Nonito Donaire said he expects to give a vintage performance vs. Nordine Oubaali on Saturday.
Nonito Donaire acknowledged the obvious question going into his title challenge against 118-pound champion Nordine Oubaali on Saturday: Can the 38-year-old still compete against the best in the business?
The answer is “yes” if his last fight is an indication.
Donaire, who turned pro in 2001, gave pound-for-pounder Naoya Inoue the fight of his life in November 2019, losing on the cards but raising the level of respect for the Filipino-American to new heights.
Now, a year and half later, he faces a two-time Olympian for what would be his ninth major title in four divisions and fourth reign at bantamweight. What’s his secret? He credits a healthy lifestyle.
“The biggest question is, ‘How am I still competing with these guys? And am I getting better somehow?” Donaire told Boxing Junkie. “I’m mentally healthy, constantly learning, constantly growing. The biggest thing is that I’m healthy.
“I’m eating the right foods, sleeping well, doing all the things you need to do to be where I am right now. … And I still love it. That’s what motivates me.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CkavZjtC68
Donaire’s exploits in boxing are legendary, starting with his sensational one-punch knockout of then-unbeaten Vic Darchinyan in 2007. He might’ve peaked in 2012, when he was named Fighter of the Year after defeating Wilfredo Vazquez, Jeffrey Mathebula, Toshiaki Nishioka and Jorge Arce at 122 pounds.
However, he hasn’t had the overall success above 118 pounds that he has had at that weight or below. He’s only 11-4 as a full-fledged 122- or 126-pounder, with losses to Guillermo Rigondeaux (122), Nicholas Walters (126), Jessie Magdaleno (122) and Carl Frampton (126).
It was after the Frampton fight in 2018, in which Donaire (40-6, 26 KOs) lost a wide decision, that he made the decision to go back down to 118. He’s 2-1 since but gave Inoue all he could handle, which seemed to indicate he as at his best weight.
And, for the record, he said he has had no problems making weight for Saturday’s fight. He weighed 121 on Monday.
“I’ve always felt good at bantamweight,” he said. “… I just always wanted to do more, I wanted better challenges [at higher weights]. Granted those fights were more lucrative but they were also more challenging. That kept me motivated.
“Then I came to realize, ‘You know what? I can do the best I can in the division I’m supposed to be in.’ This is what it is.”
Donaire, a big puncher throughout his career, couldn’t take out Inoue but he broke a bone in his face. And he was able to take everything the Japanese star threw at him, aside from a paralyzing shot to his liver.
He believes he’ll have size and strength advantages over Oubaali (17-0, 12 KOs) on Saturday.
“I’ll definitely have that advantage,” he said. “I still have the power that knocked guys out at 122 and 126. That’s the biggest thing. And Inoue gave me his best shots. If it weren’t for the liver shot, I would never have gone down. And everyone goes down from liver shots.
“… I took punches to my face and stood firmly. My size, my tenacity allowed me to be as strong as I could be.”
Donaire has had a great deal of time to recover from that fight, which was taxing for both men. That’s both bad and good.
Bad because the fight with Oubaali was supposed to have taken place in December but the Frenchman had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Emmanuel Rodriguez was scheduled to step in for Oubaali but Donaire then contracted the virus.
That was frustrating for Donaire, who was eager to fight after the setback against Inoue.
At the same time, the long layoff allowed his body to fully heal. He said he feels much younger than a man in his late 30s, which be believes will be evident on Saturday night.
“I’ve had nearly two years of resting,” he said. “My body feels amazing. There was some frustration. I did want to fight, I trained so hard. The other side of it is I got time to heal, got time to relax my mind, get it off boxing.
“I’ll come back a lot stronger, a lot more motivated, a lot more ready. … You’re going to ask [on Saturday night], ‘How old is that guy?’”
The Charlo brothers and Gervonta Davis highlight a slate of Showtime-PBC bouts announced Wednesday.
The Charlo brothers, Gervonta Davis and David Benavidez headline a slate of upcoming fights announced on Wednesday by Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions.
Jermall and Jermell Charlo will face Juan Montiel and Brian Castano in June and July, respectively. Davis will fight Mario Barrios in a 140-pound matchup in June. And Benavidez is scheduled to take on Jose Uzcategui in August.
Here’s the full line up, in chronological order:
May 15: Luis Nery vs. Brandon Figueroa, junior featherweights (for Nery’s WBC title).
May 29: Nordine Oubaali vs. Nonito Donaire, bantamweights (for Oubaali’s WBC title).
June 19: Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Montiel, middleweights (for Charlo’s WBC title).
