As the calendar turns to the first full week of 2025, we are at the point where people make resolutions or set goals for the year ahead. Along those same lines, I will propose some fights that I believe should happen in the year ahead. By putting these out on the Internet, I am doing my part to manifest them into reality.
Note: This does not include fights happening this year that are already scheduled.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 KO) vs. Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KO) (in China)
Now that Oleksandr Usyk has beaten Tyson Fury twice, Anthony Joshua twice, and by mid-year, perhaps Daniel Dubois twice, what should he do? Why not go to Macau, China, where Manny Pacquiao once fought Chris Algeiri and the UFC recently put on a pay-per-view to challenge Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang? This would likely be a bit of an easier fight for Usyk, and for the 41-year-old Zhang, it would be a tremendous accomplishment to challenge for the heavyweight crown and bring that fight home to China.
Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KO) vs. Andy Ruiz (35-2-1, 22 KO) III (in Los Angeles)
These two have fought twice before, with Ruiz pulling off the historic upset at Madison Square Garden the first time before Joshua got his revenge in Saudi Arabia later that year. To conclude the trilogy, Joshua and Ruiz could face off in Los Angeles to have a Mexican-American fanbase in attendance. While Joshua could, years later, win a big fight in the United States and redeem himself from when his career started coming off the rails.
Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25 KO) vs. Junto Nakatani (28-0, 21 KO) (in Japan)
Many regard Naoya Inoue, undisputed champion at 122 pounds, as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. Junto Nakatani, currently a champion at 118 pounds, has also held belts in two other weight classes. These two top pound-for-pound fighters facing off in the Tokyo Dome would have an electric atmosphere and the biggest fight in the history of Japanese boxing.
Inoue and Nakatani first must get past Sam Goodman and David Cuellar, respectively. If that happens, whether Inoue-Nakatani takes place at 118 pounds, 122 pounds, or a catchweight of 120 pounds, it would be a massive fight that fans in Japan and worldwide would love to see.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KO) vs. Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KO)
The biggest fight in the history of British boxing is still available to make. Though it is possible that one, or both, will not fight again, perhaps both would be interested in taking a big payday to pummel someone they likely loathe in front of 90,000 people at Wembley Stadium.
David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KO) vs. Canelo Álvarez (62-2-2, 39 KO)
Given how long Canelo Álvarez has been a big name in boxing, public perception of him has shifted multiple times. Early on, many saw Alvarez as a product of good matchmaking, protected from taking dangerous fights. Over time, Alvarez accumulated so many tough opponents on his resume that most recognized Canelo as the king and cash cow of the sport.
Canelo’s last four opponents, John Ryder, Jermell Charlo (who came up two weight classes to challenge Alvarez), Jamie Mungia, and Edgar Berlanga, have dissolved most of the goodwill that Canelo had accumulated with boxing fans writ large. David Benavidez moved up to the light heavyweight division because he was sick of waiting for Canelo to fight him. Maybe if Benavidez looks vulnerable against David Morrell, that would give Canelo the nudge he needs to make a fight with Benavidez.
UNIFICATION STATION
Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KO) vs. Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KO)
Junior middleweight is the most jumbled weight class in boxing right now. Three different men are holding each of the four 154-pound championships, including Crawford and Fundora. Plus, there are two interim champions and a champion in recess.
In Crawford’s first fight at 154 pounds, Israel Madrimov showed Bud Crawford that dominance at 154 pounds would not come so easily, as it had in the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions. Weight classes exist for a reason. I would love to see Crawford against Fundora, a true junior middleweight with long arms and a tough style for opponents to figure out.
I hope Crawford would take a fight against someone other than Canelo Álvarez, which seems to be his public stance at the moment.
Jai Opetaia (26-0, 20 KO) vs. Gilberto Ramirez (46-1, 30 KO)
An Opetaia-Ramirez unification fight would determine the single cruiserweight champion. After defeating Chris Billam-Smith in November, Ramirez said that he is open to challenging Opetaia, the Ring Magazine and lineal cruiserweight champion.
Ramirez’s one loss came to Dmitry Bivol in the light heavyweight division. To defeat the Australian Opetaia, Ramirez would need to lean on his pro experience advantage.
Meanwhile, Opetaia faces David Nyika (10-0, 9 KO) this Wednesday in a homecoming fight on Australia’s Gold Coast. If Opetaia wins, maybe Ramirez can meet him in the ring afterward to set up this matchup.
WON’T SOMEONE FIGHT THESE GUYS?
Janibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KO) vs. Erislandy Lara (31-3-3, 19 KO)
Janibek Alimkhanuly, the IBF and WBO middleweight champion, is currently in the running for the most-ducked fighter in boxing. Janibek is incredibly talented, but with such low name recognition and a style that is not for everyone, many promoters would prefer not to put their fighters in the ring against him.
Erislandy Lara, WBA middleweight champion, is boxing’s oldest champion at 41 years old. Lara is on the Mount Rushmore of boxing’s most-ducked fighters of this generation. Lara deserves another big fight, and taking on another avoided fighter in Janibek would be the cherry on top of a Hall of Fame career.
Janibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KO) vs. the winner of Hamzah Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KO) vs Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KO) on February 22
Another potential fight for Janibek would be this one, and he has already suggested he is interested in facing the victor of Sheeraz vs. Adames. After a fight in the spring, Janibek would attempt to pick up the WBC middleweight championship from either Sheeraz or Adames, who will have an exciting fight towards the end of February.
Sheeraz is an exciting young fighter from the United Kingdom who will have his first shot at a world title against Adames. The 30-year-old Dominican will make his first defense of the WBC title.
Connor Benn (23-0, 14 KO) vs. Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KO)
Connor Benn has fought just three times since April 2022 because of the alleged use of a performance-enhancing substance. To make an incredibly long story short, Benn got suspended for failing two voluntary drug tests in the lead-up to a fall 2022 fight. Benn has had just two fights since, in the US against lower-level competition. This past November, an independent panel overturned his suspension, and both UK Anti-Doping and the British Boxing Board of Control have said they will not appeal the suspension.
Benn has always proclaimed his innocence and wants to face top-level fighters. A fight with the exciting Mario Barrios, whose thrilling draw with Abel Ramos was one highlight of boxing’s foray onto Netflix, will get Benn right back into the deep water and show fight fans where his skills are at.
BUT NOW, WHO’S GONNA DANCE WITH ME?
Following Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KO) vs. Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 KO) II on February 22nd:
If Bivol wins: Beterbiev vs. Bivol III
If Beterbiev wins: Artur Beterbiev vs. winner of David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KO) vs. David Morrell (11-0, 9 KO) on February 1.
Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will have a rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to headline an incredible fight card on February 22nd. In their first matchup, Beterbiev’s power-punching bested Bivol’s boxing skill in a controversial decision victory.
If Dmitry Bivol wins the second fight, the two men should face off for a third time later this year to break their tie.
But what happens if Beterbiev defeats Bivol again? How about facing the winner of the intriguing Benavidez vs. Morrell fight? These two are both undefeated fighters, who last year both moved up to the light-heavyweight division. They rank #3 and #4 in the division, according to most observers. February 1st’s winner would be in position to have their third bout in the 175-pound division be for the undisputed championship.
Winner of Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KO) vs. Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KO) on February 22 vs. Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KO)
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Israel Madrimov is an exciting fight that will take place on the massive Riyadh card mentioned previously. Though he lost in his last time out, Madrimov gave Terence Crawford his most competitive fight in a long time. Since his pro career began, Ortiz Jr. has been a rising star. So far, he has lived up to the hype. If he could defeat one of the top guys at 154 in Madrimov, that would go a long way to his confidence and career prospects.
We last saw Bakhram Murtazaliev pummeling Tim Tszyu in a massive upset to win the IBF version of the junior middleweight championship. The question coming out of that fight was whether Tsyzu had a terrible night or Murtazaliev had a star-making performance. By taking on either Madrimov or Ortiz Jr., Bakhram Murtazaliev would go a long way toward answering that question.
Winner of Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KO) vs. Keyshawn Davis (12-0, 8 KO) on February 14 vs. William Zepeda (32-0, 27 KO)
Berinchyk is the WBO lightweight champion who will face off against up-and-comer Keyshawn Davis in an exciting fight in New York on Valentine’s Day. The 25-year-old Davis will be challenging for his first world title against Berinchyk, a 36-year-old Ukranian who defeated Emmanuel Navarette last year to earn the vacant championship.
