Fight fans are in for an exciting year in 2023, with an undisputed heavyweight title fight expected between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk among the many big things happening.
However, there are a few things that we reckon you shouldn't be holding your breath for over the next 12 months, particularly if history is anything to go by. Boxing still has a number of systemic issues that are unlikely to be sorted within 2023, so expect to see a number of issues getting in the way of big fights.
We're all excited for the big events that are to come over the next year, but we've also put together a list of things you shouldn't expect to happen in 2023. This list includes regular boxing, as well as the influencer world including the likes of Jake Paul and Andrew Tate.
Here's five things that definitely WON'T happen in 2023...
1. Tommy Fury will finally fight Jake Paul
Now, we're not necessarily saying that this fight won't be signed and that tickets won't go on sale. But will Tommy Fury actually arrive in the host city, attend a press conference in-person with Jake Paul, weigh-in without controversy and proceed to make the walk? We're doubtful.
Fury and Paul have agreed to fight twice already, but neither bout ever even made it to fight week, let alone the ring. In the last two years, the Brit has fought three times in legitimate bouts, and been removed from the same amount through either injury, travel issues or contractual disputes.
2. Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren will be seen in the same room
The feud between Hearn and Warren dates back decades, to before the Dagenham native was even promoting boxing. His father Barry was bitter rivals with Warren when they promoted fights back in the day, and that hatred has continued to Eddie, arguably with even more bitterness.
Eddie has never even met his fellow promoter, and we'd be surprised if that changed any time soon. When talks were underway for Tyson Fury to face Anthony Joshua earlier this year, they took place between Hearn, along with his associate Frank Smith, and Frank Warren's son George.
3. Tyson Fury will go a month without performing a U-turn
Whether it be retiring, or demanding that he not get paid a penny for his undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk, or some other nonsense, you can set your watch to Tyson Fury back-tracking on something this year. He's promised to fight three times, the first of which will be Usyk, with a rematch likely before facing Joe Joyce, so perhaps start there.
Just this year, Fury declared that he was hanging up his gloves in April, but never even considered giving up his WBC heavyweight title and didn't stop training at all. A few weeks later, he was in talks for his next fight and fully back in action, which was just the latest in a string of U-turns from the heavyweight champion.
4. Andrew Tate will fight again
What many detractors of Andrew Tate's won't know is that he was an established kickboxer before finding fame on social media for his controversial rants. He was a four-time ISKA world champion, and boxed in a few unsanctioned bouts as well as competing an unspecified amount of times in MMA.
However, during his fighting days, Tate picked up some serious damage to his eyes and had to quit one of his last world title bouts due to the severity of his injuries. He has countless suitors in the influencer boxing world for a mega-money comeback fight including Logan and Jake Paul as well as KSI, but his arrest last week looks set to put paid to his hopes of climbing through the ropes.
5. Terence Crawford and Errol Spence will fight for the undisputed title
The welterweight champions had a fight date all but set for November 17 earlier this year, but for whatever reason that never happened, and the undisputed bout seems further away than ever at this point. Both men seem to want to fight, but promotional and contractual issues have forced them to steer clear of one another.
It appears that the key issue, which is pretty much insurmountable, is that this fight commands a massive amount of money, and neither man has the star power to carry an event worth that much. Neither have ever headlined a huge pay-per-view, and while there would be interest in the two together, it seems unlikely that they could make the numbers work.
