Boxing
The fights we want to see: Usyk-Parker, Teofimo-Rolly and Joshua-Paul?
After the weekend, in which Oleksandr Usyk confirmed his status of the best pound fighter for pounds in the world, demolishing Daniel Dubois in five rounds, and the only boxing master Many Pacquiao, returned four years from the ring in a majority draw against Mario Barrios, we turned to the boxing calendar in 2025.
Canelo Alvarez and Terenka Crawford, the two best fighters in the world, will meet in the greatest fight of the year on September 13 in the undisputed championships of super medium weight. But what are other potential great fights that are waiting for the rest of 2025 and later?
Nick Parkinson divides its wish list and explains why these duels should be made.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Joseph Parker
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Like Oleksandr Usyk became a heavyweight champion again
Look at the numbers of victory Oleksandr Usyk over Daniel Dubois at the Wembley stadium.
Before we can potentially get into the trilogy with Tyson Fury, Usyk can take advantage of the fight to set it up, and the fight with a friend of Fury Parker – a must see WBO – does it nicely.
Fury confirmed last Saturday in London that he would return to this sport, but only next year. Fury has not fought since the loss of Usyk in December 2024.
Usyka’s next fight will therefore win for him and establish a fight of fury. Frank Warren from Queensberry Promotions, who promotes Parker, likes the idea of Parker, a former WBO master who challenges another challenge.
Parker (36-3, 24 KO) trains from Fury in Morecame, England and revived his career with coach Andy Lee after losing to Joe Joyce in 2022. Since now, Parker produced the best results of his career, including a broad decisive victory over the former WB champion, Deontay Wilder in 2023. Parker, who created two defense of the WBO belt before he lost him in the fight for the unification of the title with Joshua in 2018, is more experienced than other high -ranking pretenders, such as Fabio Wardley, Moses Ituma and Agit Kabayel.
Kabayel (26-0, 18 KO), WBC heavyweight champion, calls Usyk to face and has a convincing case after the victory of KO over Zhang and Frank Sanchez. But the relationship between Parker and Fury, which would assist build a potential fight with the Usyk Vs. trilogy. Fury, and the fact that the utyk must fight with the Parker next to keep the WBO belt makes Parker a better option.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Rolando “Rolly” Romero
These two were the biggest winners of the Times Square surreal boxing card in May and it is a logical struggle to make both progress towards the peak of the crowded semi -quiet division. This is a good duel between the technical features that Lopez has compared to the harsh power and unpredictability that Romero displayed in Modern York.
Lopez (22-1, 13 KO), WBO-secondary weight master, made a better performance on this Modern York card, defeating Arnold Barboza Jr. A unanimous decision, and in the face of Romero would be a good first step in semiconductor weight.
Also on this Romero card (17-2, 13 KO) he caused a great shock when he dropped Ryan Garcia with his left hook on his way to a unanimous winning decision with stern nervousness for the “ordinary” semi-edible WBA title. It was the latest return of Romero’s career, in which he lost by detaining in a airy and younger title of welterweight from Davis and Isaaca Cruz, winning the win thanks to the controversial break against Ismael Barroso for the title of WBA Junior Welter Wweight two years ago, and then accelerate the division for the greatest. Winning in your career.
Romero Brawling Style could play the hands of a skilful boxer, such as Lopez, but Romero’s victory over Garcia showed that it can also disrupt polished boxers.
This is a fight that would attract attention because of a garbage conversation, to which both are susceptible, and there is a story about a sparring session between them in 2017, which will be visited again. It is a competition that will be built into the injury that is selling.
Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua in Wembley? 🤔
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– DAZN Boxing (@daznboxing) July 19, 2025
If this happens, and Joshua, a two -time world champion, will seriously talk about it, give up his ID, fighting with a less competitive opponent of lucrative payment.
Joshua (28-4, 24 KO) has not fought since he was abandoned four times in the fifth defeat of KO with Daniel Dubois in September in September, IBF. The elbow surgery is expected to stop Joshua by the end of this year.
Paul, rotated in YouTuber-Boxer, has high trust after his June victory over Julio Emperar Chavez Jr., but Chavez has long gone and has never been at the level at which Joshua operated. Joshua is experiencing a loss, but Paul must again observe what Joshua did to the former UFC Master Francis Ngannou only two fights ago in March last year. Joshua is not washed and should fight better opponents such as Dubois, Ituma, Wardley and even Deontay Wilder. But the fight with Paweł would cause global interest and this is a fight that Joshua should easily win.
Shakur Stevenson vs. Conor Benn
In the case of Benna vs. Chris Eubank Jr. In Jeopardy, not an event on September 20, according to plan, an English boxer could look for an alternative great fight, and the WBC Lightweight Stevenson champion would be an fascinating option.
Stevenson (23-0, 11 KO) would have to enhance from airy to the junior semi-edited weight to face Benne (23-1, 14 KO), who in April lost his unanimous decision about Eubank in the fight for medium medium weight.
While Stevenson has the advantage that he is a more qualified boxer after an outstanding amateur career, Benn, who had only a brief amateur career, will benefit from the size. This is a classic boxer meeting vs. Slugger.
Stevenson leaves a comical and aggressive performance vs. William Zepeda at the beginning of this month. Despite this, it can be a comical construction with lots of social media.
