With Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. both getting up there in age, 33 and 35 respectively, boxing fans are eager to find out what fighters are going to carry the sport for the next decade. I spent some time over the weekend to decide who I thought had the best chance not only to become an elite boxer, but a huge box office draw. I decided to limit my scope to boxers under the age of 25, since Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr. still have two or three years left of being the top earners in the sport. With that in mind the two names that instantly jumped into my mind were Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez and Adrien Broner. Alvarez is at the tender age of 22 and Broner just turned 23 in July so they meet the under 25 criteria. Let?s take a look at each fighter and figure out if they have the requirements to be boxing next big thing.
With a record of 41-0-1, Alvarez has the record of a seasoned veteran despite the fact he just celebrated his 22th birthday in July. Alvarez has fought some top names in Shane Mosley, Kermit Cintron, Alfonso Gomez and most recently Josesito Lopez. While Mosley and Cintron have the name, age was not on their side when they faced Alvarez. Lopez was way too small to really challenge or hurt the much bigger Alvarez. I think it?s time for Alvarez to take a major step up in competition and he realizes his time is now. Alvarez has the persona, looks, and support from the Mexican community to become a huge draw for the sport. Alvarez must step up his level of competition to garner the attention from the American audience and I suspect his time for a mega fight is on the horizon, possible on Cinco de Mayo.
As the boxing world is set to say goodbye to Mayweather Jr. in the near future, fans don?t have to look far to find Mayweather Jr. 2.0, in Adrien Broner. From boxing style to outlandish personality, it appears Broner has emulated himself after Mayweather Jr. and can only hope for the same career trajectory as ?Money?. Using a tight defense that makes him hard to hit, combined with blazing speed and power, Broner has won all 24 of his fights with 20 wins coming by knockout. While Alvarez has faced faded stars, Broner has fought nowhere near the type of caliber opponents he should be. That will all change whenever Broner and Antonio DeMarco tangle in November for the WBC Lightweight title. It will be Broner?s toughest fight to date but he should still win in a comfortable fashion. Sooner rather than later Broner will be making the move up to the lucrative welterweight division where there are many attractive fights. I would love to see Maywether Jr and Broner fight sometime late next year.
Every time I hear a T.V. or radio personality say boxing is dead, I cringe. How is boxing dead whenever Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao topped the Forbes 100 World?s Highest-Paid Athletes for the year 2012? I?ll be the first to admit the many flaws the sport has and the importance to fix them, but to suggest boxing is dead is ludicrous. Boxing needs the guy everyone seems to love and respect (Pacquaio) but maybe more importantly it needs an antagonist (Mayweather Jr.). I have a sense boxing has found its new hero and villain in Alvarez and Broner. Don?t be surprised if over the next decade the name Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez and Adrien Broner aren?t at the top of Forbes 100 World?s Highest-Paid Athletes.
