Wish list: Best single matchup for each Boxing Junkie pound-for-pounder in 2024

Generally followers obtain the fights they crave. Normally they don’t.

We stay optimistic, although, all the time hoping one of the best fighters on this planet will face their equals as a substitute of obscure necessary title challengers or stay-busy foes.

With that in thoughts, right here’s an inventory of the 20 fighters on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound record — the Prime 15 and 5 honorable mentions — and the one opponent we most wish to see them struggle within the coming 12 months.

Let’s hold our fingers crossed that politics or unreasonable calls for sink the potential matchups you see beneath.

Terence Crawford – Jermell Charlo. The most important problem for one of the best fighter on this planet — and 147-pound champion — is at 154 kilos.
Naoya Inoue – It appears nobody in or across the 122-pound champion’s weight class can compete with him. Murodjon Akhmadaliev may need one of the best probability.
Oleksandr Usyk – Tyson Fury. And it’s taking place on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia. We’ll have our first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis barring one thing unexpected.
Dmitry Bivol – Artur Beterbiev. What’s higher than a gathering between unbeaten, extremely revered fighters for an undisputed championship?
Juan Francisco Estrada – Jesse Rodriguez. “Bam,” one of many hottest fighters on this planet, referred to as out Estrada for might become a passing-of-the-torch matchup.
Canelo Alvarez– David Benavidez. Duh.
Jermell Charlo – Crawford. We like Charlo vs. Tim Tszyu, who has earned the chance to face the highest 154-pounder. Nonetheless, Charlo-Crawford could be a next-level matchup.
Gervonta Davis – Shakur Stevenson. This could be a pairing of two profoundly gifted fighters, each of whom have the flexibility to turn out to be No. 1 pound-for-pound at some point quickly.
Tyson Fury – Oleksandr Usyk. That is Fury’s alternative to finish all debate about who’s one of the best heavyweight of the post-Klitschko period.
Devin Haney – Teofimo Lopez. Haney is in talks with Ryan Garcia — who would make for an enormous occasion — however a victory over Lopez would do extra for his legacy.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Estrada. Rodriguez already has three important victories however a date with the long run Corridor of Famer could be his final check.
Errol Spence Jr. – Jaron Ennis. Spence must show that he’s higher than he seemed in his knockout loss to Crawford. Ennis, as proficient as anybody, wants an enormous struggle. Good.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – George Kambosos Jr. The Aussie in all probability isn’t a big risk to Loma however a victory within the struggle, which is within the works, would get him a title. He deserves the chance.
Artur Beterbiev – Bivol. The traditional matchup of boxer vs. puncher arguably would decide one of the best 175-pounder since Corridor of Fame Andre Ward retired.
Shakur Stevenson – Davis. Stevenson is one important victory away from turning into a famous person. This matchup would give him that chance.

HONORABLE MENTION

David Benavidez – Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez has earned the proper to face the person he has been chasing.
Jermall Charlo – Benavidez or Alvarez. If the 2 168-pound stars don’t struggle each other — or maybe after they do — both would make the largest struggle of Charlos’ profession.
Roman Gonzalez — “Bam” Rodriguez mentioned in so many phrases that he has an excessive amount of respect for “Chocolatito” to struggle him, however, man, this might be a tremendous matchup of particular little males.
Kazuto Ioka — Juan Francisco Estrada. Ioka and Estrada have been headed for a gathering in 2023 till talks broke down. The title-unification matchup could be fabulous if Estrada doesn’t struggle Rodriguez.
Teofimo Lopez — Haney. Lopez’s victory over Josh Taylor was a step again to his pre-Kambosos standing. He’d be all of the again — after which some — with a victory over Haney.