Vasiliy Lomachenko recently announced his retirement from boxing on June 5, concluding a career that saw him capture titles in three weight classes. This raises a key question: can he definitively be called the greatest lightweight fighter of his generation?
Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, the sport`s only eight-division champion, is set to return after nearly four years away. At 46, he is scheduled to challenge WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, 30, on July 19 in Las Vegas. His goal is to become the oldest former champion to win a title in the 147-pound division. Is this remarkable feat achievable?
Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who also announced retirement, continues to face calls for a comeback to finally clash with fellow two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. This all-British showdown has eluded boxing fans for many years. Will this long-awaited fight finally happen?
Another significant proposed title bout recently fell through when WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez`s team stated he would not face Devin Haney for the WBO belt at this time, citing `personal reasons.` Both Lopez and Haney are widely considered to be in their prime. Despite the recent setback, will this potential superfight eventually take place?
Jake Paul is stepping back into the ring on June 28 to face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. While the 39-year-old Chavez Jr. hasn`t won a title fight since defeating Andy Lee in 2012, he is a former middleweight champion with 61 professional bouts under his belt. Can the 28-year-old Paul overcome Chavez Jr. as he pursues his ambition of becoming a world champion?
Looking ahead to this Saturday, former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr., 31, aims to become a world champion in a second division. He is scheduled to face Richardson Hitchins, 27, for the IBF junior welterweight title. Can Kambosos defeat the younger, reigning champion?
Experts Andreas Hale and Nick Parkinson weigh in on these intriguing questions, offering their perspectives on what is likely to happen and what remains speculative in the world of boxing.
Real or not: Vasiliy Lomachenko is the best lightweight of his generation
Not real. While there`s no disputing Lomachenko`s status as one of the most technically gifted fighters of his era across all weight classes, immense skill doesn`t automatically equate to being the `best.` It`s easy to highlight his phenomenal achievements at featherweight and junior lightweight and assume they translate perfectly to his lightweight career. However, examining his lightweight record reveals a different picture.
His record at lightweight stands at an impressive 8-2. Nevertheless, both of those losses came in his most significant lightweight contests: against Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney. The defeat to Haney was controversial, but the loss to Lopez was more decisive. Had Lopez not subsequently lost to Kambosos in 2021, he might have a strong claim to being the best lightweight of his generation. In my view, however, that distinction belongs to Devin Haney. Haney boasted an undefeated 30-0 record at lightweight, securing victories over both Lomachenko and Kambosos (twice). Despite what transpired in Haney`s fight against Ryan Garcia in April 2024, it`s crucial to remember Garcia failed to make weight and tested positive for a prohibited substance before that bout, which also took place at junior welterweight, not lightweight.
Some fans might argue for Gervonta Davis, but `Tank`s` standing was somewhat diminished by his majority draw with Lamont Roach in March, and crucially, he has not yet faced Lomachenko, Haney, or Lopez. Current WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson shows tremendous potential and might eventually dominate the division, but he is still relatively early in his lightweight journey with only three fights at that weight class. — Hale
Real or not: Jake Paul will KO Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Real. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is widely not expected to be in the necessary physical condition to pose a significant threat to Jake Paul in their cruiserweight contest. Paul is highly favored to secure a victory inside the scheduled distance.
Chavez Jr. has been largely inactive in recent years, having fought only once since December 2021. Paul`s characteristic high work rate and pace are likely to overwhelm him. It is anticipated that Chavez Jr. will fade after the initial few rounds, potentially setting up the social media sensation for a highlight-reel knockout finish.
On paper, Chavez Jr. represents a reputable opponent. He is a former middleweight world champion who has faced notable fighters like Sergio Martinez, Canelo Alvarez, and Daniel Jacobs, among others, albeit in losing efforts. Over the past five years, Chavez Jr. has made just five appearances, generally at a lower level, including a loss to former UFC champion Anderson Silva in 2021.
Paul is coming off a unanimous decision victory in November against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who was 58 years old at the time. A win over Chavez Jr. would add another former champion, albeit past his prime, to Paul`s evolving boxing record. — Parkinson
Real or not: Tyson Fury will return from retirement to finally face Anthony Joshua this year
Real — but a return this year might be unlikely. If a fight between Fury and Joshua is destined to happen, 2026 appears to be a more probable timeframe. This is due to Joshua currently recovering from elbow surgery and Fury`s repeated assertions that he remains content in retirement. Given that Fury is coming off consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, and Joshua suffered a humbling fifth-round knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September, it would not be surprising to see both fighters take interim bouts before finally stepping into the ring together in 2026.
Since 2013, Fury has frequently alternated between being actively competing and being retired. The self-styled `Gypsy King` declared in January that he was stepping away from the sport following his second straight decision loss to unified heavyweight champion Usyk, and he has so far stuck to this position. In an Instagram video posted in May, Fury questioned the motivation for a return: “I hear a lot of talk of the `Gypsy King` returning to boxing, and I ask this question: For what? What would I return for? More belts? I`ve won 22 of them,” he stated.
