Boxing in 2025 has been a year of established greats burnishing their legacies with signature performances.
Oleksandr Usyk became a three-time, two weight undisputed champion when he demolished British heavyweight Daniel Dubois at Wembley. Dmitry Bivol earned a revenge victory over Artur Beterbiev to take all the gold at light heavyweight and a trilogy showdown is on the wish list of most boxing fans heading into 2026. Katie Taylor met Amanda Serrano for a third time and put the perfect punctuation mark on the greatest rivalry in women's boxing history with a punch-perfect display.
But there have also been some memorable exploits from rising stars, while other youngster have offered tantalizing promise of signature nights to come.
This list of 25 Under 25 in boxing is a mixture of champions, top contenders and rising stars. The respective rating of each fighter can be based on current achievements but also future potential and career ceiling are taken into account.
AllSportsPeople looks at the best of boxing’s 25 under 25 in 2025.
*Fighter must be under 25 as of December 1, 2025.
MORE: SN's Top 12 best pound-for-pound boxers
25. Leo Atang
Matchroom Boxing/Mark Robinson
- Age: 18
- Current weight class: Heavyweight
- Record: 2-0 (2 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: September 2025 vs. Cristian Uwaka (TKO 1)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
"The Next Anthony Joshua" is probably not a helpful label to apply to a young British heavyweight. The fact that promoter Eddie Howe has been willing to do this with Leo Atang speaks volumes of the teenager's promise.
Atang put the pro game on notice when he won the gold medal at the U19 World Championships in November 2024, stopping South Korea's Leo Geon Hui in the first round.
That has continued in the pros, with Atang marching through his first two opponents with a pair of surgical performances in the opening sessions. There are far bigger tests to come, but Atang is a baby for a heavyweight. His potential appears boundless.
MORE: How Leo Atang's lockdown boxing obsession led to 'New Anthony Joshua' tag
24. Mohammed Alakel
- Age: 21
- Current weight class: Super featherweight
- Record: 7-0 (1 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: September 2025 vs. Travis Crawford (UD 10)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Since Saudi Arabia's entrance into big-time boxing, Mohammed Alakel has been a fixture on Riyadh Season cards.
The rangy super featherweight is clearly a work in progress at this moment in time, but he will get plenty more chances to impress as the anointed face of Saudi boxing.
Working under the watchful eye of veteran British trainer Joe Gallagher, the next challenge for Alakel is to sit down on his punches more and force wins inside the distance.
23. Reito Tsutsumi
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Super featherweight
- Record: 3-0 (2 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: September 2025 vs. Javier Martinez (TKO 1)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
An ambassador for The Ring, Reito Tsutsumi is considered a true Japanese prodigy. The 2021 Youth World Championships gold medalist has quickly made a name for himself by winning two of his three fights in 2025 via knockout.
While he still needs to be tested, Tsutsumi's hard-hitting style has made him dangerous early on. Now competing on cards with the likes of Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, Tsutsumi looks to follow in their footsteps. That’s a dangerous thing for anyone in his way.
22. Jhon Orobio
- Age: 22
- Current weight class: Super lightweight
- Record: 16-0 (14 KOs)
- Titles held: WBC Continental Americas super light
- Signature performance: June 2025 vs. Zslot Oradan (KO 1)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Montreal-based Colombian Jhon Orobio continues to climb the rankings with four successful outings in 2025. The past three of those have been via knockout, meaning Orobio is living up to the heavy-handed reputation forged by many of his countrymen.
El Tigre's one-round demolition of Zslot Oradan in the summer was his most accomplished to date, setting up the win behind the jab, dropping and then stopping an overmatched foe.
Canada likes its adopted boxing heroes, and it might just have found another in Orobio.
