After a weekend where Oleksandr Usyk confirmed his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by demolishing Daniel Dubois in five rounds, and boxing's only eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, made his anticipated return after four years away from the ring in a majority draw against Mario Barrios, we turn to the remaining boxing calendar in 2025.
Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, two of the best fighters in the world, will meet in the biggest fight of the year on Sept. 13 for the undisputed super middleweight championship. But what are the other potential big fights to look forward to for the rest of 2025 and beyond?
Nick Parkinson shares his wish list and explains why these matchups should get made.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Joseph Parker
Take a look at the numbers behind Oleksandr Usyk's victory over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium.
Before we can potentially get into a trilogy with Tyson Fury, Usyk could use a fight to set it up, and fighting Fury's friend Parker -- the WBO mandatory challenger -- does it nicely.
Fury confirmed last Saturday in London that he would be returning to the sport, but not until next year. Fury has not fought since losing a rematch with Usyk in December 2024.
Usyk's next fight, then, will all be about him winning and setting up the Fury fight. Queensberry Promotions' Frank Warren, who promotes Parker, likes the idea of Parker, a former WBO champion, challenging Usyk next.
Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) trains with Fury in Morecambe, England, and has revived his career with trainer Andy Lee following a KO loss to Joe Joyce in 2022. Since that setback, Parker has produced the best performances of his career, including a wide decision win over former WBC champion Deontay Wilder in 2023, a majority decision over Zhilei Zhang in May 2024 and a quick stoppage of Martin Bakole in February. Parker, who made two defenses of the WBO belt before losing it in a title unification fight against Joshua in 2018, is more experienced than other high-ranked contenders, such as Fabio Wardley, Moses Itauma and Agit Kabayel.
Kabayel (26-0, 18 KOs), the WBC interim heavyweight champion, has been calling on Usyk to face him and has a convincing case after KO wins over Zhang and Frank Sanchez. But Parker's association with Fury, which would help build the potential Usyk vs. Fury trilogy fight, and the fact Usyk needs to fight Parker next to hold on to the WBO belt make Parker a better option.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Rolando "Rolly" Romero
These two were the biggest winners of the surreal Times Square boxing card in May, and it is a logical fight for them both to progress toward the top of a crowded welterweight division. It is a good matchup between the technical qualities Lopez possesses versus the raw power and unpredictability that Romero displayed in New York.
Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs), the WBO junior welterweight champion, produced an improved performance on that New York card, defeating Arnold Barboza Jr. by unanimous decision, and facing Romero would be a good first step at welterweight.
Also on that card, Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) produced a big shock when he dropped Ryan Garcia with a left hook on his way to a unanimous decision win in a major upset for the WBA "regular" welterweight title. It was the latest twist in Romero's career, which has seen him lose by stoppage in lightweight and junior welterweight title fights to "Tank" Davis and Isaac Cruz, score a win by controversial stoppage against Ismael Barroso for the WBA junior welterweight title two years ago and then step up a division to beat Garcia for the biggest win of his career.
Romero's brawling style could play into the hands of a slick boxer such as Lopez, but Romero's win over Garcia showed he can also disrupt slick boxers.
It's a fight that would get attention due to the trash talk both are prone to, and there is a story about a sparring session between them in 2017 that will get revisited. It is a rivalry that will build into a grudge match that sells.
Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua at Wembley? 🤔
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If this happens, and there is serious talk of it, Joshua, a two-time world champion, will be surrendering some of his legitimacy by fighting a less competitive opponent for a lucrative payday.
Joshua (28-4, 24 KOs) has not fought since being dropped four times in a fifth-round KO loss to Daniel Dubois last September for the IBF world title. Elbow surgery is expected to keep Joshua out until late this year.
Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, is high on confidence following his June win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but Chavez was long past his best and had never been at the level where Joshua has operated. Joshua is coming off a loss, but Paul needs to rewatch what Joshua did to former UFC champion Francis Ngannou just two fights ago last March. Joshua is not washed up and should be fighting better opponents, such as Dubois, Itauma, Wardley or even Deontay Wilder. But fighting Paul would create worldwide interest, and it's a fight that Joshua should easily win.
Shakur Stevenson vs. Conor Benn
With Benn's rematch vs. Chris Eubank Jr. in jeopardy of not happening on Sept. 20 as planned, the English boxer could be looking for an alternative big fight, and WBC lightweight champion Stevenson would be an interesting option.
Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) would have to step up from lightweight to junior welterweight to face Benn (23-1, 14 KOs), who lost a unanimous decision to Eubank in a nontitle middleweight bout in April.
While Stevenson has the advantage of being a more skilled boxer after a distinguished amateur career, Benn, who had only a brief amateur career, will have the benefit of size. It's a classic boxer vs. slugger encounter.
Stevenson is coming off an entertaining and aggressive performance vs. William Zepeda earlier this month. Still, it could be a fun build-up with plenty of back-and-forth on social media.
Benn could be tempted to face Stevenson while he waits to see if the rematch with Eubank will happen, or his dream fight against Gervonta "Tank" Davis can become a reality in 2026.
Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron
Taylor doesn't seem keen on this one, but many fans are, and it is the most logical next fight for the Irishwoman if she decides to box on. When asked about a potential trilogy fight with Cameron, Taylor said Cameron has to prove herself once again before they meet.
"I think Chantelle has to see if she can sell out a 1,000-seat arena first; I think I've made her more money than she really deserves, to be honest," Taylor said after her decision win over Amanda Serrano on July 11.
After ending all arguments with three victories in the trilogy with Serrano, Taylor should consider a third encounter with Cameron, the only woman to beat her in the professional ranks. Taylor could also consider retirement after outstanding amateur and professional careers, and after helping transform the popularity of women's boxing.
After Taylor's rivalry with Serrano was settled, Cameron is now Taylor's biggest rival. Taylor (25-1, 6 KOs), the undisputed junior welterweight champion, is No. 2 on ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings, and Cameron (21-1, 8 KOs), the WBC interim champion, is No. 4.
Cameron inflicted Taylor's only defeat with a majority decision in May 2023, before Taylor gained revenge also in a majority decision win in November 2023.
"I'm told I will fight the winner of Katie versus Amanda, because I'm the WBC interim champion," Cameron told ESPN recently. "[But] I don't say I'm confident of getting a third fight with Katie, though, because the trilogy fight with her should have happened a long time ago."
This fight probably hinges on whether Taylor decides her career is now finished, but if it happens, it would be one of the most anticipated fights in women's boxing in what's left of the year.
Jai Opetaia vs. Gilberto Ramirez
Opetaia, the IBF champion, has been the dominant ruler at cruiserweight for a few years, but he now has a serious rival to his crown in Ramirez, who has unified the WBA and WBO titles.
A matchup between these two in a three-belt unification fight would bring a rare spotlight to the cruiserweight division, which gets less attention than other weight classes.
It is the most logical option for Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) other than stepping up to heavyweight, and both fighters have dreams of achieving undisputed status, which could launch their careers at heavyweight just like it did for Oleksandr Usyk.
"I'm sick of all the excuses and delays," Opetaia said, referring to Ramirez, after breaking Claudio Squeo's jaw in a fifth-round KO win back in June. "I respect what Ramirez has accomplished, but I know I'm on another level."
Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) also made a title defense last month, with a unanimous decision win over Yuniel Dorticos. However, Ramirez was more impressive when he dominated Chris Billam-Smith in a unification fight last November.
Ramirez might be tempted to make the fight if a matchup against WBC champ David Benavidez does not materialize.