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It’s time to get Bad Left Hook’s March Mania fantasy boxing tournament underway! Today we’ll be voting on the matchups at heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, flyweight, and minimumweight.
Read more about the tournament here.
The idea behind how to vote:
Obviously I can’t make you vote any which way, but the idea is to assume everyone is in their best condition they can be right now, nobody struggled to make weight, nobody’s out of shape, nobody’s got any injuries. Imagine everyone being the best fighters they can be as of right now, whatever that means to you. And to be extra clear, we are talking current form, not the absolute prime for anyone.
If you don’t feel you know enough about a certain matchup or division or fighter to vote on that one, you don’t have to! And please, feel free to add some comments or reasoning for any of your picks!
The voting for these matchups will remain open until Saturday, Mar. 21 at Noon ET.
Let’s go!
AND NOW HERE IS THE GIANT BARRAGE OF POLLS (AND MATCHUP NOTES)!
Poll
Heavyweight: Fury vs Pulev
This poll is closed
-
97%
(1) Tyson Fury
(438 votes) -
2%
(8) Kubrat Pulev
(11 votes)
Notes: Fury (30-0-1, 21 KO) is the WBC and LINEAL!!! champion of the world, while Pulev (28-1, 14 KO) is Bulgarian, you know. Pulev beat Tyson’s cousin Hughie back in 2018 so we’ve got the good relative coming for some revenge, like when Wyatt chased down the Cowboys after Morgan got got in Tombstone.
Poll
Heavyweight: Ruiz vs Whyte
This poll is closed
-
40%
(4) Andy Ruiz Jr
(182 votes) -
59%
(5) Dillian Whyte
(267 votes)
Notes: Easily, I think, the most intriguing of the first round heavyweight matchups. The former titleholder Ruiz (33-2, 22 KO) and the eternal contender Whyte (27-1, 18 KO). And this is the sort of matchup I mean when I say to think of everyone at their best. Try not to think of this as the Dec. 7 versions of Ruiz or Whyte, all out of shape in Saudi Arabia. Or do, honestly, if that’s more fun for you. I don’t really care.
Poll
Heavyweight: Wilder vs Ortiz
This poll is closed
-
89%
(3) Deontay Wilder
(410 votes) -
10%
(6) Luis Ortiz
(50 votes)
Notes: We’ve seen this fight twice, and Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KO) stopped Ortiz (31-2, 26 KO) both times. But maybe you think Ortiz would get him this time, I dunno.
Poll
Heavyweight: Joshua vs Povetkin
This poll is closed
-
94%
(2) Anthony Joshua
(413 votes) -
5%
(7) Alexander Povetkin
(26 votes)
Notes: Another fight we’ve seen before, as Joshua (23-1, 21 KO) stopped Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 KO) back in 2018. But Povetkin did give him a half-decent fight and we’ve seen some Joshua flaws exposed a bit since then, too.
Poll
Light Heavyweight: Beterbiev vs Jack
This poll is closed
-
97%
(1) Artur Beterbiev
(421 votes) -
2%
(8) Badou Jack
(9 votes)
Notes: Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KO) is a pure wrecker, and on the other side we’ve got the tough veteran Jack (22-3-3, 13 KO). Frankly I think there’s a clear favorite here but we gotta vote the votes.
Poll
Light Heavyweight: Kovalev vs Alvarez
This poll is closed
-
45%
(4) Sergey Kovalev
(193 votes) -
54%
(5) Eleider Alvarez
(235 votes)
Notes: A fantasy third meeting. Alvarez (25-1, 13 KO) upset Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KO) back in 2018, and then lost the immediate rematch in early 2019 when Kovalev outboxed him over 12 rounds. But to say that Kovalev is not exactly a consistent fighter anymore would be an understatement. Seems like kind of a toss-up to me.
Poll
Light Heavyweight: Gvozdyk vs Pascal
This poll is closed
-
88%
(3) Oleksandr Gvozdyk
(370 votes) -
11%
(6) Jean Pascal
(49 votes)
Notes: I think this one’s more interesting than it might seem at first. Gvozdyk (17-1, 14 KO) probably can handily outbox Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KO), but that aging weirdo is reckless, fearless, and tough as hell.
Poll
Light Heavyweight: Bivol vs Browne
This poll is closed
-
95%
(2) Dmitry Bivol
(401 votes) -
4%
(7) Marcus Browne
(18 votes)
Notes: Bivol (17-0, 11 KO) is the classiest boxer of the 175-pound field, without question. Browne (23-1, 16 KO) is a little inconsistent in his performances but has a lot of raw talent.
