Happy New Year! The boxing break giving you cold turkey? Have a look at a few of my hopes, dreams and predictions for 2009 and let me know yours. It promises to be a barnstorming 12 months.
Dream fights
A super-fight between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao is, if reports are to be believed, close to being signed, sealed and delivered, with the date apparently set for 2 May and the stage almost certainly to be Las Vegas.
This will mean another crippling blow to the wallet for Hatton’s loyal army of fans – five of the Hitman’s last six fights have been in the United States – while it also seems to make little practical sense.
Why fight in a 20,000-capacity casino for the benefit of – if recent pay-per-view figures are an accurate reflection – an apathetic American public, when they could be fighting in front of 80,000 rabid Brits in London and millions more on TV?
The Hatton camp claims to be negotiating hard in a bid to make the match in the UK. But with Hatton’s old nemesis Floyd Mayweather Jr lurking in the shadows and ready to step in if the fight falls through, Filipino superstar Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum hold all the aces.
Wherever the fight takes place, it surely cannot fail to be a classic. It’s just a shame most of Hatton’s fans won’t be able to see it.
A super-middleweight unification fight between Nottingham’s WBC champion Carl Froch and Denmark’s WBA champion Mikkel Kessler could also be a doozy – and a win for Froch might get the juices of Wales’ Joe Calzaghe bubbling again.
Froch is pencilled in to meet former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in New York in March, but American TV channel HBO is reported to be dead against the fight.
Another fight everyone would like to see in 2009 is a rematch between WBA welterweight king Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.
The first fight in July of last year was a beauty, although Mexico’s Margarito will first have to beat Shane Mosley on 24 January, while Puerto Rico’s Cotto will have to get past Chorley’s Michael Jennings in February, which he should do with ease.
Fights I don’t want to see
Any involving Evander Holyfield or Roy Jones Jr, or, for that matter, Oscar de la Hoya. All legends, and no-one likes to see legends suffer.
The continued presence in boxing of such faded stars only serves to damage the sport and it would be nice if 2009 was a year that the decks were cleared and some younger stars were given the chance to shine.
Another fight no-one wants to see is a rematch between Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins, although the wily old American will no doubt be cranking up the pressure as the year wears on.
Their first fight was a stinker, and if Calzaghe does choose to fight one last time at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, America’s IBF light-heavyweight champion Chad Dawson would seem the most worthy opponent.
Oh, and any fight involving Audley Harrison. If you can’t beat 37-year-old taxi drivers, your days in the game are numbered.
Fighters to watch
OK, so it’s a little bit obvious, but I’m going to plump for Frank Warren’s three new recruits, British Olympians James DeGale, Billy Joe Saunders and Frankie Gavin.
Londoner DeGale struck gold in Beijing, but many good judges believe Hatfield’s Saunders and Birmingham’s Gavin are better equipped to make the transition to the paid ranks.
Welterweight Saunders, 19, was the first Briton from the Romany Gypsy community to appear in an Olympic Games, and his heritage will ensure him a very loyal hardcore fanbase.
Others to watch include Scottish featherweight Paul Appleby, who is already the British featherweight champion at 21 and destined for bigger things.
Also keep an eye on Cuban-Irish heavyweight Mike Perez. The 22-year-old is a slick, powerful southpaw who already has five first-round knockouts in six professional fights.
Some predictions
Not sure I should be doing this, but here goes… Michael Jennings v Miguel Cotto – Cotto by KO; Antonio Margarito v Shane Mosley – Margarito on points; Juan Manuel Marquez v David Diaz – Marquez on points; Ricky Hatton v Manny Pacquiao – Pacquiao on points; David Haye v Vitali Klitschko – Klitschko by KO…
… and that Audley will still be claiming he can become a heavyweight world champion this time next year… Happy New Year, hope 2009 is a belter!
