Last year blessed boxing fans with long-awaited fights between some of the best fighters in the world. This is not the case in a sport dominated by politics like boxing.
January tends to be a slow month for sports, which gives us a chance to look at the gifts we hope to receive in the year ahead. Many elite fighters should face clear and obvious opponents, while others may have to look outside their home division for the most intriguing and legacy-building fights.
With all of this in mind, CBS Sports boxing experts sat down to find the fights we’ll most likely see together in 2025. Let’s take a look at those fights and the reasoning behind wanting to watch them together
Alexander Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois
Dubois had the kind of year fans had hoped for in 2024, defeating Filip Horgovich to win the interim IBF heavyweight championship, later being promoted to full champion and then defending that championship with a knockout of Anthony Joshua in a British mega-fight. Wembley Stadium. The year was a breakthrough that put Dubois among the heavyweight elite and put a world title around his belt for the first time in his career, though not a title without an asterisk.
That world title was only available to Dubois thanks to taking boxing politics out of USIC’s grasp. Usyk became the four-belt undisputed champion earlier in the year with a win over Tyson Fury only to be stripped of their title by the IBF for not fighting a mandatory challenger and instead going ahead with him. Contractually Mandated Fury Rematch.
Usyk and Dubois have already fought once, with Usyk scoring a goal Ninth round stoppage in August 2023. That fight was a minor controversy when Dubois appeared to score a knockdown with a body shot only to be ruled a low blow by the referee. That left enough drama on the table that Dubois entered the ring after Usyk’s victory in the Fury rematch and demanded a rematch, this time for the Undisputed Championship. This is the top fight for heavyweight in 2025.
David Benavidez or David Morel vs. Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol
Beterbiev and Bivol met in October to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion, with Beterbiev winning a controversial majority decision. pairs are A rematch is now set for February 22 What is still a clash between two of the best light heavyweights on the planet.
As intriguing as the rematch is, what comes next is just as interesting. Both Benavidez and Morel were top contenders for super middleweight king Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for years only to see Alvarez repeatedly say he wasn’t interested in giving either man a shot at his belt, so both moved up in weight in the hopes that they would finally be able to seek championship gold. That leaves the two men paired for a February 1 showdown that would crown the only logical option for the winner of a rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol.
There was some debate among CBS Sports pundits as to whether it would be more intriguing for Beterbiev (should he win the bivol rematch) to move up to cruiserweight in hopes of facing former amateur rival Usyk at the weight, or with both men staying in their respective divisions. Ultimately, both divisions are healthy if their elite champions are in place to face the best challengers available.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Ryan Garcia
After going out of his way to miss weight and then failing multiple drug tests for his fight with Devin Haney, it’s been a struggle to reward Garcia with a big fight. That said, Garcia vs. Lopez will be a very big fight and the fight should draw attention in boxing. Garcia went off the deep end with talk of conspiracy theories and his behavior around the Haney fight — a fight in which he turned in the best in-ring performance of his career before the decision was overturned — was inexcusable, but that’s all just his popularity with a segment of the population. Worked to increase.
Lopez is a strange case in his own right. Just a few years ago, he seemed poised to be one of the sport’s top stars for the foreseeable future. However, several inconsistent performances have dampened those expectations. Add that to Lopez’s own strange behavior outside the ring and you have an odd but compelling pairing between two fighters who have exchanged words and challenged each other to fights in the past.
Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson
It seems like a potential fight between Davis and Stevenson comes up every few months. There’s a good reason for that, not only do both men regularly call out the other, but both represent young faces that will dominate discussions of the best fighters in the lower weight class for years to come.
The hype surrounding Stevenson has calmed somewhat due to recent performances that have often been a tough, dull watch for fans. Despite these displays, he is still one of the most technically gifted fighters in the sport and there is no fight where he can be expected to be outclassed.
Davis has become arguably the most popular fighter in boxing and his fights often don’t disappoint. With underrated technical skills and blistering power, Davies patiently looks for openings before wearing opponents down with brutality.
The problem for both men is that their level of opposition doesn’t always match their talent. This can be easily resolved by having both fighters sign on the dotted line after clearing the fight currently in front of them.
Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani
Inoue sits at No. 1 or 2 on almost every notable pound-for-pound list for good reason. Inoue’s success in multiple weight classes, including being undisputed at bantamweight and junior featherweight, is so incredible. A rare fight where Inoue actually looks challenging, regardless of the quality of the fighter in the opposite corner. While the fight with Murodjon Akhmadaliev is likely to take place after Inoue’s anticipated January 24 demolition of Sam Goodman, it’s possible that Inoue’s standard date in late December could open up for a massive all-Japan showdown.
Nakatani doesn’t get the same amount of international love as Inoue, but that hurts everyone sleeping on him. Nakatani is 29-0 and has held world championships in three divisions, including as his current WBC bantamweight champ. 2024 was spent scoring three impressive knockouts in Nakatani title defenses, earning him an honorable mention spot on the CBS Sports Fighter of the Year list.
There are few fights as intriguing as Nakatani vs. Inoue at the December Showdown in Tokyo. If things go that way, the winner could be lined up to take home the honor of being the 2025 Fighter of the Year.
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