As 2021 comes to a close, it leaves us with plenty of memorable bouts. These are a handful of fights that would make 2022 a year to remember in boxing as well.
Here's what DAZN News came up with.
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua
Of course, Anthony Joshua must find a way to avenge his loss against unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk first. And WBC titleholder Tyson Fury expressed the desire of keeping busy and having a fight during the first quarter of the new year. If both men are successful in each of those respective tasks, a summer or fall blockbuster between the heavyweights would easily become the biggest fight between two British boxers, and one of the largest that the sweet science has ever seen, period.
Could the "Gypsy King" outbox and even finish Joshua? Or would "AJ" find a way to stop Fury and hand him his first pro loss? Any way you look at it, Fury vs. Joshua for undisputed glory in front of 100,000 fans and many more watching on pay-per-view would truly be a must-see scrap for the ages.
Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford
Look, Terence Crawford defeating Shawn Porter in November accomplished a two-pronged feat in proving that "Bud" can rise to his competition in a grand way and that there isn't really a proverbial street to cross between Top Rank and PBC. Crawford, the WBO welterweight titleholder, expressing the ambition to walk away from Top Rank should make it all the more easier to force a unified tilt against IBF/WBC champion Errol Spence Jr.
The bigger issue would be resolving what would be a pretentious purse battle between the two, as each champ would attempt to leverage a greater payday than the other. Crawford-Porter showed that any fight can be made between any promotional outfits. Now, it just comes down to making this fight happen. It's the fight at 147 pounds and needs to be treated with such urgency, so we could see it happen in 2022 without risking the danger of it fading away for good.
Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez
David Benavidez has publicly stated that he thinks he can pose a real threat to Canelo Alvarez in the ring.
Well, with Canelo chasing another stab at boxing history in the form of trying to fight WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu next, Benavidez needs to be willing to meet the undisputed super middleweight king anywhere he goes. That means cruiserweight, light heavyweight or staying put at 168 pounds if need be, too.
You'd figure that his volume punching and switch-hitting style would translate at 175 pounds or higher. By continuing to win, the undefeated Benavidez can add to a groundswell for making this fight happen and put Canelo in a position where he can't say no to the young lion. What a fight it would be.
Josh Taylor vs. Teofimo Lopez Jr.
Not taking anything away from George Kambosos Jr., because he fought a great fight and did what he said he was going to do by defeating Teofimo Lopez Jr. to become the unified lightweight champion of the world in a big upset in 2021. However, you got the impression that if Lopez would have utilized a different strategy or at the least not overlooked the rugged Australian that he would have kept all his hardware in his possession.
Still, a big setback can equate to a major comeback if Lopez plays his cards right. Both Lopez and Josh Taylor are Top Rank fighters. The undefeated Taylor is set to make his first defense of his undisputed super lightweight crown against Jack Catterall in Glasgow on Feb. 26. Lopez should make it a point to be there and perhaps help press the issue for a mega fight between he and Taylor next, as long as Taylor doesn't suffer an upset the way Lopez did against Kambosos.
The fight would give Lopez an instant proving point opportunity in a new division to reinforce his greatness. Meanwhile, it would give Taylor another formidable foe to assert his boxing brilliance upon. A win-win for them ... and us.
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano
This mega-bout has had its fair share of false starts and setbacks. But the time to make it happen is now. There shouldn't be any more delays.
Serrano is a seven-division world champion whose star power is peaking thanks to appearing on Jake Paul's boxing cards. All Katie Taylor has done is continue to win, racking up another defense of her undisputed lightweight crown in December via a unanimous decision over Firuza Sharipova. Taylor's boxing skills against Serrano's noted power would be the kind of can't-miss boxing fight to elevate women's boxing and the sport as a whole. And they could headline it in an arena to add to the spotlight.
Honorable mention: Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia.