5 fights we want to see boxing deliver in 2026

The start of any new boxing year brings with it a familiar mix of hope, expectation and lists. Twelve months in which the sport will be celebrated, criticised, dissected and occasionally derided — yet no matter how severely it tests our patience, we always return for more.

The action in the ring, however, rarely disappoints. January alone delivers a genuine super-fight, with Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson rolling the dice against one another. And while this period of the calendar is often associated with quiet nights and algorithm-driven distractions, there is plenty more to sustain fight fans beyond the opening weeks.

So what lies ahead once January fades? At Boxing News, we’ve scanned the divisions and selected five fights we not only want to see, but believe the sport badly needs. We begin in one of boxing’s most vibrant strongholds: Japan.

Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani – Undisputed super-bantamweight title

December 27, 2025 was meant to whet the appetite. Two separate bouts designed to tee up an all-Japanese super-fight that has been years in the making. Inoue duly outclassed David Picasso, while Nakatani left Riyadh fortunate to preserve his unbeaten record after edging Sebastian Hernandez.

The aftermath has widened perceived gaps. Inoue remains the finished article; Nakatani, still adapting to super-bantamweight, suddenly looks like the challenger rather than the equal. Does that dull the intrigue? Not remotely. With May mooted and the Tokyo Dome — potentially before 50,000 fans — the likely setting, this is the kind of occasion that stops the sport in its tracks. A reigning superpower against a man daring to take his throne.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs Vergil Ortiz – Super-welterweight

Boxing has reached a point where risk is no longer a dirty word and unbeaten records are increasingly expendable. Riyadh Season has helped shift that mindset — but this fight must happen regardless. Eddie Hearn and Oscar De La Hoya need to find common ground and deliver the defining contest at 154lbs.

Ennis’ speed, accuracy and fluidity against Ortiz’s relentless pressure and thudding power is a matchup worthy of the division’s history. It elevates the winner to a place every elite fighter craves. The signals have been mixed. They cannot allow this to become another great fight that slipped through boxing’s fingers.

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev III – Light-heavyweight unification

A rivalry tied at one apiece demands resolution — especially when neither man has shown any meaningful decline. Bivol and Beterbiev proved across two fights that year-end classics need not be reckless wars. Their contrasting styles instead produced elite-level tension and technical excellence.

It has now been almost a year since Bivol’s redemption, with surgery keeping him inactive, while Beterbiev will hope rest has restored him fully. Despite David Benavidez’s ambitions, the two finest light-heavyweights remain Bivol and Beterbiev. Boxing needs the rubber match.

Hamzah Sheeraz vs Christian Mbilli – WBC super-middleweight title

With the 168lb landscape in flux following Terence Crawford’s retirement, the division awaits a new standard-bearer. Canelo Alvarez may still hold that status, but contenders such as Sheeraz and Mbilli can announce themselves by capturing their first world title.

The WBC has ordered this fight — and for good reason. Sheeraz brings size, reach and growing authority; Mbilli offers relentless output and constant pressure. Sheeraz looked devastating against Edgar Berlanga, while Mbilli was fortunate to scrape a draw against Lester Martinez. Styles promise intensity, momentum swings and real jeopardy.

Anthony Olascuaga vs Masamichi Yabuki – Flyweight unification

Japanese boxing was one of the sport’s great success stories of 2025, and Olascuaga and Yabuki were integral to that rise. Both have thrived on activity, opportunity and momentum, establishing themselves as two of the division’s most dangerous punchers.

Aggressive, fan-friendly and red-hot, their styles feel tailor-made for one another. Olascuaga’s star continues to rise, while Yabuki has been rejuvenated since his 2022 loss to Kenshiro. The timing is perfect. This has all the ingredients of a Fight of the Year contender.