Tyson Fury and the heavyweight plan that can ignite boxing in 2026

The cash cow of British boxing is coming out of retirement, but the heavyweight division brings intrigue in 2026, with Moses Itauma a terror, Fabio Wardley ready to defend his title, and the return of Daniel Dubois

Tyson Fury wasted three days of January before making his return a fact and sending a message that the heavyweight cash cow is back.

A week or so ago, Oleksandr Usyk insisted that he wanted a fight with Deontay Wilder, and Wilder, in a moment of amnesia, insisted that the best was yet to come. Wilder will always be dangerous, but he has lost four of his last six fights in the last six years and is now 40. He has also knocked out 43 of the 44 men he has beaten. At the same time, thankfully, Anthony Joshua is being left to his grief and suffering; there should be absolute and universal silence about Joshua’s boxing life.

In less than three weeks, Moses Itauma, the potential terror of the heavyweights, fights the last great proper American journeyman, Jermaine Franklin, in Manchester on 24 January. Franklin went the full 12 rounds with Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He is the final link with the quality American heavyweights of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties. If Moses, who is only just 21, wins quickly – he needed 119 seconds to stop Whyte last summer – it will be a massive statement. It is, for sure, a lovely start to the year, and that is just one division.

Fury is now 37. He has kept his weight under control since his last fight, and his recently released sparring sessions seem fine; Fury will probably fight by May and hopefully land something meaningful by the end of October.

He is, as ever, a contradiction; his grand retirement after his fight with Usyk in December 2024 was real, and so is his return. It is unlikely to be smooth; Fury is an attraction without any need for a test in the opposite corner, and that is both good and bad – good for his bank account, but not so good for the sport if he fights a mismatch after such a long break.

There are plans for the current WBO heavyweight champion, Fabio Wardley, to defend his title at some point in perhaps April or May. There is bold talk that Daniel Dubois, who was stopped by Usyk last July in five rounds, will be in the opposite corner. That would be a great fight. All eyes are now on Fury’s progress and his realistic ambitions, and the short journey of Itauma.

Tyson Fury has not fought since December 2024 (PA Wire)

Ben Whittaker knows that the ring apprenticeship is over; the 28-year-old won Olympic silver in Tokyo in 2021, is unbeaten as a pro in 11, and has a full and willing dance card of British light-heavyweights. Whittaker against Callum Smith (unlikely), Anthony Yarde (possible), Joshua Buatsi (likely) and Craig Richards (sensible) would all be good. Between them, they have fought a total of 110 times, lost 11.

The seasoned quartet are not old, but they have been in tough fights, on hard nights. It annoys the other British light-heavyweights – and a lot of other boxers – that Whittaker seems to get special treatment. The flip side is that if he falls short, he will get a kicking. It’s pressure, and that is often, in boxing, a privilege.

Moses Itauma with promoter Frank Warren (Getty)

Hamzah Sheeraz has been nominated to fight for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title; the fight is likely to be one of the main attractions on a Riyadh Season card. The Fury return is also likely to be under the Saudi canopy; the Saudi boxing business is still leading the world.

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Conor Benn is looking for another big night, this time back down at welterweight. He has a long and ambitious shopping list, and it includes Belfast’s Lewis Crocker, the IBF champion. Crocker has also been heavily linked with British champion Conah Walker in what would be a great fight.

Hamzah Sheeraz fought to a draw against Carlos Adames in February’s fight for the WBC world middleweight title (Getty)

Benn is also being mentioned by some of the big Americans; Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney have both used his name. He could be another British boxer on his way to Riyadh.

There are two massive fights for British women and a potential summer finale for Katie Taylor. The Taylor fight will be her last.

Conor Benn wants to emulate his father, Nigel, by becoming a world champion (PA Wire)

Lauren Price against Las Vegas-based Mikaela Mayer would be an undisputed fight at welterweight. It has been talked about for over a year; it needs to be made. The most intriguing fight is at lightweight between Caroline Dubois, unbeaten in 13, and Turkey’s Elif Nur Turhan, who has stopped or knocked out eight of her dozen opponents. She is a rarity in the women’s game, a genuine banger. They both hold lightweight world titles.

There are a lot of dates already in the diary for the top British fighters. On Saturday in New York, Sheffield’s Dalton Smith challenges for the WBC super-lightweight title against Subriel Matias. In November, Matias failed a drug test, but the trace elements were tiny, and the WBC decided to give the fight its blessing.

Lauren Price could meet Mikaela Mayer in a big welterweight clash (PA Wire)

Nick Ball makes the fourth defence of his WBA featherweight title against Brandon Figueroa in Liverpool on 7 February; Jazza Dickens travels to Dublin in March to defend his WBA super-feather title against Anthony Cacace. Perhaps the pick of the fights in the early schedule is the long-overdue rematch between former world champions and bitter rivals, Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington, in Nottingham on 21 February.

It is an impressive triple to start any year. It will be a year of daring fights, the end of a dozen careers, and possibly the breakthrough of a dozen fighters destined to take us through the next five or six years. However, the British business has plenty of protected fighters in the care of the top promoters, and nobody wants to see their assets tested too hard, too soon. It should be a year of transition, and that should mean some outrageous fights will be made.