Britain's Next Crop Hoping to Right the Wrongs of 2011

If you are merely a casual observer of boxing then you may feel as though 2011 was a disappointing year for British fighters. At the very highest level we saw David Haye lose his WBA heavyweight title in a one-sided contest against Wladimir Klitschko, while Carl Froch was outclassed by Andre Ward in the Super Six final and Amir Khan lost his world titles in controversial fashion to Lamont Peterson.

These three fighters have all proven their credentials at the very pinnacle of their sport and I am certain that both Khan and Froch will hold a world title in 2012. Should Haye's urge to remain in the spotlight prove too much then a ring return against Vitali Klitschko could be on the cards and perhaps the 'Hayemaker' would have learnt from his previous mistakes.

Elsewhere there where a host of unsuccessful attempts at landing a world title at varying weights. In the middleweight division Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray were both denied the chance to hold a world championship belt by Felix Sturm. Both fighters felt they deserved to earn a points decision against the German boxer, but were left arguing the judges scorecards and returned home empty handed, but with their reputations enhanced. Fellow middleweight Darren Barker also impressed against the man generally considered the third best pound-for-pound fighter in the world behind Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Sergio Martinez, but his challenge was bravely brought to and end in the 11th round.

Another fighter who denied two Brits is the exciting Mexican prospect Saul Alvarez. The 'Cinnamon Kid' is touted by Oscar De La Hoya as the next boxing sensation and proved his quality as he defeated Matthew Hatton in a one-sided points victory, before bringing Ryan Rhodes' brave performance to a halt with a 12th round stoppage.

Unfortunately there seemed to be a growing trend of British fighters showing incredible heart yet ultimately coming up short. In December, we witnessed the lion-hearted John Murray attempt to hand a first professional defeat to WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios. The Manchester fighter was on the receiving end of some brutal punishment and by the time he was stopped in the 11th round, he could barely see.

On the face of it, you could determine that these fighters are simply not good enough at the very best level. However, I am inclined to think that one, or perhaps two of these boxers will return to the grandest stage and deliver a world title. Perhaps our best chance is that one of our trio of middleweights can finally land a coveted world title. All three would feel confident at taking the WBO title from Dmitry Pirog, while Julo Cesar Chavez Jr holds the prestigious WBC title and could be a target for the British boxers.

The names that have been mentioned above are already established on the world scene but there is a new generation of young British fighters all hoping that 2012 will see them gate crash the party. One man that will surely make headlines in the coming 11 months is Kell Brook. The welterweight is one of the most exciting prospects in the game and after debuting in America in Decmeber 2011, he will be hoping to secure a world title shot in the latter part of this year. Brook is competing in arguably the division with the most talent and there are some huge opportunities out there for the Sheffield fighter. The confidence he has in his own ability and skills he possesses inside the ring make him a genuine contender who will be paying close attention to the Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz rematch on February 11.

In the super-middleweight division we have two fighters, with a long-standing and continuing rivalry, that both hope to emulate the achievements of Carl Froch. James DeGale and George Groves reminded us of the excitement that can be generated for an all-British clash between two genuinely talented fighters. Groves prevailed on that occassion and has since blown away Paul Smith in just two rounds and will next face a rematch with Kenny Anderson - the man that put him on the canvas back in 2010.

The 23-year-old is certain to go a long way under the excellent tutelage of Adam Booth and with Frank Warren now handling the promotion side, it will not be long before he explodes onto the world stage. At two years his senior, DeGale bounced back from his only professional loss to claim the European super-middleweight title and and has the slick skills needed to challenge the very best. However, it will not be easy for either fighter with a packed division including Andre Ward, Lucian Bute, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham and of course Carl Froch.

While the super-middleweight division is exploding with exciting fighters, the heavyweight scene has lost its status as the flagship division and no-one has been able to challenge the dominance of the Klitschko brothers. Haye, Ruslan Chagaev, Samuel Peter, Odlanier Solis and Tomasz Adamek have all fallen before the giant Ukrainians, while Brit Dereck Chisora will try and upset Vitali in March. The Finchley fighter has a tough task and has been given very little chance of success by most boxing experts. However, there are two more British heavyweights who truly believe they can succeed the Klitschko's.

Tyson Fury holds a victory over Chisora and has not been shy to shout from the rooftops that he believes he is the man that can land the heavyweight crown. The British champion has the size, but his training has come into question as he has not always looked in the best shape inside the ring. Fury could face another British fighter in his next contest after David Price won an eliminator in confident fashion as he dispatched John McDermott in 78 seconds.

The Liverpudlian has amateur pedigree, knockout power in both hands and at 6ft 8" can stand eye to eye with either Klitschko. Both fighters believe they have the tools to emulate the likes of Haye so the next 49 weeks will go a long way to proving whether they are the next Lennox Lewis or Audley Harrison.

In the coming weeks British fight fans will also get the chance to see two exciting young prospects that are being billed as stars of the future. Scott Quigg has a perfect 23-0 record and looked sublime as he secured the British super-bantamweight title in his last outing against Jason Booth. His ability to switch attack from head to body with brutal accuracy means he is already being considered as a future world champion. In the very same weight class we have Carl Frampton. The Ulsterman is a year older than Quigg at 24 and has had just 11 fights, but he has already shown glimpses of his enormous potential. Trained by Barry McGuigan, the Commonwealth champion won more than 100 amateur bouts and is already looking at a showdown with Quigg.

All of the aforementioned fighters have incredible talent. Unfortunately, the politics involved in boxing do not always make it easy to land that vital title opportunity. With judging controversies and questionable refereeing, it is impossible to say with any certainty that these fighters will become world champions. However, with the skills possessed we can hope that the future of British boxing is in safe hands.

Also........

Unfortunately I could not name all of Britain's exciting talent so I just wanted to point another selection of names to watch out for in 2012.

Tony Bellew - showed his true potential against WBO champion Nathan Cleverly and will be hoping to get another shot at a light heavyweight belt this year.

Anthony Crolla - impressed in his last outing against Willie Limond and is targeting a potential date with a current British world champion Ricky Burns.

Bradley Skeete - a good friend of James DeGale who at 6ft 1" is a tall and rangy welterweight with plenty of potential.

Billy Joe Saunders - the 2008 Olympian has struggled with hand injuries and has been unable to box as regularly as he would have hoped. A skilled middleweight with bags of potential, this is a big year for the 22-year-old with a rich history of boxing.

Kevin Mitchell - if the east London fighter can get his head in the right place then he has all the ability to compete at world level. Another boxer that would love a shot at Ricky Burns.

Frankie Gavin - another 2008 Olympian and one of the most successful amateurs this country has ever produced. If he can focus on the sport then he has the potential to be truly world class.