Boxing Predictions for 2026: The Biggest Fights of the Year
- Austin Jones
- 38 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Boxing Predictions for 2026: The Biggest Fights of the Year
Not gimmicks. Not manufactured beef. Real fights that feel like events. If 2025 was the reset, 2026 is lining up to be the payoff. The calendar is shaping into something boxing fans have been demanding for years: clarity at the top, legacy driven matchups, and fights that actually answer questions.
Here are the bouts that could define boxing in 2026 and why they matter.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Deontay Wilder
Precision vs Oblivion
This fight is chaos theory in boxing form.
Oleksandr Usyk represents control, intelligence, and tactical suffocation.
Deontay Wilder represents one thing and one thing only: erasing consciousness with a single right hand.
Stylistically, it’s fascinating. Usyk would likely dominate rounds with movement, angles, and volume. Wilder would lose rounds badly... until he doesn’t.
This fight answers a timeless heavyweight question. Can perfect boxing beat nuclear power if the threat never goes away?
Prediction: Usyk is favored, but Wilder’s danger never expires. This is the kind of fight where one mistake rewrites everything.
Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather II
Closure or Chaos
Nobody asked for it. Everyone will watch it.
A Pacquiao Mayweather rematch in 2026 is less about belts and more about unfinished business. The first fight left fans unsatisfied stylistically, emotionally, and historically.
Manny Pacquiao would enter as the aging warrior, still chasing moments.
Floyd Mayweather would enter as the technician guarding perfection.
The stakes are legacy optics. Not records.
Prediction: The fight is more competitive than the first due to age slowing defense, but Mayweather’s fundamentals likely still control the outcome. The real win is closure for fans who have debated this for over a decade.
Dmitry Bivol vs Michael Eifert
The Champion vs the Unknown Problem
This is the fight hardcore fans are watching closely.
Dmitry Bivol has quietly become one of boxing’s most respected technicians. Calm. Disciplined. Almost impossible to hit clean.
Michael Eifert represents the kind of opponent champions hate. Less famous. Less predictable. Nothing to lose.
Prediction: Bivol’s composure and consistency likely carry him, but this is the kind of matchup where momentum shifts matter. If Eifert forces exchanges, the fight becomes interesting fast.
Claressa Shields vs Franchón Crews-Dezurn
The Best vs the Toughest
Women’s boxing doesn’t get enough credit for delivering clarity. This fight would.
Claressa Shields is about dominance, confidence, and résumé.
Franchón Crews-Dezurn is about grit, experience, and refusing to be overlooked.
This matchup is not about hype. It’s about who actually controls elite women’s boxing.
Prediction: Shields’ speed, output, and athleticism make her the favorite, but Crews-Dezurn’s toughness ensures this is earned, not gifted.
The Return of Tyson Fury
The Division Holds Its Breath
The biggest wildcard of 2026 is not a fight. It’s a decision.
If Tyson Fury returns, everything changes. The heavyweight division instantly reshuffles. Negotiations accelerate. Pressure increases. Narratives explode.
Who he fights is secondary to the fact that he fights.
Prediction: If Fury comes back, it’s not for tune ups. It’s for spectacle, money, and legacy control. Expect a massive matchup with possibly Fabio Wardley or a Usyk Trilogy.
What This Says About Boxing in 2026
These fights share something important. They are not safe.
They carry risk. They carry consequences. They answer questions instead of creating distractions.
That’s what boxing has been missing.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
By Austin Jones — CMO & Lead Editor at FIGHT.TV
Austin Jones is a business strategist and combat sports expert. As Chief Marketing Officer and Lead Editor at FIGHT.TV, he covers everything from behind the scenes controversies to dynamic industry breakdowns of promotions, to the satirical side of fight culture. He is also the founder of Business Goals Group LLC, a marketing and consulting powerhouse that provides businesses with expert guidance.
