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Why Joshua Will Beat Wilder Regardless of Where They Fight

Published

6 years ago

November 17, 2017

Both fighters are well built and always look fit, one stands 6-6 and the other 6-7 and both have stopped every opponent they’ve faced. Their collective record is a resounding 59-0 (58), almost identical to Frazier and Ali 57-0 (48) before their first fight. One has some detractors because he was dropped by the best fighter he fought and the other has detractors because of the level of opposition he’s faced after fighting as a pro for nine years. One is from the UK and the other the US and because of them the heavyweight division has been injected with a level of excitement and anticipation that it hasn’t experienced since the two Mike Tyson versus Evander Holyfield bouts circa 1996-97.

Obviously I’m speaking of IBF/WBA title holder Anthony Joshua 20-0 (20) of the UK and WBC title holder Deontay Wilder 39-0 (38) of the US. There used to be a time when American heavyweights would travel to Britain to pulverize their best, ruining the hopes of British fans, and then along came Lennox Lewis and that changed. In the eyes of most boxing fans Lewis is considered the overall best heavyweight title holder since Larry Holmes was on top of the division 35 years ago. And there’s a case that Joshua, after just 20 fights, may have an even higher ceiling than what Lewis showed at the same age……and Wilder’s right hand is considered by some to be the biggest single shot punch in boxing, just as Lewis’s was perceived during his prime.

Prior to Joshua’s sub-par showing against Carlos Takam and Wilder’s one-round mutilation of Bermane Stiverne on back-to-back weekends, most boxing aficionados saw Joshua as the more well-rounded fighter and favored him to win if they were to meet. Aw, but nothing influences a fan’s perception of a fighter like an early round blowout over a career rival like the one Wilder delivered on November 4th. In fact, Wilder’s showing against titanic inflatable slide Stiverne reminds me of how Manny Pacquiao’s execution of Ricky Hatton swayed so many into believing he could beat Floyd Mayweather, something I never thought possible for a moment, and I believe that’s in play now regarding the overload shift towards Wilder. If there is one thing I’ve learned in 55 years of following and being involved in boxing it is that no fighter is ever as good as he looked coming off an early round kayo nor is a fighter at the elite level as bad as he looked in his most recent fight if his overall body of work suggests otherwise.

Why Joshua will defeat Wilder:

(1) He’s a better boxer.

Usually the better boxer wins the big fights. Joshua is the superior technician and it’s really not close. He has much better form and he punches more like a pro than an advanced amateur. Joshua’s jab is straighter and crisper and it’s purposeful. Instead of just being used as a distraction, he uses it to set up his power punches. Joshua also puts his punches together in combination much more freely and fluidly, and he has an inside game. He doesn’t load up on his hooks or uppercuts and he keeps his hands high. I noticed Carlos Takam, who was trying hard to nail him with a left hook inside, was blunted nearly every time because Joshua, once in tight, plastered his right hand over his right ear, nullifying Takam’s hook. Joshua also cuts loose with uppercuts that aren’t telegraphed and that travel up the middle, and when he gets through, his finishing shots are concise and accurate.

By contrast, Wilder boxes haphazardly; he seems to have no plan other than wanting to land his right hand. His jab, with the exception of the Stiverne rematch, never impressed upon me that it was a weapon. And in reality, Stiverne stood directly in front of him with no head or upper body movement as if he were begging to get hit. In Wilder’s previous bout before that, a relative novice, Gerald Washington, out jabbed him for the first four rounds, then stopped, and then Wilder was able to nail him with a big right hand that led to the stoppage. If Washington can beat Wilder to the punch with his jab, it’s not a reach to assume AJ will too and be even more damaging with his because it will control the tempo and geography of the fight while also neutralizing Wilder’s right hand by making him go back.

