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.
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 welterweight and junior welterweight divisions to see where things stand.
Welterweight
What’s the biggest question you have about this division?
Errol Spence Jr. knocked out Kell Brook to claim a world title in 2017, and four defenses have followed. Spence defeated Mikey Garcia by shutout decision in March 2019 and won a split decision over Shawn Porter to unify two belts in September in a fight of the year contender. That version of Spence is universally regarded as one of the best fighters in the world, pound-for-pound. But in October, a few weeks after beating Porter, Spence was involved in a horrific one-car accident in which he flipped his Ferrari at a high rate of speed — an accident for which he faces a DUI charge. He is lucky to be alive, but it remains to be seen what, if anything, the accident has taken out of Spence. Will he be the same fighter when he returns? Nobody will know until we see him in the ring.
Who is the star? Who is the biggest competitor?
Welterweight is the most star-studded and talented division in boxing, with big names including Spence, Porter, Manny Pacquiao, Terence Crawford, Mikey Garcia, Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. But when it comes to star power, there is nobody bigger than the great Pacquiao. The all-time legend, who has won world titles in a record eight weight classes, has continued to fight at a high level, as evidenced by his tremendous performance in a decision win over Thurman in their world title bout in July. Pacquiao is one of the biggest stars in boxing history. At 41, he is really of another era, compared to the younger group of top fighters who populate the division, so there isn’t necessarily a natural rival for him. The one opponent who seems to be most on Pacquiao’s radar is Mikey Garcia, and that would be a very big fight. Pacquiao’s team has said they are interested, and Garcia has also said it’s a fight he wants.
Who is a potential dark horse?
Jamal James (26-1, 12 KOs) does not get a lot of hype — except in his hometown of Minneapolis, where he is a big draw. He is not particularly outspoken or exciting in the ring, but James is a grinder, capable of hanging in there with anyone. Since he dropped a 10-round decision to contender Yordenis Ugas in 2016, James has put together a solid, six-fight winning streak with wins against reputable opponents such as Diego Chaves, Jo Jo Dan, Abel Ramos, Janer Gonzalez and Antonio DeMarco. James was due to fight Thomas Dulorme for a vacant interim title on April 11, but the bout was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
What fight do you want to see next in the division?
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Backstage at the Hooker-Saucedo fight, Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. get into an argument that ends with Crawford saying he could knock out Spence.
This is an easy question to answer: Spence against Crawford to unify their world titles. They are both unbeaten, both make good fights, both are in their prime, and both are among the best in the world, pound-for-pound. This is one of the most significant fights that could be made in boxing and one fans have been clamoring to see. Both fighters have said over and over that they are interested. Now we just need to get Crawford promoter Top Rank and Spence representative Premier Boxing Champions to work together on what would have to be a joint pay-per-view. There is a glimmer of hope because the rival outfits were able to seamlessly work together with little issue on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder heavyweight championship rematch in February.
Junior welterweight
What’s the biggest question you have about this division?
Who is the best in the world at 140 pounds? We are down to the clear top two, in whichever order you want to put them, and that is Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor, each of whom owns two world titles. Ramirez unified two belts in July by knocking out Maurice Hooker in Hooker’s hometown, and Taylor unified a pair of titles by edging Regis Prograis by majority decision in a fantastic fight in the World Boxing Super Series final in October. Earlier this year, Taylor signed with Top Rank, which has promoted Ramirez for his entire career. There’s a great chance that we will find out just who is No. 1 because Top Rank has said it plans to match them to determine the undisputed champion after each fighter deals with a mandatory defense first.
Who is the star? Who is the biggest competitor?
Ramirez is the biggest star, with Taylor slightly behind him. Even before Ramirez won a world title, he was a beloved figure in California’s Central Valley for his exploits in the ring and his community service outside of it. He regularly draws big crowds to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Taylor has also drawn crowds in his home country of Scotland. They are each other’s biggest competitor, and a fight between them looms sooner than later.
Who is a potential dark horse?
Prograis and Hooker lost their titles to Taylor and Ramirez, respectively, but both are still very much in the picture and warrant attention. They were due to fight each other on April 17 in a crossroads battle, but the fight was postponed due to the coronavirus. The winner of that eventual excellent matchup should be right back in the hunt for a title if he opts to remain at 140 pounds, instead of moving up to 147 as each has contemplated.
What fight do you want to see next in the division?
There is no question that it is Ramirez-Taylor. That fight is easily the best and most significant one in the weight class, and if they win their interim bouts — Ramirez against former titlist Viktor Postol and Taylor against Apinun Khongsong — we are likely to see this fight if Top Rank keeps its word. A close second is the Prograis-Hooker showdown.