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How to make boxing in 2026 a knockout year
On the first day of January, millions of people around the world will wake up filled with hope, determination, and the absolute belief that this year will be different.
Armed with freshly minted gratitude journals, new gym memberships and flooding their Instagram with inspirational motivational quotes lifted directly from the internet, we will boldly declare our New Year’s resolutions - fully aware that most of them will have been pied off on or before January 15.
Indeed, it won’t be long before we hear the ‘New Year New Me’ brigade. Can I just say, before people start making wild proclamations for 2026? You are all against alcohol, doom-scrolling and chocolate now. But who was there for you when life fell apart? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t broccoli.
As boxing fans, we just want the big fights to keep on coming. So, as we sashay into 2026 DAZN News takes a tongue-in-cheek peek into our fistic crystal ball.
Will happen…
Twelve months from now, one of my biggest wishes is to be able to figure out who the lineal junior-middleweight championship of the world is without using a flowchart, a 20-minute YouTube video and starting at least one sentence with a shrug and the words “Well, technically…”
Xander Zayas is the WBO boss, while Bakhram Murtazaliev is the IBF king. Abass Baraou is the WBA champ, and Sebastian Fundora has the WBC belt.
However, the biggest fight in the division - and arguably the biggest fight that can be made in the US following Terence Crawford's retirement - is Jaron Ennis against Vergil Ortiz Jr. The two undefeated American stars actually agreed to a fight in 2026 live on air in the aftermath of Ortiz's ruthless KO of Erickson Lubin back in November.
"Do you got a yes for me," Ortiz asked Ennis at the end of a feisty verbal exchange in the ring in Fort Worth, live on DAZN.
"Yes," Ennis said without hesitation.
Robert Garcia - who trains Ortiz - was right when he said this is the biggest fight at 154 right now regardless of belts. This is a real old school fight. A throwback to when fighters met while still very much in their fistic primes. ‘Boots’ is 28. Ortiz is 27. No BS required. Let’s go.
Should happen…
Boxing needs a fight with zero chill in 2026. And David Benavidez vs. Artur Beterbiev would be just that. This would be Hagler vs. Hearns for Generation Z. If Benavidez wants to become the face of boxing as Canelo’s career winds down, these are the type of fights he needs to be involved in.
Stylistically this would be an absolute banger, the best fight in the 175 division. Pressure fighter vs. Pressure fighter, what’s not to like?
Benavidez is 31-0 (25) and in his fighting prime at the age of 28. Beterbiev - 21-1 (20) - may be 41 on January 21 but he still very much lives the life outside of the ring and remains a nightmarish assignment for anyone.
If this fight gets over the line both men will likely need to sign a waiver and say goodbye to their ribs. There would be no feeling out process, very few feints, just ABH from both protagonists from the first bell.
Beterbiev is never in a bad fight. As for Benavidez, his punch volume is so high sooner or later CompuBox are going to have to ask him to slow down for data storage reasons.
Give the judges the night off for this one too, as they almost certainly wouldn’t be needed. The WBC title would be on the line but these men would be fighting for the championship of each other. Just maximum violence, heavy uppercuts, pressure and chaos.
Unlikely but if it does happen, we are absolutely here for it…
Despite having likely never stepped foot in a Wetherspoons in his life, in the days leading up to Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn’s November rematch, talkSPORT motormouth Simon Jordan famously said of their first fight “I’ve seen just as good fights in Wetherspoons”.
So – stay with me here – how about Eubank Jr. vs. Billy Joe Saunders, and if they don’t want to do it under Queensberry Rules, they could have it as a BKFC grudge match on the cobbles, with the irascible Jordan as fair play man.
The capricious Billy Joe has not been seen in the ring since he was stopped by Canelo Alvarez in Texas in 2021, but did make an entertaining cameo on DAZN back in April. There Saunders - working for Benn - was denied entry to Eubank Jr's dressing room to inspect glove wraps by Eubank's management and security, leading to a shouting match and several veiled threats before he was ushered away.
The pair have previous of course, with BJS beating Eubank Jr. on points way back in 2014. That was a split decision win for Saunders in a very close and competitive fight, and the press conferences for this would be double lively.
It seems clear that Eubank Jr. will never safely make 160 again, and that goes for Saunders too.
Let’s roll the dice and take a step into the unknown.
Watch Serrano vs. Tellez with a DAZN subscription
2026 begins in style as Amanda Serrano and Reina Tellez square off on January 3, exclusively on DAZN. Watch with a subscription, monthly and annual options available.
