Heavyweight scene predictions for 2015!!!

[PokerRob]

So first of the bat it looks like we're going to see Wilder vs Stiverne on Jan 17th in Las Vegas. Hard one to predict this as Wilder is still somewhat of an unknown quantity, but I would still have to go with Wilder.

It will be interesting to see who the winner will face as it seems like Jennings (who would be next in line) will be facing Klitschko on April 25th in New York. This leaves Povetkin, Browne, Glazkov vs Cunningham winner, Ruiz and Fury as other potential matchups!

Now onto Klitschko, as previously mentioned his managerial team has suggested that an April 25th outing against Jennings is almost complete, and if this does not come to fruition then Shannon Briggs is next in line #LETSGOCHAMP

After this it would appear likely that Klitschko faces WBO mandatory Fury sometime in the summer, after Fury has a fight on February 28th against someone like Arreola, Lepai, szpilka, Wach, Scott, Charr, Ustinov, Pianeta, Thompson, Hammer, Perez, Takem or Browne. Povetkin, Pulev and price are unlikely and he would lose his WBO mandatory against Chagaev, so that won’t happen.

The there is also the IBF mandatory, who will be the Glazkov vs Cunningham winner, and the WBA mandatory, which will most likely be Browne once the dust has settled!

[cold187]

WLad will face and beat jennings
Glazkov "should" beat uss. fight is on HBO so could be wlads next fight on HBo (final fight on contract)
Stiverne vs wilder is important. if wilder wins, he fks off to NBC and kiss Wlad fight goodbye until 2016, if stiverne wins, wlad vs stiverne in July-september

Tyson fury coach said he wants 2 fight before WLad so that fight may only happen maybe december or even 2016 depending

Wlad plans depend on results of others

dot forget Povetkin, Pulev, Chisora will be all out nexy year to, and all they will do is make Wlads short list smaller where possible ie scalps like browne, hammer

[Freedom2013]

Joshua is the best up-and-comer, he'll likely have a big year in 2015.

Wilder will knock out Stiverne.

I'm hoping Klitschko will not fight Shannon Briggs, if he does he'll be disgracing himself. However, Klitschko-Jennings is a decent matchup, since the young lion Jennings is rated in the top ten by BoxRec, The Ring and TN rankings.

It will be interesting to see how up-and-comers like Martin and Parker do in the new year.

Can Boytsov, Pulev, Price and Chisora bounce back and re-establish themselves as contenders?

[cjdragon]

I wonder if Carlos Takam (30-2-1, 23 KO) will come back from his KO loss to Povetkin?
He's not a bad boxer, and would be a step up in competition for some of the prospects out there.
Perhaps a rematch with Mike Perez would tell us where both of those fighters are truly at right now.

[Tony1244]

I predict Jennings won't give Klit much trouble.

I predict and hope Wilder easily beats Stiverne.

If so, Wilder & Fury are only 2 interesting Klitschko title defenses.

Hope its a more active HW year than 2014.

Browne, Washington, Teper, Hammer, and Martin need to step up and fight some live bodies.

[HomicideHenry]

I have a friend who works as one of the matchmakers at TOPRANK and I can tell you (without question) the plan with Ruiz is to continue having him face the same level of opponents that he has been UNTIL Klitschko retires. He will not go anywhere near Vladimir. While I personally think that just goes to show you what lack of faith Arum has in Ruiz, it does make sense business wise--- nobody out there can beat Klitschko (yet) so its best to play the waiting game. So far as Ruiz's 2015 is concerned, he'll fight 2-3 nobodies.

Lucas Browne, in my view, may make one more defense of the Commonwealth title, fight a guy outside the commonwealth with some standing, and then go straight for a title shot. Hey, why rock the boat and fight tough opposition? You are already rated #5 in two organizations, #7 in another, etc.

The guys on the fringe like Jennings, Washington, Hammer, Perez (aint counting him out) and Martin... we are going to see a couple of interesting encounters. I do think (maybe) there will be a repeat of the American fights--- cus if one recalls we had Wilder/Scott, Jennings was beating Europeans (as was Thompson). Some of these guys will become gatekeepers, or will get shots. But dont see them having shots or successes until 2016.

And there are so many guys making comebacks... Kali Meehan, for instance... and we have so many young bloods on the rise... Joseph Parker, for instance... there is ALOT of potential for an exciting year for heavyweights in 2015.

The crazy part is, I haven't even got to January and February... which will be Stiverne/Wilder for the WBC title, and of course Tyson Fury fights again...

[Cap]

I don't see Wilder beating Stiverne, but it would be better for the sport for a young guy like Wilder to win convincingly, scratch that, impressively against an older guy with less room for improvement like Stiverne. I'm tired of seeing all these other 30-somethings fighting nobodies to pad their records until they're 40. Of the top 25 in Boxrec at least 14 are 31 or older. Used to be guys had been fighting for eight or nine years by the time they turned 30. Of course some of these late-bloomers had long amatoor careers but the simon-pures ain't the pro ranks.

