The loss by Canelo Alvarez in September was historic both in the fall of boxing’s king, but it has freed the super-middleweight division to flex its depth.

By retiring in December after defeating Alvarez by decision, Terence Crawford left the belts of the four major sanctioning bodies to a talented group of challengers who are making moves to become champions.

The first bout is expected to take a big step toward reality with unbeatens Hamzah Sheeraz and Diego Pacheco to participate in a WBO purse bid process.

Sheeraz, coming off a knockout win over recent title challenger Edgar Berlanga, will meet California’s Pacheco, who fought three times in 2025 with mixed results – getting knocked down in his most recent showing.

On Wednesday’s episode of ProBox TV’s “BoxingScene Today,” analysts Chris Algieri, Paulie Malignaggi and Robert Garcia expressed their excitement over what’s coming in the 168lbs division, which include a WBC title rematch between Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez, a WBA title defense by Jose Armando Resendiz versus former challenger Jaime Munguia and an IBF title shot for Cuba’s Osleys Iglesias.

“Those matchups we’re going to get are fantastic matchups in a terrific division,” Algieri said.

Malignaggi, who long criticized Alvarez for stalling progress in the division, said, “This is what he was preventing. He was becoming a cancer to this weight class.”’

Pacheco’s sluggish 2025 as he moves to a Sheeraz bout means he “needs to take this seriously,” returning trainer of the year Garcia said. “Styles make fights. It could be a perfect fight for him, but Pacheco needs to step up and make more adjustments with his trainer. He needs to take it seriously. This is a title fight.”

Algieri said the fact there’s so much on the line for these young fighters is enlivening.

“They’re in their primes, passionate, vigorous … that’s really good for the health of the sport: Young guys taking risks and being vicious about it,” Algieri said.

That certainly applies to unbeatens Mbilli and Martinez, who staged a fight-of-the-year candidate symbolically on the Alvarez ousting card.

While Martinez had success boxing in the final two rounds, Algieri expects Mbilli to turn a rematch into “another slugfest. This [also] could be fight of the year.”

Unlike the 10-round affair in September, a title fight for Mbilli and Martinez would be a 12-round bout.

As for Cuba’s Iglesias, he’s awaiting an opponent for the IBF belt and it could be a slow process to find one.

“As a 6-feet-2 southpaw with power, that’s a nightmare,” Algieri said.

Alvarez, meanwhile, is due to return from surgery in the second half of the year.

“He does fit because of his popularity. He’ll be in tough fights. It won’t be easy,” Algieri said. “Maybe the Resendiz-Munguia winner would be best for him. Everything else is too dangerous.”