As far as Wilder’s right hand, it’s most devastating when he arcs it a little, which is easier to blunt by a fighter who keeps his hands high, as Joshua does. The straightest and most accurate right hand Deontay ever landed was the one that dropped Stiverne for the first time, and Bermane was a sitting duck. I view Wilder as a one-handed fighter and see Joshua having two good hands. AJ throws every punch in the book better and more effectively than Wilder, even the right hand. Wilder may have the harder right hand in the eyes of most observers, but I’m not so sure about that. Had Joshua fought every opponent Wilder did on the night he fought them, he’d also be undefeated and wouldn’t have had to fight Bermane Stiverne twice to win by stoppage once. Which leads to this observation: When they have their opponents hurt, Joshua is more composed and more precision-like. He doesn’t panic and go crazy fighting with the mindset “I better end it now or I’ll lose,” which has led to Deontay becoming reckless, resulting in him missing a ton of punches and falling all over the place. And yet some have tried to foist the point of view that Wilder is the more athletic of the two……which if meant as a joke, isn’t funny.

Lastly, as far as defense, Joshua’s is less penetrable. Wilder has been marked up after many of his bouts by lesser fighters and in the process has lost more rounds than he should have. Joshua’s hands are always in position to defend and get off, whereas Wilder often carries his hands low and he’s not athletic enough to get away with that, thus he’s been hit flush more often than AJ. When it comes to the sweet science of boxing, Joshua’s fundamentals and basics are markedly better even though he’s had half the number of fights.

(2) Level of opposition and chin:

Wilder has only fought one opponent who was not a designated fall-guy, and that was Stiverne who forced him to go the distance the first time they fought. As for the rematch, I can’t take anything away from Deontay — he did what he was supposed to do against a fighter who entered the ring as if he were standing in front of a Military firing squad. I may be in the minority here, but I think Wilder’s previous 38 bouts are a more realistic indicator as to who he really is as a fighter. Joshua hasn’t fought the greatest opposition either, but in his biggest fight to date he met Wladimir Klitschko, who not only fought with more determination than we had previously seen from him, but was the best heavyweight in the world for a decade and, even at 41 years old, packed a bigger punch in his right hand than Wilder, based on their resumes.

I have no doubt both Wilder and Joshua can knock the other out, and both have been hurt. Wilder was down in his 13th bout against Harold Sconiers, who was 17-20-2 at the time. He was also buzzed pretty good by Johann Duhaupas and Artur Szpilka and Eric Molina really buzzed him, leading me to think that Joshua is capable of putting him down for a ten count. AJ isn’t impervious to getting buzzed either. Dillian Whyte, who was undefeated at the time and a highly thought-of prospect, and who hasn’t lost to anyone other than Joshua, shook him for a moment when they fought. And the most hurt Joshua ever experienced came in the sixth round when Klitschko planted a perfect right hand on his chin that erased him from the picture. However, AJ got up, weathered the storm and rallied to down Wladimir twice and stop him. I’d say that’s passing the test and then some. For me to believe Wilder could get up from Klitschko’s right hand, the way Joshua did, well I’d have to see it first.

Speaking of Klitschko, Johnny Nelson of Sky Sports says emphatically that Wladimir knocked out Wilder twice during sparring sessions, confirmed by fighter Andy Lee. I don’t know the truth, nor does anyone who wasn’t there. I just find it funny how those who love to believe the rumors Joshua has been hurt and dropped in sparring want no part of this one. What cannot be disputed is that David Haye shook Wilder while sparring and had him falling over; there is tape of that all over the Internet. As to who has the better chin between Wilder and Joshua, I don’t know, but what I do know is Joshua’s is the more proven.

(3) The one common opponent

Eric Molina, 26-5 (19) is the only fighter to have faced both Wilder and Joshua. Molina fought Wilder on June 13, 2015, weighed 239.25 and was stopped at 1:03 of the ninth round. Wilder was staggered by Molina in the third round and was losing the fourth before he dropped him at the end of the round. Molina went down twice in the fifth and again in the ninth when he was counted out.