MORE: Top 12 men's U.S. Pound-for-pound fighters in boxing
21. Curmel Moton
- Age: 19
- Current weight class: Lightweight
- Record: 8-0 (6 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: March 2024 vs. Anthony Cuba (UD 8)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
In a perfect world, the highly-toured protege of Floyd Mayweather would be at the top of the list. However, Curmel Moton is still growing as a fighter. From what we've seen, he’s somebody to keep an eye on.
Moton won 18 amateur titles, losing his first amateur fight before putting together more than 130 wins. At the pro level, Motol went 4-0 in 2024 and 2-0 in 2025. The lack of activity is concerning, but when Moton does get on cards, he delivers.
Sparring with the likes of Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Robeisy Ramirez when he turned 16, Moton has had years of experience to learn from. Patience may be key here as Moton attempts to break out in 2026.
20. George Liddard
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Middleweight
- Record: 13-0 (8 KOs)
- Titles held: British middleweight
- Signature performance: October 2025 vs. Kieron Conway (TKO 10)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Crowned British champion within three years of turning professional, George Liddard did the job in style against the tough Kieron Conway at York Hall.
The Essex man boxed with intelligence and intensity, hurting Conway to head and body. After coming through a rally from his opponent in the middle rounds, Liddard closed the show in style, dropping Conway in the ninth and forcing his corner to throw the towel during the next session.
Liddard has plenty of time on his side, but will now plot his path towards continental and global honours in a wide-open middleweight division.
MORE: Guide to boxing scoring, from judges to point system
19. Bakary Samake
- Age: 22
- Current weight class: Super welterweight
- Record: 19-0 (11 KOs)
- Titles held: WBC silver super welterweight
- Signature performance: October 2025 vs. Alejandro Ortiz (KO 5)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Bakary Samake is making waves in his home country of France, where he has packed out arenas as a solid ticket seller.
His most recent win, a five-round beatdown of the previously undefeated Alejandro Ortiz, showed why French boxing fans are getting so excited.
Samake carries power in both hands, and it was a short lead left hook that set in motion the brutal finish. Ranked No. 1 by the WBC and No. 8 by the IBF, tougher tests are the order of the day in 2026, when an all-French showdown with Milan Prat would also be huge.
18. Elijah Garcia
- Age: 22
- Current weight class: Middleweight
- Record: 17-1 (13 KOs)
- Titles held: Former WBC Latino middleweight
- Signature performance: March 2024 vs. Amilcar Vidal Jr. (KO 4)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Elijah Garcia went down a few spots this year, as the exciting southpaw lost against Kyrone Davis via split decision in June. Coming in overweight did not help him or his supporters. However, he did recover with his lone fight of 2025, a win against Terrell Gausha.
Garcia still needs to tighten up his offense and be consistent in and out of the ring. The former amateur standout switched trainers, which could help him in 2026. At 22, his future still looks bright. A more active 2026 will be necessary to prove he should advance, not move backward, on this list.
17. Joel Iriarte
- Age: 22
- Current weight class: Welterweight
- Record: 9-0 (8 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: October 2023 vs. Daniel Valladares (TKO 5)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Being heavily featured on the Jake Paul-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Card, Joel Iriarte is ready to break out in 2026.
A 17-time National Champion at the amateur level, Iriarte has trained with Diego Pacheco and looks to copy the blueprint that has brought Pacheco success. It appears to be working, as Iriatre went 4-0 in 2025, beating opponents with significantly more experience than him.
Iriarte hopes the competition heats up in 2026 and could very well contend for gold soon, either by the end of the year or close to it.
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16. Callum Walsh
(360 Promotions)
- Age: 24
- Current weight class: Super welterweight
- Record: 15-0 (11 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: March 2025 vs. Dean Sutherland (KO 1)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
A pet project of Dana White, Callum Walsh has proven to be more than that. The confident Irishman is trained by Freddie Roach and promoted by Tom Loeffler. He’s getting better with each fight and finally broke out from prospect status.
A six-time Irish champion and a European gold medalist as an amateur, he’s the first boxer to sign onto the TKO Boxing brand. While his win against fellow rising star Fernando Vargas wasn't favored by boxing fans, it was a fight Walsh needed to grow.
