New Blood: Boxers Bound For Superstardom

Young Boxing Stars Poised to Become Superstars

1. David Benavidez, 26, Super Middleweight (168 lbs.)

For what feels like the longest time, Benavidez is set to break through and become a household name. The Arizona native is unbeaten and has finished 23 of his 26 wins. He already owns a few key victories over the likes of David Lemieux and Anthony Dirrell, but he needs that one win to skyrocket his stock.

Benavidez fights Caleb Plant to settle the WC interim super middleweight title in March. While the online sports betting lines favor Benavidez, he will need to thoroughly defeat Plant. Doing so will not make a statement but set him up with a fight with the man himself: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

2. Jaron Ennis, 25, Welterweight (147 lbs.)

“Boots” Ennis could be the next big star at welterweight. This says a lot given how the division is arguably the deepest in boxing right now. At 30-0-0 with 27 knockout wins, promoters can only deny Ennis for so long. The Philadelphian is already developing a cult following among the boxing community.

Jaron Boots Ennis voices his frustrations with the lack of high quality opponents 💯🥊🎙️ pic.twitter.com/dF7nntF2AV

— The PorterWay Podcast (@ThePorterWayPod) February 7, 2023

However, he’s become a victim of his own success and is often ducked by top-tier opponents. But Ennis does not need to fight Terence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr. to blow up. He’ll be set up with a top-three opponent this year and a dominant win, while the aforementioned two play hot potato with their bout, will make him the hottest guy in the division.

3. Stephen Fulton, 28, Super Bantamweight (122 lbs.)

Had Fulton been a bigger boxer, he’d be off this list since everyone and their grandma would recognize him. Alas, the WBC and WBO champion will need to truly set himself apart to gain mainstream attention. He may get that chance this year when he faces Naoya Inoue, the undisputed bantamweight king.

While Fulton is the underdog, upsetting Inoue will boost his stock and make the unification bout against Murodjon Akhmadaliev even bigger. It’s worth betting online on Fulton as he’s priced at 2-1 to slay the “Monster.”

4. Jesse Rodriguez, 23, Super Flyweight (115 lbs.)

It’s hard to put “Bam” Rodriguez on this list as the youngster already broke out last year. He defeated both Carlos Cuadros and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, half of the super flyweight division’s “Four Kings” – and he looked like a star in doing so. A ho-hum win over Israel Gonzalez, however, sapped a bit of his momentum.

Now, the WBC champion is fighting for the WBO flyweight belt this April. Expect him to be a wide favorite here as he outclasses Cristian Gonzalez. He’ll use this as a springboard for a bigger fight with either Juan Francisco Estrada or Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. If he can beat all three this year, it will be hard not to crown him as the Fighter of the Year.

5. Seniesa Estrada, 30, Flyweight (112 lbs.)

Last year was the year for women’s boxing. And “Superbad” Estrada returned just in time to remind everyone who she is. The undefeated boxer has fought in three divisions and has whooped everyone she’s fought. She also has something not a lot of women her size have: knockout power.

Estrada will fight Tina Rupprecht for the mini flyweight belt this March. She’ll be favored significantly as she looks to put on another show. But if Estrada can be more active and look spectacular in boxing, her name should start being mentioned alongside the likes of Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor.