Top Emerging Boxing Careers: Talent to Pay Attention to
Few combat disciplines can match the popularity of boxing. But for those pursuing it professionally, things are often more challenging than accepting the callouts of celebrities. With how widespread boxing is, a true contender can come from anywhere.
As inspiring as that sounds, it is not challenging to spot the talent that can make it big in the coming years. If you wish to find promising boxers, you are in luck. Let’s look at a curated list of the top emerging boxing careers: talent to pay attention to in 2023.
Up And Coming Boxers
The following is a list of stars who can stoke the flames of boxing for years to come.
5. Jaime Munguía (41-0, 33 KOs) – WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Champion
Starting professionally at age 15, this hotshot from Tijuana, Mexico, has been destroying contenders in multiple divisions. His recent fight in February earned him the title of WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Champion after he beat D’Mitrius Ballard with a TKO in less than 2 minutes.
Jaime has stayed focused on perfecting his art of boxing. Recently, he shared his wishes to play against Gennady Golovkin. While the negotiations for this fight have happened, fans and Munguia will likely need to wait for 2023.
4. Vergil Ortiz Jr. (19-0, 19 KOs) – WBO Welterweight Champion
The current Welterweight champion for the WBO, Virgil Ortiz Jr., made history in his last fight as he took on Michael McKinson for the title. Ortiz had McKinson on the floor in the eighth bout, enabling him to win the following round with a TKO.
Both Golden Boy and Ring Magazine have consistently published articles on Vergil, hyping him up as the next big contender in the field. While there have been no indications that he will switch classes, it seems that he will retain the WBO Welterweight title for a while.
3. Jaron Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs)
Rising to fame from Philadelphia, Jaron Ennis, a 25-year-old professional boxer, often states Rocky Balboa as his inspiration. He has focused on speed, earning him the nickname “Boots.” He usually spends his free time perfecting his craft, which is why only the most faithful fans and those closest to him realize how underrated he is.
His fast-hitting style has always resulted in his opponents hitting the floor or getting severe cuts. The most recent fight against Custio Clayton caused him a concussion, leaving him too disoriented to stand. Ennis doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, so you can yet see more impressive performances from him in upcoming events.
2. Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) – WBO Lightweight Champion
Nicknamed “The Dream” for his willingness to continue with the orthodox stance, Haney earned the title of WBC Lightweight in 2019. He became a full champion soon after. As the youngest to pull off the feat, Haney continued to win additional championships in his class. Today, he is the World Lightweight champion for WBC, IBF, and WBO.
His opponents find it hard to land their blows thanks to his diverse punching style and quick movements. With 29 wins, this talent has shown immense promise in his upcoming fights.
1. Shakur Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs)
Many people compare Shakur Stevenson to Floyd Mayweather for character and charisma. He often gets into fights outside the ring, although that also professionally cost him a point in his last fight.
But watch any fight, and you’ll see how his boxing talent shines through. He is swift and doesn’t seem to run out of stamina. He held the Super Featherweight titles for both the WBC and WBO until a weigh-in resulted in him losing them. However, his talent is far from exhausted, and it seems he can soon gain more glory in the next season.
Identifying Excellent Boxing Talent
Since the above list is subject to change, there are a few valuable tips you can use to spot the best emerging talent in boxing.
Remember that the fight is only 10% of the effort from any boxer. The training prepares them to gain an advantage over their opponent. Thus, it’s a good idea to check the prominent gyms in several cities to observe who is taking up the gloves for the ring. Furthermore, former champions often take up jobs as trainers to pass their experience to promising talents.
Also, you should watch recordings of old fights. You need to observe each angle of the fighter to determine how they won the round. When someone comes up the list for a contender, try watching their older fights.
That shows you their fighting style and exposes all their perks and flaws. You can explore sports-focused streaming options if you cannot find on-demand content online. Of course, the options might be limited due to your location. In that case, get a VPN for PC and connect your computer to servers in your preferred location. A Virtual Private Network changes your IP address, masking your true location. Thus, you get to access more regardless of where you are.
Conclusion
And that concludes our guide to the top emerging boxing careers: talents to pay attention to. It shall be exciting to see their performance in future bouts. Remember, you can only spot the skill when you widen your news reach. There has never been a more spectacular time for the sport, and it’s nice to see contenders from various backgrounds trying to perfect their fighting style.
