By Dave Sholler

So you’ve finished cleaning up the shards of wrapping paper that the kids sprinkled throughout the house. Your wife, tired of seeing needles on the floor, has already tossed the Christmas tree to the curb. And you? You’re already taking down the decorations that once clogged up your winter wonderland of a yard.

For all intents and purposes, the holidays are over. No more traffic jams near the mall or shoppers lining up at 3 a.m. to bum rush the doors at Wal-Mart. No more Christmas trees or jingle bells either.

As we gather on this Dec. 26, all that’s left is credit card debt, empty pockets, and a few ugly sweaters. Ever the eternal optimists, we at BoxingScene have just the right recipe to help you overcome that holiday hangover though.

With the New Year upon us, let’s take a look at four gifts we’d like to receive by next Christmas, all of which involve the sweet science. With preparations for 2009 already beginning, here are four bouts we’d like to have under our tree by December 2009.

PAUL WILLIAMS vs. VERNON FORREST

If we had our wish, we’d want P-Will vs. Antonio Margarito. But the realistic fight we’d like to see is a super welterweight clash between Williams and Vernon Forrest.

Stylistically, it would be as intriguing as them come. Forrest, the WBC 154-pound champion, may be 37 years old, but he is still slippery enough to give Williams problems. For starters, he stands 6’0 tall and would only be giving up two inches to Williams. Then there comes the issue of experience and seasoning. Forrest has fought some of the sport’s top boxers and would push Williams into uncomfortable spots.

Plain and simple, Williams, the WBO interim champion at super welterweight, deserves to fight someone with the name value of Forrest. Given he’s the most ducked fighter between the welterweight and middleweight limits, the Aiken, SC native would face a stern test against Forrest.  Other than a loss to Sergio Mora last June, Forrest has looked calm and poised in recent fights. Could he bring that same mentality to a bout against the relentless Williams? We wouldn’t mind watching that one as it unfolds.

BERNARD HOPKINS vs. NIKOLAI VALUEV

Go ahead; start calling us crazy, insane, and mentally unstable. However, after witnessing Valuev’s clunker against Evander Holyfield, we firmly believe that Hopkins could outwork Valuev en route to a world heavyweight title victory.

Hopkins, getting younger at age 43, would be, like most Valuev foes, giving up significant size in the fight. Still, we like Hopkins’ ability to outsmart Valuev and land at will. No one thought Hopkins could beat a younger, sharper Kelly Pavlik last October and everyone saw how that turned out. Who’s to say the same couldn’t happen against Valuev?

As for the WBA heavyweight champion, please excuse us if we sound like we’re hating on the 35-year-old, 7-foot sloth. But if Holyfield nearly picked him off, he’s suspect. Calling all contenders. Valuev is a giant mess.

In the marketing department, this would be an easy sell. Much like Roy Jones Jr.’s fight against John Ruiz, there is just too much intrigue in Hopkins-Valuev to ignore.

MIGUEL COTTO vs. MANNY PACQUIAO

Bob Arum, are you listening? We get that Pac-Man would be in danger against your prized Margarito, but a fight with Cotto makes plenty of sense.

First, Cotto wouldn’t tower over Pacquiao like Margarito. Standing 5’7, Cotto, the former WBA welterweight champion, would only own a half-inch size advantage over the Filipino star. And as far as power goes, we think the two fighters are nearly even.

Next, Cotto-Pacquiao has box office slugfest written all over it. Both men are terrific boxers that can stand and trade in close quarters.  Both bring significant fan bases with them. What’s not to like about this bout? We’d go as far as to say that it might be more entertaining than a Pacquiao-Hatton scrap.

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ vs. ISRAEL VAZQUEZ

Did someone say fight of the year? Lopez, the WBO super bantamweight champion, may have only recently burst onto scene, but he warrants a shot at the WBC titleholder Vazquez.

A ferocious Puerto Rican southpaw, Lopez is becoming one of the most exciting fighters in boxing today. With four knockout victories in 2008, Lopez has notched stoppages in 22 of 24 professional bouts. What’s more, four out of his last seven fights have not made it out of the first round. Simply put, Lopez knows how to finish.

You can’t say the world “excitement” in boxing without mentioning Vazquez. After three terrific bouts with Rafael Marquez, Vazquez has been called out by just about everyone in the lower weight classes. While a bout with Vic Darchinyan would be nice, we can’t say that it packs the same pizzazz as a tango with Lopez would. We just think Lopez and Vazquez would trade until one of two tastes the canvas. In a day and age where we don’t always get the bang for our buck, we’re assured that Lopez and Vazquez would give us our money’s worth.

HONORABLE MENTION

Kelly Pavlik vs. Arthur Abraham

Steve Cunningham vs. Tomasz Adamek II

Paulie Malignaggi vs. Mike Arnaoutis

Jermain Taylor vs. Carl Froch

Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson II

Dave Sholler is a columnist for newspapers across the country. Reach him at shollerholla4@hotmail.com