The best punch trackers on the market
7th March 2023
By: Ryan Gurewitz
A New Golden Era or Lost Legacies: The Two Paths Boxing Needs to Decide Between
Not too long ago, Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson were touted as the new “four-kings.” A title given to legendary fighters Sugar Ray Leanord, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns, all boxers who dominated the same era and were willing to step inside the ring to prove who was truly the best. We are far removed from that era of the sport. The sport has reached a critical point where the talent pool is greater than ever, yet the lack of the “super-fights” that have built the sport of boxing to what it is today are noticeably missing. The legends created their legacies by never failing to take an opportunity when presented, not caring if they were supposed to lose, and never shunning the big stage.
Even though we are witnessing some of the most talented athletes in history, these fighters seem to be caught up in social media sparring and promotional politics, which is taking a toll on the sport. Now more than ever, it is up to the fighters to decide whether or not the sport of boxing can enter a new golden era and whether or not they want their names to be written
alongside the legends of the past. The failure to unify the 147-pound belts between P4P stars Errol Spence Jr. and Terrence Crawford has baffled boxing fans for the past few years. A fight that is a no-brainer and one of the biggest fights that can be made today has slowly turned into one that many question will ever happen. Neither fighter seems particularly motivated to hold the title of undisputed welterweight champion of the world. We have seen nothing more than Twitter exchanges between the two pound-for-pound kings.
In September 2022, it was reported that a fight had been agreed on between the two champions for a bout in November. However, the fight never materialized as negotiations broke down in the 11th hour, and fans have been left in the dark since. Towards the end of 2022, rumors were swirling of fights between Terrance Crawford and Tim Tsyzu or Tony Harrison, two fighters who will now face off against each other on March 11th. Spence, on the other hand, has been linked with Keith Thurman. The question
persists, why won’t these two fight each other?
Tyson Fury has also received the same criticism; more than once has a fight been “announced” with Anthony Joshua, a fight that heavyweight boxing desperately needs. Now Fury finds himself in yet another similar situation, with a potential undisputed bout on the line, negotiations with WBO, IBF and WBA champion Oleksandr Usyk have dragged on since “The Gypsy King” defeated Derek Chisora for a third time, and Usyk won the highly anticipated rematch against Anthony Joshua. Tyson Fury has been vocal about where he sees himself on the all-time heavyweight list; a victory over Usyk and the title of undisputed heavyweight
champion of the world would end that conversation in the eyes of many.
Yet again, fans find themselves in a situation they know all too well, a fight that should be made, that needs to be made, but one that will seemingly drag on for the months ahead. Both of these scenarios mirror each other. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, Terrence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. are the undisputed 1 and 2 in their weight classes, and together they hold all four major world titles. These pairs have jawed at each other on social media, yet no fight announcement.
The legacies of these four fighters who have a chance to go down as the greatest in their respective generations and weight classes come down to whether or not they can set aside all the money, politics, and focus.
As prevalent as these two scenarios seem, boxing is heading toward a better era. While these hold-ups in negotiations always seem to be the major news headlines in the sport, 2023 has started well enough to give hope that there might be a turn toward the attitude. Ryan Garcia and Gervonta “Tank” Davis are set to face off on April 22nd in Las Vegas, a fight many are dubbing
a “super-fight.” The two undefeated stars will finally meet in the ring and settle a feud that has dragged on for far too long. The official announcement comes after over a year of back and forth on social media, contractual disputes, and promotional politics that boxing fans know all too well. However, all that matters is the fight got made.
Naoya Inoue vs. Stephen Fulton, Devin Haney vs. Vasily Lomachenko, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, and Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez are all massive fights that are confirmed, or expected to be confirmed, in the coming months. These are the fights that boxing needs for a new golden era. Canelo Alvarez has made himself the face of boxing by taking on any challenges put in front of him. While unsuccessful in his challenge for a title at 175 pounds, Canelo taking on Dmitry Bivol was refreshing and showed why Canelo has become as respected as he is.
The narrative that the sport of boxing is dying has been pushed increasingly by fans and media members, which may become true if top fighters continue to avoid each other. It is up to the boxers, the promoters, and the governing bodies to decide whether or not they want to see the sport grow into what it can be and what it once was. It is simple, make the legacy-defining fights the fans want to see.