June 26: Gervonta Davis vs. Mario Barrios, junior welterweights.
June 26: Erickson Lubin vs. Jeison Rosario, junior middleweights (on Davis-Barrios card).
July 3: Chris Colbert vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa, junior lightweights.
July 17: Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano, junior middleweights (for all four major titles)
Aug. 14: John Riel Casimero vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux, bantamweights (for Casimero’s WBO title)
Aug. 28: David Benavidez vs. Jose Uzcategui, super middleweights.
Sept. 11: Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Nery/Figueroa winner, junior featherweights.
The Charlo brothers and Gervonta Davis highlight a slate of Showtime-PBC bouts announced Wednesday.
The Charlo brothers, Gervonta Davis and David Benavidez headline a slate of upcoming fights announced on Wednesday by Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions.
Jermall and Jermell Charlo will face Juan Montiel and Brian Castano in June and July, respectively. Davis will fight Mario Barrios in a 140-pound matchup in June. And Benavidez is scheduled to take on Jose Uzcategui in August.
Here’s the full line up, in chronological order:
May 15: Luis Nery vs. Brandon Figueroa, junior featherweights (for Nery’s WBC title).
May 29: Nordine Oubaali vs. Nonito Donaire, bantamweights (for Oubaali’s WBC title).
June 19: Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Montiel, middleweights (for Charlo’s WBC title).
June 26: Gervonta Davis vs. Mario Barrios, junior welterweights.
June 26: Erickson Lubin vs. Jeison Rosario, junior middleweights (on Davis-Barrios card).
July 3: Chris Colbert vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa, junior lightweights.
July 17: Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano, junior middleweights (for all four major titles)
Aug. 14: John Riel Casimero vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux, bantamweights (for Casimero’s WBO title)
Aug. 28: David Benavidez vs. Jose Uzcategui, super middleweights.
Sept. 11: Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Nery/Figueroa winner, junior featherweights.
Naoya Inoue broke down and ultimately stopped overmatched Jason Moloney on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Jason Moloney is good. Naoya Inoue is special. Thus, the result of their fight was no surprise.
Inoue methodically broke down the game, but overmatched Australian, put him down twice and ultimately stopped him with a second to go in Round 7 Saturday night inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
The Japanese phenom, who retained his bantamweight title, was coming off the toughest fight of his life: a unanimous decision over Nonito Donaire last November in which he had to fight through a broken orbital bone and a bad cut.
Inoue’s face held up perfectly and he never looked better.
“As you go through fight by fight, you learn things from the previous fight,” Inoue said through a translator. “Regarding that, I think I’m getting wiser and better.”
Jason Moloney couldn’t get to his feet after he went down in Round 7. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Moloney (21-2, 18 KOs) had won four consecutive fights since he lost a split decision to Emmanuel Rodriguez in his first title shot in 2018, including a seventh-round knockout of Leonardo Baez in July. He’s a capable fighter.
The problem is that Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) is otherworldly. He was faster, more powerful and ultimately just much better than his opponent on Saturday.
Inoue patiently picked Moloney apart with his stiff jab and well-timed power punches from the opening bell, gradually picking up his pace and causing more and more damage as the fight progressed. Moloney simply didn’t have answers for what Inoue threw at him.
Moloney went down for the first time about 30 seconds into Round 6, the result of a counter left hook. He wasn’t terribly hurt but went into survival mode to finish the round.
Inoue didn’t do much in Round 7, which gave the illusion that Moloney had rebounded ever so slightly. Then, in the final seconds, Inoue landed a counter straight right that put Moloney down again. He was on all fours as the referee counted. When he tried to get up onto just his knees, he toppled over.
That was that. The ref ended it there.
It was another day at the office, another KO for Naoya Inoue. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
“The final punch, the finishing punch, I’m very happy and satisfied with that punch,” Inoue said. “Moloney has a great defense, and it was difficult to get through. The two [knockdown] punches you mentioned are something we really practiced in Japan a lot.
“And I was able to perform well and use it, and I’m very happy with that.”
Inoue, No. 3 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, is the boogeyman of the 118-pound division but he has talented rivals at the weight. The best are fellow titleholders Nordine Oubaali and Johnriel Casimero, who Inoue was expected to face before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
Another option mentioned by Inoue is a rematch with Donaire.
“Those [fighters],” he said, “are in are in my sights as far as targets go.”
The problem for them is that they would also be in his sights in the ring. That never ends well.
***
In preliminary bouts, Mikael Mayer (14-0, 5 KOs) won a vacant junior lightweight title by easily outpointing previously unbeaten Ewa Broadnicka (19-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round bout.
