The coronavirus pandemic has brought the boxing world to a halt. Nearly all events worldwide are off through at least early May, and more cancellations and postponements are expected to be announced in the coming days.
So for a year-round sport that never has an offseason, this is a first. During this lull in the action, let’s check in on the lightweight and junior lightweight divisions and see where things stand.
Lightweight
What’s the biggest question you have about this division?
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Teofimo Lopez says he won’t allow a natural featherweight in Vasiliy Lomachenko defeat him come fight time.
Perhaps the biggest fight that can be made in the 135-pound weight class is a title unification bout between pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko and rising star Teofimo Lopez Jr. Top Rank has the fight on the drawing board, but will it actually happen, and when? Lomachenko was ringside in December when Lopez knocked out Richard Commey to take his title, and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said the Lomachenko fight would be next. He even floated a date of May 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York. That all sounded great, but that date was never set and no deal had been made with either camp, with sources telling ESPN as recently as a couple of weeks ago that no financial offer had been made yet to either side. Furthermore, according to multiple sources, Madison Square Garden officials, who want the fight, had not been able to get Top Rank to commit to the date. Then the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the sport. When boxing does resume, Top Rank will have to find a date and a location to bring the fight to fruition.
Who is the star? Who is his biggest competitor?
Lomachenko and Lopez both have fan bases. They are the best in the division, but the biggest star is probably secondary titlist Gervonta Davis, who has proven to be a strong attraction as he’s drawn big crowds in his hometown of Baltimore, as well as Atlanta, Los Angeles and London. Davis, a former two-time junior lightweight titlist, moved up to lightweight to beat Yuriorkis Gamboa in December, and his biggest competitor at lightweight is not exactly clear, although he is likely to next face fellow Premier Boxing Champions fighter and junior lightweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz on pay-per-view.
Who is a potential dark horse?
The division boasts some exceptional talent in former titlist Devin Haney, who was stripped due to an injury, and star prospect Ryan Garcia, so they cannot be viewed as dark horses. So I will go with Australian up-and-comer George Kambosos Jr. (18-0, 10 KOs), who gained some attention for being Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner and recently scored his biggest win when he dropped and outpointed former world titleholder Mickey Bey in a title elimination bout in December. It put Kambosos in position to face former featherweight world titlist Lee Selby for the right to become the mandatory challenger for Teofimo Lopez Jr.’s belt. Kambosos-Selby was set for May 9 but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
What fight do you want to see next in the division?
There has been some trash talk between Haney and Garcia. I absolutely love that fight and hope it can happen — even though it seems massively unlikely that their teams would take that gamble so soon in their careers. So instead I will go with the fight that is on the table and is a big one — Lomachenko-Lopez. It is a fantastic match between the pound-for-pound king Lomachenko, who has no weaknesses in his game whatsoever except perhaps that he is beginning to show at least a slight bit of age and he has had a few injuries, and Lopez, who is one of the most electrifying young fighters the sport has seen in a long time.
Junior lightweight
What’s the biggest question you have about this division?
Is Joseph Diaz Jr. for a real at 130 pounds or a short-term titleholder? The 2012 U.S. Olympian has fought most of his career at featherweight, where he notched solid wins against opponents such as Rene Alvarado and Andrew Cancio — both of whom later won junior lightweight world titles. When Diaz got a featherweight world title shot against Gary Russell Jr. in 2018, he had a few decent moments but lost a clear decision. Diaz moved up to junior lightweight in 2019 and defeated a series of lesser opponents before getting a shot at world titleholder Tevin Farmer on Jan. 30. Diaz was a heavy underdog but turned in the fight of his life to score the upset decision over Farmer. Is Diaz that good at 130 or was it more of an off night by Farmer, who was so highly regarded?
Who is the star? Who is his biggest competitor?
Leo Santa Cruz, who has won world titles in four divisions from bantamweight to junior lightweight, is by far the biggest name in the weight class even though he is new to 130 pounds. He is a popular fighter who has been boxing on high-profile cards and also been a headliner for several years. He joined the junior lightweight division in November and easily outpointed Miguel Flores to win a vacant title. His biggest competitor, however, is currently one division north at lightweight in titleholder Gervonta Davis, a former two-time junior lightweight titlist who moved up to lightweight in December. Premier Boxing Champions is planning to match Santa Cruz and Davis in a pay-per-view main event at a weight to be determined.
Who is a potential dark horse?
Contender Lamont Roach Jr. does not get much hype and does not make the most exciting fights. However, he is a talented boxer and although he is coming off the first loss of his career in a competitive decision against world titlist Jamel Herring in November, Roach still figures in the picture. He may not have won his first crack at a title, but it would not shock me at all if he gets another one down the road and wins it.
What fight do you want to see next in the division?
World titlist Miguel Berchelt is No. 1 in the division and has a mandatory defense due against undefeated former featherweight titlist Oscar Valdez, who moved up in weight in November. They are both promoted by Top Rank, it is a fight the company has in the works, and it is a can’t-miss battle between Mexican warriors. Both fighters are on record saying it’s a showdown they embrace and Berchelt has said he believes it will be this era’s Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales rivalry. Those two Mexican legends, of course, waged one of boxing’s all-time great trilogies. If Berchelt-Valdez is half as good as any of the Barrera-Morales fights, we are in for a real treat.