NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

There are plenty of potential classics in the offing for fight fans this year

1. ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. DEONTAY WILDER

Joshua vs. Wilder is the big one for all the heavyweight belts and probably should have happened in 2018. If both remain unbeaten and it still doesn’t take place in 2019, someone needs to be held accountable.

2. ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. TYSON FURY

Joshua will carry most of the belts, Fury will claim to be the lineal champion, and it will be a hell of a spectacle.

3. TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. ERROL SPENCE

Crawford has been a world titlist at lightweight, superlightweight and now welterweight, while Spence, the IBF ruler at 147 pounds, is gearing up for a defence against Mikey Garcia. Crawford might be the best boxer in the sport and Spence, the younger man, isn’t far behind.

4. VASYL LOMACHENKO VS MIKEY GARCIA

IBF and WBC lightweight boss Garcia fights Spence at welterweight in March but should, in an ideal world, be fighting Lomachenko, the WBA and WBO champion, at lightweight. It would be a battle of technical wizards and it will be a travesty if it never happens.

5. NAOYA INOUE VS. SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI

Thailand’s Srisaket is the boss at super-flyweight right now and Japan’s Inoue, a former light-fly and super-fly champion, is the most terrifying bantam on the planet.

6. GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. JERMALL CHARLO

Golovkin needs a new opponent at middleweight and Charlo could fit the bill. Not only that, Charlo, all potential right now, could do with a breakout fight to help make him a star in America.

7. DEONTAY WILDER VS. TYSON FURY II

Their December fight ended in a controversial draw and left fans unsure whether to crown Fury the ‘People’s Champion’ or praise Wilder for salvaging something when seemingly on the brink of defeat.

8. JARRETT HURD VS. JERMELL CHARLO

Charlo, the WBC super-welterweight champion, and Hurd, the IBF and WBA boss, are a couple of exciting Americans whose profiles need a boost in 2019. What better way to achieve this than by fighting each other?

9. CALLUM SMITH VS. CANELO ALVAREZ

No, Alvarez isn’t a natural super-middleweight, but he has the WBA’S secondary strap. Smith, meanwhile, is the proper WBA champ at 12-stone and would presumably love the chance to avenge his brother Liam’s loss to Canelo in 2016.

10. JOSH TAYLOR VS. JORGE LINARES

Scotland’s Taylor might be the most promising fighter in the UK currently, while Linares remains good enough to compete at an elite level.