The heavyweight division is arguably stronger than it’s been for around 20 years, with each champion and top-class contender meriting a headline slot in their own right.
Queensberry’s main event between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois, for instance, is just one of many matchups that are now coming to fruition.
But while their WBO title clash on May 9 represents one of exceptional quality, there are equally several other mouth-watering fights that could be made before 2026 comes to pass.
With this in mind, here are five heavyweight matchups that must surely have a realistic chance of materialising.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Agit Kabayel
While Oleksandr Usyk has expressed an interest in facing the winner of Wardley-Dubois, he is unlikely to do so in an undisputed title showdown.
This is because WBC ‘interim’ champion Agit Kabayel is applying increasing pressure on the champion, who must either face his mandatory challenger or vacate the WBC title after his expected victory over Rico Verhoeven on May 23.
Should he choose to defend his belt against Kabayel, who many regard as one of the division’s most proficient body punchers, then Usyk would certainly be offering the fans an early Christmas present.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
While it should have happened several years ago, the prospect of seeing Tyson Fury collide with Anthony Joshua is still enough to whet the appetite.
Both two-time world champions have reached a stage where they quite simply need each other, hence Fury’s WWE-style call-out at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month.
They may no longer possess the physical capabilities of a world-class athlete, but the level of intrigue and excitement that surrounds their long-awaited dustup has hardly diminished.
Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic
While Filip Hrgovic must take care of business against Dave Allen on May 16, the Croatian has already been promised a more meaningful opportunity later this year.
Among other names, Moses Itauma has been mentioned as a possible opponent following his fifth-round finish over Jermaine Franklin last month.
After defeating Franklin, the 21-year-old said he had hoped it would be Hrgovic standing in the opposite corner, so perhaps the pair can instead lock horns this summer.
The durability of Hrgovic would certainly make for an intriguing affair, perhaps taking Itauma into deeper waters than he has ever experienced.
Martin Bakole vs Guido Vianello
Martin Bakole and Guido Vianello were supposed to lock horns on the undercard of Usyk-Verhoeven, only for their fight to collapse due to Bakole’s ongoing dispute with Boxxer.
If he manages to get his promotional situation under control, however, then it could be a case that the 34-year-old chooses to revisit this opportunity.
It is, after all, a fight that seemingly makes sense for both parties, as the winner would likely be pushing for a world title shot.
Murat Gassiev vs Richard Riakporhe
Richard Riakporhe arguably stole the show on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov, stopping Jeamie TKV in round five to become a two-division British champion.
Now, though, he 36-year-old should be angling for an assignment at world level, perhaps against former unified cruiserweight champion and WBA ‘regular’ titlist Murat Gassiev.
Since moving up from 200lbs, the two destructive punchers have made steady progress but are now in a position to roll the dice, ideally against each other.
The winner would then merit an eventual shot at Usyk’s full WBA title.