And junior lightweight prospect Robson Conceicao (15-0, 7 KOs) survived a knockdown and two point deductions to defeat Luis Coria (12-4, 7 KOs) by a close unanimous decision.
Naoya Inoue broke down and ultimately stopped overmatched Jason Moloney on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Jason Moloney is good. Naoya Inoue is special. Thus, the result of their fight was no surprise.
Inoue methodically broke down the game, but overmatched Australian, put him down twice and ultimately stopped him with a second to go in Round 7 Saturday night inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
The Japanese phenom, who retained his bantamweight title, was coming off the toughest fight of his life: a unanimous decision over Nonito Donaire last November in which he had to fight through a broken orbital bone and a bad cut.
Inoue’s face held up perfectly and he never looked better.
“As you go through fight by fight, you learn things from the previous fight,” Inoue said through a translator. “Regarding that, I think I’m getting wiser and better.”
Jason Moloney couldn’t get to his feet after he went down in Round 7. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Moloney (21-2, 18 KOs) had won four consecutive fights since he lost a split decision to Emmanuel Rodriguez in his first title shot in 2018, including a seventh-round knockout of Leonardo Baez in July. He’s a capable fighter.
The problem is that Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) is otherworldly. He was faster, more powerful and ultimately just much better than his opponent on Saturday.
Inoue patiently picked Moloney apart with his stiff jab and well-timed power punches from the opening bell, gradually picking up his pace and causing more and more damage as the fight progressed. Moloney simply didn’t have answers for what Inoue threw at him.
Moloney went down for the first time about 30 seconds into Round 6, the result of a counter left hook. He wasn’t terribly hurt but went into survival mode to finish the round.
Inoue didn’t do much in Round 7, which gave the illusion that Moloney had rebounded ever so slightly. Then, in the final seconds, Inoue landed a counter straight right that put Moloney down again. He was on all fours as the referee counted. When he tried to get up onto just his knees, he toppled over.
That was that. The ref ended it there.
It was another day at the office, another KO for Naoya Inoue. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
“The final punch, the finishing punch, I’m very happy and satisfied with that punch,” Inoue said. “Moloney has a great defense, and it was difficult to get through. The two [knockdown] punches you mentioned are something we really practiced in Japan a lot.
“And I was able to perform well and use it, and I’m very happy with that.”
Inoue, No. 3 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, is the boogeyman of the 118-pound division but he has talented rivals at the weight. The best are fellow titleholders Nordine Oubaali and Johnriel Casimero, who Inoue was expected to face before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
Another option mentioned by Inoue is a rematch with Donaire.
“Those [fighters],” he said, “are in are in my sights as far as targets go.”
The problem for them is that they would also be in his sights in the ring. That never ends well.
***
In preliminary bouts, Mikael Mayer (14-0, 5 KOs) won a vacant junior lightweight title by easily outpointing previously unbeaten Ewa Broadnicka (19-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round bout.
And junior lightweight prospect Robson Conceicao (15-0, 7 KOs) survived a knockdown and two point deductions to defeat Luis Coria (12-4, 7 KOs) by a close unanimous decision.
Naoya Inoue is scheduled to defend his title against Jason Moloney on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Naoya “Monster” Inoue typically takes his opponents to hell but, to the surprise of many, he experienced a little of that himself in his most-recent fight.
The Japanese phenom had to fight through a painful storm to outpoint Nonito Donaire in their Fight of the Year war last November in Saitama, suffering a broken orbital bone, a broken nose and a bad cut yet emerging with a unanimous-decision victory.
Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) remained unbeaten and unified two 118-pound titles but seemed human for the first time.
He’s had almost a year to heal – without surgery — so he should be healthy when he returns to the ring Saturday inside the “bubble” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (ESPN).
“The Donaire fight was surely the toughest fight of my career,” Inoue told RingTV.com. “But it was also a fight where I gained a lot of experience. And that will make me a better fighter.”
Naoya Inoue (right) had to dig deep to get past Nonito Donaire in his most-recent fight. AP Photo / Toru Takahashi
Inoue was originally scheduled to face fellow titleholder Johnriel Casimero in April but that fight gave way to the coronavirus pandemic. The Filipino slugger accepted a fight with Duke Micah in September, which opened the door for Moloney (21-1, 18 KOs).
The Australian lost a split decision to then-bantamweight titleholder Emmanuel Rodriguez in October 2018 but has won three consecutive fights since, including an impressive seventh-round knockout of Leonard Baez in June at the MGM Grand.
