On the Cusp: 10 fighters poised to make major breakthroughs in 2012

Every year a small group of promising young fighters makes the transition from prospect to bona-fide contender.

In 2011, Robert Helenius (heavyweight), Ismayl Sillakh (light heavyweight), George Groves (super middleweight), Danny Garcia (junior welterweight), Mikey Garcia (featherweight), Adrien Broner and his fellow junior lightweights Diego Magdaleno, Eloy Perez and Luis Cruz were among the prospects who earned their way into THE RING Ratings.

These precocious up-and-comers scored impressive victories over quality opponents that established their names among hardcore fans and put the industry on notice that they are nearly ready to fight for major titles.

Who will make breakthroughs in 2012?

The following 10 fighters, who are listed in alphabetical order, are not RING-rated, but they have the look of future title challengers even though they have yet to beat a top contender or fight the 12-round distance (some have yet to go 10 rounds).

They are talented, but still prospects. For now. Go to the next page to check out the list.