Ten Fights I Want For 2009

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Ten Fights I Want For 2009

Filed on December 30th, 2008 in Year in Review ⋅ ⋅

Every year I make a list of the fights that I want to see in the upcoming year. Last year, I got to see two of the ten that I wished for. Hopefully, I’ll get up to 50 percent in 2009. So here’s the ten fights I want to see in the next year, and the chances of them happening.

10 – Tomasz Adamek vs. Steve Cunningham II

Chances: 95%

The first fight between the two was a Fight of the Year candidate, and any rematches between the two will likely also be. The cruiserweight division isn’t exactly the deepest division in boxing, particularly when it comes to name recognition, so this rematch should be made on a count of lack of options alone.

9 – Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Israel Vazquez

Chances: 50%

Other than Vazquez-Marquez III, this is the best fight you can make at the 122-pound level. Lopez is about as good of a puncher in the game as anyone, and Vazquez only knows how to fight wars. This has Fight of the Year written all over it. The biggest thing that will keep this fight from happening is Vazquez’s injuries that he is recovering from. I sure hope it happens, but I’m not too confident in it.

8 – Taylor vs. Froch

Chances: 85%

If it weren’t for the fine matchmakers at HBO, this fight would likely already be set. Instead, HBO is trying to make Taylor fight a rematch with Winky Wright instead of fighting Froch for a super-middleweight title. I have a feeling that when all is said and done, this fight will be made, and it will be a very good fight.

7 – Jorge Linares vs. Edwin Valero

Chances: 10%

Call this a dream for me, since I don’t think it will happen, but what a fight it would be. Linares is one of the sports true rising stars and Valero is a freakish knockout machine. They are both undefeated, with Linares just dominating folk and Valero with a 100 percent knockout percentage. They are both likely too dangerous for each other to take the risk, but this is a fight that HBO’s Boxing After Dark was made for.

6 – Kelly Pavlik vs. Arthur Abraham

Chances: 75%

The middleweight championship of the world. There’s not much more to be said than that. Not only is it a great matchup, but it is the fight that needs to happen. After Pavlik’s loss to Bernard Hopkins, he needs to get back to doing what he does best at his best weight. That means fighting the number two middleweight in the world in a true unification bout for middleweight supremacy.

5 – Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Manny Pacquiao III

Chances: 40%

This rematch must happen. Sure Pacquiao is technically 2-0 in this series, but most boxing observers will give him 1-1 at best and quite a few had Marquez winning both fights. Pacquiao high-tailed to lightweight in the summer of 2008, then jumped to welterweight in December. He’ll fight Ricky Hatton at junior-welterweight. Marquez followed Pacquiao to lightweight and a fight between the two could happen at 135 or 140 and it wouldn’t hurt the matchup one bit. The only problem is that for it to happen, Pacquiao likely has to lose to Ricky Hatton to knock Floyd Mayweather out of the picture. Otherwise, expect Floyd to swoop in and fight Pacquiao.

4 – Mikkel Kessler vs. Bernard Hopkins

Chances: 25%

This fight should be made. The only thing keeping it from happening is Hopkins would likely never fight a fighter like Kessler, who lacks the name recognition in America and is still a very dangerous opponent. But outside of Joe Calzaghe and Chad Dawson being involved, this is the best fight that can be made at the super-middleweight/light-heavyweight limits.

3 – Joe Calzaghe vs. Chad Dawson

Chances: 60%

The best fighter in the upper weight classes against perhaps the best fighter under 30-years old in boxing. Dawson is the future and Calzaghe is the present. A matchup between these two is about as big as it gets, especially at the grown men level of boxing. I give it a shot at happening based on the fact that if Calzaghe continues to fight, this is the fight for him to come back for.

2 – Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather

Chances: 50%

This one requires two major obstacles: Mayweather comes out of retirement, and Pacquiao beats Ricky Hatton in June convincingly. If the latter happens, the former is bound to as well. If Pacquiao beats Hatton, expect Mayweather-Pacquiao in December.

1 – Wladimir Klitschko vs. Vitali Klitschko

Chances: 0%

I know it won’t happen, but that won’t stop me from telling you that it is the one fight I want to see more than anything in 2009. Brother vs. brother. Top two heavyweights in the world. Interesting style matchup. It’s got everything. Unfortunately for boxing fans, the brothers Klitschko have made it clear that they will never face each other.

Just Missing the Cut

Antonio Margarito vs. Paul Williams II – needed rematch.
Jermain Taylor vs. Mikkel Kessler – Great matchup.
Rafael Marquez vs. Israel Vazquez IV – Will be great, but isn’t urgent.
Evander Holyfield vs. Roy Jones – sure, why not?
Ricky Hatton vs. Timothy Bradley – minus Pacquiao, the best fight at 140.
Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Nate Campbell – minus Pacquiao, the best fight at 135.
Vic Darchinyan vs. Nonito Donaire II – can Donaire do it again?