A Closer Look at Some Big Matches That Need to Be Made In the Junior Middleweight Division

By Joshua “City” Brewer

The junior middleweight division, 154 pounds, has a great crop of young stars. There are many possibilities in terms of matchups. The lineup is almost similar to that of the Showtime Super Six tournament that took place several years back. Many questions were answered during that tournament though it did have its hiccups. I believe that the next attempt at such would and should be single elimination.

Right now, there is a good mix of new fighters along with veterans that could all equally make noise if they were to be matched together. One notable name that isn’t being included is Saul Canelo Alvarez. Alvarez just recently fought Julio Cesar Chavez, JR., at a catchweight of 164 pounds, Alvarez’s first time above the 155 pound mark. It has also been confirmed that his next opponent is middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. This essentially solidifies Alvarez’s long awaited move up to the 160 pound division.

Here are some of the matchups at junior middleweight that should and hopefully will happen in my eyes.

Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, 24-0, 16 KO’s Vs Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara, 24-2-2, 14 KO’s

Andrade has looked very good at times. He has an excellent all around package and my thought is that he will rise to the level of the fighter he’s in with. Taking that into account, I believe that he would rise to a level in which he would provide Lara with a stern challenge. Lara looked great in his last fight with Yuri Foreman and seemed to be keen on ensuring that he stopped his opponent in order to lure other top names into the ring with him. This is the Lara people want to see more of. The question is whether Andrade would make for a good fight from a viewing perspective. Andrade has shown that he can be just as explosive in the 12th round as he can in the later rounds. Lara can definitely move if he chooses to and many fighters have had a hard time getting to him. Can Andrade solve that puzzle?

“Swift” Jarrett Hurd, 20-0, 14 KO’s Vs Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo, 29-0, 14 KO’s

Can you say…excitement? Both men are coming off exciting knockouts in their last fight with Hurd finishing Tony Harrison in the ninth round of their February 25th fight, and Charlo completely obliterating Charles Hatley back in April. Both men are 26 years of age and both seem to be entering their physical primes. While Charlo has the more notable names on his resume, Hurd has shown that he too has a championship level pedigree. Charlo has nine more fights on his resume than Hurd but they both have the same amount of knockouts. This fight is far to interesting to predict and each of these fighters have high upsides.

Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin, 18-0, 13 KO’s Vs Austin “No Doubt” Trout, 30-3, 17 KO’s

Some might be asking themselves whether Lubin is ready for a veteran with Trout’s prowess. That’s the thing about boxing, one can never truly prove themselves until they actually prove it in the ring. Trout has been in with a lot of the top names at 154 pounds and has fared very well. He always comes ready to fight and is as battle tested as any fighter on this list. Lubin looks as though he has the goods but hasn’t really been in with any competition that would solidify him as one of the top guys. What better way to prove your mettle than to step in with a crafty top 10 veteran like Austin Trout. This fight will tell us many things about each fighter.

Miguel Cotto, 40-5, 33 KO’s Vs TBD

Cotto’s future is one of boxing’s mysteries at the current moment. He hasn’t fought since 2015 and a planned comeback earlier in the year was scrapped due to his opponent, James Kirkland, suffering an injury. Whether Cotto is looking to make another run at a title or if he’s just looking to have a final fight and cash out is anyone’s guess. Having been one of the most consistent draws in boxing for the last several years, Cotto could choose any fighter at 154 and I’m sure they’d willingly accept the fight as it would likely be their biggest payday. Cotto plays by his own rules. You’ve got guys like Michel Soro, Liam Smith, and Vanes Martirosyan sitting out there looking for opponents. These guys would provide a decent enough test for Cotto to make an assessment of what he wants to do with the remainder of his career. As we all know, father time waits on no one.

All in all, there are multiple combinations that could potentially go down at junior welterweight. There are some fighters I left off who I’m sure others may feel are more in the mix. Do you agree or disagree? Do you have your own matchup?

Feel free to chime in.

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