We are more than halfway through the year, and it has not been a good one overall for boxing. There have been too many pointless mismatches, too many main events offered that are barely undercard worthy, an HBO budget that has clearly been hammered and too many fighters and/or promoters or managers unwilling to make fights fans actually want to see.

Before we delve into the rest of this year, it would be unfair not to mention that there have been some good fights and cards, including three memorable battles in which fighters were happily willing to challenge themselves against top opposition, and in each case, the loser elevated his career and reputation.

The past

The clear fight of the year contenders are, in my view (and in order):

Francisco Vargas D12 Orlando Salido

Vargas (23-0-2, 17 KOs) won the 2015 fight of the year and a junior lightweight title against Takashi Miura in a stirring comeback. Salido (42-13-4, 29 KOs), a former featherweight and junior lightweight titleholder, has been in at least half a dozen brutal slugfests that challenged for fight-of-the-year honors. So it was no-brainer that this would be a great fight and it was illustrated, in part, by the fact that they combined to throw a CompuBox junior lightweight record 1,593 power punches. On June 4 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, the Mexican countrymen waged a classic fight less than 24 hours after the death of Muhammad Ali. It was a glorious tribute to all the great fights that “The Greatest” was involved because Vargas and Salido stepped on the gas from the opening bell and never relented in a fight in which every single round was outstanding. In the end, Vargas retained the belt when two judges scored it 114-114 and one favored him 115-113.

Carl Frampton W12 Leo Santa Cruz

Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) left behind two title belts at junior featherweight to move up to featherweight to challenge Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) for his world title on July 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. To the backdrop of an electrifying crowd — mostly Irish rooting for Frampton — the fighters turned in an instant classic, just as many expected it would be when the contract was signed. It was a fabulous fight that featured skills, will and nonstop punching. In the end, Frampton earned the well-deserved majority decision to become the first fighter from Northern Ireland to win titles in two weight classes. A rematch would appear likely (since Santa Cruz has a rematch clause), but we’ll always have memories of this dandy.

Keith Thurman W12 Shawn Porter

Barclays Center, on a rapid rise as a haven for great fights, also hosted this outstanding battle on June 25. With a national television audience on CBS tuning in during primetime — the first time the network had televised primetime boxing in nearly 40 years (since Leon Spinks upset Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in 1978) — Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs) and Porter (26-2-1, 16 KOs) gave the viewers something to remember in a fight that many had high expectations from the moment it was made. Thurman and Porter have been friends since they were teens, but they put that aside and let it all hang out in a fight every bit as close as the scorecards indicated: 115-113 all for Thurman, who retained his welterweight world title.

The present

So those are the top fights we have seen so far in 2016, but what are the most interesting fights scheduled for the rest of the year? And, no, Manny Pacquiao’s pointless money grab against Jessie Vargas is NOT on the list!

Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward (Nov. 19 in Las Vegas)

Assuming the promoters get their stuff together and iron out their site deal with the MGM Grand to stage the bout at T-Mobile Arena, this is a truly intriguing match. Unified light heavyweight titleholder Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and former super middleweight champion Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) have totally contrasting styles. Kovalev will bring the pressure and has awesome power. Ward is a consummate boxer with superb defense and speed. And they both have a nasty streak. It is rare for two undefeated fighters in the top 5 pound-for-pound to fight each other. That’s one of the reasons the winner will be viewed by many as the pound-for-pound king.

Gennady Golovkin vs. Kell Brook (Sept. 10 in London)

Everybody ran from Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs), the most feared fighter on the planet, at middleweight. And, yeah, I’m looking at you, Canelo Alvarez. And you, Billy Joe Saunders. And Chris Eubank Jr. Brook (36-0, 25 KOs), meanwhile, a big welterweight titleholder, could not land the big fight he wanted in his weight class. So they’re fighting each other. Problem solved. Credit to Golovkin for his willingness to fight on Brook’s turf in England, and props to Brook for having the stones to move up two weight classes to fight boxing’s supreme destroyer. Brook may be the supposed “smaller man,” but 30 days out, he weighed 176 pounds and Golovkin 165, so it may not be the mismatch some think it is. Even if it is a mismatch, they both have world titles, are combined 71-0 and the O2 Arena is going to be electric. Count me in as excited to see what happens. I am making the long flight to witness this in person.

Carlos Cuadras vs. Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (Sept. 10 in Inglewood, California)

Flyweight champ Gonzalez (45-0, 38 KOs) is the pound-for-pound king who has won world titles in three weight classes, but he has outgrown 112 pounds and is moving up to challenge the excellent Cuadras (35-0-1, 27 KOs) for his belt. Besides expectations for a competitive bout, Gonzalez is also seeking history. He can win a title in his fourth weight class, surpassing the accomplishment of his great countryman, idol and mentor, the late, great Hall of Famer Alexis Arguello, who was knocked out by Aaron Pryor in his attempt to win a fourth title. Just like Kovalev-Ward and Golovkin-Brook, somebody’s ‘O’ has got to go!

The future

And now, how about a few fights I’d love to see before the end of the year, even though we probably won’t get any of them (which is soooo boxing):

Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua

This is easily the best fight that can be made at heavyweight. They are both young and undefeated, a combined 54-0 with 53 KOs. They both have world titles, engaging personalities and loyal fan bases. Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) and Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) both hit like a wrecking ball. It does not get better than this in boxing’s marquee division.

Of course, it won’t happen this year, and not just because Wilder is going to be out of action for several months following hand and biceps surgery. While these fighters might want each other in the ring, their brain trusts aren’t about to take that kind of gamble until they milk their titles longer and build the fight into something special.

Thurman vs. Danny Garcia

Thurman and Garcia (32-0, 18 KOs) are both undefeated welterweight titleholders who both fight in a fan-friendly style. Count me in. But, again, don’t count on it this year. Garcia will probably face former titlist Andre Berto in October in a fight that could be decent but is nothing anyone is asking for. Thurman may be out the rest of the year following his brutal slugfest with Porter last month. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Showtime is hopeful to make this fight in early 2017.

Frampton vs. Oscar Valdez

I’m dreaming here because there is virtually no chance this happens any time in the near future (or even distant future), but what a fight it would be. A unification fight between unbeaten titleholders is always meaningful, and given their styles, how could this not produce fireworks? Frampton and Valdez (20-0, 18 KOs) both won their featherweight belts in their last outings and are not on each other’s radar. Frampton probably will stick with fighting adviser Al Haymon’s other top featherweights, be it Santa Cruz in a rematch, Lee Selby or Gary Russell Jr., and those are also good fights. Valdez is over at Top Rank with no natural rival or big fight in the offing. While Top Rank boss Bob Arum says he and Haymon are able to make fights together now in the wake of their settled lawsuit, I will believe it when I see it, and one thing I do not believe I will ever see is Frampton-Valdez. A man can dream