There are stars, prospects, and then a class of fighter in between. This small group of pugilists is on the verge of a career breakthrough and just a half-step away from the very elite.
Here are five fighters who are, possibly, just one or two fights away from true boxing stardom:
Seth Mitchell
Chazz Witherspoon and Timur Ibragimov are the only decent fighters on Mitchell’s resume, but the burning desire for a top American heavyweight has pushed the former college football star into the spotlight. A gritty Rocky Marciano-esque performance against Witherspoon in his last bout only added to the mystique. HBO is firmly committed to showcasing Mitchell and the heavyweight is, likely, one or two solid wins away from some real mainstream attention.
Kell Brook
Nobody can deny the talent and potential of the UK’s top welterweight prospect, but many criticized the level of opposition that the Brit was facing. Recently, “Special K” took a step up in class, soundly defeating Matthew Hatton, Rafal Jackiewicz, and Lovemore Ndou. Now, Brook faces his toughest challenge to date in Carson Jones in a bout that will likely lead to a world title shot for the winner.
Adrien Broner
Broner has the flash, the skill, and the connections to be a real star. Now, the Cincinnati native is starting to add the type of names needed to his resume in order to reach that next level. His recent domination of contender, Eloy Perez has set the stage for a move up to the next level. Already regarded as the top fighter in a relatively weak super featherweight class, Broner’s real stardom will be achieved at lightweight or junior welterweight.
Mike Jones
The 147 lb. prospect from Philadelphia is one win away from the IBF welterweight championship. If Jones can score an impressive victory over Randall Bailey on the Pacquiao-Bradley undercard on June 9, he will suddenly find himself on the short list of possible opponents for a Manny Pacquiao fight or any number of quality welterweight bouts.
Abner Mares
The 26-year-old WBC junior featherweight champ is an entertaining battler and one-half of a Fight of the Year brawl just waiting to happen. Mares is already a former bantamweight world titlist and has notched some quality wins over the last two years. A long-awaited showdown with Nonito Donare would either be a dream or a nightmare for Mares, but it would be a win-win for fight fans.
