Predictions on 2010's "breakout" Boxer Will Be

After 2009 was the year of the Pac in boxing, lets take a look at what 2010 could bring for one fighter that make them the fighter of the year. It's an early prediction but hopefully that'll just make it a bit more fun though it's far from saying this fighter will eclipse what the modern day legend has done over the past 12 months but it's saying one man can thrust themselves into the upper echelon of the sport in the next 12 months, either drawing in new fans or reaching levels that few expect of them.

The most obvious answers would be Manny getting even bigger or Floyd stepping up his competition, though for the purposes of the fact they are both well known, I'm not including either of them as possibles. Same too applies to Shane Mosley or Bernard Hopkins, etc. The guys known the world round as far as boxing is concerned are out of this on the fact they cannot really do a great deal to make them more well known, they've had there break out years. As far as I see it 2010 is going to be a year where 3 fighters can make their names the first of them is Edwin Valero, the second is Yuriorkis Gamboa and the third is David Haye so lets take a look at those three individually.

Valero is currently the WBC champion at Lightweight (and formerly the WBA champion at Super Featherweight), Dinamita first came to the attention of hardcore boxing fans attention after he started off his career with a first round KO streak. In fact his first 18 opponents were first round KO victims before he finished off his 19^th victim in the second. In 25 fights he's scored 25 KO's and has been past 6 rounds just 3 times, the first was his Super Featherweight title fight where he was extended into the 10^th (and knocked down himself) in his longest fight so far. The Venezuelan power puncher has had his biggest fight out of the ring, in getting a license to fight in the USA, most notably New York. He has fought recently in Texas and previously in California, but due to a medical condition he has been on shaky grounds with the commissions in the US. If he manages to win the battle, it's almost certain that he'll quickly emerge as a fan favourite amongst the American fans as a KO machine.

If Valero can get the license and fight some of the more well known names in the US such as Michael Katsidis in what would be a barn burner, Marco Antonio Barrera in what would be a huge name to have on his record or take a gamble on Juan Manuel Marquez being on the slide. A stoppage victory over Marquez would put Valero on the pound-for-pound list and amongst the very elite fighters in the world.

Yuriorkis Gamboa is a lightning fast Cuban who defected a few years ago and has taken the professional ranks by storm. Currently the WBA Featherweight champion having only had 16 fights he's managed to put 14 away early and faces tough Rogers Mtagwa next (January 23^rd) in what will be his first fight of 2010. If he fights 4 times in 2010 (like he did in 2009) then this will do him some favours to make it the "Year of the Guantanamo Cyclone" though Mtagwa isn't the sort of big name he may want to fill his year it's a tough start and helps load up the interest in a fight with Top Rank stable mate Juan Manuel Lopez the unbeaten Puerto Rican star.

Gamboa will need to start facing the top fighters and perhaps unifying the world titles if he intends to make it his year. Fights with Steve Luevano, Rocky Juarez and Chris John would all help him establish his name, though a fight with Daniel Ponce De Leon looks likely due to the fact he's recently won an eliminator for the WBA title. A fight that his promoter wants would be Lopez so any 3 of those names in the next 12 months as well as Mtagwa and you'll find it hard not view it as a great year for the destructive and exciting (yet reckless) fighter.

David Haye has the best chance of being the most well accepted due to his good looks, the fact some are already viewing him as the "heavyweight saviour" and the fact he's found a way to use his mouth to sell himself. With the WBA world heavyweight title that he took from Nikolai Valuev he has a stepping stone to bigger things though he will need to fight John Ruiz next in what is almost certain to be a boring fight, its the Ruiz effect. So to make it his year he'll need to do something big in the rest of the year. The obvious thing would be to take on and beat the two dominant fighters at the division, the Klitschko's who hold the rest of the gold and are regarded as the best 2 heavyweights in the world. Though the problem would be that Haye wouldn't be seen as the favourite for either and would need to agree terms between promoters Willie Sauerland, Don King and the K2 (Klitschko promotional arm) which is where the stumbling block would be.

Though it's doubtful he could beat either Klitschko (no one in history has beaten the pair of them) it would, if he did, make him the hottest property in boxing by some distance, a hard punching undisputed world heavyweight champion is something we've not had in recent years and so doing it would be massive. Though with his frail chin he'll probably walk onto a Klitschko straight right and that'll be the end of his championship reign.

Whether or not anyone can make 2010 their year like Manny has made this year his is debatable as a year in which Manny has beaten Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto is unlikely to be similarly replicated. Though there is a chance for each of these fighters to distinguish themselves as one of the best if they face the challenges that are out there for them.