Poll
Middleweight: Golovkin vs Korobov
This poll is closed
-
96%
(1) Gennadiy Golovkin
(418 votes) -
3%
(8) Matt Korobov
(13 votes)
Notes: Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KO) gets the top seed at 160 with Canelo Alvarez in the 168-pound field. He’d be an obvious favorite over Korobov (28-3-1, 14 KO), the veteran Russian southpaw.
Poll
Middleweight: Charlo vs Murata
This poll is closed
-
70%
(4) Jermall Charlo
(295 votes) -
29%
(5) Ryota Murata
(122 votes)
Notes: Now this one I find pretty fascinating. At his best, Murata (16-2, 13 KO) is a skilled, heavy-handed aggressor, but we’ve seen him struggle, too. Charlo (30-0, 22 KO) has some of those same qualities, though he hasn’t really looked like quite the puncher at 160 that he was at 154.
Poll
Middleweight: Derevyanchenko vs Brant
This poll is closed
-
96%
(3) Sergiy Derevyanchenko
(393 votes) -
3%
(6) Rob Brant
(16 votes)
Notes: Another potentially intriguing matchup. Brant (25-2, 17 KO) looked overmatched in his rematch loss to Murata last summer, but you can’t forget he won a deserved decision the first time they met, either. He’s a good fighter. Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KO) is 0-2 in his biggest fights, but has proven he’s highly competitive with the best in the division against GGG and Daniel Jacobs.
Poll
Middleweight: Andrade vs Eubank
This poll is closed
-
80%
(2) Demetrius Andrade
(338 votes) -
19%
(7) Chris Eubank Jr
(81 votes)
Notes: One of my favorite first round matchups, probably my favorite of the 2-7s. Andrade (29-0, 18 KO) is a DAZN house favorite, as they’ve tried everything to turn him into a star, and he’s a highly skilled technician. But he’s also out-technicianed a lot of overmatched foes. Eubank (29-2, 22 KO) is often the exact opposite of a technician, but he has power and a natural athleticism most just don’t.
Poll
Welterweight: Spence vs Lipinets
This poll is closed
-
98%
(1) Errol Spence Jr
(416 votes) -
1%
(8) Sergey Lipinets
(6 votes)
Notes: Pretend it’s the Spence (26-0, 21 KO) from the last time you saw him fight. Or don’t, again, I can’t really tell you what to do. Lipinets (16-1, 12 KO) is solid but would seem to be out of his depth here. I thought about putting Mikey Garcia in the eight spot but figured nobody even wanted to vote on a Spence-Garcia rematch.
Poll
Welterweight: Porter vs Thurman
This poll is closed
-
68%
(4) Shawn Porter
(290 votes) -
31%
(5) Keith Thurman
(133 votes)
Notes: These two, of course, met back in 2016, with Thurman (29-1, 22 KO) edging Porter (30-3-1, 17 KO) by decision. That was a long time ago, though, and Thurman has not exactly trended up since then, but Porter isn’t exactly flawless or anything. It was a good style matchup the first time and probably would be again.
Poll
Welterweight: Pacquiao vs Garcia
This poll is closed
-
84%
(3) Manny Pacquiao
(357 votes) -
15%
(6) Danny Garcia
(64 votes)
Notes: A fight we might actually see this year. Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KO) remains a force at 147, and Garcia (36-2, 21 KO) has held his own with everyone he’s ever faced. Danny’s obviously the younger man, but Pacquiao is a legend. I didn’t decide whether these fights would have VADA testing or not.
Poll
Welterweight: Crawford vs Ugas
This poll is closed
-
94%
(2) Terence Crawford
(396 votes) -
5%
(7) Yordenis Ugas
(21 votes)
Notes: Actually, here’s another good 2-7 matchup, and there’s another good one in the next weight class, too. Crawford (36-0, 27 KO) is an unbeaten three-division champ, but Ugas (25-4, 12 KO) is a crafty, sound fighter who has come into his own after a bad couple of fights back in 2014. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone sees real potential for an upset here.
Poll
Lightweight: Lomachenko vs Fortuna
This poll is closed
-
99%
(1) Vasiliy Lomachenko
(409 votes) -
0%
(8) Javier Fortuna
(3 votes)
Notes: Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KO) is a class boxer, obviously. Fortuna (35-2-1, 24 KO) is no pushover, but as a natural featherweight himself he doesn’t even have the size advantages some might against Loma at 135. Tough to see the upset here.
