BOXING in 2024 may be coming to a close but the first big fight of 2025 is only nine days away.
The cancellation of the New Year’s Eve super flyweight world title rematch between Fernando Martinez and Kazuto Ioka closes the door on a memorable 12 months for the sport. Low-key shows in the Czech Republic, Japan, Uganda and Tanzania will keep the pulse beating until the bells ring in for a new year with new hopes, new fights and new faces.
Boxing News looks ahead to the first three months where 20 televised shows have already been announced.
Eight days into 2025 we have our first world title fight when Jai Opetaia, 26-0 (20 KOs), defends his IBF World Cruiserweight title against David Nyika, 10-0 (9 KOs). Nyika’s chance came when original opponent Huseyin Cinkara withdrew because of injury. The result brings together an Australia-New Zealand clash in Queensland pitting a world-class operator against an Olympic medallist still to make a leap into world class territory. Brisbane heavyweight Justis Huni, 11-0 (6 KOs),is the standout name on the undercard.
Seventy-two hours later British boxing kicks off it’s 2025 in Sheffield with Callum Simpson, 15-0 (10 KOs), making the maiden defence of his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles against Steed Woodall, 19-2-1 (12 KOs), who will look to cause another upset having stopped Lerrone Richards in June. Newly-crowned WBC Female Lightweight champion Caroline Dubois, 10-0 (5 KOs), aims to prove she’s worthy of the title in her first defence against Canada’s Jessica Camara, 14-4 (3 KOs).
Naoya Inoue, 28-0 (25 KOs), makes a January appearance for the first time in 12 years when his rearranged bout with Sam Goodman, 19-0 (8 KOs), takes place on the 24th in Tokyo. A cut to Goodman in training led to a postponement which was either a good thing or a bad thing for the challenger to Inoue’s undisputed super bantamweight crown depending on how you look at it.
British super lightweight Dalton Smith, 16-0 (12 KOs), could be a future world champion but for now he will have to make do with fighting for the vacant European title against Frenchman Walid Ouizza, 19-2 (8 KOs), in Nottingham on January 25. The British welterweight title fight between Harry Scarff, 13-3 (3 KOs),and Conah Walker, 14-3-1 (5 KOs), could steal the show.
The same night Diego Pacheco, 22-0 (18 KOs), is expected to consolidate his WBO number one ranking at super middleweight against Steven Nelson, 20-0 (16 KOs), in Las Vegas. World-class lightweight Andy Cruz, 4-0 (2 KOs), takes on Chris Colbert conqueror Omar Salcido Gomez, 20-1 (14 KOs), in the co-feature.
Junaid Bostan, 10-0 (8 KOs), goes for his first professional title on January 31 when the super confident super welterweight fights for the vacant English strap against Bilal Fawaz, 9-1 (3 KOs), in London.
Fans in February may be already counting down the days to the bumper show on February 22 in Riyadh but first off Adam Azim, 12-0 (9 KOs), will aim to bolster his world title credentials by facing former world champion Sergey Lipinets, 18-3-1 (13 KOs), at Wembley Arena on February 1. A cruiserweight grudge match between Viddal Riley, 12-0 (7 KOs),and Isaac Chamberlain, 16-3 (8 KOs), is a solid addition to an undercard still to take shape.
February could give a glimpse into the future of the light heavyweight class. It begins with a bone-crunching showdown featuring David Benavidez, 29-0 (24 KOs), and David Morrell, 11-0 (9 KOs). It has everything a boxing fan needs. A rematch between Brandon Figueroa, 25-1-1 (19 KOs), and Stephen Fulton, 22-1 (8 KOs), for the WBC Featherweight title tops a potentially action-packed undercard.
Shakan Pitters, 19-2 (6 KOs), will look to join Dan Azeez, Danny McIntosh, Nathan Cleverley, Clinton Woods, Crawford Ashley and more in becoming Britain’s latest European light heavyweight champion on February 7 against Daniel Blenda Dos Santos, 22-1 (10 KOs), in Sheffield.
Heavyweight soldier of fortune Derek Chisora, 35-13 (23 KOs), says farewell to UK fans with his final fight on British soil on February 8. The quiet spoken Swede Otto Wallin, 27-2 (15 KOs), aims to spoil the party at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. A strong domestic undercard is headed by light heavyweights Zach Parker, 25-1 (18 KOs), and Willy Hutchinson.
Jack Catterall, 30-1 (13 KOs),will finally get a second world title opportunity but only if he overcomes Arnold Barboza, 31-0 (11 KOs),on February 15 in Manchester. Reece Bellotti will be itching to get his hands on Michael Gomez Jr in their British super featherweight title clash after the late postponement of their original date in October.
And then one week later all eyes of the boxing world will once again be on Riyadh when Turki Alalshikh’s latest stacked card which features seven main events. Artur Beterbiev, 21-0 (20 KOs), and Dmitry Bivol, 23-1 (12 KOs),renew acquaintances for the second time in four months after Beterbiev won first time around to become undisputed light heavyweight champion. Daniel Dubois, 22-2 (21 KOs), vs. Joseph Parker, 35-3 (23 KOs), and Carlos Adames, 24-1 (18 KOs), vs. Hamzah Sheeraz, 21-0 (17 KOs), are just two highly anticipated examples of what is a very busy night of boxing.
After Riyadh’s star-studded cast boxing in Japan will remind us of how great their shows are when a triple bantamweight header goes down on February 24 in Tokyo. The seismic talent of Junto Nakatani, 29-0 (22 KOs), headlines against David Cuellar Contreras, 28-0 (18 KOs), in what is one more step towards a showdown with Naoya Inoue.
Promoter Frank Warren said Ryan Garner, 16-0 (8 KOs), would fight for a significant title in his first time as a headline act on March 1 at The Bournemouth International Centre. And Garner will get his chance when he contests the vacant European super featherweight title against Spain’s Salvador Jimenez, 14-0-1 (6 KOs).
March begins with a terrific looking clash featuring Ireland’s two best welterweights. Lewis Crocker, 20-0 (11 KOs), and Paddy Donovan, 14-0 (11 KOs), will throw down on March 1 in Belfast with the winner going on to fight for the IBF world title in the future. A night and an atmosphere not to be missed.
After a raucous night in Belfast the boxing compass points to the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn when the on-off-on again clash between Gervonta Davis, 30-0 (28 KOs), and Lamont Roach, 25-1-1 (10 KOs), goes down.
Six days later an all-women’s card from Boxxer will hope to light up the Royal Albert Hall where a welterweight unification between Natasha Jonas, 16-2-1 (9 KOs), and Lauren Price, 8-0 (2 KOs), tops the bill.
Liverpool’s WBA Featherweight champion Nick ‘Wrecking’ Ball, 21-0-1 (12 KOs), will be looking to go one better than Naoya Inoue and stop Irish veteran TJ Doheny, 26-5 (20 KOs), in quicker fashion during their March 15 main event at the city’s M&S Bank Arena. Andrew Cain, 13-1 (12 KOs), vs. Charlie Edwards, 20-1 (7 KOs), is a fascinating chief support bout for Cain’s British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles.
And finally on March 28 at Planet Ice in Altrincham 2024 Olympian Pat Brown makes his professional debut with a lot of noise and hype from the Matchroom machine behind the cruiserweight talent.
