Boxing in 2025: Continued Saudi Arabian influence, next steps for American stars among biggest storylines

We’re two weeks into 2025 and the boxing world is waiting for the schedule to break from the post-holiday slump.

Things begin to get interesting in February with fights such as David Benavidez vs. David Morrell and the rematch for the undisputed light heavyweight championship between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. From there, big fights should continue to materialize and take place as boxing tries to top an exciting 2024 with an even bigger 2025.

Let’s take a look at five things we’re keeping an eye on in the new year.

1. Watching the continued rise of Saudi Arabian control of the boxing landscape

While it’s unclear whether it will prove a long term boon or disaster for boxing, there’s no denying the impact that Turki Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia have had on the boxing landscape over the past few years. More and more big fights are taking place on Saudi soil, with Riyadh feeling as though it’s fast replacing Las Vegas as boxing’s “fight capital.”

Alalshikh has made it clear that he only intends to accelerate his efforts to gain momentum in the sport and his purchase of the iconic Ring Magazine backs up that talk. How Saudi involvement continues and shapes the present and future of the sport is the biggest story in boxing.

2. Can heavyweight continue its momentum?

Heavyweight boxing spent a few decades at the lowest point of its history over portions of the 1990s through 2010s, but the past few years have seen new life breathed into the sport’s glamour division. The rise of Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua provided superstar faces for the division before Oleksandr Usyk moved up after conquering cruiserweight. Usyk united all four world titles in 2024 with a win over Fury before being stripped of the IBF for going ahead with a contracted rematch. The IBF title ended up around the waist of Daniel Dubois, who scored a crushing knockout of Anthony Joshua to further signal a changing of the guard.

Usyk and Dubois were both in the running for 2024 Fighter of the Year honors and now could be headed for their own rematch. Other intriguing names in the division have either built more momentum or popped into conversations over the past year and now we are set for great pairings such as Dubois vs. Joseph Parker, Martin Bakole vs. Efe Ajagba or Anthony Joshua and Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel.

Fury recently announced his retirement, which might not stick as has been the case in his previous three retirement announcements, but heavyweight could carry this momentum into the future even without the superstar.

3. Can Canelo Alvarez find a meaningful fight?

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has long been not only one of the biggest names in boxing, but also among the absolute best in the ring. The past few years, however, have seen Alvarez take hits to his reputation along with failing to fight the level of opponents fans want to see. Since taking a risk to jump to light heavyweight for the second time in his career, ultimately losing to Dmitry Bivol, Alvarez has played it safe in picking opponents. His refusal to face top contenders David Morrell and David Benavidez sent the pair scrambling to light heavyweight where they’re set to meet in February for a shot at the undisputed 175-pound championship.

Failing to fight Morrell and Benavidez was a hit to Alvarez’s reputation like he’s never had in his career. Rather than once again daring to be great, Alvarez talked about the money not being good enough to face the best. Looking at the super middleweight rankings, there aren’t many inspiring names jumping out as potential Alvarez challengers, but the Mexican legend’s legacy will continue to suffer if he can’t figure out how to get back into fights that are both challenging and that fans want to see.

4. What’s next for ‘The Monster’?

Naoya Inoue has emerged as a seemingly unstoppable force over the past decade as he has somehow gotten better year after year and division after division. Knocking out Luis Nery — in a fight where Inoue suffered the first knockdown of his career — and TJ Doheny to remain undisputed junior featherweight champion in 2024 felt like a down year for Inoue only because of how electric his previous few campaigns had been. At a certain point, a fighter becomes so dominant that the only question fans can ask is “What’s next?”

Inoue was set for a fight with massive underdog Sam Goodman in late December, but the fight was delayed after a cut suffered by Goodman in training and then scrapped entirely from the Jan. 24 date when the Aussie suffered a second cut. Goodman has been replaced by Kim Ye-joon, who isn’t expected to fair any better than Goodman would have and everyone is already looking ahead to what Inoue may be doing the rest of the year.

Could Inoue continue to move up in weight, having previously said junior lightweight was as high as he believes he can go, and gun for featherweight titleholders? Will Murodjon Akhmadaliev get the shot at Inoue he’s owed? Or will another undefeated Japanese star in WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani move up for an All-Japan showdown? Whatever the next move, boxing fans need to enjoy what they have in Inoue for as long as they have it.

5. What American stars will make big moves?

Names like Gervonta Davis, Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson and Jaron Ennis, among others, have provided some excitement over the past few years for the future of American boxers. In addition to their in-ring skills, almost all of those fighters have interesting — if often controversial — personalities outside the ring.

Haney is still struggling with a loss to Garcia, which was overturned after Garcia failed multiple drug tests, leaving him with a one-year suspension. Lopez appears to be on an eternal emotional roller coaster. Stevenson’s recent dull but winning performances have seen him attempt to embrace a borderline villainous persona outside the ring.

2025 could be a year that sees those fighters try to make big steps in their careers as they are past the point of being young future stars and are now the collective face of American boxing. If the sport is to be healthy in the country, it needs fighters and fights that attract attention. Every one of those men can do that with their big personalities, but can they do the rest of the work by taking action to get big fights done?