The annual ESPN top 25 fighters under 25 is here. As usual, there is significant British interest across the list — and the ranking this year is a special one considering who comes out on top of the pile.
Since March 2024, Moses Itauma has fought six times for a total of nine rounds. In August, he moved up in competition, facing veteran Dillian Whyte, whom he finished in less than two minutes. Next up for him is a fight against American Jermaine Franklin Jr. Jan. 24, where he’s looking to silence any questions about the hype.
Itauma is one of the most exciting heavyweights in boxing and one that former champion Tyson Fury has deemed the future of the division.
“Moses Itauma will wreck all them old men out of the division,” Fury said in an Instagram story following Itauma’s victory over White. “[Oleksandr] Usyk, [Anthony] Joshua, [Jarrell] Miller. Whoever there is that old. [Zhilei] Zhang, whoever else the f— there is, Luis Ortiz. All these big names of the past.
“Even the man who took my belts [Usyk]. Moses will wreck him because it’s a young man versus an old man. And an old man can’t mess with a young man.”
So who else made the list from a strong group of British fighters coming through under the age of 25? Andreas Hale and Nick Parkinson take a look and offer up some analysis.
1. Moses Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs)
Heavyweight contender
20 years old
2024 rank: 10  
 
The fighter: Itauma, ESPN’s 2024 prospect of the year isn’t of legal drinking age in America but has exploded to the top of this year’s list after a swift and violent 2025. Competing in the land of the giants, the 6-foot-4 southpaw isn’t necessarily bigger than the top heavyweights, but he is undoubtedly the future with his unique blend of size, speed and power.
Biggest moment or accomplishment: Ahead of his fight against White, the biggest question around Itauma was whether his remarkable finishing prowess would continue once he stepped up in competition. That question was answered definitively when he beat Mike Balogun and two-time interim heavyweight titleholder Whyte in 2025. Itauma blew through Balogun in two rounds — the third-longest fight of his career — in May and was assigned to face Whyte, who was assumed to be his toughest opponent to date. The fight with “The Body Snatcher.”was anything but competitive.
Future outlook: To legitimately go from prospect to contender to being the man everyone wants to see against Usyk in just two years, speaks immensely of his potential. Itauma will kick off his 2026 campaign against the durable Jermaine Franklin on Jan. 24 and look to do what Anthony Joshua couldn’t do: Stop Franklin. After that, it’ll be a case of waiting to see which heavyweight is willing to step in the ring with him. The frightening thing is that Itauma still has four years of eligibility for this list. — Hale
10. Adam Azim (14-0, 11 KOs)
Junior welterweight contender
23 years old
2024 rank: 9  
 
The fighter: The junior welterweight contender has a fan-friendly style, with quick hands, a dangerous left hook and lightning-fast reflexes. He has had only two performances this year but performed well in both. He stopped veteran Sergey Lipinets, who held the IBF world title briefly in 2017 and 2018, in nine rounds in February, then patiently broke down the stubborn resistance of Kurt Scoby in Round 12 on Nov. 15.
Biggest moment or accomplishment: On the biggest stage of Azim’s career, on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn 2 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Nov. 15, Azim was too slick and ring savvy for Scoby. Azim dominated the early rounds behind his jab and let his hands go from Round 8 on. He put Scoby under serious pressure in Round 11 and ended the fight in the next round by landing a flurry of pinpoint punches to head and body. Dealing with Scoby’s trash talk during fight week was also a good learning experience for Azim when he moves up for bigger bouts.
Future outlook: Azim has made steady progress and will face better opponents in 2026. He is ranked Nos. 9 and 10 by two governing bodies so probably needs more wins to secure a title shot. One fight that would be popular: against English rival Dalton Smith, who challenges Subriel Matias for the IBF title on Jan. 10. — Parkinson
12. Caroline Dubois (11-0-1, 5 KOs)
WBC women’s lightweight champion
24 years old
2024 rank: 16    
The fighter: Dubois has made two defenses of the WBC lightweight title this year. She was promoted from interim champion to full world champion in December 2024 after Katie Taylor vacated the belt. Dubois previously complained that Taylor had been holding up her career by refusing to fight her. She had a frustrating technical draw in January when Jessica Camara was ruled unfit to continue with a cut. Dubois then outpointed Bo Mi Re Shin on a majority decision in March but has not boxed since.
Biggest moment or accomplishment: Dubois is heavy-handed but has not stopped any of her past six opponents. Her unanimous decision win over Maira Moneo, whom she floored with a left hook in Round 6 to earn the WBC interim title in August 2024, remains her best performance.
Future outlook: Dubois has been inactive since March while her promoter Boxxer secures a new TV deal in the UK, with no confirmation of her next fight. The fight Dubois wants is a title unification clash against WBO lightweight champion Terri Harper which would be one of the biggest in women’s boxing of 2026 if it gets made. — Parkinson
18. Callum Walsh (15-0, 11 KOs)
Junior middleweight contender
24 years old
2024 rank: 22    
The fighter: The 6-foot southpaw is from Ireland but has fought nearly exclusively in the U.S. Walsh, who is trained by Freddie Roach in Los Angeles, says working on fishing boats at 16 gave him a strong work ethic, and that same hard work has seen him make steady progress in 2025. After a stunning Round 1 KO of Dean Sutherland in March, he followed up with a fifth-round technical decision win over Elias Espadas in June and a unanimous decision win over Fernando Vargas Jr. in September. The Vargas win, in front of a Netflix audience as co-main event of a card headlined by Terence Crawford’s win over Canelo Alvarez, helped raise Walsh’s profile. Vargas had stopped all but two of his 17 previous opponents, but Walsh showed slick and educated boxing to win by four rounds on the judges’ scorecards in the nontitle bout.
Biggest moment or accomplishment: His quick win over Sutherland, sealed by a left hand and then a powerful right hook, highlighted Walsh’s potential. Sutherland was left lying on the canvas after Walsh’s hand speed and power proved too much for him.
Future outlook: IBF world champion Bakhram Murtazaliev is set to defend his belt against Josh Kelly early in 2026, and Walsh could be well positioned to face the winner. — Parkinson