“I think that everything happens for a reason, and that loss that I suffered against Rodriguez showed me how much I want this,” Moloney said. “I will not let myself lose again. On Saturday night, nothing will stop me, and I will become the best bantamweight in the world.”
Easier said than done. BetMGM has listed Inoue as an 8-1 underdog, which is no surprise given his track record and imposing combination of speed, ability and crushing power.
Moloney isn’t fazed.
“I know I can win this fight,” he said. “I don’t care if some people think that I can’t win this fight. I believe, and I know that I can win it. He has never faced a fighter as relentless as me. I’m going to take him to places he has never been before.
“I can’t wait. There has been a lot of talk about ‘The Monster’ coming to Las Vegas, but people haven’t seen what I can do inside those ropes.”
Inoue is fighting in the United States because he wants to become a global star on the level of Manny Pacquiao. To do that, he will have to go back to annihilating opponents.
He hasn’t used such a strong adjective to describe his work but he implied that he plans to look like the pre-Donaire “Monster” on Halloween.
“This past year, my injuries have healed very well,” Inoue said. “With COVID-19, it’s has been tough training, but it has been the same for everyone else. We still have to go out there and perform at a high level. I see [Moloney] as a high-level, all-around fighter.
“There are a lot of expectations, and I want to meet those expectations. I take those big expectations, and I use them as motivation and power to keep getting better with every fight.”
Naoya Inoue is scheduled to defend his title against Jason Moloney on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Naoya “Monster” Inoue typically takes his opponents to hell but, to the surprise of many, he experienced a little of that himself in his most-recent fight.
The Japanese phenom had to fight through a painful storm to outpoint Nonito Donaire in their Fight of the Year war last November in Saitama, suffering a broken orbital bone, a broken nose and a bad cut yet emerging with a unanimous-decision victory.
Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) remained unbeaten and unified two 118-pound titles but seemed human for the first time.
He’s had almost a year to heal – without surgery — so he should be healthy when he returns to the ring Saturday inside the “bubble” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (ESPN).
“The Donaire fight was surely the toughest fight of my career,” Inoue told RingTV.com. “But it was also a fight where I gained a lot of experience. And that will make me a better fighter.”
Naoya Inoue (right) had to dig deep to get past Nonito Donaire in his most-recent fight. AP Photo / Toru Takahashi
Inoue was originally scheduled to face fellow titleholder Johnriel Casimero in April but that fight gave way to the coronavirus pandemic. The Filipino slugger accepted a fight with Duke Micah in September, which opened the door for Moloney (21-1, 18 KOs).
The Australian lost a split decision to then-bantamweight titleholder Emmanuel Rodriguez in October 2018 but has won three consecutive fights since, including an impressive seventh-round knockout of Leonard Baez in June at the MGM Grand.
“I think that everything happens for a reason, and that loss that I suffered against Rodriguez showed me how much I want this,” Moloney said. “I will not let myself lose again. On Saturday night, nothing will stop me, and I will become the best bantamweight in the world.”
Easier said than done. BetMGM has listed Inoue as an 8-1 underdog, which is no surprise given his track record and imposing combination of speed, ability and crushing power.
Moloney isn’t fazed.
“I know I can win this fight,” he said. “I don’t care if some people think that I can’t win this fight. I believe, and I know that I can win it. He has never faced a fighter as relentless as me. I’m going to take him to places he has never been before.
“I can’t wait. There has been a lot of talk about ‘The Monster’ coming to Las Vegas, but people haven’t seen what I can do inside those ropes.”
Inoue is fighting in the United States because he wants to become a global star on the level of Manny Pacquiao. To do that, he will have to go back to annihilating opponents.
He hasn’t used such a strong adjective to describe his work but he implied that he plans to look like the pre-Donaire “Monster” on Halloween.
“This past year, my injuries have healed very well,” Inoue said. “With COVID-19, it’s has been tough training, but it has been the same for everyone else. We still have to go out there and perform at a high level. I see [Moloney] as a high-level, all-around fighter.
“There are a lot of expectations, and I want to meet those expectations. I take those big expectations, and I use them as motivation and power to keep getting better with every fight.”
Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions have unveiled nine cards over five months featuring some of the biggest names in the sport.
The stars are coming out on Showtime.
The premium network and Premier Boxing Champions have unveiled nine cards – including two pay-per-view events – over five months featuring some of the biggest names in the sport. The shows will take place without spectators at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The schedule features 18 undefeated fighters, nine world champions and eight world championship fights including one world title unification bout. PBC, with its large stable of fighters, reportedly has 20 bouts on the schedule. That includes 14 bouts in which Top 10-ranked fighters will face one another.