[fanman]

Agree with the above in the sense that the only interesting thing that could happen is for wilder to blow out stiverne and set up a mega fight with vlad. Plus id like to see haye come back ....

[cjdragon]

Yeah if Wilder wins big over Stiverne, something along the lines of Foreman-Frazier 1 ( DD ) ...that changes things in the division.
If Wilder is legit, we'll have a potential threat to Wlad.

I just don't know and really no one will until right after the Stiverne-Wilder fight.

[klitoris]

I believe that Haye is with Haymon, so regardless if Wilder wins or loses I think Haymon is probably hoping to sometime make the two fighters meet. Haye would need a comeback fight though to get his name back in conversation among boxing fans.
If Wilder gets Stiverne's belt I think he and Haymon will try to avoid Wlad at all costs.

[cjdragon]

I'm not sure why people still want to throw David Haye's name into today's mix of Heavyweights...am I missing something? or do some think he can actually be a factor in the division?
Haye hasn't fought in quite a while (2.5 years), and didn't exactly give his all in what was the most important fight of his career...against Wlad Klitschko for the Heavyweight Championship in 2011.

[Lackeos]

I'm not sure why people still want to throw David Haye's name into today's mix of Heavyweights...am I missing something? or do some think he can actually be a factor in the division?
Haye hasn't fought in quite a while (2.5 years), and didn't exactly give his all in what was the most important fight of his career...against Wlad Klitschko for the Heavyweight Championship in 2011.

That's dumb. Haye was the only challenger since 2006 to come anywhere close to beating Wlad. You're saying this about Haye based on the fact that he slipped punches like Pernell Whitaker, fought on the run like Mayweather, grappled like Hopkins, and attempted to out-speed his opponent like Roy Jones Jr.. If you think all of those fighters are bad and not trying to win their fights, then you are entitled to your opinion, but it's a dumb opinion. Haye did the best that he was capable of doing, and also the best that anybody is capable of doing. The reason Haye's effort and game plan were insufficient to win the fight was because there's absolutely no possible way that he could have landed punches on Wlad no matter what his game plan was, because Wlad is one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, and practically no one has won a round against him in about 8 years. As someone who hated Haye back then, and who likes Wlad, I was actually getting really agitated by how competitive the fight was, because I wanted to see Wlad humiliate him and notch a dominant victory, which he did not.

Haye performed better against Wlad than any other heavyweight is capable of; a vastly better performance than Povetkin's (currently #1 in the forum's rankings) and Pulev's (then #1 in the forum's rankings). But in his last fight, Haye also flattened Chisora in 5 rounds, fairly more decisive than Fury's performance (who is soon to be ranked #2 in the forum's rankings). So, in conclusion, if Haye chose to be active, he would be the second best heavyweight in the world after Wlad.

[Lackeos]

Most of the fighters that Wlad might choose to fight soon as an elective defense, like Fury or the Stiverne - Wilder winner, are incidentally ranked at the top of the WBO. So Wlad might be able to freeroll a WBO mandatory title defense without really trying.

[cjdragon]

I'm not sure why people still want to throw David Haye's name into today's mix of Heavyweights...am I missing something? or do some think he can actually be a factor in the division?
Haye hasn't fought in quite a while (2.5 years), and didn't exactly give his all in what was the most important fight of his career...against Wlad Klitschko for the Heavyweight Championship in 2011.

That's dumb. Haye was the only challenger since 2006 to come anywhere close to beating Wlad. You're saying this about Haye based on the fact that he slipped punches like Pernell Whitaker, fought on the run like Mayweather, grappled like Hopkins, and attempted to out-speed his opponent like Roy Jones Jr.. If you think all of those fighters are bad and not trying to win their fights, then you are entitled to your opinion, but it's a dumb opinion. Haye did the best that he was capable of doing, and also the best that anybody is capable of doing. The reason Haye's effort and game plan were insufficient to win the fight was because there's absolutely no possible way that he could have landed punches on Wlad no matter what his game plan was, because Wlad is one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, and practically no one has won a round against him in about 8 years. As someone who hated Haye back then, and who likes Wlad, I was actually getting really agitated by how competitive the fight was, because I wanted to see Wlad humiliate him and notch a dominant victory, which he did not.

Haye performed better against Wlad than any other heavyweight is capable of; a vastly better performance than Povetkin's (currently #1 in the forum's rankings) and Pulev's (then #1 in the forum's rankings). But in his last fight, Haye also flattened Chisora in 5 rounds, fairly more decisive than Fury's performance (who is soon to be ranked #2 in the forum's rankings). So, in conclusion, if Haye chose to be active, he would be the second best heavyweight in the world after Wlad.

