2026 is finally here, so while you’re recovering from a weekend spent rocking under a disco ball (that’s what people still do, right?), here’s a plate of juicy #hottakes ready to go.
Boxing is often a meaningless sport at the best of times, so why not throw a few more curveballs into the universe…
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1. Terrence Crawford will fight again
Terrence Crawford decided to retire from boxing without any warning.
At 38 years old, Uncrown is unbeaten in 42 fights during a 17-year career and the undisputed 2025 Fighter of the Year exits the scene at the height of his powers. His victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to capture the undisputed super middleweight crown made the sport appear to be firmly in his grasp.
However, ‘The Bud’ has shown no interest in being swayed by the dizzying offers that inevitably come with a victory of this magnitude. If anything, those numbers will only go up now that he’s gone.
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This doesn’t necessarily mean that retirement is always the final word. But now, luring a solid defender for one final game may require a much higher number than it did just a few weeks ago — and few would begrudge Crawford reconsideration in this situation.
The real complication is finding the right opponent. A rematch with “Canelo” lacks appeal, and the middleweight landscape lacks a true superstar who could lure Crawford back to fight for a sixth-weight world title.
Unlike others who have retired from the sport, Crawford appears to have more to offer — and 2026 could be the year that becomes a reality.
2. Jake Paul will win the world title
If you haven’t quite caught on to what Jake Paul said after his sixth-round heavyweight loss to Anthony Joshua at the end of 2025, you might as well dig a little deeper.
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Paul was in survival mode against the former two-time unified heavyweight world champion for much of the night, but there were still enough flashes to show he wasn’t done with boxing just yet – just a lot done at heavyweight.
Lightweight also feels out of place, which leaves an odd, very on-brand option: bridgeweight.
It’s hard to imagine WBC president Mauricio Suleiman rubbing his hands at the thought of approving the charges if Paul decided to plant his flag in the department Suleiman helped build.
In fact, pairing is almost automatic. Put Paul next to someone like Krzysztof Wlodarczyk or Kevin Lerena (check notes), and suddenly the whole thing feels far less ridiculous than it should.
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It wouldn’t make Paul a world-class boxer overnight, but it would give his boxing experiment a clearer path, a winnable path, and a belt with enough legitimacy for the conversation to inevitably continue.
How long will Turki Alashh be committed to boxing investing?
(Chris Unger via Getty Images)
3. Turki Arasheh and the Saudis will start moving away from boxing
Will Saudi Arabia’s use of the Boxing Reservoir be shut down soon?
A recent New York Times investigation suggested that liquidity within Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is tightening, with new capital for new ventures no longer flowing as freely as before.
If so, Riyadh’s extravagant boxing season spending feels like a clear pressure point – collateral damage in a wider recalibration of priorities, rather than an untouchable pillar.
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To be honest, few in the sport would be holding on to their pearls if the Saudis decided to quit. Boxing has a long and proud tradition of burning through cash at an alarming rate, and once the novelty wears off, even those with the deepest pockets will eventually start asking whether it’s worth the squeeze.
The healthy development of the sport will be of great concern.
4. MayPac 2 will happen
Back in October, Manny Pacquiao said he was “pretty much on board” with the terms of a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. – and predictably, the boxing world finally lost its collective mind.
The two former heavyweight champions first faced off in 2015 in a match dubbed the “Fight of the Century,” and more than a decade later we may be getting a sequel that few are truly craving.
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Pacquiao reappears in 2025 against WBC champion Mario Barrios in his first professional fight since 2021, but he still hasn’t tasted victory since defeating Keith Thurman in 2019. As for Mayweather, his fondness for a fat paycheck almost goes without saying, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the two will share a ring again sometime next year.
After all, the sport has recently put Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Francis Ngannou and Ike Ibibuchi in the headlines in the same 14-month span – so at this point, why not add MayPac 2 to the ever-growing list of boxing’s surreal plot twists?
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao 2 in 2026? Of course, why not.
(John Gurzinski via Getty Images)
5. Will there be fighting on the moon?
Well, maybe not moonBut 2026 is expected to be the year boxing once again pushes its boundaries.
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We’ve seen boxing matches in New York City’s Times Square and heard rumors of 2025 Central Park and Alcatraz cards thanks to Alalshikh’s bold promotions – do we really think they’ll stop there?
If we had our way, why not fight in outer space? Or how about Muhammad Ali’s famous underwater photo taken in Miami in 1961?
Even better, my living room is in west London so I can truly embrace the life of an armchair addict.
