Official 2013 Boxing Thread: Year is over, please lock.

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We already knew this but just an FYI:

Miguel Cotto eyes Sergio Martinez.

Former three-division champion Miguel Cotto has formally turned down an offer of more than $10 million to face former junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to instead continue negotiating the other major fight on the table for him, a shot at middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez on June 7, albeit for less money.

During a recent meeting, Cotto's attorney Gaby Penagaricano told Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, Alvarez and his managers, Chepo and Eddie Reynoso, that Cotto was declining the offer to face Alvarez on March 8 in the main event of a Showtime pay-per-view card.

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Cotto's wanting to fight in New York on the weekend of the Puerto Rican Day parade and wanting a shot at the middleweight title, rather than facing Alvarez in a nontitle bout in March, were the reasons, Penagaricano said.

"Essentially, Miguel only wants to fight in New York City on June 7," Penagaricano said. "Canelo wants to fight in March. It seems that each fighter wanted to maintain the date for their next fight. So that is what is going to happen. Obviously, assuming everything goes well for both, I am sure Cotto versus Alvarez will be a fight worth discussing in the future.

"Regarding Canelo, [Cotto] said that Canelo is young and that perhaps it is a good fight to make later in 2014 or 2015, that if he keeps winning, there in no reason why we can't make the fight down the road."

Alvarez, who lost his 154-pound title to Floyd Mayweather Jr. by lopsided decision in a unification bout in their September record-breaking pay-per-view blockbuster, still will return March 8. With Cotto out of the picture, Alvarez likely will face Mexican countryman and brawler Alfredo "Perro" Angulo, according to Schaefer.

The 33-year-old Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs), meanwhile, is seeking to finalize the deal with Martinez, opting to take less money for the shot at the title.

At a recent media lunch in his native Puerto Rico, Cotto said, "I want to go with Martinez. The title is the main goal. We are only waiting on confirmation from his team, and, if all goes well, the fight will happen. The date is June 7, and I would rather fight where my history is, Madison Square Garden. I believe that the fight with Canelo is premature right now. He is 23 years old, and his name will be around for a long time."

Top Rank would serve as Cotto's promoter for a fight with Martinez, which would be an HBO PPV event. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said the fight would be at Madison Square Garden or MetLife Stadium, which is in East Rutherford, N.J, just across the Hudson River from New York.

Cotto already has won world titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight. A victory against Martinez would make him the first Puerto Rican fighter to win belts in four weight divisions. That is something Cotto said he coveted when he was first questioned about it immediately after his third-round knockout victory against Delvin Rodriguez in their junior middleweight bout Oct. 5.

"To be the first Puerto Rican to win titles in four weight divisions would be very tempting to me," said Cotto, whose win over Rodriguez ended a two-fight losing streak to Mayweather and Austin Trout in 2012.

A fight with Martinez is also something Freddie Roach, who trained Cotto for the first time when he faced Rodriguez, is interested in, saying after the fight with Rodriguez, "I know his style pretty well, and I think I know how to beat Sergio Martinez."

Roach was on the losing end to Martinez in September 2012 when his fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., lost a lopsided decision, although Chavez scored a knockdown in the final round.

The Martinez and Cotto camps have been talking for a few weeks but have not made a deal yet.

"We've been talking. We've exchanged our concepts on how the deal will work but nothing is done yet," Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter, told ESPN.com. "It's Christmas time and New Year's. We're not chasing any deals right now. But after the holidays, we'll continue to talk. June 7 is perfect for Sergio and Sergio wants to fight Miguel, but he also wants a deal that is fair to both sides. He wants to be treated like the champion he is and be respected in any deal."

DiBella said one thing that had not been ironed out was exact weight for the proposed fight with Cotto, who would be moving up from 154 pounds. Martinez has said he would move down a few pounds to meet Cotto at a catch weight if necessary.

"If you look at the physicality of Martinez, he has never been a true 160-pound fighter," Cotto said at the recent media lunch. "He's always weighed in at 157, 158 pounds. Rarely does he ever come in at 160. So he's not a real middleweight."

Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KOs), 38, of Argentina, fought only once in 2013, getting knocked down but winning a close unanimous decision in a homecoming fight in front of a crowd of some 50,000 at a soccer stadium in Buenos Aires against interim titlist Martin Murray of England.

Martinez entered the fight having not fully recovered from the knee surgery he needed after the fight with Chavez. Martinez underwent a second procedure after the Murray bout and has not yet resumed training.

Penagaricano said that if no deal is made for a Martinez-Cotto fight that Cotto would face somebody else June 7.
 
KO of the year: Stevenson-Dawson.

Then-light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson likely anticipated a June 8 challenge from Adonis Stevenson with less trepidation than his showdown nine months earlier with Andre Ward. He was back at a more comfortable weight, instead of shedding seven pounds to take on the super middleweight champion. And rather than taking on one of the two best boxers in the sport, he was facing a little-known 35-year-old who had only turned professional at the age of 29 and who had once been stopped by journeyman Darnell Boone.

More ESPN knockouts of the year
2012: J.M. Marquez KO6 M. Pacquiao IV
2011: Nonito Donaire TKO2 F. Montiel
2010: Sergio Martinez KO2 P. Williams II
2009: Manny Pacquiao KO2 Ricky Hatton
2008: Edison Miranda KO3 David Banks

But if Dawson's camp and the bookmakers tipped this as a return to winning ways, another man -- physically absent but very much present in spirit on this night -- had long predicted otherwise. "He said to me that I would be a world champion," Stevenson said of Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward, who raved about Stevenson's potential after bringing him into the Kronk Gym fold a few months before his death in October 2012. "He saw that, and he told Yvon [Michel], my promoter, that if I got a chance to fight Chad Dawson, we should make the fight happen."

In particular, Steward enthused over the Haitian-born southpaw's devastating left hand, and it was that very left hand that ended the Dawson fight and earned Stevenson ESPN.com's 2013 knockout of the year.

The style book identified Dawson as the slick boxer and Stevenson as the powerful brawler. But perhaps hoping to banish any thoughts that he might be gun-shy after his beating by Ward, perhaps to establish that he was the natural light heavyweight or perhaps just to keep his powerful foe on the back foot, Dawson stepped forward at the opening bell, pumping out a stiff jab as his challenger circled. Stevenson jabbed in response, and twice fired his vaunted left hand. Twice, Dawson stepped inside it and the punch whizzed behind his head. The third time, however, it exploded off the champion's right temple, and Dawson crumpled, his head dropping forward as his trunk slumped backward until he was flat on his back on the canvas.

2013 ESPN boxing awards
This week ESPN rolls out its year-end boxing awards, as voted on by our panel of writers, editors and analysts.

Monday: Round of the year | Ranker
Tuesday: KO of the year | Ranker
Wednesday: Prospect of the year
Thursday: Boxer of the year
Friday: Fight of the year

It seemed improbable that he could possibly make it to his feet, but after lifting his head and blinking uncertainly, he somehow succeeded in doing so. As soon as he was vertical, though, he staggered back into the ropes, and although his eyes looked straight at referee Michael Griffin, they did so vacantly. When Dawson failed to raise his hands or respond to any commands, Griffin called a halt to the contest. A grand total of 76 seconds had elapsed since the opening bell.

Dawson protested the stoppage, as a champion should, but his complaints were drowned out by the explosion of ululation as Stevenson ran around the ring in celebration. Stevenson would win twice more before the year was out, both times by stoppage, but his one-punch blitz of Dawson remains the signature win of his career thus far.

Runners-Up
[+] Enlarge
Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports
Gennady Golovkin's body assault leveled Matthew Macklin and all but dared GGG's remaining doubters to deliver him a true test.
2. Gennady Golovkin KO3 Matthew Macklin
After Golovkin had opened his year's account with stoppage wins over Gabriel Rosado and Nobuhiro Ishida, Macklin was supposed to provide GGG his first big test: a legitimate 160-pound contender who had previously pushed middleweight champion Sergio Martinez hard. But from the opening bell, Macklin looked overwhelmed by Golovkin's power and pressure until, in the third round, the Kazakh-born fighter maneuvered his opponent into position along the ropes and whipped a picture-perfect short left hook into Macklin's body. The Anglo-Irishman dropped like a stone to the canvas, where he lay in pain for several minutes. In a devastating and dominating statement, Golovkin didn't just answer the putative big question being asked of him -- he ripped up the test sheet and threw it back at his examiners, as if daring them to provide a more dangerous challenge.

3. Jhonny Gonzalez KO1 Abner Mares
Mares was on a roll. He had erased the controversy over his August 2011 assault on Joseph Agbeko's testicles by registering a clean-and-clear rematch win over Agbeko, dominating Eric Morel, ending Anselmo Moreno's 27-fight unbeaten run and taking apart Daniel Ponce de Leon in an eye-opening featherweight debut. But Gonzalez brought that roll to a screeching halt with a short left hook to the jaw in the opening round of their Aug. 24 contest. Mares crashed to the canvas, and although he beat the count, he was still stunned. After a follow-up barrage put Mares down again, referee Jack Reiss waved the bout to an end.

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4. Gennady Golovkin KO3 Nobuhiro Ishida
Yes, Ishida's career had been conducted primarily at 154 pounds, not in Golovkin's middleweight division. Yes, with the exception of his shock first-round stoppage of James Kirkland in April 2011, Ishida had lost whenever he had stepped up in class. And yes, he was on a two-fight losing streak. But even when he had come off second-best, Ishida had proven resilient and remained vertical. Not against Golovkin. After tattooing his foe with his stiff jab through two-plus rounds, Golovkin sneaked a curling right hand over Ishida's lowered guard and sent him crashing to the deck. Ishida was unconscious by the time he landed beneath the bottom rope. As with so many of Golovkin's stoppage wins, it wasn't just that the fight ended inside the distance, it was that Golovkin finished it with frighteningly emphatic finality.

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot
Sergey Kovalev, seemingly spurred on by some perceived slight, ran through and over Ismayl Sillakh in a two-round razing.
T-5. Sergey Kovalev KO2 Ismayl Sillakh
Whether for reasons personal or political, or because Sillakh had been taunting him with too many "Yo mama" jokes, Russia's Kovalev seemed to possess a particular animus toward Ukraine's Sillakh, and the appropriately nicknamed "Krusher" sought to punish his foe from the opening moments of their Nov. 30 matchup. Sillakh managed largely to stay out of danger during the first round, but barely 30 seconds into Round 2, Kovalev landed a thumping right hand that deposited Sillakh on his back and scrambled his senses. As Sillakh rose to his feet and referee Marlon Wright completed his mandatory eight-count, Kovalev snarled in his corner, a chained junkyard dog. The moment action resumed, Kovalev flew toward his opponent and landed another devastating right hand that sent Sillakh down again, aided by two rapid-fire lefts. This time, Wright didn't bother to count.

T-5. Lucas Matthysse KO3 Lamont Peterson
This wasn't a fight so much as a beatdown, an aggressive puncher at the peak of his powers blowing past an overmatched foe with a shocking brutality. After a relatively quiet opening frame, Matthysse flattened Peterson with a hook in the second, reacquainted him with the canvas with another devastating hook in the third, and sent him crashing in the corner one more time in that same round to bring an end to what passed for a contest. Danny Garcia, seated ringside, would have the last laugh. Yet at that moment, Matthysse looked all but unstoppable.
 
Prospect of year: Vasyl Lomachenko.

No matter how gifted they are or how extensive their amateur background, most boxing prospects are handled with kid gloves when they turn pro. Their managers and promoters want to build up the fighter's record, nurture a following and protect the investment until they're sure he is ready for prime time.

2013 ESPN boxing awards
This week ESPN rolls out its year-end boxing awards, as voted on by our panel of writers, editors and analysts.

