16 July 2025
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie

Sport

In the world of heavyweight boxing, the biggest news of recent weeks is the victory of Fabio Wardley. The Ipswich-born fighter claimed the WBA interim heavyweight crown after beating Justis Huni at Portman Road.

This was a big moment for the rising star, as he put himself in the running for the heavyweight title on home ground. Wardley had originally been due to fight Jarrell Miller, but that boxer pulled out of the contest with an injured shoulder.

What made this fight so important is that it set Wardley up for a battle with one of the big guns. The question now is: which of those big guns will it turn out to be?

This article will take a look at what comes next in heavyweight boxing.

Daniel Dubois to Fight Oleksandr Usyk

Two of the top heavyweight fighters in the world right now are Duboi and Usyk. Both of them currently hold major titles, with Dubois being the IBF champion and Usyk holding the WBC, WBO and WBA (Super) belts.

They are scheduled to fight in mid-July and it is the match that boxing fans are most excited about. This will be a return bout, with Usyk having won the first match back in the autumn of 2023.

British fighter Dubois is confident that things will be different this time around though – and is even boasting that he will drive his opponent to retirement. That is bold talk considering that many regard the Ukrainian as the best heavyweight in the sport.

Not many bookmakers fancy Dubois, as Usyk is the clear favorite at sports betting sites. He has odds of 3/10 for a win, compared with 13/5 for Dubois. That makes the Brit the underdog, but not a rank outsider. 

Beyond the capabilities of the fighters though, what makes this such an intriguing prospect is the wider impact it will have. Much about the future of the heavyweight division will be determined by who wins it.

Both Wardley and Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria are in contention to fight the winner for the WBA title, but we do not yet know which of them it will be. A lot rides on this fight.

Dillian Whyte Getting Back Into the Ring

Another fight that has been confirmed for this summer will involve the veteran heavyweight Dillian Whyte. The former British heavyweight champion will be taking on an up-and-comer in the shape of Moses Itauma.

This announcement came as a surprise to some observers, as they had expected him to fight Lawrence Okolie. The match we are getting will pit youth against experience instead.

Itauma is just 20 years of age, but he already has an impressive record in the ring. The southpaw has won all 12 of his competitive fights, with 10 of those wins being knock outs.

The bout with Whyte will mark his second fight of 2025, having beaten Mike Balogun in May. He will be a challenging opponent for Whyte, who is now 37 years old and who has had a number of injury setbacks.

Whyte has just three losses in his professional career, but two of them came in his last six fights. He has not fought since December of last year, due to injury, so could be ring rusty going into this.

That is certainly the view of some boxing pundits – with Dave Allen being one who is predicting an early knock-out. Itauma is viewed as a future heavyweight champion and this is a chance for him to lay down a marker. 

The sports bet sites back him too, with odds of 1/7 for the win.

Joshua Could Make His Comeback

There is a lot of speculation in the boxing world about when Anthony Joshua will fight again. He has been out of action for almost a year now – and was beaten by Dubois in his last fight.

Despite those setbacks, he remains a major box office draw. Joshua has been crowned heavyweight champion on two occasions, and there is still time for him to win it again.

For that to happen, he would have to shake off the niggling elbow injury that is keeping him out of the ring at the moment though. He would also need to fight some top class opponents.

Within the media, there are continued rumors that he might make his comeback against Tyson Fury. That is a fight that all boxing fans are eager to see happen, but the end of this year seems the earliest possible date that it could.

Joshua is expected to stay on the sidelines until at least December, as he recovers from surgery on that troublesome elbow.

What should be clear by now is that there is plenty of heavyweight action to look forward to this year.