Every year boxing fans look ahead to what fights could potentially take place in the next 12 months and 2018 already has a couple of great match-ups lined up for us all.
A couple of rematches are on the cards and the development of young prospects will again be under the microscope and then there are always one or two that take us all by surprise.
Here are five to look out for:
George Groves V Chris Eubank Jnr
Everybody loves a grudge match and there will be no bigger one in 2018 than when bitter rivals George Groves and Chris Eubank Jnr meet in Manchester in February.
Groves will put his super-middleweight world title on the line as part of the World Boxing Super Series semi-finals event and it is sure to be a cracker.
Groves is often seen as the nearly man of the division, forever remembered for nearly toppling Carl Froch, but will be determined not to lose such a high profile fight again.
Both have been sparring partners in the past and the war of words will ramp up the nearer the fight gets. It is a difficult one to call; don’t miss it.
Golovkin V Canelo II
In what could be seen as a miscarriage of justice, the judges scoring left a lot to be desired as the two fighters currently regarded as the best in the world drew in Vegas in September.
The WBC ordered a rematch for 2018 and although we do not have a date confirmed it is almost certain to happen in the next 12 months.
Triple G appeared to dominate proceedings and most thought he comfortably won the first fight, which included him taking Canelo’s best hits and seemingly walking straight through them.
The question for the Mexican will be can he find something extra in the second fight to win? It will be intriguing to see if he can.
Joshua V Fury?
Yes – we all know it is likely to be Joseph Parker that faces Joshua next but all fight fans would love to see Fury return to face AJ before the end of the year.
Whilst this is more likely to be in 2019, the mere prospect of it ensures it makes the list. Joshua is the most exciting heavyweight on the planet but a fit Tyson Fury would be his biggest ever test.
Despite Fury claiming he would not play a character anymore there is little doubt that should the fight happen, Fury will play his part in the build-up and yet again become the villain of the piece. Love him or hate him he’s an excellent boxer and we would really see how far Joshua has come if it were to happen.
Beterbiev V Kovalev?
Another speculative fight that could take place in 2018 is in the light heavyweight division where old rivals Artur Beterbiev and Sergey Kovalev could face off finally.
The unbeaten Beterbiev claimed the vacant IBF light heavyweight title with a twelfth round stoppage of Enrico Koelling in November.
Kovalev lost his rematch with the retiring Andrew Ward but came back in November with the second round stoppage of Ukraine’s Vyacheslav Shabranskyy.
But both Beterbiev and Kovalev go way back. There is old beef with that needs settling.
The two fighters collided twice in the amateurs in the Russian boxing system.
With Ward out of the picture it may finally be time for the fight to happen after several years of jibes.
Errol Spence Jnr vs Lamont Peterson
The American known as ‘The Truth’ returns to the ring in January following his impressive demolition of Britain’s Kell Brook in May.
His opponent is former sparring partner Lamont Peterson who fight fans may remember for winning a split decision against Amir Khan back in 2011.
Spence is unbeaten and will put his IBF welterweight on the line for the first time against the experienced Peterson who has a 35-3 record.
Both fighters know each other well and this fight will demand a lot of attention on both sides of the Atlantic.
The welterweight division is wide open at the moment with Keith Thurman just about considered the best in it, but with a lot of ageing stars still filling the rankings (Pacquaio and Brook for example) there is an opportunity for one of these two fighters to step up and take it for themselves. I could be a belter.
