Welcome to what could be a Christmas Week/New Year’s Week tradition at FightHype. And it was NOT born out of “Oh, damn it! I completely forgot today was Sunday because it was Christmas Day and I had to write something tomorrow” late Sunday afternoon.
Either way, I’m going to go through Box Rec’s top 25 (their pound list– and what a weird pound list it is!) and say a flavorful 2023 wish My own Magno for each boxer. Feel free to share your own wishlist in the comments or just share your link on how we can make money online, just like you!
Saul Alvarez: An important new big fight. Not to be disrespectful to the next rumored opponent to be John Ryder, but I think the boxing world has had enough of Canelo beating the British in the bout.
Tyson Fury: Let the Oleksandr Usyk unification fight take place. It’s one of those fights boxing needs. Also, a slippery defense– not INSIDE the ring, but OUTSIDE as he shies away from and avoids career-restricting relationships with the alleged Irish gang leader , Daniel Kinahan.
Dmitry Bivol: An Artur Beterbiev unity would be sweet, but that’s increasingly unlikely. If Beterbiev can’t make it, one wish is for Bivol to stay sharp and not drift back to the bleak days of the past few years that saw him go through a string of unattractive performances against opponents. not very attractive.
Terence Crawford: Duh, a War to Unify Errol Spence. Oh that’s right, and let him go back to the no-interview policy. This man does NOT do anything himself when he sits down and opens up.
Gennadiy Golovkin: For the Kazakh KO artist, for the first time in his career, steps out of the shell that the boxing media flatters him to and faces a challenge that really isn’t Canelo Alvarez.
Oleksandr Usyk: Let the Tyson Fury unification fight take place. Also, if he’s wearing mascara, stop applying mascara.
Anthony Joshua: A sports psychologist.
Naoya Inoue: A War by Stephen Fulton. And if that’s not possible, a stylistically challenging opponent will have him thinking, working, and using parts of his skill set he didn’t need to use before.
Errol Spence Jr.: Another duh, this– a Terence Crawford unification war. Plus, a lifetime free ride for Uber.
Shakur Stevenson: That legacy-defining lightweight fight is sure to come at 135, but incredibly hard to argue with.
Artur Betterbiev: Merge light heavyweight belt with Dmitry Bivol. And, if not Bivol, another challenge that will get him to work and make him think.
Andy Ruiz: A big fight with Deontay Wilder and the focus to get through at least a full year with no setbacks, steps back and stops. Additionally, his “I don’t want to be fat” t-shirts from Andy Ruiz’s official clothing line became the Style Statement of the Year.
Jermell Charlo: A quick fix for his broken hand so he can starch Tim Tszyu and go crazy compared to Sebastian Fundora.
Regis Prograis: Career-defining victory at junior welder and next-level success should have been his. Plus, the return of his Rougarou gimmick.
Josh Taylor: A clear win or lose against Jack Catterall in their rematch and than dive back into 140-deep water or move up to 147-deeper water.
Stephen Fulton: Next-level attention and recognition for his skills/ability and career-defining clash/high-paying day with Naoya Inoue.
Yordenis Ugas: Return to healthy activity. I guess. Personally, I don’t mind watching Jaron Ennis-Ugas get into a fight at some point in the near future.
Joe Joyce: A world title. Next Dibs at winner Fury-Usyk. Otherwise, a Deontay Wilder bombing festival would be awesome.
Deontay Wilder: Focus and Activity. There are so many options for The Bronze Bomber and they’re all hot– Ruiz, Joshua, Joyce, Usyk. The boxing world is better with Deontay in it.
John Ryder: I don’t want to be merciless here, but maybe a bit of dizziness keeps him from fighting Canelo Alvarez. Ryder is a good guy, a good fighter, and a serious, honest fighter, but he’s not an attractive B-side for Alvarez.
Devin Haney: A truly career-defining win/effort against Vasiliy Lomachenko. And, for me, a better understanding of how underrated Haney is. 21 on Box Rec’s pound-for-pound list.
George Kambosos Jr.: Isaac Cruz vs. George Kambosos. How does that give a compelling battle of the second/top tier lightweight?
Gervonta Davis: Pint-sized Mike Tyson stars and stellar performance against Ryan Garcia. And at the same time, understand why he ranks so low on Box Rec’s pound list.
Chris Eubank Jr.: Returning to being a senior boxer involved rather than just the child of Eubank Sr…. and understand why Box Rec ranks him above at least two dozen worthy boxers than.
Vergil Ortiz Jr.: A world title for a Crawford-Spence winner or a shot at Crawford or Spence if unity is blocked again. Also, his battle with Eimantas Stanionis will be as exciting as it should be.
Okay… That’s it. Don’t blame me if some of your favorites aren’t mentioned here. Box Rec, as the kids say, has a hugely appealing list.
Anything for Magno? Send it here: [email protected]