Benn could be tempted to face Stevenson when he is waiting to see if the rematch from Eubank will occur, or his dream fight with Gervont “Tank” Davis can become a reality in 2026.
Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron
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Taylor defeats Serrano for the third time to end the trilogy
Katie Taylor wins most of the decision to defeat Amanda Serrano for the third time and preserving the title.
Taylor does not seem to be interested in this, but many fans are and this is the most logical next fight for Irish, if he decides to box. When asked about the potential fight with the trilogy with Cameron, Taylor said Cameron must prove himself again before the meeting.
“I think Chantelle must see if he can sell the arena of 1000 places first; I think I earned more than it really deserves,” Taylor said after winning the decision on Amanda Serrano on July 11.
After all arguments with three wins in the Serrano trilogy, Taylor should consider the third meeting with Cameron, the only woman who defeated her in professional ranks. Taylor may also consider retiring after an outstanding amateur and professional career, and after he helped change the popularity of women’s boxing.
After the resolution of Taylor’s competition with Serrano Cameron, he is now the biggest rival of Taylor. Taylor (25-1, 6 KO), the undisputed champion of the welterweight champion, is the number 2 in the ESPN rankings for pounds, and Cameron (21-1, 8 KO), Master of WBC periods, is No. 4.
Cameron inflicted the only defeat of Taylor with the decision of the majority in May 2023, before Taylor also took revenge as a winning majority in November 2023.
“I was told that I would fight the winner of Katie versus Amanda because I am the transient champion of WBC,” said Cameron ESPN recently. “[But] I am not saying, however, that I am sure that the third fight against Katie, because the trilogy fight with her should have been a long time ago. “
This fight is probably based on whether Taylor decides that her career is already completed, but if this happens, it would be one of the most anticipated fights in women’s boxing in what is left of the year.
Jai OPTETIA vs. Gilberto Ramirez
Opetoa, the IBF champion, has been the dominant ruler in the circuitous scale for several years, but now he has a stern rival in his crown in Ramirez, who united the titles of WBA and WBO.
The fight between the two in the fight for union with three lanes would bring a sporadic headlight to the weight ward, which attracts less attention than other weight classes.
This is the most logical option for OPTETAI (28-0, 22 KO) differently than a heavyweight indicator, and both warriors dream of achieving the unquestionable status that could start a career in heavyweight, as for Oleksandr Utyk.
“I’m fed up with all excuses and delays,” said Odetaa, referring to Ramirez, after Claudio Squeo’s jaw broke in the KO win in the fifth round in June. “I respect what Ramirez achieved, but I know I’m at a different level.”
Ramirez (48-1, 30 KO) also defended the title last month, with a unanimous victorious decision over Yuniel Dorticos. However, Ramirez was more impressive when he dominated Chris Billam-Smith in the struggle of unification in November last year.
Ramirez may be tempted to fight if the duel with WBC champion David Benavidez does not materialize.
Claressa Shields’ promoter Dmitriy Salita has accused Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions of demanding a $25,000 penalty every time the undisputed heavyweight champion made negative comments about Paul or MVP.
The allegation emerged as the dispute over a proposed fight between Shields and Chantelle Cameron intensified, with both sides blaming each other for the breakdown in negotiations.
“MVP insisted on a $25,000 liquidated-damages payment each time Claressa made a statement they viewed as negative toward Jake Paul or MVP,” Salita stated on social media, while also sending his comments directly to World Boxing News.
“We would not agree to terms that put a price on a fighter’s speech. We did agree to a standard, mutual non-disparagement clause.”
Shields vs. Cameron Negotiations
The latest exchange followed public statements from Cameron, Shields and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian.
Cameron said she wanted the fight for her legacy but acknowledged that negotiations had stalled.
Shields then said her side initially offered $1.1 million before MVP returned with a $1.5 million demand.
Bidarian disputed the suggestion that MVP was responsible for the fight falling apart, insisting his company had agreed to a guaranteed deal for Cameron despite having no involvement in the event.
“That guaranteed pay for our fighter was then reneged on by them and reduced by 27%,” Bidarian alleged.
He also claimed disagreements over expenses, including per diems and security, had become sticking points.
“It felt like we were agreeing to a low-budget production, which is not how we present our athletes,” he said.
Bidarian maintained that Cameron’s proposed payment was consistent with her previous major fights and said MVP had given Salita’s team a final opportunity to return to the original offer.
Word Reveals $1.1M Offer
Salita responded by accusing MVP of taking negotiations public rather than working privately to complete the deal.
“By taking these negotiations public, you showed that you were looking for a way to say no, not a way to make this fight,” he said.
Salita confirmed that his side had offered $1.1 million, plus an escalating percentage of ticket sales from the first dollar.
He argued that Shields’ history of generating seven-figure gates meant the additional revenue could have substantially increased Cameron’s total payment.
Salita also rejected the suggestion that disagreements over daily expenses had prevented the fight from being signed.
“In more than 30 years as a fighter and promoter, I’ve never seen a million-dollar fight defined by a per diem disagreement,” he stated.
“As we say in boxing, there are a million ways to say no and one way to say yes.”
Despite the increasingly personal exchanges, Salita insisted his team remained willing to negotiate.
“We have always wanted Claressa vs. Chantelle, and we remain ready to work with MVP to make it happen,” he said.
For now, the proposed fight remains unsigned, with both sides publicly disputing who is responsible for the impasse.
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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