We are a little over 24 hours away before the ball drops at Times Square in NYC, welcoming in 2025. As we approach one of the most celebrated holidays of the year, FightsATW looks at three potential mega fights that could occur in 2025. Are they more so fantasy matchups, or are we a lot closer to the ink hitting paper setting the stage for potential blockbusters?
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford
The fight every boxing fan is intrigued about, but only one of the competitors wants it to come to fruition, is unified super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) vs. WBA & Interim WBO junior middleweight champion Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs).
It’s a fight that Crawford has been calling for since capturing the undisputed titles at welterweight. The 37-year-old Crawford looks at that matchup as a legacy fight and wants to test himself against one of the best fighters of the 21st century. After having a close but unanimous decision victory over Israil Madrimov and capturing two titles, Crawford was even more confident that he could compete against Canelo and asked Turki Alalshikh to make it happen.
Although Crawford wants this fight, ignoring the fact that he would be moving up two weight classes, Canelo, on the other hand, isn’t too crazy about the matchup. The 34-year-old lineal super middleweight champion doesn’t see any benefit from fighting Crawford. Coming off a unanimous decision over Edgar Berlanga in September, Canelo made it clear after the fight that he is the boss, and things happen when he decides to make it happen which also goes for who he fights next. During the buildup of the Berlanga fight, Alalshikh reached out to Canelo to discuss a fight after Berlanga, but it was in a limited negotiation window. Canelo did not appreciate this, so he shut down any discussions about a deal with the Saudis.
But money talks and recently, the word circulating boxing is that talks have resumed between Canelo and Alalshikh. With Crawford recovering from “small injuries,” according to Alalshikh, and not being able to return until “May or later,” the buzz around the industry is that Canelo vs. Crawford could be inching closer to getting done. If it were to happen, the word going around Las Vegas is that Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, would be the venue for such a mega event. Crawford has shown to have elite abilities but moving up to super middleweight and fighting Canelo are tall tasks. This is why the fight is so intriguing, as Crawford would put up a better fight than Jermell Charlo, who moved up two weight classes to fight Canelo in September 2022 but lost via unanimous decision.
Jake Paul vs. Conor McGregor
In November, Jake Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) took a chance and decided to take on Mike Tyson (50-7, 44 KOs) in a sanctioned, eight-round fight in Dallas, TX, on Netflix. Although Tyson is 58 and long past his prime, there was a level of intrigue in the fight given Paul’s somewhat novice status, so Netflix decided to host the event. It was a spectacle; thousands of fans packed the AT&T arena to witness history. The fight itself didn’t deliver but the event crushed every major record for a combat sports event, which included 108 million viewers worldwide. Netflix was heavily criticized for the technical difficulties that night, but they would be much more prepared if another event rivaled those numbers. That event could happen in 2025, and that’s Paul vs. UFC legend Conor McGregor.
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Sources: Jake Paul vs Conor McGregor on the table for july, august or september 2025 in India. pic.twitter.com/8EnwQRpkd8
— Salvador Rodriguez (@ChavaESPN) December 23, 2024
Ironically, Paul-Tyson surpassed Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor’s 2017 battle, which generated over 4 million PPV buys, giving McGregor a nine-figure payday. Paul and McGregor have been going back and forth for years, which is no surprise as the two are some of the most polarizing figures on social media. If there is a fight that could rival the Paul Tyson numbers, it’s Paul McGregor. My guess is that Netflix would be first in line to host such an event, and both fighters would come out making a brink truck full of money.
The rumors circulating have had McGregor potentially facing Logan Paul in India while getting paid 250 million a piece. The recent rumblings are that it’s Jake who is in the running for the fight, and that would make the most sense given Logan’s commitment to the WWE. Paul vs. McGregor would not only break Netflix if it were to land on the streaming platform but also the internet. Those that would argue that would be blatantly hating on the event as anyone in their right mind could see that this is a certified blockbuster.
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua
Last but certainly not least, it’s the all-British showdown between former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) and former WBC & Lineal champion Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs). Although fans could care less here in the States, in the UK, this is still the biggest fight that can be made. Although years passed when it should have happened, both coming off losses and nearing the end of their careers seems to be the right time, if any, to make the fight ala Carl Froch vs. George Groves 2.
There is no need for a belt to be on the line for these two fighters to sell out a venue in the UK. The only question is, how much of an appetite is this fight? Is it still a Wembley Stadium type of fight or an O2 Arena one? According to the British media, it’s still a mega fight in the UK that fans desperately want to watch. After Fury’s loss to Usyk on December 21, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn quickly pivoted to advocating for that fight to happen next. Then he began to lay it on thick as to why the moment is now for that fight to happen. It makes sense, and if Alalshikh is on board with the matchup, the fight could happen after years of being unable to get over the political rivalry between Matchroom and Queensberry.
🗣️ “Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is the one”
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) December 22, 2024
Once the dust settles, still a blockbuster 2025 to be had 💥 #RiyadhSeason | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/sKcDY4Kbeq
The fight still feels like a Wembley Stadium event and one that could reach 90,000 in attendance if the fight is built up the right way. Something tells me that won’t be an issue, and if it does get made, the fight will be massive.
Final Thoughts
All three fights are mega events with a good chance of happening in 2025. Obviously, there are other fantastic fights, but these three all share the same key element, and that’s the attention of casual fans, which is what makes a big event a blockbuster. Boxing appears to be back on the upswing, and if we can get these fights next year, the trickle-down effect will be that we will get more of the other fights we all want to see.
One last honorable mention before signing off for 2024 is Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia 2, as that fight sells itself. Talk about a mega event; this one would creep up on the other three mentioned in this article. Let’s hope for a fun and wild 2025.
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