With boxing enjoying a resurgence, fans are making up wish lists for bouts they’d like to see take place sooner rather than later. But even though the sport’s popularity is growing, there’s still a problem of too many world champions. Most fans would like to see just one champion in each weight division rather than three or four of them.
To achieve this, boxing needs to unify the titles by having the champions square off against each other. While that’s possible in some cases and would lead to some great matchups, there are also some other excellent possibilities between non-champions and those boxers moving up or down in weight. These are 10 great fights we’d like to see either sometime this year or in 2018 at the latest.
10. Vasyl Lomachenko vs Orlando Salido
WBO Super Featherweight Champion Vasyl Lomachenko (8-1, 6Ko’s) of Ukraine tops many pound-for-pound lists as the former two-time Olympic and World Amateur Champion has adapted extremely well to the pro game. There is one blemish on the 29-year-old’s record though and that’s a split decision loss to Mexico’s Orlando Salido (44-13-4, 31Ko’s) in March, 2014. The former featherweight and Jr. lightweight champion edged the young southpaw by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 113-115. Lomachenko was trying to win a world title in just his second pro fight against Salido and it was a controversial battle. The Mexican came in over the 126 lb. weight limit seemingly on purpose and gave up the title by doing so. This meant Lomachenko could still win the belt, but failed to do so when Salido landed numerous low blows throughout the contest and rehydrated to 147 lbs. while Lomachenko entered the ring at 136 lbs. A rematch with the 36-year-old Salido would enable Lomachenko to avenge his only pro defeat.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eC4LF4IHes8/maxresdefault.jpg Source: You Tube