I honestly can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not :)

[zorndeslammes]

The only things I would guess with certainty are that Anthony Joshua probably will be more active than any theoretical American counterpart and Wladimir Klitschko ends the year with a bunch of belts. For example: I like USS Cunningham a lot, but the dude is 38, and if I'm wondering whether or not Glazkov can actually beat him, it doesn't matter if he wins as to whether or not he's really a competitive, elite guy.

[Tarkus]

1. Wilder vs Stivern happens

2. Haye comes back

3. Joshua beats Price

4. Haye beats Povetkin

5. Klitschko unifies the belts

6. Fury keeps moaning

[tiny_acres]

1. Wilder vs Stivern happens

2. Haye comes back

3. Joshua beats Price

4. Haye beats Povetkin

5. Klitschko unifies the belts

6. Fury keeps moaning

I wish David Haye would fall off the earth.Zero fights in 2 and a half years.
Biggest wins were a disputed win over Valuev.
A knock out over the most over rated heavyweight in the world Chisora
And a win over a washed up 3-3 in his last 6 bouts Ruiz who retired after the fight.

Haye is over rated as a heavy and irrelevant in the scheme of todays ratings.

[Tony1244]

I wish David Haye would fall off the earth.Zero fights in 2 and a half years.
Biggest wins were a disputed win over Valuev.
A knock out over the most over rated heavyweight in the world Chisora
And a win over a washed up 3-3 in his last 6 bouts Ruiz who retired after the fight.

Haye is over rated as a heavy and irrelevant in the scheme of todays ratings.[/quote]>>tiny_acres

To me, he already has. Haye is retired. Talking does not make one a fighter. You have to actually fight to be a fighter. Call me old school.

[tiny_acres]

I wish David Haye would fall off the earth.Zero fights in 2 and a half years.
Biggest wins were a disputed win over Valuev.
A knock out over the most over rated heavyweight in the world Chisora
And a win over a washed up 3-3 in his last 6 bouts Ruiz who retired after the fight.

Haye is over rated as a heavy and irrelevant in the scheme of todays ratings.

>>tiny_acres

To me, he already has. Haye is retired. Talking does not make one a fighter. You have to actually fight to be a fighter. Call me old school.[/quote]

That sums it up

[Tarkus]

Haye is retired.

No doubt. Thats why I said COMES BACK. :P

Whether you guys like him or not, he is coming back and he is beating Povetkin. Ive seen the future.

[tiny_acres]

Haye is retired.

No doubt. Thats why I said COMES BACK. :P

Whether you guys like him or not, he is coming back and he is beating Povetkin. Ive seen the future.

I've seen the future too.
Haye fights a scrub in a comeback fight.
Haye signs contract to fight Povetkin.
Haye pulls out with an injury the week of the fight.
Haye then reschedules for 3 months later
Haye then pulls out because of a hang nail
Haye reschedules
Haye pulls out because of a case of bad breathe.
Haye retires again
Haye announces another comeback

[semisports]

Klitschko will fight Jennings next.

Wilder knocks out Stiverne and the wait begins for a unification bout with Klitschko

Fury gets the next top spot after a win over someone like Browne.

I predict that as talented as Glazkov is he is limited and will be exposed.

Charles Martin could sneak in there someplace and with the backing of mogul Michael King has a better than average shot of opportunity.

Joshua, Parker, Ruiz are the top guns in waiting and will begin to move in 2016

Forget about Haye he is a fairy tale now. *yawn* ....and Shannon Briggs I hope just goes away!

next year just sets up the bigger year of 2016 as a Wladimir vs Wilder fight happens with the winner to fight Fury....all of which places the heavyweights in the top spots of boxing conversations

[Tony1244]

I've seen the future too.
Haye fights a scrub in a comeback fight.
Haye signs contract to fight Povetkin.
Haye pulls out with an injury the week of the fight.
Haye then reschedules for 3 months later
Haye then pulls out because of a hang nail
Haye reschedules
Haye pulls out because of a case of bad breathe.
Haye retires again
Haye announces another comeback[/quote]>>tiny_acres

The future sounds a lot like the past. Didn't this all already happen?

[tiny_acres]

I've seen the future too.
Haye fights a scrub in a comeback fight.
Haye signs contract to fight Povetkin.
Haye pulls out with an injury the week of the fight.
Haye then reschedules for 3 months later
Haye then pulls out because of a hang nail
Haye reschedules
Haye pulls out because of a case of bad breathe.
Haye retires again
Haye announces another comeback

>>tiny_acres

The future sounds a lot like the past. Didn't this all already happen? [/quote]

It is a viscous cycle

[Cap]

Just think of all the fights you'd like to see happen and expect the opposite.