MOST KOV’ETED
I ’LL check the box next to Sergey Kovalev when I fill out my ballot for the Boxing Writers Association of America Sugar Ray Robinson award for Fighter of the Year. In many ways, 2014 was moving day in boxing, a year when prospects such as Kovalev, Terence Crawford, and Gennady Golovkin put themselves on the cusp of superstardom.
Each of them has been named the Fighter of the Year in various boxing forums, acknowledging their breakout years. The hardpunching Kovalev gets my vote because the Russian won his third fight of the year with a dominating performance over Philadelphia hero Bernard Hopkins in November at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Hopkins might be turning 50, but Kovalev established himself as the future of boxing by outboxing, outfoxing and eventually overpowering the future Hall of Famer en route to a onesided decision. Knockout victories this year over two previously unbeaten opponents helped Kovalev improve to an impressive 260 with 23 knockouts. He now owns the WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles.
Crawford and Golovkin also would be worthy choices. Crawford established himself as the top lightweight in the sport, while Golovkin now stands as the linear middleweight champion. Crawford (250, 17 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., scored an impressive ninthround TKO victory over Yuriorkis Gamboa in June, and followed with a unanimous decision over rugged Raymundo Beltran in November. Golovkin (310, 28 KOs), of Kazakhstan, won all three of his fights by knockout, including a thirdround stoppage of Daniel Geale of Australia in July at the Garden.
But what 2014 lacked was at least one signature fight that captivated the sporting public, a problem that would be rectified if Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao meet in 2015. The emergence of Kovalev, Crawford and Golovkin has been good for the sport. HopkinsKovalev was the secondhighest rated bout on HBO. Crawford twice performed to sellout crowds in Omaha, and the popular Golovkin played the big room at the Garden and packed the house in Carson, Calif.
Yet, there were only a handful of fights this year that generated national interest. The sport’s top two attractions made money, but didn’t add to their legacies. Mayweather fought Marcos Maidana in two underwhelming fights, while Pacquiao avenged a controversial loss to Timothy Bradley before dominating the Long Island longshot Chris Algieri in November.
Other veterans remained noteworthy. Miguel Cotto captured the WBC middleweight title by upsetting Sergio Martinez in June at the Garden. Saul Canelo Alvarez enjoyed wins over Alfredo Angulo and Erislandy Lara. Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko continued his dominance of the division with two knockout wins in Germany.
But there were too many fights in which one fighter, such as Mayweather, was viewed a heavy fa vorite going in. Mayweather was never in real trouble in either of his fights with Maidana. It was the same with Pacquiao against Bradley and Algieri or Golovkin against his three opponents. CrawfordGamboa was the best fight of the year, but who knew outside of hardcore boxing fans?
The sport could continue on this path in 2015, filling dates with noncompelling bouts that turn out onesided or poorly judged. But it needs a MayweatherPacquiao bout to move into the daily conversation. That megabout is being negotiated and discussed, though nothing is certain yet. Any chance of them meeting in May would have to be settled by early January to allow enough time for a proper promotion.
Other bouts I would like to see in 2015: Bermane Stiverne vs. Deontay Wilder for WBC heavyweight title on Jan. 17 in Las Vegas; Wladimir Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings for every other heavyweight title April 25 at Barclays Center. Plus: Alvarez vs. Cotto; Peter Quillin vs. Danny Jacobs; Kovalev vs. Adonis Stevenson; and Crawford vs. Omar Figueroa in a battle of top lightweights.