Five for 2015: International Fights

 
EARLIER in the week, we looked at five perspective match ups that needed to be made domestically.

 
Given the strength of Australian boxing at the present time, Aus-Boxing sat down with MAIN EVENT’s Ben Damon to discuss the five best international match ups that we would like to see made in the next twelve months.

 
 
1. Deontay Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs) vs. Lucas Browne (22-0, 19 KOs)

 
The heavyweight championship is arguably the greatest prize in sports. For Australia, Alex Leapai’s ill-fated title challenge against lineal champion Wladimir Klitschko is the only time an Australian has ever contested a fight for a legitimate version of the heavyweight championship.

 
In Browne, 35, Australia has a fighter that is arguably on the cusp of a title tilt. More importantly, the WBC heavyweight title is presently held by Deontay Wilder, the only American to hold a version of the title in what seems to be a lifetime.

 
Wilder, 29, who has disposed all but one of his thirty-three opponents in concussive fashion is a marketable and charismatic champion, who also holds relative bad blood towards Browne, with the wto exchanging in some heated disputes on Twitter in recent months.

 
While Browne would enter a fight against Wilder as the underdog, given the vulnerability of Wilder’s chin, a fight with Browne would provide Australia with it’s most realistic chance of earning a stake of heavyweight championship in only the second time of asking.

 
What the experts say: “Boxing’s heavyweight world title is still the greatest prize in all sport, and Australia has a genuine contender in Lucas ‘Big Daddy’ Browne. Browne’s being manoeuvred towards a shot against WBA regular champ Ruslan Chagaev and it would be great to see that fight come off, but either way a clash between Browne and the newly-crowned WBC champ Deontay Wilder is my dream fight for 2015.”

 
“Wilder is an American hero after breaking the US drought in the division with a solid boxing display against the disappointing Bermane Stiverne. Browne is a different beast. He looks like a jailbird, speaks like a scholar and punches like a runaway train. A Browne victory, in America, against Wilder would be the greatest moment in the history of Australian boxing.” – Ben Damon

 
Likelihood: 7/10

 

 
2. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KOs) vs. Sakio Bika (32-6-3, 21 KOs)

 
Blessed with an abundance of talent but jinxed with an equally remarkable lack of drive, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a standout character in a diverse pool of boxing narratives.

 
The son of Mexico’s most celebrated prizefighter, Chavez Jr. has been granted many favourable opportunities in his professional career thus far, making his status loathed within the industry.

 
With only two fights in two years, the career of Chavez Jr. has become stagnant in recent times, leading to a backlash amongst even the most ardent fans of the fifty-fight veteran. Although it appears likely that the Mexican will return against Polish light heavyweight Andrzej Fonfara, a fight with fellow Al Haymon client Sakio Bika would surely be more fan friendly.

 
Bika may have lost his coveted WBC super middleweight title in a rematch against talented American Anthony Dirrell in his last outing, but he is still a fighter that is prone to entertaining fights and willing to take on all comers. Chavez Jr. appears to be several divisions above his middleweight days, making Bika an ideal warm up for discussed fights against divisional leaders Carl Froch and to a lesser extent, Gennady Golovkin.

 
What the experts say: “Chavez Jnr has only had one fight in each of the past two years and now his proposed clash with Carl Froch has been indefinitely postponed because of a supposed injury to Froch. If Chavez Jnr is going to get in the ring in 2015 he will need a credible opponent, and while Andrzej Fonfara is the favourite, there is simply no boxer in the world as credible, genuine, tough, honest, tireless and inspirational as Sakio Bika.”

 
“Bika’s breathtaking journey has taken him from the dirt roads of Cameroon to a glittering WBC world title belt, and all that’s left to achieve is victory in a true mega-bout, against a star like Chavez Jnr in the US or, better still, Mexico.” – Ben Damon

 
Likelihood: 5/10

 

 
3. Francisco Vargas (21-0-1, 15 KOs) vs. Will Tomlinson (23-1-1, 13 KOs)

 
Now that the fight is officially signed and pencilled in for March 12th, boxing pundits and fans alike should be counting down with great anticipation, given the tremendous stylistic combination that a fight between unbeaten Mexican Francisco Vargas and Australia’s Will Tomlinson presents.

 
Tomlinson, 28, has worked incredibly hard to re-establish himself within the stacked roster of promotional powerhouse Golden Boy Promotions. The company has invested heavily in Vargas, a former Mexican Olympian who holds mandatory status by both the WBC and WBO as a super featherweight. Vargas, 30, is an aggressive boxer/puncher, who in the right fights makes for excellent television viewing.