Monday: Round | Ranker
Tuesday: Knockout | Ranker
Wednesday: Prospect | Ranker
Thursday: Boxer of the year
Friday: Fight of the year

Ukraine's Vasyl Lomachenko is not your normal prospect.

The 25-year-old southpaw is as gifted -- offensively and defensively -- as any fighter to come into the pro game in years. As an amateur, he went a reported 396-1 (avenging the defeat twice) and won two Olympic gold medals, at lightweight in 2008 (when he also collected the Val Barker trophy as the Games' most outstanding boxer) and featherweight in 2012. He won world amateur championships in 2009 and 2011.

He has been hailed as a future professional world champion for years and finally turned pro Oct. 12 in Las Vegas on the Timothy Bradley Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez undercard. But Lomachenko didn't just face some no-hoper there to be quickly drilled. Instead, he was matched absurdly tough in a 10-rounder against Mexico's Jose Luis Ramirez, a fringe contender coming off a split-decision road win in April in the Philippines against Rey Bautista.

Lomachenko -- trained by his father, Anatoly -- dazzled before knocking Ramirez out in the fourth round, the first time the veteran had been stopped.

Rafael's prospects of the year
2012: David Price
2011: Gary Russell Jr.
2010: Canelo Alvarez
2009: Daniel Jacobs
2008: Victor Ortiz
2007: Amir Khan
2006: Andre Berto
2005: Joel Julio
2004: Samuel Peter
2003: Jermain Taylor
2002: Miguel Cotto
2001: Francisco Bojado
2000: Julio Diaz

It was all part of Lomachenko's plan of not wanting to waste any time. When he and manager Egis Klimas were being courted by promoters, they were less concerned about a big signing bonus than the assurance that Lomachenko would be moved very quickly. If possible, they wanted a world title fight in his pro debut.

That wasn't viable, but Top Rank's Bob Arum signed him by promising that Lomachenko could get a title shot as soon as his second fight, provided he showed the goods in his debut.

Lomachenko, the 2013 ESPN.com prospect of the year, did just that and now is expected to challenge Orlando Salido for his featherweight crown March 1.

"I want to make boxing history, and to do that there's only one way -- go fast and show everybody what I can do," Lomachenko said before the Ramirez fight. "I don't want to be like other fighters, fighting four- and six-round fights. That's nonsense. I don't need to be built."

Lomachenko's confidence and audacity impressed Arum.

"I really have not seen something like this before, what Lomachenko wants to do," he said. "So I'm withholding judgment. But deep down, I believe if anyone can pull this off, it's this kid. Maybe because it's I want to believe, but I have been so in awe of the name for so many years, I believe he can accomplish anything."

Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti is also a fan.

"I think he will be a great pro," Moretti said. "Salido is going to make him look like a million dollars. It's not like [Lomachenko] does everything good. He does everything great -- speed, conditioning, excellent power, you can see him thinking in the ring. I can't see a flaw. He's flawless."

The rest of the Super 20
[+] EnlargeEleider Alvarez
AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz
Colombian-born Eleider Alvarez, right, will face his most difficult test as a pro against Thomas Oosthuizen on Jan. 18.
Eleider Alvarez (29, Montreal, light heavyweight, 13-0, 8 KOs): Alvarez, born in Colombia, is one of several quality fighters to relocate to boxing hotbed Montreal. An accomplished amateur who won gold at the 2007 Pan-American Games, he notched his biggest pro win in September, a 10-round decision against former contender Edison Miranda. Alvarez was limited to only two fights in 2013, but another was canceled when Allan Green failed to make weight and then pulled out. Alvarez will face his first serious test Jan. 18 against Thomas Oosthuizen on the Jean Pascal-Lucian Bute undercard.

Marcus Browne (23, Staten Island, N.Y., light heavyweight, 8-0, 7 KOs): Browne, a southpaw, was a 2012 U.S. Olympian and decorated amateur who won numerous national tournaments and three New York Golden Gloves championships. Browne is skillful and has a growing fan base at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he fights regularly. He was 6-0 with 5 KOs in 2013 and also gained valuable experience sparring with ex-champion Pascal. Browne will return to Barclays Center Jan. 30 on the Victor Ortiz-Luis Collazo undercard.