Poll
Lightweight: Campbell vs Commey
This poll is closed
-
66%
(4) Luke Campbell
(265 votes) -
33%
(5) Richard Commey
(133 votes)
Notes: Campbell (20-3, 16 KO) has been runner-up in his two world title fights, but came close against Jorge Linares back in 2017. Commey (29-3, 26 KO) is a likable, hard-hitting Ghanaian, and as a result of being Ghanaian, he is teak-tough, especially when paired with a UK fighter, with, in my fantasy world, Jim Watt on the call.
Poll
Lightweight: Haney vs Davis
This poll is closed
-
58%
(3) Devin Haney
(238 votes) -
41%
(6) Gervonta Davis
(167 votes)
Notes: Now here’s the king of the 3-6 matchups, I think. This one could rule. Two young, talented fighters, both unbeaten. Haney (24-0, 15 KO) and Davis (23-0, 22 KO) both still have question marks at 135, but their talent is obvious. I’m really interested to see the vote here because it’s going to say more about what people think about these guys’ potential than anything, I think.
Poll
Lightweight: Lopez vs Linares
This poll is closed
-
85%
(2) Teofimo Lopez
(350 votes) -
14%
(7) Jorge Linares
(58 votes)
Notes: This one’s intriguing, too, I believe. Lopez (15-0, 12 KO) answered critics in a big way with his KO of Commey in December, but when Linares (47-5, 29 KO) is on, few are his peer in boxing skill. It’s a terrifically talented veteran against an explosive young rising star. I’d love to see this fight in real actual life.
Poll
Featherweight: Warrington vs Magsayo
This poll is closed
-
94%
(1) Josh Warrington
(357 votes) -
5%
(8) Mark Magsayo
(20 votes)
Notes: Here we have a proven titleholder in Warrington (30-0, 7 KO) against a largely unproven prospect in Magsayo (20-0, 14 KO). This fight would be an enormous step up in competition for the Filipino.
Poll
Featherweight: Galahad vs Xu
This poll is closed
-
66%
(4) Kid Galahad
(232 votes) -
33%
(5) Xu Can
(119 votes)
Notes: Galahad (27-1, 16 KO) gave Warrington a close fight in defeat last year, and while it wasn’t pretty, and Galahad rarely is pretty to watch, he’s effective. Xu (18-2, 3 KO) has really put it together, though; his two losses came back in 2014 within his first five fights, and he’s won 15 straight and the WBA title since. Good fight.
Poll
Featherweight: Stevenson vs Nyambayar
This poll is closed
-
91%
(3) Shakur Stevenson
(334 votes) -
8%
(6) Tugstsogt Nyambayar
(32 votes)
Notes: A pair of former Olympic silver medalists. Stevenson (13-0, 7 KO) won silver as a bantamweight in 2016, and Nyambayar (11-1, 9 KO) silver as a flyweight in 2012. Both are young and talented. Stevenson has the WBO belt and the harder promotional push, but King Tug proved no pushover against Gary Russell last time, though he did lose fair and square.
Poll
Featherweight: Russell vs Magdaleno
This poll is closed
-
94%
(2) Gary Russell Jr
(353 votes) -
5%
(7) Jessie Magdaleno
(19 votes)
Notes: The fairly enigmatic Russell (31-1, 18 KO) is as talented as anyone in this field. Magdaleno (27-1, 18 KO) is a former titleholder at 122 who has looked solid in two fights since moving up, albeit against second-rate foes.
Poll
Bantamweight: Inoue vs Tete
This poll is closed
-
98%
(1) Naoya Inoue
(374 votes) -
1%
(8) Zolani Tete
(6 votes)
Notes: Inoue (19-0, 16 KO) is “The Monster,” of course, and the clear pick for top seed here, without question. But there were some tears in the armor when he fought Nonito Donaire last time out. Tete (28-4, 21 KO) is coming off a loss to John Riel Casimero where he was bombed out in three. He’s a good vet but this matchup, at least to me, seems bad.
Poll
Bantamweight: Casimero vs Rigondeaux
This poll is closed
-
22%
(4) John Riel Casimero
(85 votes) -
77%
(5) Guillermo Rigondeaux
(287 votes)
Notes: Now here’s a good one. Casimero (29-4, 20 KO) has kind of quietly won world titles at 108, 112, and now 118. His power has come up the weights with him. But then you have Rigondeaux (20-1, 13 KO), a master boxer and spoiler whose left hand pop freezes most foes. This is another one I can see people having strong, split feelings on.
Poll
Bantamweight: Donaire vs Rodriguez
This poll is closed
-
86%
(3) Nonito Donaire
(316 votes) -
13%
(6) Emmanuel Rodriguez
(50 votes)
Notes: Donaire (40-6, 26 KO) proved himself at 118 all over again with his tremendous effort in defeat against Inoue. Rodriguez (19-1, 12 KO) was trucked in two by Inoue last year, but styles make fights and all that, and Rodriguez can fight.