 
From a promotional standpoint, the fight serves as a world title eliminator of sorts with the winner almost certainly in the running to secure a world title at some point in 2015. Tomlinson has improved out of sight in his two recent wins since suffering his lone loss to Jerry Belmontes last March.

 
The fight looks likely to land on an arm of US cable network giant HBO, which shows the intent that Golden Boy Promotions have for the winner of this fight. You would be hard pressed to fight a better stylistic match up in the super featherweight division.

 
What the experts say: “Tough brawler Will Tomlinson has had a rocky road since taking his career to the US. The former undercard fighter has bounced between trainers and had mixed results in America but he will get his chance to leap to the forefront of his division when a bout with boom Mexican Francisco Vargas is confirmed.”

 
“Will’s style means he is a boxer who can be enjoyed universally and a victory against Vargas would throw him into massive fights. Stylistically this promises to be a very entertaining bout, and a win would showcase Tomlinson’s gifts to the boxing world.” – Ben Damon

 
Likelihood: 10/10

 

 
4. Andy Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) vs. Daniel Geale (31-3, 16 KOs)

 
Andy Lee’s ascension to the WBO middleweight title was a tale written by the boxing gods.

 
Lee, 30, a one-time middleweight title challenger made the most out of an unlikely challenge for the vacant title last month, coming from behind to halt the previously unbeaten Matt Korobov in Las Vegas.

 
Although a date with mandatory challenger Billy Joe Saunders is looming, a title defence against former unified middleweight champion Daniel Geale is an option that could be pursued later in 2015. Geale, 33, stormed back into title contention with a one-sided decision over former world title challenger Jarrod Fletcher last month.

 
Now holding a WBO #6 world rating, Geale is hoping that his long-time affiliation with Gary Shaw – who now runs the boxing arm of Roc Nation Sports – will pay dividends, given their ability to finalise world title fights for their clients, citing Bryant Jennings pending title challenge against Wladimir Klitschko as a perfect example.

 
What the experts say: “The most successful Australian boxer of his generation wants another title, and while he craves a mega-bout with WBC champ Miguel Cotto, the WBO has presented itself as the best route. Andy Lee is likely to defend his belt against Billy Joe Saunders in a remarkable ‘all-traveller’ bout in Ireland, and by then it’s hoped the winner will be steered towards defending against Geale.”

 
“Fighting overseas is of no concern to Geale and I’d expect him to beat Lee, or Saunders, and take himself back to his rightful place at the top of world boxing.” – Ben Damon

 
Likelihood: 6/10

 

 
5. Cornelius Bundrage (34-5, 19 KOs) vs. Anthony Mundine (47-6, 27 KOs)

 
Whether you like it or not, Anthony Mundine’s name still holds relevance in the light middleweight division.

 
The recently crowned WBC Silver titleholder holds top ten ratings by the IBF, WBC and WBA, putting his name in title contention, or at least an eliminator at the absolute minimum. Mundine, 39, must be applauded for his persistence, given that he was written off following his devastating loss to Joshua Clottey last April.

 
Bundrage, 41, is no spring chicken, but made the most of his second challenge for the IBF light middleweight title, regaining the belt he once held against Mexican spoiler Carlos Molina in October. With no real rivals or big money fights on the horizon, a title defence against Mundine might be the most lucrative option available for the former participant on the reality television series ‘The Contender’.

 
The Michigan native appears to be the weakest link in a relatively strong light middleweight division. The real question is whether or not Mundine’s team have the promotional power to outlast any potential bidders and lure the American to Australia at some point in 2015.

 
What the experts say: “I was overwhelmed by Mundine’s latest victory, and excited that it placed him on course for another world title at a third weight division (in descending order). This curious, yet very impressive feat has long been Mundine’s ambition and if he can jag a bout with the ageing K9 I believe he can achieve it in 2015.”

 
“To date Bundrage has priced himself out of the trip to Australia but if economic sense can be conveyed to the American then Mundine v Bundrage in Melbourne could be the domestic highlight of the year. In 2016 perhaps the domestic highlight will be Mundine v Green, in a photo finish from Tomlinson v Dib.” – Ben Damon

 
Likelihood: 8/10

 
 
Photos: Louie Abigail/Photography by Rockfingrz, Getty Images North America/Asia Pacific