The ManicaPost
In the absence of Floyd Mayweather and his mesmerising skills, which of America’s rising talents will seize the throne to become a megastar?
The 42-year-old, multi-weight champion is currently residing in retirement, having fleetingly laced up his gloves for a lucrative showdown with UFC star Conor McGregor and an exhibition against kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa.
Mexico’s Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has since assumed the role as boxing’s biggest name, but can anyone emerge from the lower weights to reign supreme in America?
Devin Haney is among the current crop of red-hot contenders in the USA and he will face Zaur Abdullaev in a WBC final eliminator this weekend, live on Sky Sports.
Raised in Oakland, California — Andre Ward’s region — Devin Haney firmly believes he is on course to emulate his city colleague.
A boxer for as long as he can remember, Haney, along with his family, made the transition from Oakland to Las Vegas so his career could be located in boxing’s capital with access to the game’s biggest players on his doorstep.
Closing in on his first world-title shot, Haney is undoubtedly the finest prospect in Eddie Hearn’s bulging stable.
Jaron Ennis (23-0, welterweight)
Guided by boxing’s finest talent-spotter, Cameron Dunkin, Philadelphia’s Jaron Ennis is confident he can sample boxing’s good life like his manager’s previous charges such as Kelly Pavlik, Terrence Crawford and Tim Bradley.
Boasting 21 stoppages from 23 fights, Ennis’ rise through the welterweight rankings has been impressive.
The names at 147lbs contain prestige value and Ennis’ could be among them in the next 18 months if he continues to progress at his current rate.
Shakur Stevenson (12-0, featherweight)
The young New Jersey fighter captured American hearts at the 2016 Olympics with a tearful interview following his silver medal achievement, and Shakur Stevenson’s amateur success is likely to be replicated in the professional ranks in the coming months.
His flawless start to his paid career has seen him climb up boxing’s alphabet ladders effortlessly and his industry has been rewarded with a world-title shot against the talented Californian Joet Gonzalez on October 26.
Stevenson’s crowning moment appears imminent, but it is a platform the 22-year-old has predicted for a long time.
Ryan Garcia (18-0, lightweight)
As talented a fighter as Oscar De La Hoya was, it was the Golden Boy’s good looks that provided a huge portion of his appeal.
Promoted with female fight fans very much in mind, De La Hoya became a phenomenal success and he is using that approach to push his next star Ryan Garcia.
Something of a social-media sensation, with complimentary replies accompanying every post he makes, Garcia is also making rapid progress inside the ring with his record standing at 18-0, with 15 wins coming early.
With Golden Boy’s priorities seemingly tied up with Saul Alvarez, Garcia is being primed to step up and join his promotional stablemate on boxing’s grandest platform.
Karlos Balderas (9-0, lightweight)
Although he left the Rio Olympics empty handed, Karlos Balderas won many plaudits with his all-action style
It was obvious to many, just like it was with Errol Spence Jr four years earlier, that Balderas was more suitable to the professional code and that has certainly proven to be the case with a series of impressive displays. — SKYSPORTS
