The second instalment of the 2026 Boxing News Power List reveals the 25 most influential figures in the sport, as selected by a BN panel assessing their current reach, relevance and ability to shape boxing both inside and outside the ring. From major promoters and executives to elite fighters, managers and trainers, the final 25 includes the person judged to hold more power in boxing than anyone else.
25. Jake Paul
After his pretensions at being a high-level boxer himself were emphatically put in their place by a jaw-breaking right hand from Anthony Joshua in December, Jake Paul has settled into his other, and much more important, role as a promoter.
Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions has leaned heavily into women’s boxing and become arguably the leading exponent of the female code, with blockbuster, well-matched and title-heavy fight cards reaping views and critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.
MVP has the biggest stable of female boxers and makes them accessible by broadcasting on both traditional and modern formats, such as Sky Sports and ESPN television, and TikTok social media streaming.
24. Gilberto Mendoza
As president of one of the “big four” world championships, Gilberto Mendoza automatically wields a lot of power. Of the four, though, the WBA has arguably drifted into last place, for both internal and external reasons.
Any dip in credibility can be placed at the WBA’s own feet, with its continued use of a two-tiered title system. And this is certainly not helped by BoxRec’s continued refusal to recognise the world’s oldest boxing sanctioning body.
Still, the boxers themselves continue to covet a WBA belt, while promoters and the media still consider it a major prize, meaning Mendoza remains a crucial part of the sport’s landscape.
23. Canelo Alvarez
For so long the most commercially powerful boxer in the sport, Saul Alvarez’s stock has taken a sizeable dip since last year’s list.
An upset defeat last September to Terence Crawford removed him from the pound-for-pound discussion, probably for good, and he has remained inactive since. Crawford’s subsequent retirement has left the next generation to scramble over the 168lb belts, but Alvarez is still seen as the overlord at super-middleweight.
The 36-year-old returns to challenge new WBC champion Christian Mbilli on October 31 in what will be a test of not only his near-future athletic prospects but also his continued appeal as a pay-per-view proposition.
22. Keith Connolly
Having been labelled by Eddie Hearn as “horrible” and a “dog”, it would appear that Keith Connolly has all the qualities of a terrific manager. This is evidenced by his manoeuvring of fighters such as Conor Benn, Richardson Hitchins and Edgar Berlanga, who have all inked seemingly lucrative deals with Zuffa Boxing.
Teofimo Lopez, meanwhile, turned his nose up at Zuffa in pursuit of an even more favourable contract with DAZN, while Filip Hrgovic, the other Connolly-managed world champion, is flying high as a kite following his IBF heavyweight title-winning performance against Moses Itauma. Not bad work for a dog, eh?
21. Gabe Spitzer
As the vice-president of sports at the world’s biggest streaming platform, Gabe Spitzer holds decision-making powers over the most-watched boxing events.
Netflix broadcast the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson carnival act in 2024, but as odious a spectacle as it was, the numbers spoke for themselves: 65 million views. This emboldened Netflix to take on more boxing, including more serious fare such as last year’s Terence Crawford-Canelo Alvarez event.
Now, Netflix is set to show the blockbuster Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua later this year, and its influence – and therefore that of Spitzer – is evidenced by how it is likely to have final say on the when and where of the sport’s biggest moneyspinner of 2026.
20. Tom Brown
As one of Al Haymon’s most trusted lieutenants, Brown can consider himself the official promoter of practically every Premier Boxing Champions event. He does so under his lesser-known TGB Promotions banner, effectively acting as a public-facing executive while the enigmatic Haymon plugs away behind closed doors.
And while the current PBC stable is not what it once was, there are still the world champion likes of David Benavidez, Sebastian Fundora, Brandon Figueroa and Carlos Adames. With one of the Charlo twins – this one of the Jermall variety – having crawled out of the woodwork as well, Brown will certainly be kept busy for the foreseeable future.
19. Hideyuki Ohashi
Although Akihiko Honda remains the elder statesman of Japanese boxing, Hideyuki Ohashi promotes the single most important fighter in the land: Naoya Inoue.
