From heavyweight to bantam: The Ring names ten duels that should make 2026 a boxing year of superlatives.
The 2026 boxing year could be spectacular – at least if The Ring ‘s wish list is anything to go by . The renowned boxing magazine has put together ten dream fights that should define the coming year. At the top of the list is a possible farewell bout for Oleksandr Usyk, who, after a possible fight against Deontay Wilder, could also challenge WBO champion Fabio Wardley to step down from Undisputed once again.
The eternal British dream duel Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua, whose realization is still open despite Fury’s retirement and Joshua’s recent strokes of fate, is not to be missed. In the cruiserweight division, Jai Opetaia vs. Gilberto Ramirez is considered an inevitable unification, while in the light heavyweight division, Dmitry Bivol vs. David Benavidez promises to be the crowning glory of the weight class.
Other highlights: Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Diego Pacheco for the vacant WBO super middleweight title, Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz as a possible fight of the year. There are also top-class women’s boxing matches such as Lauren Price vs. Mikaela Mayer or Caroline Dubois vs. Elif Nur Turhan.
The list is rounded off by the Japanese super duel Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani – a fight with historic dimensions. Whether wishful thinking or reality: these ten pairings show how high the bar is set for the boxing year 2026.
The top 10 fights for 2026
- Heavyweight: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Fabio Wardley
- Heavyweight: Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua
- Cruiserweight: Jai Opetaia vs. Gilberto Ramirez
- Light heavyweight: Dmitry Bivol vs. David Benavidez
- Super middleweight: Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Diego Pacheco
- Middleweight: Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz
- Welterweight: Conor Benn vs. Ryan Garcia
- Welterweight: Lauren Price vs. Mikaela Mayer
- Lightweight: Caroline Dubois vs. Elif Nur Turhan
- Superbantam: Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani