What are some big fights you expect to happen in the next 12 months that haven't been booked yet?

Joshua vs Usyk
Spence vs Porter
Lomachenko vs Mikey
Pacquiao vs Thurman
Smith vs Eubank Jr
Kovalev vs Yarde
Fury vs Rivas
Khan vs Brook

 

Anybody?

 

Joshua vs. Wilder. Hearn is hoping to get that fight in the Autumn.
Loma vs. Garcia is the big one for me. Garcia has no excuses now since Loma's been calling him out for ages now.

 

I expect Garcia to demand a fight at 140 now that he fought at 147, and I don’t see Loma - who’s a small LW - accepting this anytime soon. 135 is where the fight belongs.

 

I agree. Lomachenko has stated from the outset, when he first talked of fighting Garcia, saying that he would never go higher than 135. Garcia knew this. A call for a fight at 140 is a blatant duck.

 

Well, it wouldn’t be that much of a duck. Coming down from 147, he’d have a point. Furthermore, he’d cash on the fact that Loma had Rigo come up 2 weight classes. Sadly, I don’t see any solution to this.

 

He went up to 147 from 135 of his own choosing knowing that Loma wouldn't ever go above 135. Now if he chooses to only come back down to 140 and call for the Loma fight, well that's a duck. And Loma always said about the Rigo fight that Rigo was too small for him. Loma won't budge from 135, that is known. Garcia could make 135 IF he wanted to, so if he CHOOSES not to, that's a duck.

 

Eh, I'm more of a Lomachenko fan, just thinking of the case Garcia's people can make. Garcia went back to 135 from 140 to unify 2 titles, but one may argue it's another story to go down to 135 from 147.

 

Rigo had to go up 2 weight classes because he ducked the fight at 124lbs when it was offered, then he was left with no other options to make any real money, so he had to take the fight at 130

 

That's certainly the way Lomachenko's people will put it.

 

I’ll believe him over the quitter that faked a bruised hand injury claiming it was broke

 

And suggesting that Loma and Garcia could both move up and down a weightclass would still be reasonable.

 

Well if that's the case, and Mikey can't physically go down as low as 135 then he would have known that would be an issue when he chose to move up to 147 from 135. HE decided to fight Spence first rather than fight Loma when they were both at the same weight. So if it's the case that Mikey can't make 135 any more then it was his fault for choosing to go up before he fought Loma. If the fight doesn't happen then the blame lies squarely with Garcia. His choices led to this situation.

 

It’s not about whose « fault » it is when it comes to matchmaking. It’s about whether both need the fight or not, and they do.

 

Garcia isn't confident at all in beating Lomachenko at 135, that's why he chose to do what he did. I can see him trying to get a fight at 140 but I'd be very surprised if he makes any real effort to fight Lomachenko at 135. I predicted this when Garcia first announced the Spence fight. I hope I'm wrong.

 

My thoughts exactly. He’d like the Loma fight money but he doesn’t want him at 135.

 

Tenshin vs Spence.

 

Then this fight won't happen. Lomachenko was and always adamant that he won't move up from 135 and he strikes me as a man of his word.

 

We may have it when one guy cashes out, but then the fight won’t be as good as he should be.

 

Fury v Joshua has the potential to be the biggest HW fight since Tyson v Lewis, I hope that happens soon enough for there to be a trilogy.