Jermall and Jermell Charlo will face Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Jeison Rosario, respectively, on the same pay-per-view show, and Gervonta Davis will fight Leo Santa Cruz on a separate pay-per-view card.
Others in action will include David Benavidez, Nonito Donaire, Sergey Lipinets and Chris Colbert.
“We are proud to announce the strongest and most comprehensive schedule of fights in all of boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, president of sports and event programming for Showtime Networks Inc. “Each bout on this schedule, our largest schedule announcement since 2018, carries high stakes and significant implications.
“From highly regarded prospects to emerging stars to established champions — all in tough matchups — this lineup delivers on our promise to provide boxing fans with the best talent, the most exciting fights and the highest quality presentation in the sport. We are thrilled to return to live boxing with this star-studded schedule of exciting, meaningful fights.”
The first card, on Aug. 1, features Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Angelo Leo for a vacant junior featherweight title.
The card featuring the Charlo brothers will be broken into two events (for the same price) on the same day.
Here are the featured fights on the Showtime schedule:
Aug. 1: Stephen Fulton Jr. (18-0, 8 KOs) vs. Angelo Leo (19-0, 9 KOs) for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title.
Aug. 15: David Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) vs. Roamer Alexis Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) for Benavidez’s WBC super middleweight title.
Sept. 26 (PPV): Jermall Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) for Charlo’s WBC middleweight title; Jermell Charlo (33-1, 17 KOs) vs. Jeison Rosaro (20-1-1, 14 KOs) in WBC, WBA, IBF junior middleweight unification; Brandon Figueroa vs. Damien Vasquez for Figueroa’s WBA junior featherweight title; Diego Magdaleno vs. Isaac Cruz, lightweights; Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Karl for Barrios’ WBA junior welterweight title.
Oct. 10: Sergey Lipinets (16-1, 12 KOs) vs. Kudratillo Abdukahorov (15-0, 8 KOs) for IBF interim welterweight title.
Oct. 24 (PPV): Gervonta Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) vs. Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) for Davis’ WBA lightweight title and Santa Cruz’s WBA junior lightweight title
Nov. 28: Chris Colbert (14-0, 5 KOs) vs. Jaime Arboleda (16-1, 13 KOs), junior lightweights.
Dec. 12: Nordine Oubaali (17-0, 12 KOs) vs. Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26 KOs) for Oubaali’s WBC bantamweight title.
Jessie Magdaleno, the former 122-pound titleholder, will face Miami-based Dominican Yenifel Vicente in a 10-rounder Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Next up: Jessie Magdaleno.
Boxing is back, as we saw Tuesday night when Shakur Stevenson knocked out Felix Caraballo in the sixth round in an empty MGM Grand ballroom in Las Vegas. Now it’s on to the second in Top Rank’s series of small cards, which takes place Thursday night on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
Magdaleno, the former junior featherweight titleholder, will face Miami-based Dominican Yenifel Vicente in a 10-rounder at a catch weight of 128 pounds. Magdaleno weighed in at 127.9 Monday, Vicente at 126.5.
Magdaleno (27-1, 18 KOs) was an accomplished amateur whose boxer-puncher style translated well to the professional ranks. He demonstrated that when he defeated Nonito Donaire by a wide decision to win his belt in November 2016.
The Las Vegan successfully defended once, stopping Adeilson Dos Santos, but then ran into trouble against a 5-foot-4 Ghanaian in April 2018. Isaac Dogboe put Magdaleno down three times and scored an 11th-round knockout to win the title.
Magdaleno bounced back with two victories at featherweight, where he figures to seek a second world title.
Vicente (36-4-2, 28 KOs) is a natural 122-pounder who is a fringe contender at best, which means we might see a fight that is as one-sided as Stevenson-Caraballo.
Here are the other fights on the card, including weights:
Adam Lopez (125.8) vs. Louie Coria (124.7), 10 rounds, featherweights; Eric Mondragon (133) vs. Mike Sanchez (132.3), four rounds, lightweights; and Gabriel Muratallo (118.3) vs. Fernando Robles (118), four rounds, bantamweights.
Lopez, based out of Glendale, California, was competitive with Oscar Valdez before he was stopped in seven rounds this past November.
Boxing Junkie takes a look at 28 active stars and gauges their chances of being elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The International Boxing Hall of Fame changed some of its rules before voting for its Class of 2020.
The retirement threshold was changed from five to three years, meaning a fighter had to be out of boxing for three years. And the number of inductees was no longer limited to three. A fourth or more could win election into the Hall if they’re on at least 80 percent of the ballots.
