By Lyle Fitzsimmons
It’s a tasty time to be a boxing fan.
Now that the gloved action at the Summer Olympics in Brazil has come and gone, the stage is cleared for a series of professional fights that’ll make the remainder of the year delicious.
And thanks to the contented palate that appetizers like Golovkin-Brook, Kovalev-Ward and the return of Manny Pacquiao seem sure to create between here and 2017, I’m even more hungry.
So as a follow-up to last week’s dalliance into pound-for-pound rankings, I’m using this space this week to run down the list of matches I’m most anxious to see on my New Year’s bill of fare.
Without further ado, here it is (from heaviest to lightest):
Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua
A heavyweight unification would be good enough. But this one’s a bit more than just a heavyweight unification.
Not only would Wilder and Joshua link the WBC and IBF shares of the big man divisional crown, the winner would step toward the front of the line that’s forming to crown the sport’s next superstar.
Both are powerful young heavyweights. Both are charismatic and articulate ambassadors. And both could easily step across the line from mere boxing star to globally recognized sports personality.
THE PICK: Joshua by KO
Andre Ward vs. Gennady Golovkin
Don’t get me wrong. If Ward is unsuccessful in his challenge of Sergey Kovalev in November and Triple-G winds up in a ring with the “Krusher” instead, I’ll be just as happy.
In fact, that might be a fight I’d rather see.
But seeing how I think Ward will overcome Kovalev when they get together in Las Vegas, it stands to reason that the encore for 2017 would instead be the former super middle meeting the reigning middle at something resembling light heavy.
THE PICK: Ward by decision
Canelo Alvarez vs. Manny Pacquiao
They’ve both been tactically undressed by Floyd Mayweather Jr. But that’s not at all a suggestion that if the former two-division champion meets the ex-kingpin of seven weight classes it wouldn’t be a spectacle worth watching.
On the contrary, it seems almost logical. Both “Canelo” and “PacMan” are seeking significant events, and no one else within their logical weight environs has nearly the amount of pay-per-view street cred that they’ve built up.
Short of a Floyd return, it’s the most lucrative option out there for either man.
THE PICK: Alvarez by decision
Kell Brook vs. Terence Crawford
Here’s another one that’s sort of conditional.
As much as I respect and admire Gennady Golovkin, I’m not ashamed to say that I think Brook’s got more than a sliver of a chance to beat him next month. And if he does, this one is no longer relevant.
But if the upset chance goes by the boards, sign me up as one who’d be thrilled to see “Special K” return to the welters to take on a guy who’s already ascended to the No. 1 perch on my personal P4P list.
There are a ton of big names at 147, but this’d be the first fight I’d rush to assemble.
THE PICK: Crawford by decision
Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Mikey Garcia
I was about to suggest that the Brook-Crawford match was as sound of matchup of technically skilled foes as could be envisioned within 20 pounds in either direction.
But then I remembered Garcia is an active fighter again.
And the idea that he’s already fighting within a single weight class of my No. 3 P4P commodity makes the prospect of them finding common ground almost too tantalizing to ponder.
Promotional hard feelings probably make it a non-starter, but maybe another year of them both winning fights will make it appear more doable by this time next summer.
It’ll be worth the wait.
THE PICK: Lomachenko by decision
* * * * * * * * * *
This week’s title fight schedule:
WEDNESDAY
WBA super flyweight title – Tokyo, Japan
Kohei Kono (champion/No. 7 IWBR) vs. Luis Concepcion (No. 1 WBA/No. 4 IWBR)
Kono (32-8-1, 13 KO): Fourth title defense; Second WBA title reign (2012-13, zero defenses)
Concepcion (34-4, 24 KO): Fourth title fight (0-3); Fourth fight outside Panama (1-2, 1 KO)
Fitzbitz says: This is a close one. My hunch is that Concepcion is a better fighter, but Kono is the reigning champ and they're on his turf. That's probably enough to edge him through. Kono by decision
WBA light flyweight title – Tokyo, Japan
Ryoichi Taguchi (champion/No. 9 IWBR) vs. Ryo Miyazaki (No. 1 WBA/No. 34 IWBR)
Taguchi (24-2-1, 11 KO): Fourth title defense; KO wins in three consecutive defenses (28 total rounds)
Miyazaki (24-1-3, 15 KO): Fourth title fight (3-0); Held WBA title at 105 pounds (2012-13, two defenses)
Fitzbitz says: Miyazaki had a nice run at 105 pounds and is certainly a worthwhile foe here, but he’s not beaten a winning foe in three years and was stopped the last time he faced one. Taguchi by decision
SATURDAY
IBF junior bantamweight title -- Taguig City, Philippines
McJoe Arroyo (champion/No. 3 IWBR) vs. Jerwin Ancajas (No. 3 IBF/No. 30 IWBR)
Arroyo (17-0, 8 KO): First title defense; First fight in the Philippines
Ancajas (24-1-1, 16 KO): First title fight; Won 11 straight by KO since only loss (40 total rounds)
Fitzbitz says: Streaking KO artist will provide a stern test in Arroyo’s first professional business trip to Asian airspace, but the champion ought to have enough to overcome to onslaught. Arroyo by decision
SUNDAY
WBO junior bantamweight title – Zama, Japan
Naoya Inoue (champion/No. 1 IWBR) vs. Karoon Jarupianlerd (No. 1 WBO/No. 20 IWBR)
Inoue (10-0, 8 KO): Third title defense; Held WBC title at 108 pounds (2014, one defense)
Jarupianlerd (38-7-1, 18 KO): First title fight; Sixth fight in Japan (1-4, 1 KO)
Fitzbitz says: The 31-year-old may be a nice guy and perhaps is kind to his mother, too, but he’s been over his head on the international level and isn’t in any easier this time around. Inoue in 4
Last week’s picks: None
2016 picks record: 58-15 (79.4 percent)
Overall picks record: 790-263 (75.0 percent)
NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.
Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.