Top 10 boxing prospects under 25 in the world

Last time, we talked about the history of boxing – today, we will be discussing its future. 

In this piece, we’ll look at ten of the best boxers in the world under the age of 25 and ranking them. For reference, we won’t be including anyone who is already 25 years old – meaning elite talents such as Hamzah Sheeraz and Jesse Rodriguez will not be featured here. 

Several fighters on our list are world champions, despite their young age – but each and every one of them has a potentially glittering career path in pugilism. 

10. Jack Turner

Despite being a super flyweight, Jack Turner has already amassed an impressive knockout ratio – he has won ten of his first 11 professional bouts within the distance. 

Such a record merits him a place on this list almost by default – but he only makes the tenth spot as he has yet to make his mark against a credible opponent. 

Beating Ryan Farrag in two rounds in his last fight was an impressive feat – let’s see if he can build on that next time out. 

9. Moses Itauma

The only heavyweight on our list, Moses Itauma may be the most well-known fighter among the ten. This is especially true for UK audiences – there is plenty of hype and excitement around this young man. 

He is picking up comparisons to a young Mike Tyson – while we would urge people to not get too carried away, it’s easy to see why he is so highly regarded. 

Possessing one punch KO power and a ring IQ well beyond his years, he made a statement last year when he crushed Demsey McKean inside a round. 

8. Bakary Samake

A lesser known fighter on this list, Bakary Samake deserves to be both respected and feared by the super welterweight division. 

At just 21, he is quietly rising up through the ranks – in his last fight, he defeated Wade Ryan to win the vacant WBC Silver belt. 

Don’t let his meagre knockout record fool you, either. Despite only registering nine KOs from 17 fights, he is beginning to gain his adult strength. Three of his last six fights – the most difficult fights of his career so far – have been won within the distance. 

7. Jesus Ramos Jr.

Another boxer who is perhaps unfairly overlooked by the media, Jesus Ramos Jr is everything a prospect should be – fearless, active and fun to watch. 

He’s also extremely tough – he doesn’t mind taking a good shot if it means he can land one himself. 

He is the only fighter on this list to have picked up a defeat – but it shouldn’t be held against him too tightly. Not only did he lose against a good fighter in Erickson Lubin, some audiences thought he deserved the nod on the judges’ scorecards. 

6. Abdullah Mason

Perhaps the most exciting fighter to watch on our list, Abdullah Mason is no ordinary prospect. He is always looking to put on a show – even if this means exercising recklessness. 

Notably, he was almost stopped in round one in one of his most recent fights against Yohan Vasquez, but was able to pick up the stoppage in the following round. 

Furthermore, he is also very active – he fought five times in 2024. This sets a good precedent moving forwards, especially with his all-out aggressive style. Boxing needs more fighters like this young man. 

5. Ernesto Mercado 

Another casual-friendly fighter (and we don’t mean this pejoratively), Ernesto Mercado has knocked out 16 of his first 17 opponents in the professional ranks so far.

He is a very loose, unpredictable fighter – stylistically, he resembles former world champion Luis Alberto Lopez in many ways. 

Last time out, Mercado beat Jose Pedraza by fourth round knockout. If he can learn to tighten up his guard, he could be a real problem in the super lightweight division. 

4. Xander Zayas

Puerto Rico’s newest rising star lands the number four spot on our list. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Xander Zayas – at just 22, he is far from the peak of his powers.

Zayas’ main weakness is his lack of punching power. He may struggle to keep elite-level pressure fighters at bay, but he makes up for it with a high output and excellent hand speed. 

He’s already picked up an excellent win in the form of Patrick Teixeira – but now is the time to move up to the next level of competition. 

3. Adam Azim

Arguably the best young fighter in the UK at the moment, the hype surrounding Adam Azim is often deafening. 

It’s easy to see why – his lightning quick hand speed makes him an excellent watch for casual viewers and boxing enthusiasts alike. Several audiences have touted him as the next Amir Khan – he bears many stylistic similarities with the Olympic silver medalist. 

Solid wins over Ohara Davies and Sergey Lipinets only further cemented his status as one of Britain’s best hopes in boxing moving forwards. He has passed every test so far with flying colours. 

2. Diego Pacheco

Could this be the man to take on Canelo’s mantle as the next great Latino superstar? Diego Pacheco still has a long way to go before he can lay such a claim, but he has all the tools to reach the zenith. 

A rangy fighter with underrated power, Pacheco stands at 6ft 4 – very tall for the super middleweight division. One can only assume that he will move up in weight as he gets older. 

UK fans may know Pacheco from his 2023 fight against Jack Cullen in Liverpool – at that point, Pacheco was just 22 years and three days old. It was an excellent display from the youngster and a strong glimpse into his potentially glittering future. 

1. Brian Norman Jr.

A crisp fighter with exquisite timing and underrated durability, Brian Norman Jr has all the tools to make it to the top of the sport. Already a world champion, he shut a lot of doubters’ mouths in his last fight against Derrieck Cuevas.

His father and trainer, Brian Norman Sr, sadly does his son few favours with his braggadocious attitude – but it’s easy to focus on the noise around a fighter, rather than taking the time to evaluate their skill set from an objective perspective. 

Norman Jr and Sr have picked up unfavourable comparisons to Devin and Bill Haney – let’s hope this immensely talented prospect does not fall into such an unfortunate pigeon hole.