Teofimo vs Shakur & Other Big Fights Show Promising 2026
According to most serious boxing fans and pundits, 2025 has been largely underwhelming. The good news? Early signs point to 2026 being the year the sport finally surges back to life with big fights.
This year been riddled with frustration as high-profile champions spent more time on social media than actually fighting one another. Add in the fact that Jake Paul has swallowed up the bulk of the media coverage despite fighting hollow exhibitions and outmatched opponents, it’s no surprise that hardcore fans have grown increasingly vocal in their outrage.
A TEST OF CHAMPIONS
Just when it seemed boxing was in danger of becoming a tertiary sport in the wider athletic landscape, the tide appears ready to turn. On January 31, 2026, unified 140-pound champion Teofimo Lopez is set to defend his title against lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Jaron “Boots” Ennis are expected to clash in the spring in a long-awaited welterweight showdown.
Christian Mbilli vs. Hamzah Sheeraz for the vacant WBC super middleweight title promises fireworks. David Benavidez will attempt to become a three-division world champion by facing unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas.
And perhaps the most anticipated of all: if Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani handle business on December 27, they’ll meet in May at the Tokyo Dome in what could be one of the biggest Japanese boxing events in history. Even better, all of these matchups are projected to take place by mid-year.
At the end of the day, fans just want to see the best consistently fight the best. For the first time in a long while, boxing might finally deliver.
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