Young Gunz & Future Stars Of Boxing
By Zo Crooks,Real Combat Media Chicago Boxing Correspondent
In every major sport there is one special athlete that comes along in an era. One of amazing skills. An athlete of phenomenal talents that reigns supreme over all others. In baseball you have a Derrick Jeter or a Mike Trout, football a Tom Brady or an Adrien Peterson, basketball a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, and boxing a Floyd Mayweather.
Floyd “Money” Mayweather has dominated the sport of boxing in our era. He has displayed that rare dominance of skill, talent and will for 19 years since turning pro in 1996. So now that his career is coming to a close in the near future, a new crop of talent looks to emerge to take that top spot in the sport of boxing. I’m not saying that we will see another Money May. I really don’t see that happening, however I do see another phenomenal talent or few that is willing to make their own name and stake in the sport of boxing once Money May walks away. In no particular order here is my list of Young Gunz that is looking to do so….
Errol “Da Truth” Spence Jr. – This former Olympic Welterweight southpaw that hails from DeSoto, Texas is the bizness! Point blank period. There is a reason why many pick this phenomenal talent to sit at the top of the sport for years to come. With a professional record of (16-0-13 KOs) many of you may not have heard of this young man nor have you seen him in there with the big names of the sport yet, but he is being endorsed by many from Money May himself to Freddie Roach to Robert Garcia and so on. Spence is the total package. His name is being spoke of in boxing circles like an urban myth. You can tune in and see “Da Truth” for yourself on the PBC card that is being featured on NBC Saturday June 21st.
Keith “One Time” Thurman – OMG…the name is a perfect fit! “One Time” is all it takes if he connects. The heavy handed ring general from Clearwater, Florida is must see tv. Regardless of the name Thurman is more than just a puncher in the squared circle. His ring game has developed into an overall world class fighter that is looking to not only take over the Welterweight division but boxing as a whole. His 84% knockout percentage is a bonus at (25-0-21 KOs). He will get in the ring with anyone! As he says, “Ain’t no ducking here son!” Thurman is never shy about speaking his mind. Now he is keeping his words short by using “Thurmanisms”. Ask him what that means…lol. His next fight will be on a PBC card that is featured on ESPN on July 11th in his home state of Florida.
Guillermo Rigondeaux – This Cuban fighter easily makes the list. Rigondeaux is a Junior Featherweight Champion (Ring, WBO, WBA) and ranks number 5 on the P4P list (Ring and ESPN). He holds a record of 15-0-10 KOs. Known for his Cuban style of fighting, he is an all-around master of his craft. Rigo is a sort of a southpaw Floyd Mayweather. He is a defensive-minded fighter with great footwork and counter-punching ability, amazing hand speed, and a very high ring IQ.
Andre “SOG” Ward – This Bay Area product has been on the P4P list for years (until recently due to inactivity). Ward is an Olympic Gold Medalist that went undefeated as an amateur from 1998 to 2004. He is also undefeated as a pro with a record of 28-0-14 KOs. In 2011 Ward won the Super Middleweight Tournament (Super Six World Boxing Classic) by defeating Carl Froch in the Championship bout, picking up the WBC and WBA belts along the way. Ward can do it all in the squared circle. This man has more tools in his arsenal than a retired construction worker. He is due back in the ring on June 20, 2015 against Paul Smith, his first fight in two years. Welcome back SOG!!!! We missed you fam!
Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez – Made his HBO debut May 16th, 2015 against Mexican veteran Edgar Sosa. For many Americans this was the first chance to see the phenomenal Flyweight from Nicaragua. Dude holds a record of 43-0-37 KOs. His titles consist of the WBA (strawweight), WBA (junior flyweight) and the WBC (flyweight). Gonzalez turned pro on July 1, 2005 and stopping his first 16 opponents. This is one of the best fighters in the world. He is an offensive wizard with impeccable footwork. He is never out of position. His ring IQ is high too. The lower weights like a Strawweight or Flyweight doesn’t get much attention but maybe Chocolatito could change that!
Terence “Bud” Crawford – If you’re not up on Bud, then you do not watch boxing whatsoever! Watching this dude box is a thing of beauty. Omaha, Nebraska’s own is no joke! The Junior Welterweight with a record of (26-0-18 KOs) is being talked about as the next sure thing in the game. It’s hard to even find a weakness in his arsenal. He is patient, poised, and smooth in the squared circle. Bud never gets rattled and remains calm under pressure. He has things in his game that you can’t teach. Either you have it or you don’t! He definitely has it! Crawford is a “Budding” PPV star on the rise.
Saul Canelo Alvarez – Is only 24 years old but has been fighting professionally since he was 15. He is a true veteran in that ring. Good hand speed, nice defense, and a whole lot of heart. Alvarez is 45-1-1 32 KOs with his only loss coming at the hands of the master himself, Money Mayweather. This young gun has been in there with some good competition, Austin Trout, Mayweather, Erislandy Lara, James Kirkland and Alfredo Angulo just to name a few. This Mexican Junior Middleweight is a force to be reckoned with. Some have even tabbed him as the next PPV star after Money retires. This man hasn’t ducked nor dodged anyone. His next big test is coming up later this year. A showdown against veteran Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, who has looked real damn good under Freddie Roach.
Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder – Booooommmmmbbbbb Sqqqquuuuaadddd!!!!!! This Tuscaloosa, Alabama native is long, athletic, and dangerous. The WBC Heavyweight Champion of the world has a knockout percentage of 97% with a record of (34-0-33 KOs). Yeah you read that right! America has been waiting on the next great heavyweight to bring the division back into prominence. Wilder took the title from Bermane Stiverne earlier this year. Going into that fight people were criticizing Wilder for knocking out everyone that was irrelevant and inferior opposition. In that fight WIlder showed that he could box, move and dominate while going the whole distance in 12 rounds of action to become the WBC Heavyweight Champ! Keep on doubting that country boy from the south! I got a feeling that you are going to hear the screams of “Bomb Squad” for a long time!!!!
Gennady “GGG” Golovkin – You can hear his name every 5 minutes in boxing. Its almost equivalent to the “Boogeyman” in a sense. Is he the most feared fighter in the game? That’s a good question. Triple G hails from Russia and is quickly becoming a household name. He is the IBA and WBO middleweight champion of the world. He holds a record of (33-0-30 KOs). Only thing missing from his game right now is a big name! We will see how he matches up against the household names of Miguel Cotto, Alvarez or Ward. Hopefully in the near future.
Adrien “The Problem” Broner – Just off of sheer talent alone he makes this list. Saturday he gets to make a statement against Shawn “Showtime” Porter in the battle of Ohio. Broner hails from Cincinnati, Ohio with a record of (30-1-22 KOs). Broner was known as a Money May clone for his talents inside the ring and some his antics outside of it. Make no mistake he is no Money…he is “AB”, trying to make a name for himself. He has amazingly fast hands with power as well. Broner is an extremely talented fighter. AB always make an entrance wherever he is! His presence is felt and heard when he is around. A very loud presence too! If you want to keep him quiet you are going to have to do that in the ring….yeah good luck with doing that!!!
Here is my Honorable Mention list: Erislandy Lara, Vasyl Lomachenko, Nich olas “Axeman” Walters, Carl Frampton, Andre Dirrell, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook, Sergey Kovalev, and Artur Beterbiev.
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