Boxing
From the “tank” to Canelo, seven boxers who would benefit from promotion on weight
Terenka Crawford dare to be great, jumping up two weight classes to challenge the undisputed master of the super medium weight Canelo Alvarez on September 13 in Las Vegas. If it succeeds, this move would put Crawford on a compact list as one of the best – if not the best – boxers of this generation.
Who else in sport would take advantage of larger and better fights?
We identified seven boxers who would gain the most from promoting the weight class (or two) to get more opportunities. Some are obvious and were discussed in the past, while others would raise several eyebrows if the warrior decided that the bump in the scale was worth the challenge.
Canelo Alvarez
Current weight class: 168 pounds
Proposed up-to-date weight class: 175 pounds
If Canelo can reverse Crawford’s challenge next month, he has nothing to do with 168 pounds except the fight against Hamzah Sheeraz, in which the risk is not worth rewards. He already dared to be great in 2022, when he tried to become the owner of a weighty title in losing against Dmitryj Bivol. But the lightweight heavyweight landscape has become even more intriguing David Benavidez’s arrival. Of course, Canelo can also follow Artur Beterbałal or Bivol rematch. But if he really wanted to silence NaSayers, he would finally fight Benavidez in a huge duel between Mexican fighters.
Ji Opea
Current weight class: 200 pounds
Proposed up-to-date weight class: HWeight
Opetsai took the scale weight competition in a circuit scale, and his last challenge is the fight against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. If Australian lethargic wants to do waves, what Oleksandr Usyk did and will lead to heavyweight, where opponents are much more attractive. Fighting with Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker and Andym Ruiz Jr. They are entertaining suggestions, but how about the fight with Usyk, a former undisputed heavyweight champion and the current unquestioned heavyweight champion? This is a fight that Usyk can solve before retiring.
Teofimo Lopez
Current weight class: 140 pounds
Proposed up-to-date weight class: 147/154 pounds
Lopez is one of the best pound boxers in the world when it is closed. It is a great supple -handed weight, and a jump to 147 pounds would set him up to fight the winner of Brian Norman Jr. vs. Devin Haney on November 22. Lopez and Haney would mention words in the past, and Norman would make “Acceptance of fascination” on November 22. But why stop at 147 pounds? Lopez is bold enough to jump two classes of weight to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis. He called Ennis after the dominance of Arnold Barbozy Jr. In May, AZ with “shoes” movement up to 154 pounds against UISMA LIMA on October 11 Lopez could chase. It is a kind of fight that would separate the two -level Lopez master from his peers if he was the first to put an impact on the invincible Ennis record.
Gervonta “Tank” Davis
Current weight class: 135 pounds
Proposed up-to-date weight class: 147 pounds
“Tank” is one of the biggest stars in boxing, but he has not yet faced the opponent of the tent. Moving from 135 to 147 makes a lot of sense, considering the names that would wait for it. While fighting the winner of Norman. vs. Haney would be tempting, a real draw would be a clash with the legendary manna Pacquiao. Considering that Pacquiao fought Mario Barrios – who was knocked out by Davis in 2021 – for a controversial draw in July, in the Philippine Hall of Famer there is still some juice, which makes the fight against Davis worth squeezing. Pacquiao manager Sean Gibbons said that the fight against Davis is also on their radar. The fight between past and great ones would probably be a huge attraction.
Shakur Stevenson
Current weight class: 135 pounds
Proposed up-to-date weight class: 140 pounds
Stevenson’s clouds made him to land duels with the names of the awning in his weight class. It seems that he is not running away in the near future to fight Davis, and Floyd Schofield may not be worth the risk. Instead, Stevenson will have to chase larger names in boxing, and a jump to 140 pounds will bring him opportunities against Lopez, Richardson Hitchinom and Subriel Matias. Stevenson is the best pure boxer in sport, but he will have to move to get recognition, which he deserves some of the major boxing draws.
Junto dug
Current weight class: 118 pounds
Proposed up-to-date weight class: 122 pounds
0:45
Junto Natani Kos David Cuellar in the 3rd round to keep the title of Bantamweight
Junto donated twice knocks David Cuellar in the third round to win KO to keep the title of Bantamweight.
