Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Since Richard Schaefer has departed from Golden Boy Promotions, there could be a rebirth in the sport of boxing.
Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum are patching up their relationship, which means big things for fight fans.
But, Golden Boy and Top Rank don’t hold all the answers to boxing fans’ fantasy matchups.
Problems between advisers, networks like HBO and Showtime and other promotional companies continue to hurt the sport as well, with fights like Gennady Golovkin vs. Peter Quillin and Adonis Stevenson vs. Sergey Kovalev hanging in the balance.
Read on for three of the most intriguing fantasy matchups that boxing needs right now and leave us a comment letting us know what matchup you want to see most.
Danny Garcia
vs.
Manny Pacquiao
Photo by Jeoffrey Maitem – Getty Images
Danny Garcia (28-0, 16 KOs) has stated he would like to eventually move up to Welterweight and what better opponent to make a splash against than a future hall of famer in Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs).
This would be a very interesting and intriguing fight for both men with Pacquiao—the elite southpaw and boxer-puncher—against the young and talented Garcia.
Pacquiao’s knockout rate is at 60 percent according to BoxRec.com, so Garcia would have the knockout advantage, with his KO rate currently at a whopping 82 percent according to BoxRec.com.
Would the old bull in Pacquiao prevail against the young gun Garcia?
We can only imagine the exchanges in the middle of the ring that would go down in this captivating clash.
Marcos “El Chino” Madiana
vs.
Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez
Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Marcos Madiana (35-4, 31 KOs) the brawler, and Juan Manuel Marquez the counter puncher, would be a very interesting Welterweight matchup.
It would be a non-title clash pitting two very notable fighters in the division. Under the tutelage of Robert Garcia, “El Chino” has formed into a very good fighter.
From all the guidance that Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain has given Marquez throughout his entire career, “Dinamita” has turned into a certified future hall of famer.
From the start, Madiana would bring a lot of action to the fight. The counter-punching Dinamita would be expected to set back to throw counter’s against Madiana’s multiple angle punches.
Marquez would need to land effective and clean counter punches the entire bout to earn a victory.
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
vs.
Gennady “GGG” Golovkin
Photo by Sumio Yamada
This would be a gigantic matchup for boxing which could be fought for Gennady Golovkin’s (29-0, 26KOs) WBA Middleweight title.
Both Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez (43-1-1, 31 KOs) know each other fairly well because they used to be sparring partners a few years ago, which adds an extra level of intrigue.
This matchup would feature two very aggressive boxer punchers. Canelo possesses the better defense, boxing skills and a slight edge in hand speed as well as better accuracy in his combination punches.
But for all of his advantages, Alvarez’s knockout rate of 69 percent (per BoxRec.com) is dwarfed by Golvokin’s 89 percent (per BoxRec.com) percent rate. Golovkin has power in both hands and can cut his opponents position off in the ring extremely well.
By cutting his opponents area in the ring, Golvokin always puts himself in a very good position to throw and connect with a bomb or hard combinations. The true test would come down to ring generalship and which boxer would break their opponents will.
This bout would almost certainly be an all-out war between two skilled opponents.
