The British boxer Fabio Wardley has catapulted himself into the world title picture after a stunning 11th-round stoppage win against former champion Joseph Parker at London's O2 Arena.
This impressive victory extended Wardley's undefeated record to 21 professional bouts—20 wins and a draw—with an impressive 19 stoppages.
Wardley also took Parker's interim WBO championship and is now positioned for a life-changing opportunity against undefeated unified titleholder the Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk.
But is Wardley likely to face at the reigning two-division champion?
Which bouts are scheduled? And what matchups could materialize?
The champion impressed again when defeating Daniel Dubois by stoppage to become a repeat undisputed heavyweight titleholder in the summer.
Just five days after that victory, the World Boxing Organization mandated the 38-year-old to start talks for a title defense against his mandatory opponent Parker.
But the fighter suffered a back issue and was granted an extended period to negotiate with Parker's camp.
The champion stated recently he planned to continue boxing for two more years but had no intention of fighting next year.
The WBO has not made a fresh call for Usyk to negotiate with his mandatory challenger, but might act shortly following Wardley's victory.
Wardley was vocal about wanting to fight the titleholder next after his latest win.
"I have one thing to say - Usyk, Usyk," he stated after the fight.
Former cruiserweight champion Usyk may even decide to swerve Wardley.
If he does, the WBO could force him to vacate their belt and upgrade Wardley to champion.
If that scenario plays out then ex-IBF titleholder Dubois could become a possible contender for Wardley.
With Usyk yet to make his next move, the heavyweight scene has stalled.
There are no major championship bouts scheduled in the closing months of next year.
There is a British heavyweight title contest on November 29th when Frazer Clarke and Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva meet at the Vaillant Arena in Derby.
The bout was originally scheduled for 25 October before TKV picked up an injury.
The rescheduled event will be broadcast on television and streaming platforms, marking the first event in a new partnership between BBC Sport and Boxxer.
The fight community anticipates updates on a bout schedule for former champion British star Anthony Joshua.
Joshua has been absent since his brutal fifth-round loss at the hands of compatriot Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
The veteran underwent elbow surgery in May and there have been murmurs about a possible date in December.
Promoter Eddie Hearn said it's "50-50 he will return for a warm-up fight this year", but also suggested Joshua might appear on an event in California on 13 December or possibly to an show in the Middle East late December.
"It might not even be something we announce weeks and weeks before because that defeats the object," the promoter stated to media.
"He is in the gym and he is staying ready so we could say 'you're out in two weeks in an eight-rounder'."
Joshua has expressed desire to compete in Africa, but it is doubtful he'll appear on the anticipated Ghana event on December 20th.
His dream of fighting on the continent may have to wait until February.
Rising star Moses Itauma is the UK's promising heavyweight talent—but the young fighter hasn't confirmed his next bout.
Itauma further enhanced his reputation with a quick knockout of Dillian Whyte in August, extending his perfect record to 13 wins with 11 stoppage wins.
In the aftermath of that stunning win, Itauma was connected to fights with several top contenders.
His team explored a December bout, with Derek Chisora suggesting he would share a card on a December date in Manchester.
But that schedule is uncertain for the Chatham heavyweight, who is discovering the complexities of boxing negotiations.
Titleholder Kubrat Pulev was ordered to defend his belt against Itauma on October 14th, but the veteran has revealed intentions to fight Russian Murat Gassiev on December 12th.
The WBA order means both sides have 30 days to negotiate a deal.
Queensberry's Frank Warren, who promotes Itauma, told BBC Sport that "Pulev has to fight Moses next with London and Manchester possible host cities".
Itauma has also been mentioned as a possible challenger for the unified champion, but the Ukrainian downplayed those rumours earlier this month.
As for Chisora, he appeared on stage at the O2 Arena alongside fellow British heavyweight Whyte and American Jarrell Miller before Wardley's win over Parker.
Speaking about potential fights and asked if we could see Chisora and Whyte meet for a third time, Chisora said "yes, if the contract is right", before adding that it will "100% happen in December".
Predicting what happens next for Tyson Fury has never been easy.
The two-time heavyweight champion announced his retirement in January after suffering a second defeat to Usyk a month earlier.
Over the past nine months, Fury has hinted at returns then changed his mind.
Fury has spoken of a desire to get in the ring with Joshua before claiming he's accomplished all his goals and is happy to stay on the other side of the ropes.
During a recent interview on FurociTV, Fury said there was "no actual reason for me to go back in the boxing ring".
But the veteran attended Wardley's victory against associate and sparring partner Parker—and that could have sparked his interest.
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