Poll
Bantamweight: Oubaali vs Moloney
This poll is closed
-
86%
(2) Nordine Oubaali
(281 votes) -
13%
(7) Jason Moloney
(43 votes)
Notes: Oubaali (17-0, 12 KO) is a strong titleholder, some good wins and a former amateur standout, too. Moloney (20-1, 17 KO) lost a split decision to Rodriguez in 2018 in the WBSS, and showed in that one he’s a legitimate contender.
Poll
Flyweight: Tanaka vs Harris
This poll is closed
-
91%
(1) Kosei Tanaka
(273 votes) -
9%
(8) Jay Harris
(27 votes)
Notes: Tanaka (15-0, 9 KO) recently gave up the WBO belt as he’s planning to go to 115 and fight Kazuto Ioka, but he competes here for our fantasy purposes. The Japanese star is a clear favorite against Harris (17-1, 9 KO), who’s had one notable fight and lost it, albeit while showing some real quality and a tremendous heart.
Poll
Flyweight: Dalakian vs Edwards
This poll is closed
-
63%
(4) Artem Dalakian
(176 votes) -
36%
(5) Charlie Edwards
(100 votes)
Notes: Dalakian (20-0, 14 KO) has the WBA title and can certainly fight, though he’s stayed at home in Ukraine against mediocre opponents apart from his title-winning effort over Brian Viloria in 2018 in the US. Edwards (15-1, 6 KO) is a former WBC titleholder planning a move up in weight in real life.
Poll
Flyweight: Mthalane vs Acosta
This poll is closed
-
74%
(3) Moruti Mthalane
(195 votes) -
25%
(6) Angel Acosta
(66 votes)
Notes: Mthalane (39-2, 26 KO) has quietly been one of the most consistent fighters in the world since about 2008. He lost to Donaire in ‘08 but hasn’t lost since and has been a consistent top flyweight that entire time. Acosta (21-2, 21 KO) is a former 108-pound titleholder who moved up to 112 last fall and looked just as strong as ever.
Poll
Flyweight: Martinez vs Selby
This poll is closed
-
91%
(2) Julio Cesar Martinez
(258 votes) -
8%
(7) Andrew Selby
(24 votes)
Notes: Martinez (16-1, 12 KO) has been one of boxing’s breakout young stars over the last 12 months, and it all started with an upset win over Selby (13-1, 7 KO) one year ago. Would the Welshman be able to get revenge, or would it be a repeat?
Poll
Minimumweight: Wanheng vs Saludar
This poll is closed
-
96%
(1) Wanheng Menayothin
(252 votes) -
3%
(8) Vic Saludar
(10 votes)
Notes: Wanheng (54-0, 18 KO) is obviously TBE, four fights better than that 50-fight chump Floyd Mayweather. Saludar (20-4, 11 KO) is a former WBO titleholder who lost his belt to Wilfredo Mendez last August.
Poll
Minimumweight: Mendez vs Taduran
This poll is closed
-
80%
(4) Wilfredo Mendez
(187 votes) -
19%
(5) Pedro Taduran
(45 votes)
Notes: A couple of relatively new titleholders, Mendez (16-1, 6 KO) claiming his belt last August as just mentioned, and Taduran (14-2-1, 11 KO) winning his last September. Taduran is one of Wanheng’s many victims.
Poll
Minimumweight: Argumedo vs Konkco
This poll is closed
-
83%
(3) Jose Argumedo
(183 votes) -
16%
(6) Simpiwe Konkco
(37 votes)
Notes: Argumedo (23-4-1, 14 KO) is a former titleholder and veteran contender who last fought a year ago. He lost his belt to Hiroto Kyoguchi, now at 108, in July 2017 and has fought just three times since. In all honesty, maybe he shouldn’t rank so high, I don’t know. This division is tough to track all the time. Konkco (19-6, 7 KO) is some age or other and lost to Wanheng last October and to Hekkie Budler in 2015, but remains a solid contender.
Poll
Minimumweight: Knockout vs Rojas
This poll is closed
-
91%
(2) Knockout CP Freshmart
(225 votes) -
8%
(7) Byron Rojas
(21 votes)
Notes: Knockout (21-0, 7 KO) doesn’t really knock anyone out anymore. He should change his name to Decision CP Freshmart, IMO. The man’s had one stoppage in his last 10 fights. That said he’s also won them all. Rojas (27-4-3, 11 KO) is another veteran. These two have already met twice, with Knockout winning decisions in 2016 and 2018.