A year and a half later, on Dec. 10, 2016, after winning two consecutive bouts, Molina fought Joshua. He weighed 237.50 and was dropped in the third round, got up and in the midst of AJ working him over, the fight was halted at 2:02 of the round. Granted, in boxing A + B doesn’t always equal C….and those who will look to spin this in Wilder’s favor will say Wilder fought Molina a year and a half earlier, with the inference being that he fought a better version of Molina. To which the Joshua faction can say that Molina was lighter and in better shape for Joshua. Both thoughts are conjecture. What isn’t conjecture is that Molina never landed a punch on Joshua and after one good exchange with AJ, Molina went down and was finished shortly thereafter. Conversely, Wilder was shook and lost rounds against Molina and needed to drop him three times before he could finish him. Moreover, Wilder needed nine rounds to do what Joshua did in three.

The common opponent isn’t the be-all end-all, but it must be noted because it will be highlighted in every Joshua-Wilder preview until they fight. And if Molina, when asked who will win, says Wilder, then the common opponent angle will become the biggest story out there.

Final thought:

I have no axe to grind here. It may come off as though I’m more of a Joshua fan than I am a Wilder fan, but that couldn’t be more wrong. I’m assessing them as fighters, not people, and in that regard I believe Joshua is the physically stronger and better fighter at every turn. If believing Joshua is the greater fighter makes me biased, so be it. In this space I only care about what Anthony and Deontay bring to the ring and nothing else. I don’t care who the nicer guy is or who gives more money to charity.

On top of all the reasons I cited, I believe Joshua has a nasty streak in him and he’s much more of a killer than he lets the public see. Wilder has come to believe that he can punch with impunity — that no punches will come back at him – and his second fight with Stiverne reinforced that belief in him. Wilder is going to be shocked the minute someone who can punch fires back at him. His stoppages vs. legit fighters came mostly late: Molina-9rds, Duhaupas-11rds, Szpilka-9rds, and Arreola-8rds. My only concern in picking Joshua is that I worry he’s becoming too muscular and that will detract from his stamina and mobility. But I don’t think it will be an issue when he and Wilder finally fight.

Prior to the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, I said Mayweather will beat Pacquiao and it won’t be anywhere near his toughest fight. Well I feel the same way about Joshua-Wilder. When they meet, Joshua will knock Wilder out and it won’t be nearly as tough as his fight with Wladimir Klitschko. The only difference is that Wilder has a puncher’s chance to beat Joshua – and that’s something Pacquiao never had with Mayweather.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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The BWAA Shames Veteran Referee Laurence Cole and Two Nebraska Judges

Published

6 years ago

August 2, 2018

Arne K. Lang

In an unprecedented development, the Boxing Writers Association of America has started a “watch list” to lift the curtain on ring officials who have “screwed up.” Veteran Texas referee Laurence Cole and Nebraska judges Mike Contreras and Jeff Sinnett have the unwelcome distinction of being the first “honorees.”

“Boxing is a sport where judges and referees are rarely held accountable for poor performances that unfairly change the course of a fighter’s career and, in some instances, endanger lives,” says the BWAA in a preamble to the new feature. Hence the watch list, which is designed to “call attention to ‘egregious’ errors in scoring by judges and unacceptable conduct by referees.”

Contreras and Sinnett, residents of Omaha, were singled out for their scorecards in the match between lightweights Thomas Mattice and Zhora Hamazaryan, an eight round contest staged at the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa on July 20. They both scored the fight 76-75 for Mattice, enabling the Ohio fighter to keep his undefeated record intact via a split decision.

Although Mattice vs. Hamazaryan was a supporting bout, it aired live on ShoBox. Analyst Steve Farhood, who was been with ShoBox since the inception of the series in 2001, called it one of the worst decisions he had ever seen. Lead announcer Barry Tompkins went further, calling it the worst decision he has seen in his 40 years of covering the sport.

Laurence Cole (pictured alongside his father) was singled out for his behavior as the third man in the ring for the fight between Regis Prograis and Juan Jose Velasco at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans on July 14. The bout was televised live on ESPN.

In his rationale for calling out Cole, BWAA prexy Joseph Santoliquito leaned heavily on Thomas Hauser’s critique of Cole’s performance in The Sweet Science. “Velasco fought courageously and as well as he could,” noted Hauser. “But at the end of round seven he was a thoroughly beaten fighter.”

