make even the casual fight fan sit up and take notice (GGG-Canelo more so) and even in today’s watered down version of prizefighting these two fights reassure us that the very best against the very best still happens.
For despite the, ‘I told you so’ post-fight boasts that are sure to come, in truth no-one knows who will win either upcoming fight. 50/50 affairs both, a great case can be made for either fighter winning either fight.
Who will be the recognised pound-for-pound best in the world come the end of 2017? If either Canelo or Golovkin, or if either Lomachenko or Rigondeaux emerges with a spectacular win in a special fight, this lofty accolade, currently held by the unbeaten Andre Ward, may well change hands.
Boxing’s best; it’s what we all want. And these two fights will provide it.