Jermall Charlo (23, Houston, junior middleweight, 17-0, 13 KOs): Charlo was 18 when he turned pro in 2008 and has developed nicely, although he's not quite as advanced as twin brother and fellow prospect Jermell Charlo. Jermall fought just once each in 2010 and 2011 and twice in 2012, but made up for lost time in 2013, winning all seven of his fights, including knockouts of Orlando Lora and Antwone Smith.

Jermell Charlo (23, Houston, junior middleweight, 22-0, 11 KOs): Charlo was just 17 when he turned pro in 2007. He began to realize his potential in 2012 as he matured physically and gained power. His jab-right hand combination is textbook and fast. He went 3-0 against improved competition in 2013, including a win over Demetrius Hopkins. Charlo is close to a world title shot but first needs to defeat former two-time middleweight title challenger Gabriel Rosado, his toughest test, on Jan. 25.

[+] EnlargeEddie Gomez
Al Bello/Getty Images
Flashy, quick-handed American Eddie Gomez won all three of his bouts in 2013.
Eddie Gomez (21, Bronx, N.Y, junior middleweight, 15-0, 10 KOs): No wonder he's a fighter: Gomez is the youngest of nine children. A two-time Junior Olympic national champion and New York Golden Gloves champion, he is quick-handed, flashy and powerful. He won all three of his 2013 bouts, including an impressive fourth-round knockout of Steve Upsher Chambers. Gomez will kick off 2014 with an interesting fight against fellow unbeaten prospect Daquan Arnett (11-0, 7 KOs) Jan. 30 in the Victor Ortiz-Luis Collazo co-feature.

Jesse Hart (24, Philadelphia, super middleweight, 11-0, 10 KOs): Hart, son of 1970s middleweight contender Eugene "Cyclone" Hart, was a standout amateur who went 85-11 and won the 2011 National Golden Gloves and USA Nationals. He just missed a 2012 U.S. Olympic berth, losing the 165-pound final on a double tiebreaker. As a pro in 2013, he went 6-0 -- all knockouts. He has good size (6-foot-2), speed, long arms and a dedicated work ethic. Hart needs rounds, so for his Jan. 25 fight, he will step up in competition against Derrick Findley (20-11-1, 13 KOs), who has been stopped only once.

Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (19, Washington, D.C., welterweight, 19-0, 11 KOs): Hernandez-Harrison, a popular ticket seller in his hometown, had more than 200 amateur fights before turning pro at 17 (America's youngest at the time). Although a part-time college student, he is extremely dedicated to boxing and was very busy in 2013, going 8-0 against varied opposition and getting valuable exposure on two Gennady Golovkin undercards.

Bryant Jennings (29, Philadelphia, heavyweight, 17-0, 9 KOs): The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Jennings went from unknown to hot prospect by going 5-0 in 2012. He's not a big heavyweight and not a big puncher, but he has fast hands, is willing to engage and outworks opponents. After a big 2012, Jennings fought only once in 2013, partly due to changing promoters, but he will kick off 2013 in an important fight against unbeaten Artur Szpilka on the Mikey Garcia-Juan Carlos Burgos undercard.

[+] EnlargeAnthony Joshua
Scott Heavey/Getty Images
England's Anthony Joshua, who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, appears to have a very bright future as a pro heavyweight.
Anthony Joshua (24, England, heavyweight, 3-0, 3 KOs): The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Joshua won the 2012 Olympic super heavyweight gold medal at home in London and is expected to become a major player in the pros. Joshua took his time fielding promotional offers and resting after the Olympics, then turned pro in October. He has great size and power, and is said to have a tremendous work ethic. He fought his first three bouts in six weeks, but minor injuries forced him out of two others. He will return Feb. 1 in Cardiff, Wales.

