Boxing tradition dictates that older fighters pass the proverbial torch to younger fighters, who then eventually pass it to the next generation. This passing of the torch usually takes the form of a decisive, and often brutal, beating.
These days, however, many of the sport?s biggest stars have the influence and career control to avoid these violent changing of the guard moments and, as a result, younger fighters are forced to build their stars without piggybacking on the fame of more established stars.
But for boxing to be truly healthy, older stars need to be fed to younger stars. Here are five Passing of the Torch fights that need to happen now.
Errol Spence vs. Floyd Mayweather
Spence is a special fighter desperately in need of some legacy-defining fights. Despite having all the right connections and a sizable, solid fan base, the IBF welterweight champ can?t seem to get a truly meaningful fight in his division. Keith Thurman?s alternating between injury and tactical avoidance has kept Spence on hold while other divisional players have busied themselves with fighting one another. An unlikely superfight with Mayweather could signify an ugly end to Mayweather?s career once and for all, but it would also launch Spence into next level stardom as the man who finally vanquished the legend.
Terence Crawford vs. Manny Pacquiao
In a world of self-imposed exile, distanced from most of the top welterweights in the world, Crawford?s only real shot at a passing of the torch moment was against Filipino icon and multi-division world champ Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao, to be honest, never seemed all too enthused at the idea of facing Crawford and now that he?s signed with Al Haymon, there?s even less of a chance of a passing of the torch bout. But Crawford dismantling and retiring a legend like Pacquiao would do wonders for a fighter and a career in desperate need of marquee shine.
Jermall Charlo vs. Gennady Golovkin
Efforts to get ?Triple G? into the ring with Charlo have been ongoing for at least a year. Charlo had agreed to step aside from his WBC-mandated bout and let the Kazakh KO machine make big money fighting Canelo Alvarez, but the time has now come for him to put his foot down and demand this fight. Following Golovkin?s decision loss to Alvarez, Charlo-GGG is being ordered as a final eliminator for a shot at Canelo. Needless to say, this is an important fight for the Houston, Texas native. Beating down and/or decisively decisioning the long-reigning former middleweight champ would bring next-level stardom to a fighter already boasting world-class ability.
Dmitry Bivol vs. Sergey Kovalev
Although Kovalev?s career has lost its luster to a great extent after a pair of losses to Andre Ward and a stoppage loss to Eleider Alvarez, he?s still a big name at light heavyweight and an elder statesman in the division. This Russian vs. Russian contest between superb offensive fighters would provide the 27-year-old Bivol with a chance to not only establish himself as an elite in the division, but also make a name for himself in a headline-grabbing beatdown of a once-fearsome ?beast.?
Badou Jack vs. Adonis Stevenson 2
When longtime defending WBC light heavyweight champ Stevenson took Jack on in May, the bout ended in a draw. But the story of the fight revolved on how the challenger could?ve possibly stopped the 40-year-old champ if he had not spent much of the first half of the contest cautious and inactive. A second chance at dethroning Stevenson would do wonders for Jack?s still-underappreciated career if Jack could finally put away the Haiti-born, Canada-residing world champion. Having a new champ holding that WBC belt would also be a positive shake-up for a rebuilt light heavyweight division.