This movement has long been rumors and it is most likely that it will be realized. In the case of the biggest fight in the Japanese history of boxing, the dug out can jump to 122 pounds to challenge Nayy Inoue in the battle with No. 10 and 2 pounds of ESPN boxers, respectively. Two warriors have already agreed orally to face each other in 2026, although the weight class has not yet been established. “Massive Bang” was a weight class for Inoue in pursuit of “Monster” and became the biggest boxing star in Japan. All they have to do is remain a course, and this fight is in the bag.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
Current weight class: 115 pounds
Proposed up-to-date weight class: 122 pounds
The 25-year-old Rodriguez is no. A 5-year boxer in the world in the world. The two -level world champion is still not a star that he could have been, largely because he competes in smaller weight classes. If “Bam” moved from 115 pounds to 122 pounds, he could meet with Inoue in the battle of destructive finalists. In a 52-0 connection with 42 knockouts between them, it would undoubtedly be a battle from the action that would probably be on the compact Fight of the Year list.
By Boxing News 24 Desk – 10/17/2026 – Comments
Dubois defends his WBO heavyweight title against Wardley on DAZN PPV at The O2 Arena in London on Saturday, October 17.
Fabio Wardley gets another crack at Daniel Dubois five months after dropping him twice but losing their first fight. Dubois recovered to stop Wardley in the 11th round in Manchester.
Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley
2026-10-17 · 14:00 ET / 7:00 PM UK · O2 Arena, London · 
Live on DAZN
Daniel Dubois0
AFTER0ROUNDS
Fabio Wardley0
ROUNDDaniel DuboisFabio Wardley
Wardley returns as the challenger. Dubois makes his first defence against the heavyweight he dethroned in May, with DAZN PPV and DAZN Ultimate Tier carrying the rematch.
Start Time and Ring Walks
Coverage starts at 7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT.
Dubois and Wardley are expected to make their ring walks at approximately 10:30 pm BST / 5:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm PT. All times fall on Saturday, October 17.
DAZN PPV Price
The standalone PPV costs £24.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the USincluding the undercard and main event.
DAZN Ultimate Tier subscribers receive the event without a separate PPV purchase.
Full Fight Card, Weigh-In Results and Expected Times
Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley
WBO heavyweight title
Dubois: 253.9 lbs (115.17 kg) | Wardley: 248.3 lbs (112.63 kg)
Expected ring walks: 10:30 pm BST / 5:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm PT
Louie O’Doherty vs Michael Gomez Jr.
British and Commonwealth lightweight titles
O’Doherty: 134.12 lbs (60.84 kg) | Gomez Jr.: 134.3 lbs (60.92 kg)
Approximate start: 9:30 pm BST / 4:30 pm ET / 1:30 pm PT
Adam Olaniyan vs Dan Garber
Heavyweight
Olaniyan: 250.15 lbs (113.47 kg) | Garber: 223.15 lbs (101.22 kg)
Approximate start: 9:10 pm BST / 4:10 pm ET / 1:10 pm PT
Bakhodir Jalolov vs Solomon Dacres
Heavyweight
Jalolov: 255.12 lbs (115.72 kg) | Dacres: 242.9 lbs (110.18 kg)
Approximate start: 8:10 pm BST / 3:10 pm ET / 12:10 pm PT
Nelson Birchall vs Levi Gilles
Approximate start: 7:10 pm BST / 2:10 pm ET / 11:10 am PT
About the author
Boxing News 24 Desk
BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.
Solomon Dacres expects to stop Bakhodir Jalolov tonight, but his record offers little support for that prediction against the 6’7″ two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Jalolov has looked sluggish enough lately to give critics room for skepticism. The dominant puncher seen in the amateur ranks rarely appears in his prize ring outings, prompting a few observers to sniff an upset. Regardless, Jalolov looking flat does not suddenly transform Dacres into a top threat.
“Got to get him out of there, man,” Dacres told SecondsOut. “Mid to late rounds.”
That would be a considerable leap for a fighter whose most revealing professional result remains his first-round stoppage defeat to David Adeleye in December 2024.