Jessie Magdaleno (22, Las Vegas, junior featherweight, 17-0, 13 KOs): Magdaleno, younger brother of junior lightweight contender Diego Magdaleno, has star potential. A southpaw, he has an exciting style and a strong amateur background (120-16 record and six major titles). He would have been favored to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic team had he not turned pro in late 2010. In 2013, Magdaleno went 4-0, stopping all of his experienced opponents inside four rounds. He also switched trainers, joining Joel Diaz, who also trains Diego and welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr. Magdaleno will open his 2014 campaign Feb. 1.

Antonio Orozco (26, San Diego, junior welterweight, 18-0, 14 KOs): "Simple Man" has flown a bit under the radar, and it didn't help that he fought only twice in 2013 -- although he won both by knockout against decent opposition. He has loads of potential and fights in a good division. He's a pressure fighter who digs well to the body and should make exciting TV fights. He's probably only a couple of fights away from a significant bout. He will face experienced Miguel Angel Huerta on Jan. 24.

Jose Ramirez (21, Avenal, Calif., junior welterweight, 7-0, 5 KOs): Ramirez's stellar amateur career (145-11) included 11 national titles and was capped by a 2012 U.S. Olympic berth. He has speed and power, a solid body attack and an electric left hook reminiscent of Oscar De La Hoya's best punch. He was 6-0 in 2013 and has quickly become a draw in his home region. Has used his stardom to become heavily involved in various charitable endeavors. He next fights Feb. 1.

[+] EnlargeIvan Redkach
Al Bello/Getty Images
Ukraine's Ivan Redkach, a southpaw, is a gifted offensive fighter with a relentless style.
Ivan Redkach (27, Ukraine, lightweight, 15-0, 13 KOs): The 2008 Ukrainian Olympic alternate, who lives in Los Angeles, went 260-40 as an amateur. A southpaw, Redkach has been devastating as a pro. He's gifted offensively, attacks the body and has a relentless style. He should be ready for meaningful fights in 2014, which he will kick off Jan. 17 against Canada's Tony Luis. Redkach was limited to three fights in 2013, winning two by early KO (the other ended in a no-decision because of an accidental head-butt).

Billy Joe Saunders (24, England, middleweight, 19-0, 10 KOs): Saunders, a southpaw, was a 2008 British Olympian. In 2012, he claimed the traditional British and Commonwealth belts. In 2013, Saunders, more boxer than puncher, won all three of his bouts, including his most significant win: a decision against previously undefeated prospect John Ryder in September. In October, Saunders was named Young Boxer of the Year by the British writers. He will return Feb. 15 in London.

Callum Smith (23, England, super middleweight, 9-0, 7 KOs): Smith, a pro for barely a year, might be the best of the fighting Smith brothers, Paul (British super middleweight champ), Stephen (British junior lightweight champ) and Liam (British junior welterweight champ). He went 7-0 in 2013, winning each bout by knockout, and has looked very good, especially in his previous fight, a sixth-round knockout of experienced former world title challenger Ruben Eduardo Acosta.

Errol Spence (23, DeSoto, Texas, welterweight, 10-0, 8 KOs): A southpaw with excellent speed and power, Spence was a 2012 U.S. Olympian and is perhaps the best pro prospect from Team USA. Spence was also a three-time U.S. national champion (2009-11) and two-time National Golden Gloves champion (2009-10). As a pro, he has looked outstanding, albeit against stepping-stone opposition. But even when forced to go the eight-round distance against unbeaten Emmanuel Lartey in October, Spence was sharp. He could move quickly.

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Oscar Valdez (23, Mexico, featherweight, 8-0, 8 KOs): The only two-time Mexican Olympian, Valdez is also the only Mexican to medal at the amateur world championships, claiming bronze in 2009. As a pro, Valdez has shown everything you want to see in a young prospect: speed, power, ring intelligence, defense and poise. He mowed down all six of 2013 foes, although he faced modest opposition. He looks like a lock to eventually win a world title.

