What's Next For Floyd Mayweather, Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Alvarez? Top Boxers Eyeing 2017 Fights

Saturday, March 18 was the biggest night for boxing in 2017, thus far, as Gennady Golovkin and Roman Gonzalez faced the toughest challenges of their respective careers. Both boxers should be back in action before the year is out, as will the sport’s other top fighters.

Floyd Mayweather hasn’t fought since 2015, but he’s talked a lot about fighting again in 2017. Canelo Alvarez has a fight on the horizon, while Manny Pacquiao is looking for his next opponent.

Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev had the biggest fight of 2016, and it only makes sense that they would have a rematch this year. Ward became the new light heavyweight champion in a controversial decision on Nov. 19, though it’s not known when the two fighters will meet again.

Let’s take a look at what’s next for some of boxing’s top stars in 2017.

Gennady Golovkin

Following Saturday’s win, Golovkin has a few options. His bout with Danny Jacobs was much more competitive than most boxing fans thought it would be, and a rematch could be the No.1 fight of 2017. The middleweight champion said he’s open to giving Jacobs another shot at his belts, though he is eying two other possible fights.

Golovkin has long maintained that his goal is to win every middleweight title, and Billy Joe Saunders holds the only other 160-pound belt. Golovkin has called the bout his “dream fight,” and there are reports that it could take place on June 11 in his native Kazakhstan. If he beats Saunders, Golovkin could go on to have a third fight in 2017, possibly facing Canelo Alvarez in September.

Canelo Alvarez

Alvarez vs. Golovkin has been talked about for two years, and it’s currently the biggest fight that can be made in all of boxing. Alvarez has won six straight fights, and he was a middleweight champion until he relinquished the titles when he fought for the light middleweight championship last year. Alvarez’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, has maintained that the fight will happen, and he told International Business Times last summer that it would take place before the end of 2017.

The only thing that might stand in the way of Alvarez vs. Golovkin becoming a reality would be a loss for the Mexican fighter. Alvarez is slated to face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on May 6 at a catchweight of 164.5 pounds. Alvarez is a heavy favorite, but the fight will be one of the year’s biggest, considering Alvarez is the top draw in boxing now that Mayweather is retired.

Floyd Mayweather

Mayweather hasn’t fought since Sept. 12, 2015, but the undefeated boxer does plan to return for at least one fight. He wants to come back for a boxing match against Conor McGregor, and what once seemed to be out of the realm of possibility looks like it actually might happen. McGregor and Mayweather have traded barbs through the media, and an agreement could be made once the fighters settle how much money each will be paid.

Mayweather wants $100 million guaranteed for the bout, and he isn’t willing to give McGregor close to a 50/50 purse split. The boxer was guaranteed nine figures for his fight against Manny Pacquiao on May 5, 2015, and he earned more than $200 million when it became the highest-selling PPV in history.

Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao retired just a few months after Mayweather called it quits, but his return to the ring happened much quicker than that of his long-time rival. He regained his welterweight championship with a unanimous decision victory over Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5, and he’s looking to defend his title in the first half of 2017. However, he’s looking for a new opponent after what looked to be his next fight fell through.

Pacquiao was set to take on Amir Khan on April 23, but Top Rank promoter Bob Arum announced that Khan won’t be his fighter’s next opponent. Pacquiao could be back in the ring by June or July, but it won’t be against the British welterweight. A fight against Terence Crawford would make the most sense, considering he has a real chance to defeat the 147-pound champion.

Terence Crawford

The argument can certainly be made that Crawford is the best pound-for-pound fighter in all of boxing. He improved his career record to 30-0 on Dec. 10 when he knocked out John Molina Jr. in the eighth round, retaining his light welterweight titles and proving to be the class of the 140-pound division. Crawford might be the betting favorite if he moved up to 147 pounds for a bout with Pacquiao, though the 38-year-old might not be willing to take such a risky fight.

In the meantime, Crawford will defend his belts against Felix Diaz on May 20, according to ESPN’s Dan Rafael. Diaz is 19-1 and he won an Olympic gold medal in 2008.