His chief second bullied him into coming out for another round. Forty-five seconds into round eight, after being knocked down for a third time, Velasco spit out his mouthpiece and indicated to Cole that he was finished. But Cole insisted that the match continue and then, after another knockdown that he ruled a slip, let it continue for another 35 seconds before Velasco’s corner mercifully threw in the towel.

Controversy has dogged Laurence Cole for well over a decade.

Cole was the third man in the ring for the Nov. 25, 2006 bout in Hildalgo, Texas, between Juan Manuel Marquez and Jimrex Jaca. In the fifth round, Marquez sustained a cut on his forehead from an accidental head butt. In round eight, another accidental head butt widened and deepened the gash. As Marquez was being examined by the ring doctor, Cole informed Marquez that he was ahead on the scorecards, volunteering this information while holding his hand over his HBO wireless mike. The inference was that Marquez was free to quit right then without tarnishing his record. (Marquez elected to continue and stopped Jaca in the next round.)

This was improper. For this indiscretion, Cole was prohibited from working a significant fight in Texas for the next six months.

More recently, Cole worked the 2014 fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Orlando Salido at the San Antonio Alamodome. During the fight, Salido made a mockery of the Queensberry rules for which he received no point deductions and only one warning. Cole’s performance, said Matt McGrain, was “astonishingly bad,” an opinion echoed by many other boxing writers. And one could site numerous other incidents where Cole’s performance came under scrutiny.

Laurence Cole is the son of Richard “Dickie” Cole. The elder Cole, now 87 years old, served 21 years as head of the Texas Department of Combat Sports Regulation before stepping down on April 30, 2014. At various times during his tenure, Dickie Cole held high executive posts with the World Boxing Council and North American Boxing Federation. He was the first and only inductee into the inaugural class of the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame, an organization founded by El Paso promoter Lester Bedford in 2015.

From an administrative standpoint, boxing in Texas during the reign of Dickie Cole was frequently described in terms befitting a banana republic. Whenever there was a big fight in the Lone Star State, his son was the favorite to draw the coveted refereeing assignment.

Boxing is a sideline for Laurence Cole who runs an independent insurance agency in Dallas. By law in Texas (and in most other states), a boxing promoter must purchase insurance to cover medical costs in the event that one or more of the fighters on his show is seriously injured. Cole’s agency is purportedly in the top two nationally in writing these policies. Make of that what you will.

Complaints of ineptitude, says the WBAA, will be evaluated by a “rotating committee of select BWAA members and respected boxing experts.” In subsequent years, says the press release, the watch list will be published quarterly in the months of April, August, and December (must be the new math).

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The Avila Perspective, Chapter 8: Competing Cards in N.Y. and L.A.

Published

6 years ago

August 2, 2018

David A. Avila

Rival boxing shows compete this Saturday as light heavyweight world titlists are featured in New Jersey while former world champion welterweights and middleweights tangle in New York.

A mere 150 miles separate the two fight cards staged in Uniondale, N.Y. and Atlantic City.

But there’s no mercy inside the boxing ring and certainly no mercy between boxing promotions. While Main Events stages WBO light heavyweight titlist Sergey Kovalev and WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol in separate bouts, DiBella Entertainment stacks former champs Andre Berto against Devon Alexander in a welterweight clash.

Take your pick.

Russia’s Kovalev (32-2-1, 28 KOs) has lost some luster and hopes to reboot his popularity with a win against Canada’s Eleider Alvarez (23-0, 11 KOs). But he will be directly competing against WBA champ Bivol (13-0, 11 KOs), also of Russia, who defends against Isaac Chilemba (25-5-2) of South Africa.

HBO will televise both light heavyweight title fights.

Bivol, 27, has slowly, almost glacier-like slow, picked up fans along the way by training in Southern California. The quiet unassuming fighter with a conservative style and cobra-like quickness appeals to the fans.