The result has been a glut of retired fighters who arguably have legitimate Hall of Fame credentials but are in competition with too many equal or more accomplished fighters.
For example, last year, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley were the top three vote getters. No one else was on at least 80 percent of the ballots. That left fighters like Tim Bradley, Carl Froch and Rafael Marquez, among other noteable candidates, out in the cold.
And with a new group of eligible fighters for 2021, they’re chances of induction dwindle.
With all that in mind, we selected 28 active fighters for whom we believe a case could made they belong in the Hall and tried to gauge their chances of earning the required votes to be inducted.
We break them down on a scale of 1-5, 5 meaning they are almost certain to be inducted and 1 the opposite.
5
Canelo Alvarez (left, against James Kirkland) could retire now and be elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Scott Halleran / Getty Images
Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) – Say what you want about whether he’s currently No. 1 pound-for-pound. The Mexican superstar has been willing to fight everyone – sometimes out of his natural weight class – and he’s lost to only one, Floyd Mayweather, the best fighter of his generation. And Alvarez is still in his prime. He already has Hall of Fame credentials as you read this. He’s only going to add to them from here on out.
Roman Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) – The former No. 1 pound-for-pounder dominated the lowest weight classes like few in modern history. The Nicaraguan not only won titles in four divisions, he did it dominating fashion: 41 knockouts in 49 victories. He hit a bump by losing twice to Srisasket Sor Rungvisai but bounced back to regain a title by stopping Kal Yafai, adding to his legacy at 32.
Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) – The only possible knock on the boxing wizard from Ukraine is a small sample of professional fights. However, the two-time Olympic champion has made the most of his 15 bouts, winning titles in three divisions and beating Gary Russell Jr., Roman Martinez, Nicholas Walters, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Jorge Linares and Luke Campbell. He also climbed to No. 1 on many pound-for-pound lists, which is a plus. And, 32, he’s still rolling.
Manny Pacquiao – Do we really need to discuss it? The Filipino icon has been at the top of the sport for two decades, building one of the richest resumes in modern history and providing countless thrills along the way. He went 6-2-1 against his great Mexican rivals Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez – all Hall of Famers – alone. The list of other notable victims is long. And, remarkably, he’s still going strong at 41.
Gennady Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) – His middleweight title run was spectacular even if he didn’t face many top-tier opponents. Few wanted to fight him for obvious reasons. Triple-G was champion for more than eight years, during which he had a remarkable streak of 23 consecutive knockouts. That’s crazy. Plus, most people think he beat Canelo Alvarez in their first fight. A victory (instead of a draw) would’ve added considerably to his legacy. All that makes Golovkin a near shoe-in.
***
4
Terence Crawford has passed the eye test many times but still lacks a defining victory on his record. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) – This is a tough one. On one hand, he has been so dominating that he has won titles in three divisions and reached the pinnacle of the sport as its No. 1 fighter on some pound-for-pound lists. On the other hand, what’s his defining victory? Yuriorkis Gamboa? Viktor Postol? Amir Khan? Ouch. Crawford simply doesn’t have the kind of victories that catch a voter’s eye. Of course, he’ll probably get in even if he never gets that special victory. And, at 32, he still has time to add to his legacy.
Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26 KOs) – Donaire probably clinched his induction with his performance against Naoya Inoue, the Japanese sensation who was pushed to the limit by the Filipino-American. Among Donarie’s credentials: titles in four divisions, huge puncher, spectacular victories over Vic Darchinyan (twice), Moruti Mthalane, Fernando Montiel and Jorge Arce, Fighter of the Year in 2012. Losses to Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nicholas Walters, Jessie Magdaleno and Carl Frampton don’t help but he has probably accomplished enough.
Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) – Fury might get elected if he decided to retire today. One, he’s a two-time heavyweight champion who has proved to be the best heavyweight since Wladimir Klitschko was in his prime. And, two, he has the kind of defining victories that get your attention: a dominating decision over Klitschko and a seventh-round KO of Deontay Wilder. He also has one of the better comeback stories in recent history, which doesn’t hurt. Why isn’t he a 5 here? He doesn’t have much beyond the Klitschko and Wilder victories. Another win over Wilder and one or two over Joshua would make him a legend.
Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) – Few fighters have reached his level of respect – which means a lot – but he probably needs more time. He has only 19 fights. Like Lomachenko, though, he’s crammed a lot into a relatively small sample. He’s already won titles in three divisions and has generally done it in spectacular fashion. Great athlete, great boxer, great power. He has it all. He didn’t look great against Donaire but he fought through injuries against a naturally bigger veteran to have his hand raised. That arguably added to his legacy.
