At a time when the sport is too often ridiculed because the best fighters rarely face each other, 2023 may go down as a breakthrough year for modern boxing.
As the wait for an undisputed heavyweight champion continues – albeit hopefully not for too much longer with Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk scheduled for February – boxing fans have been treated to more elite-level bouts in the past twelve months than they have seen in the past twelve months have done. some time, which can only bode well for the future.
Earlier this month, Devin Haney and Regis Prograis brought down the curtain on an epic year that also gave us Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford, Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez vs. Josh Taylor, Haney vs. Lomachenko, Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron (twice) . , Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo and much, much more.
The best appear to be finally fighting the best, with Fury and Usyk set to crown the first true heavyweight king since 2000 early next year – but what other superfights will take place in 2024?
Ny Breaking.com has picked five bouts we want to see happen next year, and how likely they are to happen.
Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia was one of many elite level boxing matches in 2023
Chantelle Cameron and Katie Taylor also enjoyed two memorable battles this year – so what big fights can we expect in 2024?
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury
After more than six years of waiting, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were finally ready to meet in the coming months. That was until Joseph Parker set those plans ablaze with a sensational win over Wilder in Saudi Arabia.
Now it looks like Joshua-Wilder will join the long list of mouth-watering fights that fans will never see. But Joshua's emphatic victory over Otto Wallin, as he returned to his best, has put AJ back in the hunt for the heavyweight titles.
He is now at the front of the queue to face the winner of February's undisputed showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian has already defeated AJ twice, stripping him of the heavyweight title.
But Fury-Joshua is another huge showdown that has eluded us for too long. The British rivals signed a two-fight deal in 2021, only for an referee to force Fury into a third fight with Wilder. There was also talk of a meeting in December 2022, but that never came to fruition either. Maybe, just maybe, 2024 will be the year they finally collide.
CHANCE OF HAPPENING – 7/10
Could British heavyweight rivals Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury finally collide in 2024?
Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson
Once close friends and sparring partners, any sense of brotherhood between Davis and Stevenson is now gone as the pair head towards a possible unification fight at lightweight next year.
Following his catchweight victory over Garcia in April, 'Tank' is still on the hunt for his next opponent as he looks to return to 135 pounds and defend his 'regular' WBA belt. Stevenson now has a place at the big table as a lightweight after capturing the vacant WBC title in a less-than-impressive win over Edwin De Los Santos last month.
All roads seemingly lead to the two putting their respective titles on the line in a mouth-watering clash of styles in 2024. Davis, one of the most devastating knockout artists the sport has to offer, takes on such a slick boxer as he is in former featherweight and super-featherweight chef Shakur is a truly intriguing matchup.
And there's a backstory that goes with it, too.
Former friends Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson could collide in a lightweight unification
Davis is the WBA 'regular' lightweight champion and one of the most explosive punchers around
Stevenson won the WBC title last month in a less-than-impressive win over Edwin De Los Santos
“He throws shots and then wants to be buddy-buddy,” Davis said earlier this year about his relationship with Stevenson. “I say all this on Twitter and then run into my dressing room and want to take a picture and all that stuff. He must insist on that.
'We're not cool anymore. That's why I'm in this mode. I have no friends in this.'
In more ways than one, Davis vs. Stevenson is one of the most compelling fights to take place in 2024. But whether both men are willing to take the plunge and put their impeccable records on the line in a true 50-50 remains to be seen.
CHANCE OF HAPPENING: 6/10
Devin Haney vs. Teofimo Lopez
After moving up to 140 pounds and dethroning WBC champion Prograis in dominant fashion, Haney will be looking to claim another big scalp in 2024 and cement his status as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
And a grudge match with Lopez, who took the WBO and Ring Magazine crowns in June by toppling Scotland's Josh Taylor, would give him the chance to do just that.
The two traded unpleasantries and threatened to harm each other for years as lightweights, and after being followed into the next division by his rival, Teofimo recently threw down the gauntlet to settle their feud at super lightweight.
“Let's make the fight happen so the world can see who's in it,” he wrote to Haney on X in July. “You're not going to be on the A-side. I also have the division king title! So don't run away!'
A super lightweight matchup between Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez makes sense for both of them
Lopez and Haney both find themselves back in the same division after previously discussing a potential 135-pound fight
Both men have victories over the great Vasiliy Lomachenko on their resumes, although Haney's proved far more controversial. Lopez, on the other hand, followed up his crowning moment by losing to George Kambosos Jr., Australian fighter Haney has traded with ease twice since.
Their potential grudge match therefore offers plenty of fascinating stories, and each fighter has shown they have no problem taking on the toughest challenges. Plus, at 140 pounds, there aren't many alternatives to them right now.
It's just hope…
CHANCE OF HAPPENING: 7/10
Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. 2
Crawford and Spence finally linked up over the summer after years of demand, but a matchup billed as the best boxing match since Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in 2015 turned out to be a surprisingly one-sided affair.
In a dominant performance, Crawford dismantled his old rival Spence to become the undisputed welterweight champion and the only fighter in history to claim all four belts in two different weight classes. It was a breathtaking performance from the Nebraska native, who dropped his nemesis three times before the stoppage came in round nine.
Spence, who held three of the four welterweight titles heading into this generational meeting, was a shadow of his former self as he limped around the ring and took punishment he had never been exposed to before in 28 fights.
Terence Crawford destroyed Errol Spence Jr to become the undisputed welterweight champion
The arch-rivals will rematch the game in 2024 after Spence activated his rematch clause
Four years after being involved in a near-fatal car crash, the 33-year-old was urged by some to retire with his faculties intact and avoid further damage in a rematch with Crawford.
Although according to the latter, Spence has already exercised his contractual right to a return fight. “We signed for a rematch and that's it,” Crawford said last month.
While an announcement has yet to be made, Crawford vs Spence 2 is expected to take place early next year. Can Errol get revenge?
CHANCE OF HAPPENING 9.5/10
Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez
Fresh off an emphatic victory over former middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade this month, the 168-pound monster Benavidez wasted no time in calling out Mexican rival Canelo.
“I think I've cemented myself as the dominant performer that I am,” he said during his post-fight interview. 'Just give me the fight everyone wants to see.
'Who wants to see David Benavidez versus Canelo?'
Canelo Alvarez can no longer avoid an all-Mexican confrontation with David Benavidez
Ask any die-hard boxing fan for a list of fights they hope will materialize next year, and Canelo vs. Benavidez will likely be one of the fights at the top.
For Canelo, a routine win over Britain's John Ryder and a more farcical victory in September's matchup with super welterweight king Jermell Charlo represents a disappointing year on his part.
An all-Mexican war with Benavidez, a natural super-middleweight and arguably the best in the division right now after taking 24 of his 28 straight wins from distance, is his only logical next move.
At 33 years old and without a truly convincing win in more than two years, it's a scary proposition for Canelo. But if he still has ambitions to reclaim the pound-for-pound throne, he can no longer avoid the Monster standing in his way.
CHANCE OF IT HAPPINESS – 9/10