“I do not think that now I am the best light heavyweight, but I am now one of the best. One of four guys,” said Bivol during a press conference call. “But I hope in not the far future, we will know who is the best.”

That, of course, would mean a date with Kovalev should both fighters win on Saturday. Nothing is certain.

Kovalev, now 35, has lost some of that fear factor aura since losing back-to-back fights to now retired Andre Ward. Though he’s cracked two opponents in succession by knockout, many are pointing to the potential showdown with Bivol as the moment of truth.

“Most likely this fight is gonna happen since both Sergey and I are HBO boxers and as long as that’s what the people want, most likely the fight will happen,” said Bivol. “Me and Sergey will make sure to give this fight to the people.”

It’s time for the build-up and it starts on Saturday Aug. 4, on HBO.

“That’s certainly a goal of Sergey’s and he’s made it very clear to me that that’s what he wants to do,” said promoter Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “He wants to do unification fights if he is successful with Eleider Alvarez. That’s what he wants to do next; he’s been very clear about that.”

DiBella

Five former world champions stack the fight card at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

Former welterweight world champs Andre Berto (31-5, 24 KOs) and Devon Alexander (27-4-1, 14 KOs) lead the charge in a 12-round clash. FOX will televise the main event and others at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET.

Berto, 34, has been fighting once a year so it’s difficult to determine if age has crept into his reflexes. When he knocked out Victor Ortiz in a rematch two years ago Berto looked sharp and dangerous. But against Shawn Porter a year ago, the crispness seemed gone and he quickly lost by knockout.

Alexander, 31, has the advantage of being a southpaw. But he always seems to do the minimum when he fights. Last February he slowed down and allowed Victor Ortiz to steal the fight. All the commotion by the announcers was for naught. Defense does not win fights, it allows you to win fights. The lack of offense in the latter rounds cost Alexander a win in a match that entered the books as a majority draw.

It’s a curious matchup of former world champions.

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (33-1-1, 23 KOs) the former WBO middleweight titlist meets J’Leon Love (24-1-1, 13 KOs) in a super middleweight bout set for 10 rounds. It’s another intriguing fight especially between two fighters with great personalities.

Quillin, 35, was ambushed by Daniel Jacobs in the first round a year ago in losing the title. Was it bad luck, age or both? As a fighter the Brooklyn-based prizefighter has a ton of followers who like him as a person. Few are as classy as Quillin.

Love, 30, has long been a mainstay in Las Vegas and since his amateur days his abilities have been touted. Throughout the years Love has shown that charm and friendliness can go a long ways, even in the bitter wars of prizefighting. But the time has come to see if he belongs in the prizefighting world. Quillin will present an immense challenge for Love.

A number of other interesting fights are slated to take place among former world champions including Sergey Lipinets who lost the super lightweight title to Mikey Garcia this past winter. There’s also Luis Collazo in a welterweight match.

One world title fight does take place on the card.

Female WBA super middleweight titlist Alicia Napoleon (9-1) makes the first defense of her title against Scotland’s Hannah Rankin (5-1). It’s a 10 round bout and the first time Napoleon defends the title since winning it last March against Germany’s Femke Hermans. Ironically, Hermans now has the WBO super middleweight title after defeating former champ Nikki Adler by decision this past May.

L.A. Congestion

Next week the city of Angels will be packed with three fight cards in four days.

First, on Wednesday Aug. 8, 360 Promotions stages Abraham Lopez (9-1-1, 3 KOs) versus Gloferson Ortizo (12-0-1, 6 KOs) in the main event at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood, Calif. This is Filipino fighter Ortizo’s ninth fight this year. You read that correctly.

All of Ortizo’s fights have taken place across the border in Tijuana. The 32-year-old now returns to California against another Californian in Lopez. He’ll be looking for his fourth consecutive knockout, but Lopez, 22, has not lost a fight since his pro debut. Inactivity might come into play for Lopez who hasn’t stepped in the boxing ring in over a year.