However, a significant portion of the media and boxing community believe Fury is merely teasing the possibility of a return.
Since his December loss to Usyk, Fury has maintained his physique and appears to be in fighting shape, which certainly makes a comeback in the near future a possibility.
As for Joshua, who, like Fury, is a two-time world heavyweight champion, he isn`t expected to box again until October. Nevertheless, alongside Fury, he remains the biggest draw in British boxing. Deontay Wilder, another former champion who has also faced recent losses, is being linked with Joshua, and they could potentially meet late this year, paving the way for the Fury vs. Joshua super-fight in 2026. With Joshua turning 36 in October and Fury 37 in August, time is not on their side, which increases the likelihood of them finally sharing a ring within the next 12 months.
While perhaps not possessing the same championship stakes as it would have a few years ago when both held titles, this all-English showdown would still represent one of the most significant boxing events possible. — Parkinson
Real or not: Manny Pacquiao will defeat Mario Barrios
Not real. Manny Pacquiao`s extraordinary career is certainly worthy of a future film adaptation, but it`s difficult to envision his welterweight title challenge against Mario Barrios on July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas culminating in a classic Hollywood happy ending.
With a professional boxing career spanning 30 years, `Pac Man` has accumulated too many miles on his body. He has lost a considerable amount of his explosive athleticism and quickness, qualities essential to his success, making it unlikely he can overcome Barrios.
Pacquiao`s signature fighting style relies heavily on constant movement, blistering speed, and intricate footwork – all attributes that have been in decline for the Filipino legend, particularly after nearly four years out of action. Compelling evidence of Pacquiao`s physical erosion was visible in his last fight in 2021, where Yordenis Ugas clearly outpointed him with scores of 116-112, 116-112, and 115-113.
Watching Pacquiao today feels like observing a slowed-down version of his peak self.
Pacquiao is attempting to surpass his own record as the oldest fighter to win a world title at 147 pounds (a record he set at 40 years, 215 days), but he will likely find it challenging to keep pace with the high volume of punches that Barrios typically throws. While Barrios may not be considered an elite champion, and Pacquiao has defeated a long list of boxing greats in his time, Barrios still possesses more than enough in his arsenal to defeat a faded former champion.
Having won titles ranging from flyweight (112 pounds) to junior middleweight (154 pounds) since beginning his professional journey in January 1995, Manny Pacquiao`s absolute best years are clearly more than a decade behind him. — Parkinson
Real or not: Teofimo Lopez vs. Devin Haney will eventually happen
Real. Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney have been on a collision course for several years, and it appeared their highly anticipated fight was finally going to materialize in August. Depending on one`s perspective, the obstacle for Lopez in taking the fight was related to either weight, financial terms, or a combination of both. There is no indication that Lopez genuinely fears facing Haney in the ring. A more significant factor is likely the dynamic between Lopez and Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and owner of Ring Magazine, who would be a key promoter for such a bout. Lopez had previously made some `inappropriate comments` about Alalshikh on social media, for which he later issued an apology.
Regardless of the current situation, it is highly improbable that this will be the last time Haney and Lopez are linked for a fight. The potential matchup is simply too compelling and significant for the sport not to eventually happen at some point in the future. — Hale
Real or not: George Kambosos Jr. will become a two-division champion on Saturday
Not real. Gauging George Kambosos Jr.`s actual standing in the sport can be a somewhat complex task. The Australian began his professional career with an impressive 20-0 record. His most notable victory during this streak was a stunning decision win in 2021 over Teofimo Lopez. Following that fight, Lopez was diagnosed with a medical condition (“pneumomediastinum”). Since that high point, Kambosos has gone 2-3, with all three losses being one-sided defeats handed down by Devin Haney (twice) and Vasiliy Lomachenko. His two wins in this recent stretch came via a majority decision over Maxi Hughes and a unanimous decision against the relatively unheralded and inexperienced Australian fighter Jake Wyllie.
It is important to consider this context. Before his upset win against Lopez, Kambosos` most significant victories were controversial split decisions against Mickey Bey and Lee Selby. When factoring in these results alongside the considerable punishment he has absorbed in his more recent bouts, it creates the strong impression that the Australian fighter may have already reached or even slightly exceeded his true potential throughout his career. It feels likely that we have already witnessed the best version of George Kambosos Jr.
Richardson Hitchins, his upcoming opponent this Saturday, can arguably be considered more skilled than any fighter Kambosos has defeated, with the exception of Teofimo Lopez (taking into account Lopez`s post-fight medical condition). The fight dynamic could mirror the Haney fights, where Hitchins might effectively utilize his six-inch reach advantage to maintain distance with his jab, frustrating Kambosos in the early rounds, before progressively pulling away in the later stages with more impactful combination punching. The challenge facing Kambosos appears to be significantly uphill, and Hitchins possesses the physical attributes and boxing acumen required to successfully defend his title. — Hale