It’s easy for sports fans to think that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are the only two boxers in the world.
After all, the latest round of negotiations, shameless social media promotion, contradictory Bob Arum quotes and courtside faceoffs have garnered breathless media coverage and endless speculation.
But, while the fight would certainly be the biggest in decades and a boon for the sport, the non-stop talk and tiresome hype overshadows the many things boxing has going for it in 2015.
Here are three things both boxing fanatics and casual fans can get excited about as the new year gets underway:
1. The return of boxing to network TV
Mysterious and media-shy promoter Al Haymon made an earth-shaking move last month when his company announced a multiyear agreement with NBC Sports to bring boxing back to network TV. Unlike CBS? one-off Leo Santa Cruz exhibition in 2012, this series (titled Premier Boxing Champions) involves serious money and serious talent (think Al Michaels!).
Haymon has been much maligned for protecting his fighters from tough challenges (see Danny Garcia vs. Rod Salka and any Santa Cruz fight), but that?s all about to change. The inaugural show on March 7 will feature knockout artist Keith Thurman against former two-division titleholder Robert Guerrero. The brash and talented Adrien Broner will face the rugged John Molina on the undercard. Hayman will then amp it up even more on April 11 by pitting 140-pound champion Garcia against Lamont Peterson, a highly anticipated fight.
Haymon?s move takes boxing out of the cloistered realm of the premium networks and puts it within reach of the masses, potentially giving the sport and Haymon?s fighters a big boost in exposure while also giving fans some great fights.
2. Americans rise in the heavyweight division
No one is saying Deontay Wilder is Mike Tyson or George Foreman. Still, when he defeated Bermane Stiverne last month to become the first American heavyweight champion in almost a decade, he injected at least a modicum of excitement into a division that has been largely ignored in the U.S. during the reign of the Klitschkos.
He looked impressive and well-schooled in a decisive victory and seems to have the tools to compete at a high level for years to come. A fight with Britain?s Tyson Fury ? which would be the trash-talking event of the decade ? could be next, and a bout with Wladimir Klitschko looms if he continues to win.
Speaking of Klitschko, Wladimir recently announced his return to the United States. He?ll take on American Bryant Jennings on April 25 at Madison Square Garden. While it should be an easy win for the Ukrainian superstar, another championship fight for an American heavyweight on such a big stage gives the nation hope that someday soon it can regain supremacy in the division.
3. Gennady Golovkin
Knockouts make a fighter must-see TV, and middleweight Gennady Golvokin (aka GGG) is the must-see fighter of the current era. He has mowed down every opponent in his path, including some of the upper-echelon fighters in the division.
He?s a fearsome puncher with a stalking style who strikes fear into his opponents and is worth watching every time he steps into the ring.
Still, he is waiting for his breakout fight. He faces a decent challenge against Martin Murray later this month in Monte Carlo, and is looking to have another active year in 2015. This time, he will hope to cap it off with a big money fight against someone like lineal middleweight champion Miguel Cotto or Julio Caesar Chavez Jr.
The holy grail for fight fans would be a fight with super middleweight champion Andre Ward, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but don?t count on that fight in 2015 seeing how inactive Ward has been over the past few years.
No matter whom Golovkin fights, however, he needs to be seen.
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None of this is meant to downplay the potential Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. If it happens (and I still think it will), it will be huge and deserving of all the hype it receives. But there will be plenty of time to dissect that bout if it?s announced. In the meantime, let?s tune out the noise and focus on all the gifts boxing has to offer in 2015.
