lemieux Archieven - Hockeybank

As the man holding the title of "best American fighter in waiting", Crawford has to be in this tier, despite a cautious style that doesn't appeal to every fan. Ward, Bradley and a few others once held the title and the "despites" haven't always held them back. He'll get his big chance to prove himself against Ricky Burns in his next fight, although the bout not being televised on HBO is confusing; he was getting a push from the network but then they said no to his biggest fight. It doesn't feel like a breakup yet, but if it is, Crawford will be without his biggest platform and hurting.

Golovkin’s path to global stardom runs through Lemieux

When Gennady Golovkin came to the United States in 2012, largely unknown despite owning a middleweight world title, he and Tom Loeffler. It sounded far-fetched as they met with various network executi…