Dacres describes that loss as a “blip,” but it came against the most notable opponent he had faced. Across five years as a professional, he hasn’t built a record of beating contenders that would make a Jalolov knockout seem likely.
His points win against Vladyslav Sirenko also requires context. Sirenko amassed numbers without testing himself against true threats, meaning that victory hardly proves Dacres can deal with Jalolov’s height, reach, and southpaw boxing skills.
“This fight here is beyond English title level, man,” Dacres said. “This is like world level.”
Jalolov deserves criticism for how slowly his professional career has moved and for performances that haven’t matched expectations. His Olympic medals don’t excuse that, and Dacres has an opportunity to make him work.
Expecting Dacres to win because Jalolov underwhelms ignores his own modest punch output. Managing just three stoppages across ten victories, he lacks the firepower to back up big talk.
For Dacres to land the kinds of sustained combinations required to stop someone Jalolov’s size, he has to pin him down. Jalolov does not fight like a traditional, stationary heavyweight slugger. Even when he looks uninspired, he uses lateral footwork, maintains long range with his southpaw lead hand, and angles off before opponents can set their feet.
Dacres lacks both the foot speed to cut off the ring effectively and the explosive one-punch power to make Jalolov cautious. If Dacres tries to force the issue, he’ll put himself at risk of getting caught. Pressing aggressively against a 6’7″ southpaw who excels at firing straight left hands down the pipe is asking for trouble.
Unless Jalolov completely checks out mentally and stands against the ropes to trade, Dacres will be eating long jabs and counters all night, with a Jalolov stoppage being the far more probable outcome.
Undefeated American light heavyweight Atif Oberlton believes there is plenty more to come after rating his last performance seven out of ten as he prepares to face knockout puncher Deon Nicholson on November 7.
Oberlton improved to 17-0 with a shutout decision over Roamer Alexis Angulo in August, but believes he has another level to reach despite winning every round.
Speaking exclusively to World Boxing News, the Philadelphia southpaw reflected on his victory over Angulo and becoming the first fighter to stop Carlos Gongora earlier this year.
“They said Carlos Gongora was going to be a very tough opponent, and he was one of my toughest challenges thus far. He’d never been stopped, and I was able to get the stoppage pretty early on because I locked in and trained the way I needed to.
“Looking back, I’d rate my performance against Angulo maybe a 7 out of 10—I could have definitely done better. But this camp is different mentally. We had a lot of factors going on last time, but I’m entirely focused now,” he told WBN.
The assessment comes as promoter Dmitriy Salita looks to establish Oberlton as America’s leading light heavyweight.
Oberlton Faces Nicholson
Nicholson enters their November 7 contest in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with 19 knockouts from 23 victories and a reputation for dangerous punching power.
The Alabama fighter was previously linked to a showdown with former undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev, making him another significant test for Oberlton.
“Nicholson is a good opponent—a good dance partner. We’re getting closer to the level of opponents that allow for a standout performance because the challenge keeps stepping up. I definitely don’t take him lightly. I respect everyone who gets in the ring and stands in front of me, but I’m going to go out there and do what I trained to do.”
The ten-round bout at Kiva Auditorium will be Oberlton’s fourth appearance of 2026, with Salita Promotions delivering on its promise to keep the unbeaten contender active.
Salita Promotions Keeps Promise
Oberlton says his relationship with Salita has allowed him to build momentum while continuing to work toward a world title opportunity.
“Salita Promotions told me they were going to keep me busy when I signed, and they’ve kept their end of the bargain. I’m keeping mine by going out there, performing, and winning—whether by early stoppage or decision.
“As long as they keep putting people in front of me, I’m going to keep fighting. Every time I step in the ring, I want to perform better than the last time, climb the ladder, and take some hardware home. I’m ready to take some candy.”
Oberlton has already stopped Joseph George and Gongora in 2026 before proving he could dominate over ten rounds against Angulo.
With 14 knockouts in 17 victories, Oberlton has shown he can finish opponents early and control fights over the distance.
Now, with another training camp behind him and a fourth fight of the year approaching, Oberlton believes his best performances are still ahead of him.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.
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