The new year is finally with us. For most, the opening stages of 2019 will be spent trying to right the wrongs of 2018. From diets, gym subscriptions, and a bandwagon-hopping shot at Dry January, the common folk among us will be concentrating on shedding those extra pounds gained over the Christmas holidays.
For the men on this list, however, four will be aiming to be recognized as the best boxer on earth while one will be geared up to hold on to that top spot.
2018 saw some incredible action inside the ring. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin threw down for the second time in a year in September, with the decision going in favor of the Mexican (albeit in highly controversial circumstances).
Tyson Fury was also denied an unbelievable fairytale comeback against Deontay Wilder, while Oleksandr Usyk wowed everyone in the boxing community.
British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua fought twice – against Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin – but once again managed to avoid Wilder.
Elsewhere, light welterweight kingpin Mikey Garcia earned a shot at welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., and the ultra-impressive Terence Crawford also moved up to 147-pounds having cleared out the 140-pound division.
With such an incredible year of boxing ahead of us in 2019, it is anyone’s guess as to who will remain the dominant fighters in December.
As with most things in boxing, a single punch can change the status quo. Throw in three judges who seemingly don’t know what they are doing and it is even harder to predict who will be in possession of the belts this time next year.
So, without further ado, here are the five best fighters in the world as of January 2019.
Although it pains me to say it, “GGG” is showing signs of age. While he arguably beat Canelo in both fights in 2017 and 2018 – only to end up with a draw and a loss for his troubles – he is now 36 years old and approaching the end of his career.
It is somewhat tragic that Golovkin wasn’t a bigger name among the pay-per-view buying boxing public around the world as he was one of the most explosive talents in decades.
Golovkin’s current record stands at 38-1-1, with 34 knockouts. The one draw and one loss, as previously pointed out, came against Alvarez.
It is a bitter pill to swallow for the Kazakh sensation, given that many in the boxing community believe he won both fights. The only time that the 36-year-old has ever been in any trouble in the ring prior to this bout was against the standout middleweight, Daniel Jacobs, in 2017. Ironically, some had claimed that Jacobs should have deserved the win on that night.
With a trilogy fight against Canelo seemingly the only bout in the crosshairs for Golovkin, there is a chance that we could see him avenge that loss in 2019.
That being said, he is past his prime and there is an argument that – with one draw and one victory making up the results of the two bouts between them – there is no real demand for getting it on the third time. Of course, tell that to GGG and his legion of fans.
While it would be nothing less than a tragedy to see Golovkin exit the boxing game without a big send-off, fans are realistic that his days are numbered. Regardless, for now, he is – at very least – the 5th best boxer on the planet.
Pretty impressive considering the middleweight knockout artist has been a pro since May 2006. With many Pacquiao still going strong at age 40, many will point out that Golovkin is far from done yet.
There is no doubt that a trilogy bout with Canelo is the fight Golovkin wants. At very least, he will be absolutely focused on becoming a champion again.
According to reports, GGG is negotiating a new broadcast deal, so it is likely we will see him fight at some point in 2019. Whether this is against the Mexican superstar, a rematch with Daniel Jacobs, or another opponent altogether, is unknown for now.
You can say what you want about Canelo but there is no question who the biggest global star of boxing is. In Mexico, Alvarez is an absolute icon and is the closest thing to a pay-per-view superstar that the sport has following the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Although he has attracted controversy in his career to date, he is certainly a very skilled fighter and one worthy of the frequent plaudits he has grown accustomed to receiving.
The two bouts against Golovkin may have been a little “iffy” in terms of the scoring, but the fact remains that he came out of the two bouts with a win and a draw.
Against GGG, a fighter that a large portion of the boxing fanbase and pundits thought would walk through him. In both fights, he demonstrated a very seasoned fight IQ, as well as power, great defense, and some good footwork.
It is incredible to think Canelo is just 28 years old, given that it feels as though he has been around forever. In fact, despite being 8 years younger than his rival Golovkin, Canelo went pro the year before the Kazakh graduated from the amateurs, at just 15 years old.
Since then, he has amassed an impressive resume with victories over the likes of GGG, Shane Mosley, Austin Trout, Miguel Cotto, Erislandy Lara, and Amir Khan.
Having signed the biggest ever broadcast deal with DAZN in 2018, Canelo will be one of the wealthiest boxers of all time when he has satisfied all fights.
Having blitzed through Britain’s Rocky Fielding in December, fans will be hoping that the flame-haired Mexican returns to middleweight to settle the score with the biggest challengers in his division in 2019.
There is certainly an audience prepared to pay big money for a third fight with Golovkin, but will Canelo grant his rival another shot? It is difficult to say.
Aside from the aforementioned trilogy bout, a fight with Daniel Jacobs, the IBF middleweight champion, could be on the cards. This is, after GGG, the biggest fight in the division.
If Canelo fails to fight either this year – something that could very easily happen – fans will not be pleased.
What a year 2018 was for Oleksandr Usyk. The reigning, undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world won the Muhammad Ali Trophy following his World Boxing Super Series victory.
His victories over Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev preceded a career-ending knockout of Tony Bellew to cap off the perfect 12 months. Recently, Usyk was voted as The Ring, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN Fighter of the Year of 2018 Usyk became just the fifth fighter ever to hold the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles, all within just 15 pro fights.
Having won an Olympic Gold Medal at heavyweight in 2012, Usyk went pro the following year and clearly made the right decision. The Ukrainian has simply been unstoppable and deserves everything that has come his way. At just 31-years-old, “The Cat” still has a lot of life left in him.
Having cleared out his division, it is safe to say that Usyk has some questions to answer regarding his future. As previously mentioned, he fought at heavyweight as an amateur and rumors are that he is considering moving up.
The big money is undoubtedly at heavyweight, with fighters like Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, Dillion Whyte, Alexander Povetkin, and Luis Ortiz packing out the division.
Usyk will have plenty of opportunities to test himself at heavyweight, and could even land a huge money-spinning bout with the division’s cash cow, Joshua, should he move up. It is all up to the standout fighter of the year as to what he wishes to do.
If he does move up, following other cruiserweight-to-heavyweight converts like Evander Holyfield, Michael Spinks, and David Haye, his presence will be more than welcomed by fans.
On a personal level, I would love to see Usyk go up and challenge at heavyweight. If he can put a good run together, he will undoubtedly find himself in the mix for a shot at one of the titles and with that will come greater fame and fortune.
Although he will be small compared to some of the larger of the bunch at heavyweight, he has incredible skill, speed, power and an excellent fight IQ that makes him a good bet for winning a title in that division.
There is no better boxer in America than Terence Crawford and there are some who even believe he is the best boxer, pound-for-pound, in the world.
It is hard to argue with the fact that Crawford has been dominant in his career thus far. Having beaten every challenger that has been put in front of him in 34 fights, “Bud” looks set to take the next step in his career towards serious legacy building fights.
Having made light work of the 140-pound division, the former undisputed champion decided to move up to welterweight in the summer.
A win over Jeff Horn earned him the WBO title, which he defended against Jose Benavidez Jr. in October. According to reports, former light-welterweight champion, Amir Khan, is next in line for a shot at the man that has simply looked unbeatable whenever he has stepped into the ring.
Crawford has everything the modern boxer should have: speed, power, footwork, defensive prowess, an excellent fight IQ, and the ability to fight in either stance.
Having turned professional in 2008, Crawford has gone on to establish himself as one of the most solid and impressive fighters on the planet. At 31-years-old, the Omaha-native still has plenty of time to add to his impressive resume.
Terence Crawford is a fighter that the whole U.S. can get behind. His classic style and exceptional confidence under pressure make him an ideal blueprint to follow for younger fighters aiming to make it as a professional. He is a very likable fighter and a dedicated family man outside of the ring.
However, it is between the ropes where we see the true greatness of the Nebraskan welterweight.
As previously mentioned, Crawford looks set to face Amir Khan in April. This would certainly be a good matchup for both men, with their styles certainly promising to make a good fight.
Providing he gets past Khan – and the way is not blocked by disputes between promoters – I would love to see Crawford test himself against the winner of Errol Spence Jr. and Mikey Garcia. Aside from Spence/Garcia, there are tons of fights to be made at welterweight.
Vasyl Lomachenko is, hands down, one of the greatest fighters of all time. For us to have the privilege of watching “Loma” in this era is something that many fans take for granted.
The Ukrainian’s skillset is off the charts and he is, quite simply, the most technically gifted fighter on the planet. Having won a world title in just his third bout, the two-time Olympic gold medalist has gone on to become a three-weight world champion in just 12 bouts.
Lomachenko’s amateur career was certainly remarkable, given that he won 396 bouts out of 397. It was always on the cards that the exceptionally-gifted lightweight champion would go on to set records and create a wildly impressive resume.
One of my favorite stats about Lomachenko is that he forced four opponents to retire in a row, including the previously unbeaten great, Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Watching “The Matrix” in action is more often than not a spellbinding exercise in technical supremacy. The angles Lomachenko hits from, his speed, defensive acumen, power, combinations, and everything in between, are often too much for his opponents to deal with.
He is, in all manners of the word, a genius inside the ropes and will forever be remembered as being one of the best.
With a bout set (but no opponent confirmed) for April 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Lomachenko will get another chance to entertain the boxing masses.
Although he won his last bout against Jose Pedraza by unanimous decision, he was still criticized for not performing good enough. Only Lomachenko can get criticized in such a way, given his talents are simply off the charts.
The winner of Richard Commey vs. Isa Chaniev looks like the next opponent for the Ukrainian legend. After that, Loma could campaign for a fight against fellow Top Rank fighter, Mikey Garcia.
It is hard to tell what Lomachenko’s plans are for the future, but if he clears out the lightweight division, he could be tempted to move up to 140-pounds. The world is very much Vasyl Lomachenko’s lobster. He is, simply put, the best fighter in the world right now.
As boxing fans, we are lucky to be spectators in an era where there is genuine world class quality in almost every weight division. In 2019, we will possibly see these quality fighters embark on bigger and better challenges, too.
Whatever way you look at it, the year ahead will be action-packed and hopefully one that will go down in the record books for a number of reasons.
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