The subsequent 12 months might be among the many brightest within the tremendous welterweight division.
Vergil Ortiz Jr and Jaron Ennis might meet in a divisional tremendous battle, whereas Britain’s Josh Kelly may have the possibility to lastly realise his potential towards IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev — or danger changing into the most recent casualty within the Russian’s relentless pursuit of greatness.
WBC tremendous welterweight titlist Sebastian Fundora is now not only a gangly 6ft 6ins anomaly however a real menace to unify. Puerto Rico’s WBO belt-holder Xander Zayas continues to enhance with each battle, and Germany’s WBA champion Abass Baraou stays a handful for anybody.
Add within the doable arrival of Conor Benn at 154lbs, the comeback of Tim Tszyu, and potential strikes up in weight from Brian Norman Jr, Devin Haney, Mario Barrios and Rolando Romero, and it’s clear the tremendous welterweight division might quickly ship one thing particular.
For now, although, at this time’s contenders nonetheless have work to do earlier than they will be a part of the perfect ever to have fought at 154lbs. Listed here are the 5 most interesting tremendous welterweights of all time.
5. Wilfred Benitez
Benitez was solely 22 when he beat Maurice Hope to win the WBC title. This was two years on from being stopped within the fifteenth spherical towards Sugar Ray Leonard at 147lbs. His defensive brilliance and ring IQ have been on one other degree. It was a brief reign, however his performances at 154 — notably the show towards Hope — earned him his place among the many finest. A 12 months later he would go and beat Roberto Duran, who nonetheless had a lot up his sleeve.
4. Winky Wright
A defensive grasp with a novel model and phenomenal jab who, like so most of the finest at tremendous welterweight, perhaps isn’t celebrated sufficient. One of many extra well-travelled American fighters, Wright will probably be remembered for his back-to-back wins towards Shane Mosley in 2004 — a part of a four-year run the place he was probably the greatest fighters on the planet. Not many wished to tackle Winky.
3. Terry Norris
There will probably be many who argue ‘Horrible’ Terry ought to be on the prime. Fast, ferocious and highly effective however so was Julian Jackson in 1989 and Norris paid the value. A 12 months later Norris would destroy John Mugabi and did the identical to Donald Curry, Meldrick Taylor and Maurice Blocker and outclassed a past-his-best Sugar Ray Leonard in 1991. At his peak he was nearly untouchable, however his chin usually left him susceptible.
2. Thomas Hearns
All of us keep in mind ‘The Hitman’ from his spotlight reel days as a welterweight and middleweight nice. Nevertheless, there was a reign at 154lbs that will have been quick, however was explosive in typical Hearns’ trend. Both facet of his 160lbs struggle with Marvin Hagler, there have been three spectacular tremendous welterweight world title wins towards Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran and Mark Medal. His energy was simply as horrifying and there’s an argument that he was by no means higher than at 154.
1. Mike McCallum
The surgical and exact ‘Physique Snatcher’ is a lock for the highest two spots and will probably be most individuals’s primary at 154lbs. His reign as WBA champion from 1984 to 1988 featured headline wins towards Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory and Donald Curry. Two years earlier, he had overwhelmed Ayub Kalule in a non-title bout. A vicious body-puncher who owned the division for a interval however the appreciation wasn’t all the time there.