Felix Verdejo (20, Puerto Rico, lightweight, 9-0, 6 KOs): The 2012 Puerto Rican Olympian turned pro last December and quickly established himself as the island's No. 1 prospect. He's an exciting boxer-puncher with Felix Trinidad-like charisma, which has already made him a popular attraction. He has a chance to be a major force. Verdejo will return Jan. 25 in New York on the Mikey Garcia-Juan Carlos Burgos undercard.

Deontay Wilder (28, Tuscaloosa, Ala., heavyweight, 30-0, 30 KOs): The 2008 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist has great size (6-foot-7, 225 pounds), massive right-handed power and strong potential. But after 30 fights, he remains untested. He has never been past four rounds. He fought four times in 2013 and blew everyone out, including the faded Sergei Liakhovich and Audley Harrison. Wilder can crack. The question is, can he take? 2014 figures to be the year he finally faces a live opponent.
 
Saw Marcus Browne live. Head hunting, his opponent mailed it in once he felt the power at Barclays. Would like to see him use his jab and box more. Not just look for the one big KO punch.
 
Pacquiao opponent coming soon

By Dan Rafael

Manny Pacquiao's next opponent on April 12 will likely be Timothy Bradley Jr. or Ruslan Provodnikov.
We already know that former eight-division titleholder Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to fight on April 12 and headline an HBO PPV card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. What we don't know is who exactly the Filipino congressman will be swapping punches with.

The next step in that process comes Saturday when Top Rank promoter Bob Arum meets at his Los Angeles home with Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz.

"We are down to business now," Arum told ESPN.com on Friday. "Michael is coming over to my house and there will certainly be progress made on Manny's next fight. Then I need some time to finalize a deal with the opponent. I think we will select the opponent [on Saturday] and then I will go close a deal with that guy."

In the running are welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr., who owns a massively controversial split-decision win against Pacquiao in June 2012, and newly crowned junior welterweight titlist Ruslan Provodnikov, who used to be one of Pacquiao's sparring partners.

If Provodnikov, who lost a decision to Bradley in the 2013 fight of the year and then stopped Mike Alvarado in October to win a 140-pound title, gets the fight, he will be looking for a new trainer because he and Pacquiao share Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, and it's inconceivable that Roach would go with Provodnikov over Pacquiao.

Arum said there have already been conversations with the Bradley and Provodnikov camps about a potential fight with Pacquiao.

One man who isn't in the running to face the PacMan, according to Arum, is Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao's great rival. They have fought four times in memorable battles, including Marquez's lone victory, a resounding knockout in their last fight in December 2012. While Pacquiao is interested in a fifth fight, Marquez is not.

"Marquez has put himself out of the running because he doesn't want the fight," Arum said. "He hasn't priced himself out of the fight, he's just not interested at any price. What he's saying for him, it makes a lot of sense. He's like, 'How can I do any better against Pacquiao than knocking him out?'"

Arum said Marquez plans to fight again and would like a rematch with Bradley, who outpointed him in October. But with Bradley very likely to get another fight with Pacquiao, Marquez would have to find another dance partner.

"Marquez is gonna fight but that's my partner Fernando Beltran's job, to pin him down on what he wants to do. But Marquez will probably fight late in the spring," Arum said. "The guy he wants to fight is Bradley again, but Bradley would rather fight Manny."

Arum said Koncz was with Pacquiao in the Philippines over the holidays and returned to the United States after New Year's in order to meet with Arum on Saturday.

Pacquiao rebounded from the knockout to Marquez by rolling to a virtual shutout decision against Brandon Rios on Nov. 23 in Macau, China.
 
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And the six fighter circle jerk continues.
While the majority of the fights have been entertaining can we get something that is not a combination of pac/jmm/bradley/alvarado/rios/prov
 
And the six fighter circle jerk continues.
While the majority of the fights have been entertaining can we get something that is not a combination of pac/jmm/bradley/alvarado/rios/prov
I agree but it won't happen unless Top Rank and Goldenboy get over their beef with each other.
 
[quote name="Proshares"]I'm gonna ask for this thread to be closed and start up a 2014 thread.[/quote]
 
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