– What fight do you most want to see in 2025?
Chris Algieri: The fight that I want to see most is Naoya Inoue-Junto Nakatani. That fight is destined – it’s wild that I’m dreaming of a 122lbs fight between two Japanese fighters as my favourite fight for the year, but they’re both super talented. I’m curious to see how their styles will clash; what their strategies will be. Aside from that both of them, regardless of whether they fight each other or not, are must-see TV. So it’s a fantastic fight – it’s the fight I want the most. I know Shakur Stevenson and “Tank” Davis is a fight that’s been in the docket for some time, but it’s getting a little stale – I’ve moved on. I want Inoue-Nakatani.
Paulie Malignaggi: It’d probably be Davis and Stevenson, but I won’t hold my breath or I might turn blue. I’d like to see it, because it seems like Shakur Stevenson has a lot of trouble finding good opposition. He’s calling everyone out but hasn’t really been able to get anyone in the ring with him, who’s been able to test him. He seems to want these fights. He’s certainly got all the talent, and has the pedigree and passes the eye test as the complete package.
Davis also passes the eye test. He has a lot of power; has shown some very good skills when he’s needed them. But he’s been more in a position where he could get those big fights and seems to not do it. I found it very off-putting that he said he was looking to retire and wasn’t really interested in the sport – his resume is basically gimme wins. I actually liked the Frank Martin fight, but he’s probably not going to get the credit he deserves for winning it. Davis and Stevenson has to happen – and the lightweight division has to start happening as well.
– Who’s going to be the fighter of 2025?
Algieri: Naoya Inoue, because the guys that are ahead of him – Oleksandr Usyk; Terence Crawford – even though they’re in contention, are gradually going to move on. They’re both going to retire. They’re older. Inoue is 31; both Usyk and Crawford are over the age of 35. I don’t know how much longer we’re going to see them. Regardless, Inoue’s on their heels. A couple more big wins and he is the number one pound-for-pound.
Malignaggi: It depends on who’s able to get the fights. If Stevenson’s able to get the lightweights in the ring with him, he’s the fighter of 2025. I could see it being Inoue, because he’s been mowing down everybody so far. If he’s able to get Nakatani and he’s able to win against Nakatani – which is not a sure thing, but it would be a career-best win – that elevates him even more.
I could also see it being Dmitry Bivol. If Bivol beats Beterbiev once and then gets the third fight and beats him again, and then maybe gets another fight after that, it could be Bivol. But that’s a big if, because despite the fact I thought Bivol won the first fight, I don’t think it’s ever a sure thing fighting Beterbiev.
– Which prospect will make the most progress in 2025?
Algieri: That is Abdullah Mason. He’s already made a tremendous amount of progress. He’s head and shoulders above all of the other prospects, in terms of the competition and who he’s fought. Yes he got dropped twice in his last fight against Yohan Vasquez in November, but he showed a lot of mettle – he did not change the game plan. He was not deterred by his opponent being dangerous. He went right back to the game plan, got the guy out of there, and did it with a body shot. I’m very, very high on Mason – he can make some really big strides this year.
Malignaggi: I could go with Mason. But Darrell Valsaint, at ProBox TV, I really like. People know Mason. I don’t think enough people know about Valsaint yet. He can come into his own and really start showing himself at this level, as a prospect who moves into contender status in 2025.
– Who do you consider the year’s dark horse?
Algieri: Darrell Valsaint. Nobody really knows who this guy is. He’s a Haitian Olympian; he’s been fighting on ProBox TV. He’s moved down to 154lbs; he’s super athletic; he fights from both sides; he’s got power in both hands; he was on his way to a fantastic performance against Angel Ruiz Astorga, who’s a very, very tough fighter also, that got cut short because of a headbutt. But I think this kid is going to make big, big strides. Anyone who has him on their radar understands how good he really is.
Malignaggi: Bakhram Murtazaliev. He’s a sleeper. Dangerous, dangerous guy. Very dangerous guy. Nobody really talks about him. He snuck up on Tim Tszyu, and he’s still there – he’s not going anywhere. He could be a dangerous, dangerous guy at 154lbs – a division that has a lot of good fighters. There’s so many names that come to mind at 154lbs, and sometimes Murtazaliev gets forgotten about.
– Will we still be talking about Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder?
Algieri: All of them except for Wilder, yes. I think the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fight happens – not once but twice. Usyk, I think, is still going to have either another fight, or we are going to be talking about him because he’s retiring and that’s going to be a major move for him and the sport. I just do not see Wilder in any big fights where he’s actually competitive any longer.
Malignaggi: We may be talking about them, but it might not be so positive anymore. Usyk, being 37 years old, runs the risk of getting beat. Fury and Joshua possibly could fight each other, for the sake of the all-English fight. They’ll be talked about, but I see their stars starting to dim more. Some of their stars have already dimmed, but I see them starting to dim more.
– What do you want to see less of?
Algieri: Car giveaways during these long Riyadh Season cards. I don’t see the utility of having those there. I understand that that’s something cool that the fans get to experience and enjoy; I don’t need to watch it on TV; I don’t need to see someone walk up to a stage and get their car.
Malignaggi: Less of “Canelo” handpicking opponents, and more Canelo fighting deserving opponents.
– What improvements would you like to see?
Algieri: More five-on-five match-ups – they’ve been fantastic. You’re getting promoter versus promoter; putting their best against the best, which they generally don’t want to do. But because their egos are being tested, and they want to win – just like a fighter does – they are actually putting up their best fighters. Also, there’s money being paid to these guys, so it becomes worth it. I love the five-on-five format – it’s fantastic.
Also, getting back to a tournament style for some of these weight classes, so we can get towards unifications and more of the best fighting the best. We can’t have weight classes where we have three undefeated world champions like we do at 135lbs. We need tournaments to make these guys meet. We shouldn’t have everyone being undefeated – it doesn’t make sense. You should be able to fight each other. It’s really silly when you have multiple champions in one weight class and no one has lost. I also like the fact that the sport seems to be moving towards the idea that you can have a loss and still be a marquee fighter. Hopefully the sport continues in that way. Boxing should be based on merit. It should be based on performance; it should be based on who you beat; how you beat them; when you beat them. Not based on your marketability; not based on which promoter you’re with or which platform you’re fighting on. Maybe that’s a pipe dream, but that would be my dream for 2025.
Malignaggi: By giving ProBox TV more of a shine. ProBox TV is the only network that is consistently showing middle-level contender fights that breathe into the top level. Boxing’s always had a network like this, but now, except for ProBox TV, it doesn’t. We’ve always been attached to the Friday Night Fight series; the ShowBox series. It was a very central part of boxing in order to keep feeding into the upper echelons. The upper echelon cannot just be the guys who were signed as superstars out of the amateurs. You also have to allow the middle-range contenders to grow into that contender status. The only way you have that is with a middle-contender series. ProBox TV needs to get more shine in 2025, because otherwise you’re just going to be feeding this phenomenon of names, and not always the most deserving guys. Guys like myself; Chris Algieri; Tim Bradley, we come from that level and we became world champions. It’s a feeder that gives you a level of unexpectedness in boxing that boxing always thrives off. I’m not just saying it because I work there. I really, really rate the fights they put on.