New York’s Brian Ceballo (3-0) returns in a six round welterweight bout against local fighter Tavorus Teague (5-20-4). Ceballo, who is promoted by 360 Promotions, looked good in his last appearance. The amateurish punches seen in his first two bouts were gone by his third pro fight. His opponent Teague has ability and can give problems if Ceballo takes his foot off the pedal.

One of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin’s training partners Ali Akhmedov (11-0, 8 KOs) makes his California debut when he meets Jorge Escalante (9-1-1, 6 KOs) in a light heavyweight match.

Female super lightweight Elvina White (2-0) is also slated to compete. The entire fight card will be streamed at www.360promotions.us and on the 360 Promotions page on Facebook. First bell rings at 6:15 p.m.

Belasco Theater in downtown L.A. is the site of Golden Boy Promotions fight card on Friday Aug. 10. A pair of young prospects will be severely tested.

San Diego’s Genaro Gamez (8-0, 5 KOs) meets Filipino fighter Recky Dulay (10-3, 7 KOs) for the vacant NABF super featherweight title. For Dulay it’s always kill or be killed. Five of his last fights have ended in knockout wins or losses.

Gamez, 23, seems to thrive under pressure and broke down two veterans in back-to-back fights at Fantasy Springs Casino. Now he returns to the Belasco, a venue where he has struggled in the past. But this time he’s the main event.

Another being severely tested will be Emilio Sanchez (15-1, 10 KOs) facing veteran Christopher Martin (30-10-3, 10 KOs) who is capable of beating anyone.

Sanchez, 24, lost by knockout in his last fight this past March. He’s talented and fearless and one mistake cost him his first loss as a pro. He’s not getting a break against Martin, a cagey fighter who has upset many young rising prospects in the past. Martin also has experience against world champions. It’s an extremely tough matchup for Sanchez.

The fight card will be televised by Estrella TV beginning at 6 p.m.

World Title Fight

On Saturday, boxing returns to the Avalon Theater in Hollywood.

The main event is a good one as Puerto Rico’s Jesus Rojas (26-1-2, 19 KOs) defends the WBA featherweight world title against Southern California’s Jojo Diaz (26-1) in a 12 round clash. It’s power versus speed.

Rojas, 31, is one tough customer. When he took the interim title against Claudia Marrero last year he chased down the speedy southpaw Dominican and blasted him out in the seventh round. Several months earlier he obliterated another Golden Boy prospect, Abraham Lopez (not the same Abraham Lopez that is fighting on the 360 Promotions card), in eight rounds. Now he has the title and defends against the speedy southpaw Diaz.

Diaz, 25, just recently lost a bid for the WBC featherweight title against Gary Russell Jr. Though he lost by decision three months ago, that fight might be easy in comparison to this challenge against Rojas.

The former Olympian won’t be able to take a breath against the Puerto Rican slugger who is about as rough as they come.

Two more undefeated Golden Boy prospects get a chance to eliminate each other when Philadelphia’s Damon Allen (15-0-1) meets East L.A.’s Jonathan Navarro (14-0, 7 KOs) in a super lightweight fight set for 10 rounds.

Phillie versus East LA is like fire versus fire in the boxing ring. Boxers originating from those two hard-bitten areas usually have go-for-broke styles that result in pure action. Allen versus Navarro should not disappoint.

Allen, 25, is not a hard puncher but he’s aggressive and like most Philadelphia fighters, he’s not afraid to mix it up.

Navarro, 21, lives in East L.A. but trains in Riverside under Robert Garcia. He’s slowly finding his timing and will be facing the fastest fighter since his pro debut in 2015.

Others featured on the card will be Hector Tanajara, Aaron McKenna and Ferdinand Kerobyan.

The card will be streamed on the Golden Boy Fight Night page on Facebook beginning at 6 p.m.

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What’s Next for Manny Pacquiao?

Published

6 years ago

August 1, 2018

Kelsey McCarson

Manny Pacquiao isn’t quite ready to retire, and more big-money fights against high-level competition seem to be on the 39-year-old’s way.

“I feel like I’m a 27-year-old,” Pacquiao told GMAnetwork.com’s Jamil Santos last week. “Expect more fights to come.”

Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs) looked exceptionally sharp in his seventh-round knockout win over former junior welterweight titleholder Lucas Matthysse on July 15 at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was Pacquiao’s best performance in at least four years, netting Pacquiao a secondary world title at welterweight along with a slew of renewed public interest in the boxing superstar’s career.

But what comes next for the only fighter in the history of boxing to capture world titles in eight different weight classes? TSS takes a detailed look at the potential opponents for one of the sport’s most celebrated stars.

Cream of the Crop

Pacquiao looked good enough against Matthysse to suggest he’d make a viable candidate to face either Terence Crawford or Vasyl Lomachenko next. Crawford is ranked No. 2 on the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board’s pound-for-pound list while Lomachenko slots at No. 1.

While Pacquiao is no longer under contract with longtime promoter Bob Arum at Top Rank, most industry insiders expect he will continue working with Arum’s team in some capacity so long as his career keeps moving forward. Pacquiao started his own promotional venture, MP Promotions, to co-promote the Matthysse bout with Oscar De La Hoya, but Top Rank was still involved in the fight which is why the bout ended up streaming on ESPN+.

Top Rank’s two hottest commodities at the present are Ring Magazine and WBA lightweight champ Lomachenko and welterweight titlist Crawford. Both are highly-regarded, multi-division world titleholders in the primes of their careers who are universally considered the top fighters in boxing.

Lomachenko and Crawford would each present a unique set of problems for Pacquiao stylistically. Of the two, Pacquiao probably matches up best with Lomachenko at this point in his career. Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs) is much larger and heavier than both Pacquiao and Lomachenko, and unless Pacquiao just really wants to test himself against someone incredibly dangerous, it’d probably be best for Team Pacquiao to avoid fighting Crawford at all costs. Crawford would be a heavy favorite against Pacquiao and most boxing insiders don’t believe this version of Pacquiao could compete with Crawford.

Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) is naturally smaller than Pacquiao and has never fought above 135 pounds. If Pacquiao could lure Lomachenko to 140 pounds or above, he’d find himself in a winnable fight against a top-notch opponent. Lomachenko would probably be the slight favorite based on age alone but Pacquiao’s power and athleticism would give him a realistic chance to pull the upset.

Other Notable Possibilities

Former junior welterweight titleholder Amir Khan has long been angling for a bout against Pacquiao. Khan faces Samuel Vargas on Sept. 8 in another comeback bout against lower level competition. Khan (32-4, 20 KOs) bravely moved up to middleweight to fight Canelo Alvarez in 2016 but was knocked out in the sixth round. He left the sport for a spell but returned to boxing in February as a welterweight with a sensational first round knockout win over Phil Lo Greco. A win over Vargas puts Khan in good position to secure a bout with Pacquiao, and the fight is a reasonable move by both camps. Pacquiao would probably be the heavy favorite, but Khan’s speed and long reach give him a decent chance to pull the upset.

Former welterweight titleholder Jeff Horn won a controversial decision over Pacquiao last year in Australia. The bout grabbed huge ratings for ESPN and there have been many debates since it happened as to which fighter truly deserved the nod from the judges. Horn (18-1-1, 12 KOs) doesn’t possess elite level talent, but he’s huge compared to Pacquiao and fights with such ferocity that the two can’t help but make an aesthetically pleasing fight together. Pacquiao would be the heavy favorite to defeat Horn if the two fight again.

Pacquiao vs. PBC fighters?

Boxing’s current political climate and the ongoing battle of promoters and television networks for the hearts and minds of boxing fans usually leaves many compelling fights between top level stars off the table. Fighters promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy are almost never able to secure bouts with fighters signed to Al Haymon to appear under the Premier Boxing Champions banner and vice versa. But Pacquiao’s free agent status opens up new and interesting possibilities for the fighter to pursue noteworthy PBC fighters.