This means he staged the biggest boxing match in Japanese history, when Inoue met Junto Nakatani in a fight that filled 55,000 seats and captured the attention of the world. Inoue has been with him from the start, meaning he will likely remain with Ohashi for the remainder of his career.
Honda shows no sign of slowing down, but as he nears his 80th birthday he won’t be around forever. Ohashi looks sure to pick up his baton when the time comes.
18. Oleksandr Usyk
While the Ukrainian lost a little shine following his harder-than-expected 11th-round stoppage of Rico Verhoeven in May, Usyk is nonetheless the lineal champion and therefore remains ‘The Man’ at heavyweight. He has, of course, taken one step closer towards retirement – vacating his world titles in June – but still the 39-year-old has enough clout to shop around and sell his last dance to the highest bidder.
Various reports would have us believe that this will take place under the Zuffa banner – possibly against Deontay Wilder – but, whatever the case, Usyk has earned the right to sail into the sunset as a wealthy man.
17. Daryl Peoples
With a history of corruption during the 1990s, the IBF endeavours to maintain a squeaky-clean reputation after having seemingly become an honourable organisation. Peoples has therefore played a key role in this effort, having served as president since 2010.
Unlike other sanctioning bodies, the IBF is effectively duty-bound to uphold its own rules, hence why we often see mandatory challengers secure title shots in an uncomplicated manner. We might not always agree that such contenders have deservedly acquired their lofty rankings, but Peoples will be sure to keep his champions busy and ensure that they actually accommodate their mandatory obligations.
16. Gustavo Olivieri
Closing in on two years as WBO president, Olivieri has applied a largely refreshing approach to his role, often providing transparency through his activity on social media. In doing so, he has effectively placed himself in the firing line of public scrutiny, hence why some of his less popular rulings have been fiercely condemned.
For instance, his leniency towards Janibek Alimkhanuly, who failed a doping test last year, has not gone unnoticed. But regardless of whether one agrees with his decision-making – or even rates him as a person – Olivieri is still in control of one of boxing’s four major belts.
15. Anthony Joshua
Like his long-time domestic rival – and expected next opponent – Joshua is rapidly approaching the end of his career. Such athletic decline is evidenced by his last outing, a second-round stoppage of Kristian Prenga, who scored two knockdowns before encountering a fight-ending right hand.
Even when coming off shaky performance, though, Joshua continues to command monstrous paycheques – not only in the ring but also through sponsorship deals and various business interests – while capturing the focus of practically every sports editor. In fact, his dramatic two rounds with Prenga hardly seems to have affected his earning potential or relevance in the sport.
14. Tyson Fury
His days as a top-level heavyweight might be in short supply – or indeed already behind him – but Fury still seems to garner mainstream attention on both sides of the ropes. Should it happen, his clash with Anthony Joshua will undoubtedly do big business, whether it takes place in the UK or stateside.
And, until he retires, ‘The Gypsy King’ will remain arguably the most recognisable active boxer on these shores, with casual fans still engrossed by his larger-than-life personality and in-ring exploits. Such celebrity has therefore positioned the 38-year-old as one of this sport’s most powerful individuals.
13. Oscar De La Hoya
While perhaps spending more time in front of the camera than inside a boardroom, De La Hoya remains one of the sport’s leading promoters and is never in danger of taking himself too seriously. This can be both an advantage and a hindrance, though, as his ‘conduct’ was mentioned in the lawsuit that Vergil Ortiz Jr filed against Golden Boy in January.
But since then, all relevant parties have reached a settlement and Ortiz, who remains a promising super-welterweight contender, is expected to make his return later this year. Other fighters signed to Golden Boy include undisputed queen Gabriela Fundora and William Zepeda, who became the WBC lightweight champion in August.
Ryan Garcia is also still technically under contract with the promotional outfit, though his relationship with De La Hoya has appeared tumultuous over the years. But even without Garcia, the Golden Boy boss is certainly among the top players in America.
