Boxing in 2019: Top 5 bouts to kickstart the new year

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 19: Manny Pacquiao (L) and Adrien Broner face off during a press conference at Gotham Hall in preparation for their upcoming match on November 19, 2018 in New York City. The match is set to take place on January 19, 2019 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

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Demetrius Andrade celebrates his victory and world champion title after the WBA world half middleweight championship boxing match between Jack Culcay (Germany) and Demetrius Andrade (US) at the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Ludwigshafen, Germany, 11 March 2017. Photo: Christoph Schmidt/dpa | usage worldwide (Photo by Christoph Schmidt/picture alliance via Getty Images) /

Demetrius Andrade vs. Artur Akavov (Friday, Jan. 18 on DAZN)

Demetrius Andrade (26-0. 16 KOs) vs. Artur Akavov (19-2, 8 KOs) isn’t the most appealing boxing bout, but it’s a middleweight title fight during a congested fight weekend. Andrade defends his WBO title on Friday, Jan. 18 for the first time and he does it from Madison Square Garden as the headliner of a surprisingly loaded fight card on DAZN.

Andrade is a legitimate middleweight threat with wins over Willie Nelson and Vanes Martirosyan, but he has never fought an elite caliber boxer. Akavov is a Russian fighter who lacks big names on his résumé. He gave a good account of himself against Billy Joe Saunders in 2016, but he still lost a unanimous decision.

Akavov gives Andrade a durable opponent, but not one that presents him with a serious challenge. This main card itself isn’t the reason that this is a good fight card. The undercards make this a boxing show to view.

The primary prelim bout is Jorge Linares vs. Pablo Cesar Cano. Linares is continuing to rebuild his reputation after being knocked out by Vasiliy Lomachenko in May of 2018. Cano is a journeyman, but Linares is an impressive athlete to watch. His presence makes this a fun undercard bout.

Another prelim bout features former super lightweight champion Chris Algieri. Algieri fights for the second time after coming off of a two-year layoff. He has three losses on his record, but those all came as a welterweight. He’s back as a super lightweight and he trying to work himself into title contention. Three former and current world champions make this a fight card to watch.

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