Walsh quietly enhanced his resume over the years with solid knockout wins. Now under the TKO banner, his presence will be loud within boxing to a point where everyone will have to take notice.
15. Emiliano Vargas
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
- Age: 21
- Current weight class: Super lightweight
- Record: 16-0 (13 KOs)
- Titles held: WBO Latino super light, NABF junior super lightweight
- Signature performance: July 2025 vs. Alexander Espinoza (KO 1)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
The son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, Emiliano has explosive power and is extremely talented, just like his father. Top Rank kept him busy in 2025, fighting thrice after competing four times in 2024.
With over 100 amateur fights under his belt, Vargas was already seasoned before taking home NABF gold. It’s the first step to a potential path to gold for the man with switch-hitting power and an aggressive style. It appears we haven’t even seen the best “El General” has to offer, but that may change as the calendar flips to the new year.
14. Jack Turner
Queensberry/Leigh Dawney
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Super flyweight
- Record: 12-0 (11 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: March 2025 vs. Ryan Farrag (TKO 2)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
It's rare to see a fighter in the smaller weight classes possess the sort of fight-altering power Jack Turner has in both fist.
'El Terrier' was supposed to be extended by the experienced Ryan Farrag and duly demolished the former Commonwealth and European champion.
Argentina's Nicolas Muguruza put up more resistance next time out, bloodying and hurting Turner. But when the Liverpudlian found his range, the visitor could not handle the power. It's going to be interesting finding out who, if anyone, can.
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13. Jadier Herrera
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Lightweight
- Record: 17-0 (15 KOs)
- Titles held: WBA intercontinental lightweight
- Signature performance: June 2024 vs. Andres Navarrete (TKO 1)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
If you were going to build a fantasy fighter who most matchmakers would run a mile from, a skillful Cuban southpaw who can bang would just about do it.
Jadier Herrera is unlikely to get many favors handed to him, but, based in Liverpool and fighting under Frank Warren's Queensberry banner, opportunities will present themselves in due course. He does need to be busier than the solitary outing he managed in 2025, a stoppage win over Mexico's Jose Macias.
Ranked No. 3 by the WBC, No. 8 by the WBO and No. 11 by the IBF, Herrera has the platform to make up for this loss of momentum in 2026. A fight against Ricardo Nunes for the WBC interim belt at 135 is due next.
12. Amari Jones
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Middleweight
- Record: 14-0 (12 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: April 2024 vs. Armel Mbumba Yassa (TKO 6)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Ranked 22nd last year, Amari Jones has quickly climbed up the ladder in boxing and on this list.
The hard-hitting Jones learned from the best at Top Rank before signing with Golden Boy. Working with the likes of Devin Haney has done wonders for his career. Jones combines his athleticism, power, and confidence all into one to form an early master of the Sweet Science.
Jones continues to grow, earning massive step-ups in competition over the last year-plus. Now ranked within the middleweight division, the Oakland-born fighter could be fighting for gold before we know it.
11. Kyosuke Takami
時事
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Super flyweight
- Record: 10-0 (8 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning WBA super flyweight
- Signature performance: July vs. Erick Rosa (TKO 10)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Another little man with dynamite in his fists, Kyosuke Takami became WBA super flyweight champion with a superb 10th-round stoppage of Erick Rosa.
It was a classic breakout performance against another young and undefeated star. Takami turned a supposed pick 'em fight into a one-sided affair.
He could end 2025 as a unified champion as he takes on veteran champion Rene Santiago. It would cap a phenomenal year that began with Takami stopping Toshiki Kawamitsu to become the Japanese champion in April.
