Five for 2016: Blake Caparello vs. Rohan Murdock

 
3. Blake Caparello (22-1-1, 6 KOs) vs. Rohan Murdock (18-1, 14 KOs)

 
When he campaigned at light heavyweight, Blake Caparello had long been considered as the best fighter in his division, domestically. Now at super middleweight, he’s got another opportunity to prove just how good he is.

 
The only problem is that he’s had nobody to test his skills against.

 
While talks have not taken place between the two camps, a fight with Rohan Murdock makes sense.

 
The Melburnian’s team – led by trainer Sam Labruna and manager Brendan Bourke – have often been left frustrated by attempts to put their charge in a ring with any of his domestic rivals.

 
But this could change in 2016.

 
Murdock, 23, has opted to take the increasingly popular regional route, winning two WBO affiliated regional titles against imported opponents with Argentina looming as the destination of choice in more recent times.

 
The Nerang-based product does hold a win over former world champion Manny Siaca, but at that stage of his career, the talkative Puerto Rican was merely a divisional gatekeeper.

 
If we learned anything from Murdock signing to face the supremely gifted Andre Ward last year – it’s that he is more than willing to face the best fighters in his division – so why not start domestically?

 
Stylistically, the pair would gel as the fight would pit the defensively sound Caparello against the belligerent and big-punching Murdock, which more often than not leads to a fan-friendly contest.

 
Furthermore, Caparello, 29, holds a lofty WBO #5 world rating, placing him three spots above the WBO #8 rated Murdock. While ratings don’t matter to most, the winner would be in line for a shot at Arthur Abraham.

 
Politics and promotional affiliations can often hinder negotiations for domestic fights, but in the case of Caparello and Murdock, there appears to be a lot to gain and very little to lose here.

 
What the experts say:

 
Ben Damon, MAIN EVENT:

 
“In 2014, Blake Caparello dropped Sergey Kovalev in the first round, before being stopped and last year Andre Dirrell pulled out of a bout with him.

 
“This year, he’ll again be hunting a big fight in the US, but now at super middleweight. Before he does this, he could look to clean up his own backyard first.

 
“Last year the world-rated Rohan Murdock nearly found himself in with Andre Ward on the Cotto-Canelo undercard, but once that fight fell over he was destined for lower-profile but more winnable fights,”

 
“Caparello would be a tricky proposal for Murdock, but also a big opportunity to prove that he is world class,”

 
“This is one of a bunch of top quality super middleweight bouts that would be welcome additions to the domestic calendar in 2016.

 
Brendan Bourke, Caparello’s Manager:

 
“A fight between Caparello and Murdock is great for Aussie boxing and it will impact the WBO super middleweight world rankings,”

 
“Rohan is a good fighter but I’m picking Blake – not just because I work for him – because he has proven himself at higher level in Australian and world boxing.”

 
Likelihood: 6/10

 
 
Photos: Getty Images Asia Pacific