Mikey Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) – Garcia didn’t do himself any favors by agreeing to fight Errol Spence Jr., who shut him out, but his willingness to challenge himself against a bigger man, especially one as talented as Spence, was laudable. A close look at Garcia’s resume reveals solid credentials: titles in four divisions, victories over the likes of Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Adrien Broner and Robert Easter. A title in a fifth division and a few more big victories could be enough to get him over the hump.
Okelsandr Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) – The gifted Ukrainian might get in regardless of how he fares as a heavyweight. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and was the best cruiserweight of his era, with victories over Krzysztof Glowacki, Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew. That’s impressive stuff. And who knows? He might succeed as a heavyweight. If he wins a title or even records some notable victories, that could clinch his election to the Hall of Fame. The fact he has relatively few fights could work against him.
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Juan Francisco Estrada (center) is still on top of his game and adding to his legacy. Dale de la Rey / AFP via Getty Images
Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) – Estrada is still building a Hall of Fame career. At the moment, he has titles in two divisions and has beaten Brian Viloria, Milan Melindo, Giovani Segura, Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (after losing to him earlier). And he gave a prime Roman Gonzalez problems in defeat. He probably hasn’t done enough to win election but, at 30, the Mexican remains at the top of his game. He could fight both Sor Rungvisai and Gonzalez again. Victories over those beasts and perhaps a few more could put him over the top.
Kazuto Ioka (25-2, 14 KOs) – Ioka is an under-the-radar candidate with solid Hall of Fame credentials. He has won titles in two divisions (four if count the ridiculous WBA “regular” title) and has beaten many of the best little men of his era, including Akira Yaegashi, Amnat Ruenroeng, Juan Carlos Reveco (twice) and McWilliams Arroyo. And, at 31, he currently holds a junior bantamweight title and could have more important victories in his future.
Anthony Joshua (23-1) – Joshua seemed to be on his way to first-ballot entry in the Hall of Fame when he ran into a chubby Mexican-American named Andy Ruiz Jr., who stopped him in seven rounds. Joshua bounced back to outpoint Ruiz in the rematch but he isn’t seen quite the same way after the initial setback. Joshua has victories over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin, which is impressive. And he’s only 30. If he faces Tyson Fury and beats him, people will forget all about the Ruiz debacle and he’ll march triumphantly into the Hall. Another Ruiz-like setback or a blowout loss to Fury could have the opposite effect.
Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) – Santa Cruz could be on his way but he has more work to do. He has won titles in three divisions, beating the likes of Eric Morel, Viktor Terrazas, Abner Mares (twice) and Carl Frampton (after losing their first fight) along the way. He needs to do more than that, though. A title in another division and a victory or two over potential opponents like Gervonta Davis and Gary Russell Jr. could put him over the top.
Guillermo Rigondeux (20-1, 13 KOs) – Laszlo Papp was a great amateur fighter who didn’t have a great pro career. Still, he’s in the Hall of Fame. That bodes well for Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic champion. And the sublimely gifted Cuban has had a good pro career. He’s a former junior featherweight titleholder with victories over the likes of Nonito Donaire and Joseph Agbeko. He was KO’d by Vasiliy Lomachenko but should be applauded for moving up in weight to face such an opponent. Rigo might need one or two more notable wins to get in. He’s 39.
Errol Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs) –Spence is a Hall of Famer in the making. He has been a welterweight titleholder for three years, has victories over Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia and Shawn Porter, and has climbed onto pound-for-pound lists. Yet, even at 30, his best might be yet to come if he has fully recovered from his car accident in October. He could prove to be a 4 or 5 here in the coming years.
Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) – Another tough one. On one hand, he was undefeated the first 11-plus years of his career, reigned as heavyweight champion for more than five years and knocked out all but one of men he faced. That was a special run. On the other hand, his skill set has always been questioned and the knockout loss to Tyson Fury looked bad, as if Wilder’s limitations were finally exposed. Consider this, though: It took a special heavyweight to do it. And, of course, he’s not finished. He can still add to legacy. The feeling here is that he will get into the Hall.
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Danny Garcia (coming off a victory over Ivan Redkach, right) is a borderline Hall of Famer but still young enough to improve his credentials. AP Photo / Frank Franklin II
Danny Garcia – The two-division titleholder is just a few points away from a 40-0 record and no-brainer Hall of Fame status but, in fact, he lost close decisions to Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. And his fate remains up in the air. He had an underappreciated run early in his career. He beat, in order, Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Morales again, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Mauricio Herrera, Rod Salka, Lamont Peterson, Pauli Malignaggi and Robert Guerrero. Who does that? And he’s not finished. If he can win a few more big fights, maybe regain a belt, he could get in.
