In 2025, it becomes even easier to make bold predictions about this year's boxing fights, with so many "dream" fights already on the schedule or being negotiated and about to be announced.
We'll likely see Canelo Alvarez take on Terrence Crawford later this year. Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia will warm up for the October rematch. Tyson Fury has retired, but he has said this four times before, but those "retirements" were quickly over. The fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua could take place in London. ESPN's No. 3 ranked boxer Naoya Inoue could return to the United States for the first time since 2021.
But is 2025 also the last year we see heavyweight champion Alexander Usyk or undisputed women's junior middleweight champion Katie Taylor?
Here are Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson’s bold predictions for 2025:
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, floated the idea of the Hall of Fame boxer returning to the ring at age 48, and Klitschko seemed open to the possibility. He told Fight Hub TV last month that he was "ambitious to break the record for oldest heavyweight champion" by winning a world title and that he never stopped training.
In fact, former heavyweight champion Klitschko seems to be in incredible shape and if anyone can do it, it might be him. He hasn't taken much damage in his career and has a jab and moving style that will age gracefully.
Of course, it's still a tall order, just as Foreman knocked out Michael Mueller at age 45 and regained the title in one of the most shocking moments in sports history.
Klitschko has taken good care of his body, and his 48-year-old may be much fresher than Foreman's 45-year-old.
Klitschko insists he wouldn't consider a fight with fellow countryman Usyk - and who can blame him? --A fight with the winner of Daniel DuBois-Joseph Parker would give him a better chance to accomplish the impossible. ——Coppinger
Usyk has nothing left to prove and after nearly sweeping the heavyweight title, there's really no one else to fight with. The Olympic gold medalist defeated Anthony Joshua twice and Tyson Fury twice last year.
That's four wins over two of the top stars in the glamor division. Usyk welcomed Daniel Dubois when he took to the ring to call for a rematch after his recent victory over Fury. But will Usyk still be motivated to rematch with an opponent he has dominated and stopped with his jab?
Of course, Usyk has other fights ahead of him. If Joseph Parker defeats Dubois when he fights for the IBF world title on February 22, Usyk can challenge Parker for the stripped title and once again become the undisputed champion. Then there's the winner of Martin Bakole or Zhang Zhilei-Agit Kabayel, who are also fighting on the February card.
But Usyk, who is turning 38 this year, has made nine figures during his illustrious career and, perhaps most importantly, still lives with his wife and children in war-torn Ukraine.
Usyk, who has been outspoken about Russia's incursions, may turn his attention to domestic issues like two other former heavyweight champions, Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. ——Coppinger
Taylor would have preferred a trilogy match against Amanda Serrano in Dublin this spring, but Serrano's reluctance to travel to Ireland after complaining about losing twice in previous fights means Taylor may have to settle for next A game considering other options.
There is no shortage of opponents looking to take on Taylor, the undisputed lightweight and junior welterweight world champion. There's also another trilogy fight with Chantel Cameron, a rematch with Natasha Jonas, or a fight with the recently crowned WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois . Cameron had previously played against Taylor in Ireland and the score was 1-1, which was the hardest choice for Taylor. Cameron, 33, is the WBC interim junior welterweight champion and is naturally bigger than Taylor, while Dubois looked fierce in his last fight in early January.
According to Taylor, getting the chance to fight at Croke Park, Dublin's outdoor stadium, "will be the pinnacle of my career", so don't be surprised if there are names other than the above in the opposite corner when she lands the fight.
Taylor, 38, has little left in his career. She has little left to achieve, and some opponents think now is a good time to confront her.
Taylor and Serrano averaged an estimated 74 million live viewers globally on Netflix in November, when Taylor won by one point on all three scorecards to retain the undisputed junior middleweight title. . The Croke Park fight will be another big night and it could convince Taylor to hang it up before he turns 40. ——Parkinson
Yes, Fury announced his retirement (again) this week, and maybe this time he means it. After all, Fury's situation is much different than other times he has claimed retirement. This time, he suffered two consecutive defeats for the first time in his career.
Maybe the fact that he's the second-best heavyweight in the world right now is enough to keep him going. Without the pursuit of becoming the best in the world, Fury may not have the motivation to endure another grueling training camp.
On the other hand, a big fight with Joshua is on the table, even though it was supposed to happen five years ago. Joshua called for the fight to take place last week but it is still considered the biggest in British boxing history.
Fury has made hundreds of millions of dollars, and the spotlight he enjoys won't last forever. The temptation to bathe in it again can be too hard to resist.
At some point in 2025, Fury will get bored and do the logical thing: sign on to fight Joshua, a fight he'll hopefully win, earning him another huge payday.
He could then retire from the sport on a high note rather than lose two games in a row. ——Coppinger
When they met in October, it was a quality encounter that divided opinions due to the close proximity, but this time Bivol will make adjustments, taking advantage of his movement and fluid combinations. Bivol's unbeaten run fell to Beterbiev and they return to Saudi Arabia next month for an expected rematch.
Beterbiev, 39, is one of the most dangerous fighters in boxing, but Bivol went the distance for the first time in his career after showing superb defense. Many thought Bivol should have won that fight, and after slowing down in the last two rounds in October, he would maintain the same intensity this time until the final bell.
Both are top-10 boxers, but the 34-year-old Bivol has a slight edge in boxing IQ and will beat Beterbiev with ease if he can limit Beterbiev's offense. , won the game, and fans clamored for a trilogy-deciding fight. ——Parkinson
In 2016, Parker defeated Andy Ruiz Jr. to win the WBO heavyweight title. All these years later, Parker is only 31 years old and about to receive his first chance to become a two-time heavyweight champion.
The timing couldn't be better for Parker, who is enjoying a career renaissance. The New Zealander has decision wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhang Zhilei in his past two fights, which has elevated Parker to No. 4 in ESPN's heavyweight rankings and shown why he's Dubois' Danger challenger. Parker punched on the back foot in both fights and used lateral movement to confuse his much taller opponent.
Parker showed his power by hurting Wilder in a lopsided upset victory and showed his toughness by surviving two knockouts of Zhang. He'll have to contend with Dubois' explosive power and soaring confidence when he defeats Anthony Joshua by fifth-round knockout in September.
But if Parker can keep Dubois on the end of his jab and use his elite footwork to pin him down, he can pull off his third consecutive upset and set himself up for a match against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk’s game set the stage. ——Coppinger