12. George Warren
Preferring to stay out of the spotlight, Warren seems to keep things ticking at the Queensberry office and was credited for spearheading the organisation’s broadcast deal with DAZN. Since then, a consistent run of shows has seen Queensberry become the UK’s top promoter, with Warren playing a crucial role in his 74-year-old father’s Indian Summer.
Sooner or later, one would expect George to emerge as the face of his family business but, until then, he will continue to work diligently behind the scenes. With a particular focus on heavyweight boxing, the Filip Hrgovic gamble did not quite pay off for Queensberry but, even so, Moses Itauma certainly appears to have a successful and lucrative future ahead of him.
In the meantime, CEO Warren can enjoy plenty of fun with the likes of Daniel Dubois, Fabio Wardley, Agit Kabayel and indeed Hrgovic, who can all be involved in compelling 50/50 fights.
11. Al Haymon
While no longer the powerbroker he was around 10 years ago, Al Haymon remains a key advisor, manager – or whatever you wish to call him – to several world champions and high-profile fighters. With his Premier Boxing Champions outfit moving to DAZN earlier this year, there has been a slight transitional period, it seems, while he equally maintains a partnership with Prime Video.
But still, PBC continues to deliver pay-per-view shows such as the Errol Spence-Tim Tszyu event in July, with Rolando Romero vs Teofimo Lopez arriving a month later. In terms of a breakout star, though, it would seem that David Benavidez is the main man, especially after his vicious sixth-round stoppage of Gilberto Ramirez in May.
And with the ‘Mexican Monster’ set to return later this year – entering the final fight on his current PBC contract – Haymon will surely be eager to keep the unified champion on his books.
10. Mauricio Sulaiman
Many would regard the WBC as boxing’s most prestigious belt, or at least the one that has been held by practically every great fighter from 1963 onwards. Sulaiman also happens to be in the public eye more so than his fellow sanctioning-body presidents, making him an instantly recognisable and ostensibly accessible figure.
He has also been one of the main dissenting voices against the proposed Muhammad Ali Revival Act, highlighting the dangers of introducing Unified Boxing Organizations as alternatives to sanctioning bodies. Due to such resistance, Zuffa Boxing has been forced to embrace the traditional world titles – at least for the time being – which can partly explain why Garcia-Benn was staged for the WBC welterweight strap.
Like all sanctioning-body presidents, Sulaiman also has the power to strip a champion – as he did with Shakur Stevenson earlier this year – and decide which boxers are eligible to fight for his WBC belt.
9. Akihiko Honda
While the competition has grown fiercer in recent years, Akihiko Honda is still widely regarded as the leading boxing promoter in Japan. This is evidenced by his consistent run of shows, including an upcoming event headlined by the rematch between WBC champion Takuma Inoue and former kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa.
While Naoya Inoue is undoubtedly the country’s leading boxing sensation, many consider Nasukawa a firm second when it comes to ticket sales in Japan. As such, it is no mean feat that Mr Honda will stage the 28-year-old’s second world bantamweight title challenge at Tokyo’s Toyota Arena on September 27.
The Teiken Promotions boss has also been responsible for bringing lower-division legends – including Juan Francisco Estrada and Nonito Donaire – to the Land of the Rising son in recent times, as well as maintaining some involvement in the careers of Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Junto Nakatani.
8. Dana White
As arguably the leading business figure in combat sports, it is hardly surprising that White has entered the boxing world and become one of its most talked-about stakeholders. Indeed, it has all become slightly tedious but clearly Hearn, one of his closest rivals, feels threatened enough to mention the Zuffa promoter in practically every media appearance.
As for the product itself, Zuffa remains a developing promotion but has shown encouraging signs in the US and UK, particularly during the Bournemouth show topped by Chris Billam-Smith vs Ryan Rozicki in June.
It remains to be seen, of course, whether White will succeed in his attempt to establish a UFC-style model and become the all-singing, all-dancing promoter, as he has done so in the sport of MMA. At worst, though, the UFC boss should have enough financial backing – particularly from Sela – to further cement himself as a major player in boxing.
