Predicting the Top 5 British Boxers in 5 Years:
Throughout the years, Britain has produced a wealth of talent across all the different divisions, and considering its small size, Britain has played a huge role in the shape of boxing past and present. It’s one of the most popular sports in Britain and there’s often at least one British champion somewhere near the top of the sport.
So, what can we expect from Britain in the next 5 years? Below are the 5 boxers I expect to be making the biggest noise circa 2019. Some of them are already more or less at the top of the tree, while others don’t have many fights to their name. Either way, feel free to either praise or ridicule me by 2019. In no particular order…
1) – Anthony Joshua
Joshua is at the very tender age of 24 and has only 5 fights to his name – all KO’s, none of which has lasted more than 2 rounds. This is hardly rare for how a young prospect’s resume should look early on, but it’s the way he fights that sets him apart from other heavyweights.
He has excellent movement and throws combinations with the speedy precision of a much lighter boxer. Far more than David Price ever did, he seems to have a complete skill-set in the ring. Don’t assume he doesn’t hit hard though — Hector Avil, who nearly took Derek Chisora the distance, was shook by the first shot he landed and promptly crumbled in the first round against Joshua.
He’s yet to fight anyone of note, but I can’t honestly look at anyone in Britain other than maybe Chisora or the strangely belligerent Tyson Fury who could pose any threat to Joshua. I expect him to challenge for the British heavyweight title by the end of the 2014 and can easily see him going on to fighting at the world level.
Joshua is a very technical boxer who is always in fantastic condition, something which is quite rare for a lot of heavyweights these days and also one of the reasons I believe the Klitschkos were so successful. He comes across as a very level-headed individual and this calmness will only serve to make him fight intelligently when the rounds start getting further towards championship status.
2) – Scott Quigg
I rate Scott Quigg very highly, and believe he’s a fantastic fighter. He’s already one of the best in the world at 122, undefeated and with 20 KO’s from 27 wins — all at the age of 25. His fitness level is tremendous, something which should translate to lasting success in combination with his natural skill. Quigg has defeated some names in the division already and he’s lucky enough to be fighting at a weight which consistently produces top-draw fighters.
There’s the ever looming Carl Frampton for him to look at in the near future or perhaps Leo Santa Cruz, as well as a possible fight against the top dog at the weight–Guillermo Rigondeaux. Quigg is young enough for a bad day at the office to not affect his career too much, though by 2019 I’d expect him to be challenging for titles at heavier weights. He is yet to fight outside of the UK, but his maturity in the ring suggests that won’t be an issue.
3) Billy Joe Saunders
Another undefeated boxer with an abundance of skill, Saunders is the current Commonwealth Middleweight champion. He had a particularly glittering career as an amateur, winning the 2008 Strandya Cup and boxing at the Beijing Olympics. He is currently knocking on the door at the European level and I fully believe he can look to establish himself at the heights of other British middleweights such as Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray.
In his last fight, Saunders won a unanimous decision against John Ryder who is himself one of the top British middleweights around at the moment. He uses his jab expertly, but is also capable of fighting on the inside. At times, I feel his defense could be a little tighter, but that should come with experience. The next couple of years will be huge for Saunders and with the right guidance he could be heading for the top.
4) George Groves
With him due to be fighting in one of the biggest British boxing events of all time, it’s very easy to forget Groves is only 26. He has one loss to his name: a *slightly* controversial stoppage to the number 2 super middleweight in the world, Carl Froch. Groves has lightning fast hands, as shown when knocking down Froch for only the second time in his career, and is capable of taking a lot of punishment as well.
With victories against James DeGale and veteran Glen Johnson to his name, Groves has already proven he is capable of fighting at the top level of this division. Ultimately, the rematch with Froch is going to help define his career. If he can pull off another performance like last time and actually win, then most British fans will consider him one of their top fighters. Even if he comes up short in the Froch rematch, there will be titles in the future for Groves.
5) Mitchell Smith
There’s a lot of hype around Luke Campbell amongst British fans. Rightly so, he’s very good. But Smith looks the much more well-rounded fighter to me. He doesn’t have the natural power of Campbell, but he is a better boxer, in my humble opinion. He is much in the Frankie Gavin mold, not possessing hands of stone, but having a plethora of skill.
He is very adept at the basics –cutting off the ring, working behind the jab and always being on the move. But he is also very composed and doesn’t rush his work. Again, he has fought nobody of any note but the lad is only 21 and already recognized as one of the top British super featherweights coming up. Can he be a British titleholder in the next 5 years? Easily. Can he be knocking on the door of European level? Potentially. It’s early on, but he has had 8 successful outings so far and when I’ve been fortunate enough to see him, he has already fought with the ability of a top boxer. Smith will be a joy to watch over the next few years.