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10. Ernesto Mercado
- Age: 24
- Current weight class: Super lightweight
- Record: 18-0 (17 KOs)
- Titles held: WBO international super light
- Signature performance: January. 2025 vs. Jose Pedraza (TKO 4)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Ernesto Mercado has a bit of everything. “Tito” can punch, turn a weakness into an advantage and is lethal on the counter. While he initially impressed thanks to a knockout win in 2023 against Jeremia Nakathila, it's a round-four knockout of former world champion Jose Pedraza that has people buzzing about him.
The Pomona native not only has skills, but also the confidence to back it up. He appears made for the spotlight and hopes to grace our screens for years to come. Give him an opportunity (specifically, more fights), and he should take advantage. After 11-and-a-half months on the sidelines, he was at his destructive best against Antonio Moran
9. Adam Azim
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Super lightweight
- Record: 13-0 (10 KOs)
- Titles held: WBO intercontinental super lightweight, former European super lightweight
- Signature performance: October 2024 vs. Ohara Davies (KO 8)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Few fighters in the world have the combination of speed and power that Adam Azim is able to call upon. Over the past 18 months, the Englishman has put the 140-pound division on notice.
Azim diced with danger as he twice lost points for hitting Sergey Lipinets low before sealing a ninth-round stoppage of the former world title challenger.
Unfortunately for the brave but overmatched American Kurt Scoby, Azim was painfully punch-perfect as he battered his foe on the Chris Eubank Jr. Vs. Conor Benn 2 undercard, stopping him in the last.
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8. Floyd Schofield
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Lightweight
- Record: 19-0 (13 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: June 2025 vs. Tevin Farmer (KO 1)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Speed kills in boxing. Floyd Schofield has that, along with power and ambition. He has quickly proven he should be talked about as a lightweight elite.
Initially looking to join the U.S. Olympic team, Schofield skipped an attempt at amateur for professional glory. Slowly building his resume, he finally broke out thanks to a first-round knockout win against Tevin Farmer in June. That win brought Schofield closer to a shot at gold.
The goal for Schofield is to face fellow lightweight star Abdullah Mason down the road. He may get his wish if he can take down former world champion Joseph Diaz Jr. At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, that fight with Mason happens. When booked, expect fireworks.
7. Diego Pacheco
Melina Pizano/Matchroom
- Age: 24
- Current weight class: Super middleweight
- Record: 25-0 (18 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: Aug. 2024 vs. Maciej Sulecki (KO 6)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
What’s better than a tall super middleweight who loves to fight? That’s exactly what you’re getting with Diego Pacheco, who has made his name known within several high-profile Matchroom Boxing cards.
An eight-time National Champion, Pacheco had his knockout streak snapped against Shawn McCalman in 2024. That didn’t deter him, as that only helped Pacheco grow. He won three fights in a calendar year against the likes of former title contender Maciej Sulecki and Trevor McCumby.
Recently splitting from longtime trainer Jose Benavidez Sr., Pacheco may be one win away from a title shot. He came through a crisis last time out, decked for the first time in his career by the undefeated Kevin Lele Sadjo before recovering to a clear decision win.
MORE: SN's Top 12 best heavyweight boxers
6. Jesus Ramos
- Age: 24
- Current weight class: Middleweight
- Record: 24-1 (19 KOs)
- Titles held: WBC interim middleweight
- Signature performance: Dec. 2025 vs. Shane Mosley Jr. (UD 12)
Expectations and why are they on the 2025 list?
Back at the championship distance for the first time since his disputed 2023 loss to Erickson Lubin, Jesus Ramos excelled up at middleweight against Shane Mosley Jr, winning a unanimous verdict to position himself as the WBC interim champion.
Ramos pleasingly showed that his power has traveled up from 11 stone as he rocked Mosley on several occasions. His chin also stood up to scrutiny on the Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach undercard.
The opportunities that weren't there for Ramos at super welterweight will hopefully come to pass at 160 pounds.