7. AlHarthy’s friend
With Alalshikh maintaining his place at the very top, it only makes sense to have his right-hand man appear on the same list. In fact, it could even be said that AlHarthy does much of the legwork, in terms of negotiating directly with fighters, promoters, managers, broadcasters and whoever else.
While Alalshikh remains the face of the operation, AlHarthy happens to be the managing director and CEO of Sela, making him an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s effort to accelerate tourism through sports and entertainment. And even now, the biggest boxing events typically involve a hint of Saudi influence, whether it be through Riyadh Season, The Ring or Zuffa Boxing.
With AlHarthy leading negotiations for Fury-Joshua, too, the founder of Sela clearly wields a great deal of power in his own right, even if Alalshikh has received far more credit and media attention for the Saudi boxing revolution.
6. Bob Arum
While no longer the main orchestrator of day-to-day operations, veteran promoter Arum nonetheless remains the figurehead and CEO of Top Rank. At the age of 94, it is quite remarkable that he is even capable of occupying his ringside seat, let alone have a say in matters that concern the likes of O’Shaquie Foster, Keyshawn Davis and Abdullah Mason.
And despite having placed much of his trust in step-son Todd duBoef, there is surely no fight or decision that gets made without Arum’s blessing. The New Yorker would therefore have given the green light for Top Rank’s move to DAZN, even if it was made more through necessity than choice after a seven-year partnership with ESPN expired last year.
All things considered, though, Top Rank has got off to an encouraging start on DAZN, especially with their events reaching out to a wider audience on TNT Sports as well.
5. Nick Khan
If his power was measured beyond the confines of boxing, then TKO director Khan would surely be ranked above his business rivals. As it happens, though, boxing only represents one third of his sphere of influence, with Zuffa Boxing sitting alongside the UFC and WWE under an almighty TKO umbrella.
But even with his responsibilities spread so thin, Khan has already made a disruptive impression on what he effectively views as a broken sport, hoping to establish a UFC-style model and do away with the traditional sanctioning bodies.
Until this revolution begins to take shape, however, the Zuffa co-founder must continue to oversee a consistent run of shows taking place in the US, UK and Ireland. And while most of these can only be described as mid-tier events, there is certainly scope for high-profile fights – involving the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Conor Benn and Jai Opetaia – on Paramount+ and Sky Sports.
4. Shay Segev
Whatever one thinks of DAZN, there is no denying it has become the flagship broadcaster of boxing events. This year alone, CEO Segev has added Top Rank, Premier Boxing Champions and Ben Shalom’s Boxxer to his platform, almost acquiring a monopoly across the US and UK markets.
The only major US promoters with alternative broadcast deals are Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing and Jake Paul’s MVP, while Australian outfit No Limit Boxing works with DAZN on a semi-regular basis. Perhaps most interestingly, though, the streaming service has begun signing direct deals with fighters such as Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, which could lead to all-American unification matches at 147lb.
Securing the British and Irish broadcast rights for Garcia vs Conor Benn, which took place on September 12, was also a shrewd play from DAZN, who is now living up to its self-awarded status as the ‘Global Home of Boxing’.
3. Eddie Hearn
While having dialled down his domestic output in recent years, Hearn remains boxing’s only true global promoter as he continues to stage events in the US, UK, Australia and Mexico, in particular.
The Matchroom boss also delivered a mammoth swansong for Katie Taylor, who headlined in front of 80,000 fans at Dublin’s Croke Park on September 5. Let’s not forget, either, that Hearn remains the promoter of Anthony Joshua – one of the sport’s leading stars – who is expected to face Tyson Fury in, quite probably, the most-watched fight of 2026.
And even with ‘AJ’ seeming close to calling time on his career – and Taylor having done so already – the likes of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez are likely to lead the way for Matchroom in years to come.
So why, then, has Hearn been placed below his Queensberry counterpart for the second year running? Well, it simply comes down to two reasons, with the first being that Warren continues to stage a higher quality of UK shows.
