As we bring in a brand new year of fisticuffs and action, it’s hard to say what we’ll be getting out of 2012, but all we can truly do is hope for the best. If 2011 was any indication of the state of our sport, chances are we’ll have nothing to worry about and this year might be better than the last. I may not have a crystal ball, but I think 2012 will have a few surprises for us. I’ll do my best to have as many “I told you so” moments when I check back next December. Without further ado, check out my top 25 BOLD predictions for 2012.
Golden Boy Promotions will sign Miguel Cotto. Despite what he’s been during post-fight conferences, Cotto hasn’t been too happy with how Top Rank has treated him over the past few years. He wasn’t happy to be forced into a rematch with Antonio Margarito and he sure as hell wasn’t happy that Bob Arum came to Margarito’s rescue when he was originally busted with his illegal wraps. Couple that with the fact that there’s really nobody for him to fight under the Top Rank stable, it looks like Cotto will head to “Golden” pastures that will ultimately lead to?
The Biggest Fight of 2012: Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto! After Cotto gets an interim fight under the new promotional banner and Mayweather’s return from incarceration, there is very little build-up that Golden Boy will have to do to sell a fight that casual and hardcore fans alike have been hoping to happen for the past three or four years. Though Mayweather will probably open up Cotto like a paycheck before bill day, it will still be huge for the reason that they’re two of boxing’s biggest stars and maybe, just maybe, the McJournalists out there can see that Bob Arum really has been the problem after all!
