Spike O'Sullivan: Five things I hope to see in boxing world in 2026

people have no idea what it’s like to see AJ on fight night ready to roll; Katie Taylor seems very content living a quiet life Stateside

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026 - 06:12

Gary Spike O’Sullivan

Fury and Joshua finally get going

You can wait a lifetime for something that never comes. And then, it lands in your lap. Is that how we’ll feel about Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury? I still don’t know.

I feel like the boxing gods may haven decided that this one just isn’t going to happen. How do we even begin to get our head around what happened to AJ in the last few days? The physical recovery will take some time but the psychological comeback from something like this is a different beast altogether. My heart and my soul goes out to him.

We had all sat in and watched him deliver that doozie on to the jaw of Jake Paul and imagined what a Joshua-Fury fight could finally look like in 2026. A lot of people gave AJ a lot of shit after that fight and everything now will have to be viewed in the context of what he’s been through since. I get that.

But I’ll tell ye something: people have no idea what it’s like to see AJ on fight night ready to roll. I’ve been on those cards and it’s to be seen to be believed.

So if they do end up doing this, it’s beyond overdue to plenty of folks, but it’s still a fascinating fight. At one time, I thought no way AJ could beat Fury. Then I’d waver again. He has the power and we have seen Fury dropped. But Fury is far too nimble, far too skilled defensively. AJ’s feet are awkward — plunderous and ponderous.

Either way, any time spent thinking about it is a reminder that it should have happened a long time ago. They could have knocked a couple or maybe even a trilogy out of it. Instead, if AJ can bring himself back into fighting shape physically and mentally, we’ll finally get rolling now.

All of the killer Bs swarming at once

We know there will be fireworks this year. Bucket loads of them. The sparks will fly in Tokyo for sure.

Last Saturday Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani both maintained their perfect records to put them on a collision course for what will be the biggest fight in Japanese history. I have Inoue at No.2 in my pound-for-pound rankings. A lot of people have him tops. Nakatani is in mine and most others’ top 10 as well. What a war it promises to be. I’ll be happy to head out east to cover it for De Paper.

The only bout that rivals it at the top of my list is whichever one of Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev gets the first shot at David Benavidez. Benavidez is maybe the most exciting fighter on the planet now. My iPhone alarm will confirm this but I just love watching him.

There’s not too many lads who I’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed for at 4am on a Sunday but, once Benavidez gets through his Cinco de Mayo duties, the combo that we’re left with will be electrifying. Style wise, I hope it’s Beterbiev-Benavidez but I’ll take Bivol-Benavidez in a heartbeat.

A little Dublin-Cork warfare for Walsh

There’s not much rest for Callum Walsh. If you follow our boy on any of his social media you’ll know he’s up to his knees in what looks like a magical if manic farm he has started in California with his partner, UFC fighter Tabatha Ricci.

He’s been nice and productive in the ring too, three more wins added to his undefeated record in 2025 to leave him at 15-0 with 11 KOs. As of right now, his diary is blank for the year ahead but I’m sure his manager Dana White has some irons in the fire.

My great buddy who I’ve spent half my life training alongside, Daniel O’Sullivan, has about half as many fights on his record as Callum but is now a two-time Celtic champion and coming off a brilliant performance against Dean Walsh.

I think King Callum and Daniel San would make for serious dance partners with a nice flick of Dublin vs Cork warfare in there. Maybe New York on St. Patrick’s weekend would fit the bill or if not, bring it much closer to home and do it here in Cork.

Callum hasn’t yet had a homecoming fight. This would be a cracker and we’ve more than enough good pros here to fill out somewhere like Musgrave Park.

Callum Walsh punches Dauren Yeleussinov in Madison Square Garden. Will 2026 see a homecoming fight in Cork? Picture: Al Bello/Getty Images

A year to fulfil my own prophecies

No point having a bunch of resolutions for everyone else while you sit back on your own bony arse is there?

I’ve never been a great man for rest but getting back to my absolute best after what ended up being a pretty intrusive surgery in early November is really important to me. So I’ve followed doctor’s orders all the way. The op followed my first win for over four years, a victory achieved with one bicep fully detached from the bone.  That last part should tell everyone how desperate I am to continue my journey in the ring. I’ll turn 42 in 2026 but I go into it fully believing this can be the year I become a world champion. I have chatted plenty about this with my great friend, Chris Eubank Sr., but boxing is a business and it’s still my business.

I’ll be back in with the doctors here in Cork in late January and I’m hoping I’ll get the green light to start locking in late spring/early summer for a return. Late May sounds like a lovely time of year to get back in there to me.

I’m not getting ahead of myself but there may be some opportunities on the east coast of the States around that time. It’s a part of the world I know, love and have thrived in.

The arm is out of a sling and over the last week got some good early rehab exercises pulling After Eights out of the box and plucking them from the sleeve. Not too many though. I’m a pro and I’m going nowhere yet.

Cronin and Crowley do it all over again

What could 2026 have in store for the rest of our fighting men and women? Well, Katie Taylor seems very content living a quiet life with her husband and five stepkids Stateside and I have to say I’m delighted to see it.

I’m on the record on this: I’d be more than happy to see her stay out of the ring for good. She has nothing to prove to anyone and some novelty scrap with a faded UFC fighter like Ronda Rousey does nothing for Katie’s incredible legacy.

I’ll be very intrigued to see what Paddy Donovan does next. His defeat to Lewis Crocker in their rematch in Belfast was probably the biggest surprise for me this year. Andy Lee surely has a plan in place.

There’s another Irish light heavyweight rematch I’d like to see happen whenever it suits both men — Cathal Crowley and Kevin Cronin. The boys served up an absolutely superb scrap in October when Cronin became the first Kerryman to be crowned Irish champion. Cathal is a stablemate of mine but afterwards, I found myself plonked in beside the celebrating crowd from the Kingdom. We had a few Beamish and a great time.

I feel like Kevin’s experience told for so much first time around. Cathal might fancy going a full 12 rounds if they go at it again. He gained huge experience and is ravenous to get a second bite.

My 2026 pound-for-pound men’s Top 10

1. Oleksandr Usyk

2. Naoya Inoue

3. Dmitry Bivol

4. Artur Beterbiev

5. David Benavidez

6. Shakur Stevenson

7. Jesse Bam Rodriguez

8. Junto Nakatani

9. Devin Haney

10. Hamzah Sheeraz

My 2026 pound-for-pound women’s Top 5