Zepeda is an exciting young fighter who is the WBC interim lightweight champion. It would be great to see Zepeda challenge for the WBO title against either a talented veteran fighter in Berinchyk or a fellow young gun in Davis.
Winner of Stephen Fulton (22-1, 8 KO) vs. Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KO) vs. Angelo Leo (25-1, 12 KO)
Fulton and Figueroa have already fought, with Fulton edging Figueroa out in a barnburner. Figueroa lost to Fulton in a controversial majority decision in November 2021. Either Leo vs. Fulton or Leo vs. Figueroa would be interesting.
Leo, the IBF featherweight champion, suffered his one career loss in a wide unanimous decision loss to Fulton in January 2021. If Fulton defeats Figueroa again, he should get a shot at Leo’s championship in a rematch. Leo could show his growth as a fighter since their first meeting. If Figueroa wins, he would have avenged his lone career loss three years ago, likely earning himself a title fight.
THE MATCH (MAKER) GAME
Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KO) vs. Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs)
Some observers view Christian Mbilli as a star in the making, while others view him as a product of quality matchmaking. This fight would be a step up in competition for the 23-year-old Pacheco. But with his amateur pedigree and 79-inch reach, Pacheco could give Mbilli an interesting test. Pacheco stands at 6’ 4”, and Mbilli is 5’ 9”, so stylistically, this will be an intriguing bout.
This fight was supposed to happen in the spring, with the IBF pairing these two in a title eliminator. But Pacheco will instead face 36-year-old Steven Nelson (20-0, 16 KO). That fight will take place on January 25th in Las Vegas. With a good showing against Nelson, perhaps Pacheco would face Mbilli later in 2025.
Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KO) vs. Devin Haney (31-0-1, 15 KO)
Each of these fighters is among the sport’s best, can be annoying occasionally, and needs a marquee opponent. In all seriousness, these two have been circling each other for a while. Haney needs to get back in the ring after facing Ryan Garcia in April and suffering his first loss, which later became a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for PEDs.
Teofimo Lopez is a guy who always fights to the level of his competition, whether it is against a top name in the sport or an also-ran who is nowhere near Lopez’s talent level. It would be a big fight between two of the most talented young fighters in boxing. The back-and-forth between Lopez’s dad and Haney’s dad in the weeks leading up to the bout would be a bonus.
Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KO) vs. Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KO)
I have written about this potential fight before (link article), but Davis-Stevenson is one of the most interesting fights that could get made in the sport. Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis would each get the toughest tests of their career. The defensive wizardry of Stevenson against Davis and his pernicious power, the type of fight boxing fans love to see.
Rafael Espinoza (26-0, 22 KO) vs. Nick Ball (21-0-1, 12 KO)
WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza is coming off consecutive victories over Robeisy Ramirez to put himself at the top of the featherweight division. It will be interesting to see how he fares against another top featherweight in the division who has a distinct style than Ramirez.
WBA champion Nick Ball has taken on all comers and is a well-rounded fighter. At 27 years old, Nick “The Wrecking” Ball could use a unification fight against a fellow featherweight champion to build his name and, potentially, his belt collection.
Luis Nery (35-2, 27 KO) vs. Marlon Tapales (39-4, 20 KO)
This matchup is between two southpaws who gave Naoya Inoue a tougher fight than most. Both men are former world champions at bantamweight and super-bantamweight. Nery has not fought since May, when he suffered a knockout loss to Inoue. Both men are exciting fighters, and a bout between the two would be a fight that people would enjoy.
Jake Paul vs. George Foreman
After defeating Mike Tyson, people have wondered where Jake Paul should go next. He could face off against an actual boxer in the prime of their career, but that makes too much sense. He could face Connor McGregor in a boxing match, pitting two of the most insufferable people in combat sports in the same ring.
But what if Jake Paul tries to do something no one has ever attempted: defeat every living heavyweight champion? Next week, George Foreman turns 76, yet age is but a number. Foreman took ten years off at age 28 and returned better than ever at age 38. He is the oldest heavyweight champion in history, winning the title at 46. If Foreman lands one clean punch, it would be over!
The buildup to this would be easy. Have Jake Paul smash a George Foreman grill and call Big George out. If Jake Paul will not fight actual boxers who are legitimate threats to him, he should do this. Think of all the views he would get.
Read the full article here