Updated September 21, 2011
Boxing fans have every right to be demanding ... but have grown accustomed to being disappointed by the sport they love. For several years now, fight fans have had two primary complaints:
1. The two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world - Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. - are avoiding each other (blame whoever you want, the bottom line remains there's no superfight on the horizon).
2. The heavyweight division lacks depth and is painfully boring.
Unfortunately, neither of the above seems likely to be resolved anytime soon. Nevertheless, the sport still offers plenty to look forward to with numerous intriguing fights on the upcoming schedule. In fact, 12 of the top 14 pound-for-pound fighters in the world will be in action prior to year end. Here's our ranking - in order of importance and excitement level - of the top dozen fights scheduled to take place between now and the end of the 2011.
1. Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez: Nov. 12, Las Vegas, NV (HBO PPV)
Third meeting between two of the top five fighters in the world.
2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Victor Ortiz: Sept. 17, Las Vegas, NV (HBO PPV)
Can Ortiz build off of his upset of Andre Berto and shock a potentially rusty Pretty Boy?
3. Andre Ward vs. Carl Froch: Oct. 29, Atlantic City, NJ (Showtime)
Final match of the long but worthwhile Super Six middleweight tournament.
4. Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito: Dec. 3, New York, NY (PPV)
Cotto seeks revenge for the beating he took from the (loaded?) gloves of Margarito in their first meeting.
5. Vitali Klitschko vs. Tomasz Adamek: Sept. 10, Wroclaw, Poland (HBO)
Adamek is a blown up light heavyweight/cruiserweight but he's also the best heavyweight in the world not named Klitschko. More importantly, unlike most Klitschko opponents, he's likely to fight to win ... not just to survive.
6. Nonito Donaire vs. Omar Narvaez: Oct. 22, Carson, CA (HBO)
Donaire defends his bantamweight belts against undefeated super flyweight (and former flyweight) champ.
7. Lucian Bute vs. Glen Johnson: Nov. 5, Quebec, Canada (Showtime)
Bute is undefeated and improving with every fight. The 42-year-old Johnson is never in a dull bout ... and this one should be no exception.
8. Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson: Oct. 15, Los Angeles, CA (HBO PPV)
Can the 46-year-old Hopkins continue defying father time against the 29-year-old former champ?
9. Erik Morales vs. Lucas Matthysse: Sept. 17, Las Vegas, NV (HBO PPV)
Morales looked washed up in 2007 but showed he's still got something left in the tank in a majority decision loss to Marcos Maidana back in April.
10. Sergio Martinez vs. Darren Barker: Oct. 1, Atlantic City, NJ (HBO)
Worthwhile simply to watch Martinez even though he's likely to crush the undefeated but overmatched Barker.
11. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Alfonso Gomez: Sept. 17, Los Angeles, CA (HBO PPV)
Alvarez is being groomed for superstardom and should overpower the game but limited Gomez (of fame).
12. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs Peter Manfredo Jr.: Nov. 19, Houston, TX (HBO)
Chavez is still a work in progress but has far more natural ability than the rugged Manfredo (also of "Contender" fame).
Honorable Mention:
Andre Berto vs. Jan Zaveck: Sept. 3, Biloxi, MS (HBO)
Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Daniel Ponce De Leon: Sept. 10, Atlantic City, NJ (HBO)
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Mike Oliver: Oct. 1, Bayamon, Puerto Rico (PPV)
Toshiaki Nishioka vs. Rafael Marquez: Oct. 1, Las Vegas, NV (Fox Deportes)
Antonio DeMarco vs. Jorge Linares: Oct. 15, Los Angeles, CA (HBO PPV)
Robert Stieglitz vs. Mikkel Kessler: Nov. 5, Copenhagen, Denmark
Do you agree with the above rankings? What other fights do you want to see? Let your voice be heard!
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