They say the heavyweight division is a sleeping giant, but in the early months of 2026, the giant has not only awoken; it is roaring with a ferocity we did not witness in 2025.
We are standing on the precipice of a monumental shift. The tectonic plates of the “Big Three” era—that long-running, occasionally frustrating, but undeniably brilliant saga of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Oleksandr Usyk—are grinding toward a final, spectacular collision.
But as the old guard prepares for their final bow, the wings are crowded with the hungry, the young, and the relentless. It is a time of extraordinary transition, bankrolled by the bottomless ambition of Riyadh and the singular vision of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.
The King’s Return: April 11 at the Tottenham Cauldron
The headline that stopped the world last month was the resurrection of Tyson Fury. After those back-to-back, soul-crushing defeats to the unified maestro Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, many—myself included—wondered if we had seen the last of the Gypsy King’s unique brand of pugilistic ballet.
The 15-month layoff and a fleeting retirement suggested the fire had finally dimmed.
But Fury is a man who thrives in the shadows of doubt. On April 11, the 6’9″ colossus returns to the soil that knows him best, headlining a massive stadium show at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. His opponent, the heavy-handed Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov, is no mere sacrificial lamb.
Makhmudov is a concussive puncher, a man who once looked up to Fury as a fan but now seeks to be the one to permanently close the book on the Gypsy King’s career.
For Fury, this isn’t just a fight; it’s a reclamation project. He needs to prove the reflexes are still there, that the legs haven’t turned to lead, and that the chin can still withstand the thunder. If he prevails, the long-awaited, almost mythical showdown with Anthony Joshua in September becomes the biggest sporting event on these shores, it has been said, since ’66.
Power Collides: Wardley vs. Dubois
While Fury looks back, the domestic scene is exploding with two men moving forward at a frightening pace. On May 9, Manchester’s Co-op Live will play host to a heavyweight collision that has “Fight of the Year” written all over it in blood and sweat.
Fabio Wardley, the WBO World Heavyweight Champion, defends his crown against Daniel “DDD” Dubois. This is a fascinating study in styles and mentalities: Wardley, the self-taught marauder who literally put a dent in Joseph Parker. He is momentum personified. And Dubois: the man who shattered Anthony Joshua at Wembley in late 2024, only to fall short against Usyk’s genius.
This fight represents the “new era” of British heavyweights. Wardley is defending a title he was upgraded to after his savage demolition of Parker, while Dubois is desperate to prove he remains a rightful heir to the throne. It is a high-stakes gamble where the winner likely walks into a mandatory position for the undisputed crown.
Then there is the fast rising Moses Itauma, just 21, whose handlers will put him in front of the media this week. Unbeaten Itauma fights Jermaine Franklin on March 28 in Manchester.
And just for extra vim in April, heavyweight icons Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora collide a week before Fury-Makhmudov, in what has been described as a ‘fun fight’ for the division. Both heavyweights have their 50th career contest.
The Guardians of the Throne: Usyk, Joshua, and the German Threat
Waiting in the wings, almost serenely, is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian master remains the gold standard, the man who solved the Fury riddle twice. He sits atop the mountain, surveying a landscape he has conquered. But even a king cannot stay forever. At 39, the question is how many times he can go to the well of his own brilliance.
Then there is Anthony Joshua. After the Dubois disaster, AJ spent 2025 rebuilding, refocusing, and under the guidance of Turki Alalshikh planned a two-fight odyssey for 2026.
As AJ recovers from the tragic road traffic accident in Nigeria at the end of last year when he lost two of his closest friends, the former heavyweight champion has yet to decide on his plans this year.
But do not overlook Agit Kabayel. The undefeated German, fresh off a clinical stoppage of Damian Knyba in January, holds the WBC interim belt and a legitimate claim to be the most avoided man in the division. He remains the spoiler in the shadows, a technician with a buffet of body punches” that could unseat any of the established elite.
The Architect: Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season
None of this, the stadium shows, the cross-promotional blockbusters, the sheer frequency of elite matchups, happens without ‘Turki’, who has fundamentally rewired the boxing industry. By removing the traditional promoter wars and putting up the capital to make the fights fans actually want to see, he has ensured that 2026 will feature no fewer than six to eight major events.
Plus, of course, there are his plans to re-model boxing through Dana White, the USA, and Zuffa Boxing.
That is another story. But for now, Turki is effectively funding the final chapter of this heavyweight era. He started it; he will finish it. He understands the historical weight of a Fury-Joshua fight and the prestige of Usyk’s undisputed run. He is the stage manager for a drama that is reaching its crescendo.
The State of the Union
As we head into the spring of 2026, the heavyweight division is in a state of magnificent flux. We are witnessing the twilight of legends and the dawn of a new, perhaps even more violent, generation.
Four chapters to play out:
The Reclamation: Fury must overcome Makhmudov on April 11.
The Domestic War: Wardley and Dubois settle the British hierarchy on May 9.
The End Game: Joshua and Fury’s collision course for September.
The Undisputed King: Usyk remains the target for everyone, including the relentless Kabayel.
It is a fascinating time to be an observer on the sport; and a fight fan. The shadows are long, the stakes are astronomical, and the final bell for this era is about to ring. But before it does, we have some of the most compelling nights in boxing history ahead of us.