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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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 13: (L-R) Errol Spence Jr., Lennox Lewis, and Mikey Garcia attend FOX Sports and Premier Boxing Champions Press Conference Experience on November 13, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /

Errol Spence Jr. vs. Mikey Garcia (Saturday, March 16 on FOX PPV)

Arguably, Errol Spence Jr. vs. Mikey Garcia is the most highly anticipated bout of early 2019. Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) is one of the most respected welterweights in the world outside of Terence Crawford. Many believe that he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world or at least in the top five. The problem is that Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) is also on that list. However, this fight has a David vs. Goliath feel to it.

Spence is the bigger man of the two. He’s a natural welterweight and the IBF champion. Garica held an IBF belt twice, but as a lightweight and super lightweight. He beat up Robert Easter Jr. in July knocking him down in the third round. Easter enjoyed a big height and reach advantage over Garcia, but it did little to help him.

The difference between Easter and Spence is that Spence is a much thicker and stronger opponent. Spence has an 88 percent knockout rating compared to Easter’s 64 percent. Also, his defensive skills are more polished than Easter’s.

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Garcia is a technically sound fighter, but Spence has been in against the likes of Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, and Chris Algieri. He stopped them all. It will be interesting to see if Garcia can go the distance with Spence. You can catch their fight on Saturday, March 16 on FOX pay-per-view. A price for the bout hasn’t been set, but this is one that should be worth the money. David Benavidez vs. J’Leon Love has been added to the card. More undercard bouts will materialize as fight night draws near.

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