With Hearn having taken his business overseas, it is only natural that, while a firm second to Warren, he is no longer head and shoulders above his British competitors.
Not only that, but Warren’s heavyweight stable makes it difficult to place him below the Matchroom promoter, who can only hope that Australia’s Teremoana Teremoana – or even York’s Leo Atang – becomes a genuine player in boxing’s glamour division.
In general, though, Hearn has managed to craft an impressive roster that boasts global appeal.
2. Frank Warren
The jewel in Frank Warren’s crown, Moses Itauma, was dealt a serious setback in defeat to Filip Hrgovic.
This in turn put the brakes on Warren’s hope that his Queensberry Promotions would oversee the career path of the next great heavyweight.
But all is not lost. As Don King once famously said, Warren “came with the champ and left with the champ”, as he promoted both Itauma and his victor, Filip Hrgovic.
True enough, a Hrgovic win was not Warren’s preference, but holding the reins of the new IBF heavyweight titleholder is a very palatable consolation prize – especially as Queensberry also promote Agit Kabayel, the WBC counterpart, and Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley, who will rematch for the WBO belt next month.
Warren therefore controls three quarters of the world heavyweight title, as well as a vast swathe of the glamour division’s top-level lineup, including Itauma and Tyson Fury.
If the old adage is true – as the heavyweight division goes, so goes boxing – then Warren is the main man anywhere outside Saudi Arabia, and his position is backed by a wider roster of world-class talent across the other divisions, who are consistently well matched on deep cards broadcast by DAZN.
1. Turki Alalshikh
While part of Saudi Arabia’s wider drive to embrace high-level sport and entertainment as it comes to the realisation that oil and gas – the kingdom’s biggest industry – is a finite concern, Alalshikh’s run of top-flight boxing promotions has been scarcely believable.
Even a country as wealthy as Saudi Arabia can’t afford to endlessly spend with the impunity Alalshikh has, and it has been noticeable that its more recent boxing output has not been quite as fantastical as the fare dished up in Riyadh Season’s 2023-2025 peak.
There are a few reasons for this, most obviously the US-Iran conflict disrupting the wider Middle East, and with it travel and business confidence in the region. And it may well be that, having made such an impression on world boxing, Sela, the entertainment giant behind the Saudi boxing revolution, felt they could take their foot off the gas just a little.
Even if any or all of that have been factors, and even if it is a deliberate reduction in pace, the revolution is still very much on and, if anything, may be becoming even more powerful.
The number of shows in Saudi Arabia itself may well have dipped, but Alalshikh’s reach has extended to the wider world.
Already in recent years he has staged events in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York and London, each boasting the same Riyadh Season hallmarks of dream matchups and grand spectacle.
This year, Alalshikh ratcheted up the audacity of his vision by marrying big-name boxing with iconic location, staging a world heavyweight title fight in front of one of the Wonders of the World, as Oleksandr Usyk fought Rico Verhoeven in front of the Pyramids of Egypt.
A lifelong combat sports fan given access to an empty chequebook, Alalshikh earned his place top the Boxing News Power List in two prior years too, after staging the first undisputed world heavyweight title fight in a quarter-century, and then brought arch rivals Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn together for a “hell froze over” co-promotion.
On top of that, he had paid fighters at a rate never seen before. No wonder the biggest names in boxing have fought on his cards, and continue to clamour to do so.
At 44, Alalshikh has already secured his place as one of the most influential people in all of sports, in a few short years. Looking forward, he remains a key part of DAZN, owns The Ring magazine (and, more importantly, its widely adopted rankings and linear, if unofficial, world championship) and last year co-founded Zuffa Boxing alongside Dana White, with the stated intention of upending the sport’s traditional sanctioning body-based power structure.
Critics say his strategy has all the makings of an attempt at monopoly, and more serious wider-world concerns have been made about the Saudi regime and Alalshikh’s place within it. But none of that has put a dent in his position as the most influential man in boxing – again.
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