There had been lots of chatter about Pacquiao facing Mikey Garcia next. Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) has been decimating competition at both lightweight and junior welterweight. Garcia is considered by most experts to be one of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He’s the TBRB junior welterweight champion and a unified lightweight titleholder (WBC, IBF). While Garcia is hoping to land a big money bout against IBF welterweight titleholder Errol Spence, most boxing experts believe the jump up to 147 pounds would be too much for the diminutive Garcia who began his career at featherweight. A better welterweight target for Garcia would be Pacquiao who also began his career in a much lower weight class.

Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) is probably the best of the PBC welterweights. He’s considered by many to be on par with Crawford at 147 so it would be an incredibly dangerous bout for Pacquiao to go after at this point in his career. But Spence is aggressive and fights in a style that Pacquiao traditionally matches up very well against. Spence would be the favorite based on size, age and skill.

Slightly less dangerous to Pacquiao would be facing the winner of the Sept. 8 battle between Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter. Garcia (34-1, 20 KOs) and Porter (28-2-1, 17 KOs) are fighting for the vacant WBC welterweight title and the possibility of capturing another world title in his career could sway Pacquiao to seek out the winner. Pacquiao could find himself a slight favorite or underdog depending on which of the two fighters he would face, but both would be winnable fights.

The WBA welterweight champion is Keith Thurman. Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) is a good boxer with tremendous power but Pacquiao’s speed and athleticism would probably give him the leg up in that potential matchup. Thurman hasn’t fought in over 16 months though and recent pictures suggest he’s not in fighting shape at the moment, so the likelihood of a Pacquiao vs. Thurman fight is pretty much nil.

Some fans want Pacquiao to face Adrien Broner. Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) is a solid contender at 147 but probably doesn’t have the skill to seriously compete with Pacquiao. Pacquiao would be a significant favorite and would likely stop Broner if the two were able to meet in a boxing ring.

Mayweather-Pacquiao 2?

Pacquiao lost a unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015, but the circumstances surrounding the fight, and the fact it was the biggest box office bash in the history of the sport, have led many to suspect the two fighters would meet again in a rematch.

Yes, Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) is retired, but he’s unretired several times in his career for big money fights including last year’s crossover megafight with UFC star Conor McGregor. While it seems unlikely to happen, Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 would still be a huge worldwide event worth millions of dollars to both fighters so those following the sport can never say never to the idea of it happening again.

While Mayweather is 41, he’d still get the nod as the betting favorite should he fight Pacquiao again based on what happened in the first fight as well as his stylistic advantage over Pacquiao.

Pacquiao vs. McGregor?

McGregor’s bout against Mayweather last year was such a financial success and the MMA star made so much more money in the boxing ring than he did as a UFC fighter that the idea of him returning to the sport to face Pacquiao isn’t as far-fetched as one might think.

Pacquiao vs. McGregor would be an easy sell to the general public. According to CompuBox, McGregor landed more punches against Mayweather than did Pacquiao, and the general consensus is that Mayweather-McGregor was more fun to watch than Mayweather-Pacquiao.

The size difference between the two would lead to an easy promotion. McGregor is a junior middleweight and Pacquiao has only competed at the weight once back in 2010. Despite all that, Pacquiao would be a significant favorite to defeat McGregor and rightly so. He’s too fast and too good a boxer, and his aggressive style would likely lead to a stoppage win.

Pacquiao’s Top Targets

Pacquiao’s top targets should be Mayweather, McGregor and Lomachenko. Pacquiao would stand to make the most money facing either Mayweather or McGregor. Pacquiao’s reportedly injured shoulder heading into 2015 bout left many wondering how the fight might be different had the Filipino gone into things at his best, and Mayweather’s age might play more of a factor in the second fight than it did in the first. A Pacquiao-McGregor fight would be a worldwide spectacle, one Pacquiao would be heavily favored to win. Besides, it’d be interesting to see if Pacquiao could stop McGregor sooner than historical rival Mayweather. Finally, Lomachenko might be trying to climb up weight classes too fast, and Pacquiao would certainly be fit to test the validity of that theory. It’d be one of the biggest fights in boxing and a win for Pacquiao would be another huge feather in the cap of one of boxing’s true historically great champions.

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