Boxing: 5 fights we want to see in 2021

Like a true fighter, the sport of boxing rolled with the punches in 2020 and delivered some big bouts and incredible moments.

The top fights from the past year set up a series of intriguing bouts that not only should happen, but absolutely can happen. Here are five great fights we hope to see in 2021.

5. Teofimo Lopez vs. Josh Taylor

Fresh off of his stunning upset of Vasyl Lomachenko, Lopez is sure to set his sights on the junior welterweight division.

Waiting for him will be fellow surging champion Josh Taylor, who serves as a dynamic foil to boxing’s newest star.

Lopez and Taylor have shown wisdom and skill beyond their years, as well as the desire to take risks on their paths to greatness. This fight would thin out the pound-for-pound argument and provide an excellent night of boxing.

4. Gennadiy Golovkin vs. Jaime Munguia

Though Golovkin is on the cusp of a third fight with Saul Alvarez, a worthy opponent for the aging champion has emerged at middleweight.

A few years ago, the notion of a Golovkin-Munguia fight would have been laughed off as a slaughter, but Munguia’s raw power and youth suddenly has made him a threat.

This fight has the makings of a brutal middleweight war, à la Hagler-Mugabi, and a perfect blood-soaked battle for the Cinco de Mayo weekend.

3. Saul Alvarez vs. David Benavidez

Speaking of Alvarez, boxing’s biggest free agent should not shy away from his biggest challenges, and there’s no bigger threat to him than Benavidez.

Benavidez is strong, confident, tremendously talented, and a proven champion at only 24.

Alvarez-Benavidez would be a war of attrition with no clear winner on paper. As Alvarez navigates these waters, he shouldn’t avoid the sharks altogether and make this fight happen in 2021.

2. Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua

With both Fury and Joshua in the win column and holding titles, there is no reason for the boxing world to wait any longer for a historic fight.

Fury-Joshua would be the biggest fight in British boxing history, and these two have established themselves as the best heavyweights in the world.

While Fury seems unstoppable, Joshua’s athleticism may be all wrong for Fury.

Major heavyweight attractions are always major crossover opportunities and often define the sport. No fight in 2021 would stop the world like Fury-Joshua.

1. Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford

All great generational fighters have been defined by a clash with their rivals.

There are no two fighters more evenly matched at their peaks than Spence and Crawford, and the time is long past for them to get in the ring.

They’ve already cleared out the deep welterweight division, which leaves the only fight that needs to happen between themselves. They will not escape the ire of fans and analysts if it doesn't happen.

With both fighters in their primes, the time to fight is now.