Erislandy Lara (26-3-3, 15 KOs) – The ability is there. The resume might not be, in part because of bad luck. The one-time amateur star from Cuba has some impressive victories – Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, Ishe Smith, Vanes Martirosyan and Terrell Gausha. His setbacks are more notable – Paul Williams (MD), Canelo Alvarez (SD), Jarrett Hurd (SD). Here’s the thing, though: Lara arguably did enough to win all three of those fights. Imagine what impact victories over Williams and Alvarez would’ve had on his legacy. As it is, Lara is a borderline Hall of Famer at best.
Jean Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) – Pascal probably had little chance of election to the Hall going into 2019. He had had mixed results in recent fights and was approaching his late 30s. Then, last year, he beat Marcus Browne and Badou Jack. Add those late-career victories to wins over Chad Dawson and Lucian Bute, as well as a draw and close loss to Bernard Hopkins, and one could argue Pascal deserves consideration. Losses to Sergey Kovalev (twice), Eleider Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol don’t help his cause. Maybe he needs one or two more significant wins to get in. He better work fast. He’s 37.
Gary Russell Jr. (31-1, 18 KOs) – Russell has Hall of Fame ability but perhaps not the resume. He is currently one of the longest reigning titleholders – having been a titleholder for five years – and has some memorable victories, including those over Jhonny Gonzalez, Oscar Escandon, Joseph Diaz Jr., Kiko Martinez and, most recently, Tugstsogt Nyambayar. On the downside, he has been more inactive than most champions and still doesn’t have a defining victory. Russell, 31, is still near the top of his game. He needs to make the most of his ability while he can.
Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) – Thurman has a strong record, with a long reign as a welterweight titleholder and victories over Diego Chaves, Julio Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Luis Collazo, Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. Those are solid credentials. The problem is that Thurman has struggled with injuries the past several years, had a so-so performance in a victory over Josesito Lopez in a comeback fight and then lost to 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao. Whether he can return to full health and win more big fights could determine his fate.
Shawn Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs) – Porter is roughly in the same class as rivals Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. He has been a major player for about a decade, is a two-time welterweight titleholder and has collected a number of important wins, including those over Julio Diaz, Devon Alexander, Paulie Malignaggi, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Garcia and Yordenis Ugas. And he’s never been blown out. He could’ve had his hand raised in his losses to Kell Brook, Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. His setback against Spence in a wild fight certainly didn’t hurt his legacy.
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Sergey Kovalev has had some fine performances but might not have the resume to enter the Hall of Fame. AP Photo / Anton Basanaev
Sergey Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) – The best we can say here is that “Krusher” is probably underappreciated. He has some notable victories – Bernard Hopkins and Pascal (twice), for example. And some people thought he beat Andre Ward in their first fight, which will work in his favor. He also was high on pound-for-pound lists. Things went downhill beginning with the second Ward fight, in which he was stopped. He was KO’d by Eleider Alvarez, although he won the rematch. And Canelo Alvarez took him out. He’s borderline in the old system. In the new one, he could miss out.
Abner Mares (31-3-1, 15 KOs) – Mares probably has better credentials than some might think. He’s won titles in three divisions and has beaten such fighters as Vic Darchinyan, Joseph Agbeko (twice), Eric Morel, Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce de Leon. That’s a nice run. He also was stopped in one round by Jhonny Gonzalez and has two losses against Leo Santa Cruz. Mares is probably on the outside looking in at the moment. And recent comments by him seem to indicate that he won’t be around much longer.
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (47-5-1, 41 KOs) – The two-time junior bantamweight titleholder is an interesting case. He has two huge victories over Roman Gonzalez, the second a brutal knockout. He’ll probably be remembered for those fights. And he is 1-1 against Juan Francisco Estrada. His knockout percentage also is eye-catching. That said, he has relatively few important victories compared to some of his contemporaries. And some believe Sor Rungvisai caught Gonzalez on the decline. At 33, he has more in the tank and some big fights ahead of him. Perhaps two or three more notable victories will win over voters.
Moruti Mthalane (39-2, 26 KOs) – One of the best African fighters of his era has had two reigns as flyweight champ that total around six years, which is impressive. He also has wins over Zolani Tete, John Riel Casimero and, in his last fight, Akira Yaegashi in defense of his 112-pound title. Has he done enough? He’s borderline at best. He’d have to extend his reign and record one or two more big victories to have a chance. He’s 37.