5. Caroline Dubois
- Age: 24
- Current weight class: Lightweight
- Record: 11-0-1 (5 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning WBC lightweight
- Signature performance: Sept. 2023 vs. Magali Rodriguez (UD 10)
Expectations and why she is on the 2025 list
It's been a frustrating year in some respects for the lavishly gifted Caroline Dubois. In her first outing as WBC champion, the Londoner decked Jessica Camara and was ready to close out a statement victory. Then an accidental clash of heads saw the bout waved off as a technical draw.
Dubois went right back into action two months later and opened up a handy lead against Bo Mi Re Shin before the all-action Korean battled back into the contest. 'Sweet Caroline' came through the gut check with a majority decision win.
A period of inactivity followed but, after signing with MVP, expect Dubois' upward trajectory to resume at pace.
4. Moses Itauma
- Age: 20
- Current weight class: Heavyweight
- Record: 13-0 (11 KOs)
- Titles held: N/A
- Signature performance: August 2025 vs. Dillian Whyte
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
While attempts to become the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history have failed, that’s not a slight at Moses Itauma’s potential in the division. In fact, his potential is limitless.
The Englishman has become a true favorite of boxing’s biggest player, Turki Alalshikh. The partnership has led him to conversations of potential championship glory. It's hard to deny him that when nine straight fights have ended via knockout.
It wasn't known what to expect when he faced Dillian Whyte, but Itauma mowed him down with ease. His southpaw skills and speed are something to marvel at, and he could very well fight for gold by the middle of 2026. Actually holding onto it is something else entirely, but it’s not an unrealistic goal at this point in his young career.
3. Xander Zayas
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Super Welterweight
- Record: 22-0 (13 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning WBO super welterweight title
- Signature performance: July 2025 vs. Jorge Garcia Perez (UD 12)
Expectations and why he is on the 2025 list
Promoting Xander Zayas as boxing’s next big thing has paid off for Top Rank after signing him when he was 16. The Puerto Rican prodigy has gone from impressing on undercards to main evening shows, and he has brushed the pressure off with ease.
The sharpshooting 23-year-old, with 13 wins via knockout, does not waste any of his punches, landing them effortlessly against the opposition. His career reached its early apex when he beat Jorge Garcia Perez to win the WBO super welterweight title.
Zayas wants to unify the division, and doing so before his 25th birthday, especially in the usual dominant fashion we’ve seen against his previous opponents, would make him a made man in boxing.
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2. Abdullah Mason
- Age: 21
- Current weight class: Lightweight
- Record: 19-0 (17 KOs)
- Titles held: WBO lightweight, Former NABF lightweight
- Signature performance: June 2025 vs. Jeremia Nakathila (RTD 5)
Expectations and why are they on the 2025 list?
Establishing himself as one of the top U.S. Amateurs in the world, Abdullah Mason has a fantastic boxing IQ. His understanding of the sweet science has given him the look of a superstar.
Mason punches extremely hard and has an offense that immediately pushes fighters back. A dominant win over former contender Jeremia Nakathila set up fight with Englishman Sam Noakes for the vacant WBO lightweight title.
Noakes and Mason produced an instant classic of back-and-forth action. The young American had to wade through the fire to claim a narrow but deserved unanimous decision win, proving he has the cajones to go with his ample class.
1. Gabriela Fundora
(Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
- Age: 23
- Current weight class: Super Flyweight
- Record: 17-0 (9 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO/Ring super flyweight
- Signature performance: November 2024 vs. Gabriela Celeste Alaniz (KO 7)
Expectations and why she is on the 2025 list
It’s been a long time since a touted female fighter has created such an impact in the sport as Gabriela Fundora has.
Nicknamed “Sweet Poison,” the sharpshooting younger sister of WBO and WBC super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora became the youngest undisputed champion in boxing history in 2024 against Gabriela Alaniz. Since then, she has dominated those in her path to greatness by winning two straight via knockout.
The southpaw with nine wins via knockout, named AllSportsPeople' 2024 Women's Fighter of the Year, is well on her way to the top of the women’s pound-for-pound rankings. The sky is the limit for the 23-year-old.
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