Written by: DeMarkus Jones – As the last few hours and minutes of 2017 tick away I cannot help but get excited about what 2018 holds for all of us die hard boxing fans. 2017 gave us a lot of good moments. The rise of Terrence Crawford. The dominating run of Vasyl Lomachenko. The fall of Roman Gonazalez. Golovkin vs Alvarez. Mayweather vs Mcgregor. I know there are so many other huge moments that I could name however this article is about the future. With that being said here are five things I am wishing to see in 2018.
Khan wants Thurman after March tune-up
Amir Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) says he’ll be ready to challenge for a world title against WBA/WBC welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) after he takes a tune-up fight this March.
Parker could get $12M for Joshua fight
WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker could be looking at an estimated payday of $12 million for his unification fight against IBF/WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua for their fight in March or April. According to the New Zealand Herald, Parker would be looking at a potential $12M payday for the Joshua fight, which is expected to take place in the UK.
No more Mr. Nice Guy from Joshua: I don’t respect Tyson Fury
Fans have both read and heard the various insults Tyson Fury has hurled Anthony Joshua’s way; the soon to return, unbeaten lineal heavyweight champ vowing to do all manner of things to the reigning WBA/IBF champion when they meet, possibly next summer. And Joshua, usually a reserved, polite and fully respectful person, has had enough of it. AJ says he is no longer able to respect Fury and that Fury has discredited everything he has accomplished.
Wilder – Ortiz probable slug-fest looking good for March: Can “King Kong” defeat the “Half Human, Half Hybrid!”
Heaven knows what the tag-line will be for this one! Reports, originating from RingTV.com, say a Deontay Wilde-Luis Ortiz rumble is close to happening – again – this time on March 3 in New York. Fans know all about the hows and whys that went into seeing that this match-up fell apart back in November – Ortiz testing positive for a banned substance, the WBC later accepting his plea of taking nothing but medication for high blood pressure – but it now looks to be back on.
Wilder, Ortiz agree on 3/3 fight
Luis Ortiz and WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder have an agreement in place for them to meet on March 3rd on Showtime Boxing at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York. RingTV is reporting the news. The fight has been talked about for weeks now for March 3, but now it looks like it’s been agreed on.
Cesar Juarez lands in Ghana with a vow to stop Dogboe in WBO title fight Jan 6
Ghana’s Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe is in a big trouble come next Saturday, January 6, 2018 that is if you believe the words of Mexican slugger, Cesar Juarez who has been talking tough on arrival in Accra on Friday night, more than a week before fight night.
Naoya Inoue crushes game but over-matched Yoan Boyeaux in three-rounds to retain WBO super-flyweight title
Earlier today in Japan, reigning WBO super-flyweight king Naoya Inoue made predictably short work of challenger Yoan Boyeaux of France. “The Monster,” a big star in his homeland, showed brutal body work throughout the three rounds the fight (almost) lasted – knocking the challenger down no less than four times.
Roy Jones Jr. will fight his “Last Day at The Bay” on February 8th; the all-time great to have final fight in Pensacola
All-time great and future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Junior is still not yet ready to call it quits and walk away from the perils of the ring. However, the living legend who will turn 49 next month (January 16) IS ready to have the final fight in his home town of Pensacola. Jones, 65-9(47) will fight TBA, at cruiserweight, on February 8, it has been announced on Jones’ twitter page.
Klitschko, Ward, Bradley, Cotto: They all retired this year, but which great will you miss the most?
Four great fighters, all of them world champions, three of them at more than one weight class, retired from the sport this year: heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight ruler Andre Ward, four-weight ruler Miguel Cotto and light-welterweight and welterweight champ Tim Bradley.