By James Slater: Wish list time! If 2012 is to be a great year for boxing, a year that sees the noble art stave off a takeover in popularity by “rival” combat sport UFC and MMA, we need to see the best fight the best as much as possible. Quite simple really.
Anyway, in playing at picking and choosing, I list (in no particular order) the fights I would really love to see get made in 2012:
Yuriorkis Gamboa Vs. Brandon Rios.
These two don’t seem to like each other and the rival lightweights (Gamboa has yet to box above 127-pounds but his move to 135 is imminent) both have an electrifying, all-action style. Speed and power Vs. speed and power. This one would be a classic, I’m sure.
Andre Ward Vs. Lucian Bute.
Just who is THE best super-middleweight on the planet? If these two superb, unbeaten fighters met, we would get our answer. Quite simply the most intriguing and most important 168-pound match-up that could take place today.
Manny Pacquiao Vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV.
We still do not know which of these two great fighters is the absolute best, what with all three fights between the two masters being of the nip and tuck variety. For the purposes of closure, we need to see Pac-Man and Dinamita do it again.
Vitali Klitschko Vs. David Haye.
Vitali craves this fight, and with it the chance to KO Haye. Haye, if he’s to salvage at least some of his reputation, needs to take the fight and give it a real go. Something tells me Haye would indeed come out smoking against the ageing, possibly deteriorating “Dr. Iron Fist” (Vitali’s big body, some reports suggest, may be breaking down; his knees in particular). I’m not saying Haye would definitely win, but I think we would see a far better action fight than Wladimir against Haye.
Wladimir Klitschko Vs. Alexander Povetkin.
Arguably the only heavyweight challenger left for the younger, at-his-peak Klitschko brother, unbeaten Russian Povetkin might, just might, have the necessary tools to be able give Wladimir a rough night.
Floyd Mayweather Vs. either Sergio Martinez or Manny Pacquiao.
Assuming he gets out of prison as early as has been reported and that “Money” resumes his career upon doing so, there are two fights that would cement his greatness were he to win. Fans are sick and tired of the Mayweather-Pacquiao saga, but the fight still needs to happen. As for Mayweather against Martinez; nobody would be able to question Floyd’s all-time greatness were he to defeat the middleweight king.
Tavoris Cloud Vs. Nathan Cleverly.
This one would be a unification bout (IBF and WBO belts on the line) and the styles of the two men would ensure a lively, possibly brutal fight. Cloud is all action, Cleverly isn’t far behind him.
Bernard Hopkins Vs. Chad Dawson II.
These two have unfinished business. It’s as simple as that!
Ricky Burns Vs. Antonio DeMarco.
How far can the amazing Burns success story go? How would the all-action style of DeMarco fair against the skills of the long-armed Scot? This one would be massive in the U.K.
Miguel Cotto Vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
This one would be a hugely notable addition to the long running Mexico Vs. Puerto Rico rivalry. How good is Alvarez? How much does the seemingly rejuvenated Cotto have left to offer? This fight would give us plenty of other answered questions besides.
James Kirkland Vs. Saul Alvarez, or Erislandy Lara, or Cornelius Bundrage, or Miguel Cotto…..
In short, the fantastically exciting (and wickedly powerful but also vulnerable) Kirkland against any high profile 154-pounder would be great. Never, ever in a bad fight, “The Mandingo Warrior” provides breathtaking thrills and spills each and every time out. Against the elite at 154, the stakes would be that much higher for the world’s most exciting fighter!