Every 10-year period will naturally bring change but the boxing landscape has altered significantly since Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao collided in a gargantuan event in May 2015.

1. The Saudi Arabian influence

Mayweather-Pacquiao made an awful lot of money but it also came along too late, triggering a far-reaching sense of disillusionment about the sport’s fractured nature and inability to make the right fights at the right time. Boxing was ripe for a takeover of sorts, and whispers that one would come from the Middle East started to gather volume. The United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai, was initially presumed the frontrunner before the 2018 final of the super-middleweight World Boxing Super Series tournament, featuring George Groves and Callum Smith, landed in Saudi Arabia. Saudi’s General Sports Authority would later stage hugely anticipated Anthony Joshua events yet the funding available to the GSA suddenly diminished. And then, in 2023, a new player emerged in the shape of Turki Alalshikh’s General Entertainment Authority. We all know what happened next.

Good or bad? Starting to lean towards the latter. The making of fights like Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury and Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev were welcomed yet the gaudiness and eye-watering cost of certain events – coupled with an obvious desire for complete control from an at-times toxic regime – leave plenty in the sport fearful for the future.  

2. Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren kiss and make up

Frank Warren, thanks to his connections with Tyson Fury, was the first promoter to work with Alalshikh before Hearn, who initially dismissed the GEA after working closely with the GSA, then swallowed his pride and chased after that money train with all his might. It wasn’t long before Eddie and Frank, previously the bitterest of enemies, were the best of friends.

Good or bad? Good. The incessant bickering between Warren and Hearn did the sport few favors and, even if the cash from Saudi Arabia dries up, both British paymasters have grown to realize that working together to create the biggest events is beneficial to all. Words of warning, however: the families were in battle against each other for decades, and the “truce” remains in its infancy, thus it’s too early to call it a match made in heaven. 

3. The heavyweight landscape

Wladimir Klitschko, fresh off a victory over Bryant Jennings, was the leader in the land of the giants in May 2015, Fury hadn’t yet had a world championship fight, Joshua was a rising prospect, Deontay Wilder was in the infancy of his five-year WBC reign, the most sparkling professional trophy in Oleksandr Usyk’s cabinet was the WBO inter-continental cruiserweight strap, Daniel Dubois was still in the vest and Moses Itauma was still in primary school. Every division has of course seen massive changes to clientele, but the evolvution at heavyweight has been the most engrossing.  

Good or bad? Good. History will be kind to the latest heavyweight era and the thrills it generated. And regardless of what certain sanctioning bodies decide, there remains one true champion in Usyk.

4. Broadcasting habits

Showtime and HBO shared duties for Mayweather-Pacquiao but both of those broadcasting giants have since washed their hands of the sport. In the UK, Sky Sports is still going strong but, all over the world, a change in viewing habits has contributed to the growth of streaming services. Of those, DAZN is by far the most invested in the sport but Netflix, Amazon and Peacock have all started to dip their toes into the water. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is pay-per-view being a staple for every single big fight.

Good or bad? Bad, for now. Though streaming would appear to be the future and has overtaken more conventional platforms in terms of audience numbers, a huge portion of sports fans – particularly those of a certain age – still prefer those conventional platforms when it comes to live events. DAZN is widely thought of as a boxing-only channel, so comparisons with Netflix still feel wide of the mark. In short, no other “major” sport is as hidden away as boxing.

5. Women’s boxing

The 2016 Olympics birthed a new wave of female boxers, led by Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields, who made their mark in professional boxing in a way that had never previously been seen. Though the talent pool is not yet deep enough to avoid frequent mismatches, when the matchmaking is right in women’s boxing, the fights nearly always deliver. Though it remains a point of contention, the format of 10-two-minute rounds seems to add to that sense of drama.

Good or bad? Good. The upcoming third fight between Taylor and Amanda Serrano, on Netflix, might turn out to be the most-watched event of the year.

6. Olympic boxing

Those same Olympics also represented the beginning of the end for the IBA, the long-standing ruling body in amateur boxing, when investigations into corruption and financial mismanagement resulted in the IOC suspending and then banning them from governing Olympics tournaments. Until only recently, there was a genuine fear that boxing would lose its place as an Olympics sport until World Boxing came along to restore order and trust.

Good or bad? Very good. Boxing losing its Olympics status would have had dire consequences.

7. Location, location, location

It was a given, back in 2015, that the most appealing bouts would land in Las Vegas. Today, however, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia is no stranger to showcasing the sport’s biggest fights and the UK reintroduced stadiums as the home for fitting events – a move the US has followed in recent years. New York is the latest favorite of Alalshikh, but ready-made arenas don’t seem to fit the bill; Friday featured a ring hidden in a small corner of Times Square and he’s thought to be considering Central Park as his next mission. Alcatraz, the desolate prison on an island, has also been discussed as another fight venue that will make it borderline impossible for punters to attend.

Good or bad? Stadium boxing is a joy. Staging huge fights in front of a smattering of disinterested observers is not. 

8. Invasion of the imposters

Conor McGregor came along in 2017 and challenged Mayweather, and the result was the highest-grossing boxing event of the year. YouTubers and influencers soon followed as the raw appeal of fighting, coupled with celebrity culture, meant some big budgets being spent on utter dross. Francis Ngannou, however, was oddly competitive while debuting against Fury in a heavyweight 10-rounder in 2023 before Joshua iced the African with sickening efficiency the following year. The lowest point of 2024 came when the 58-year-old Mike Tyson took on the 27-year-old Jake Paul and lost a wide decision after eight mind-numbing rounds. That contest alone, which drew a massive audience, should highlight the sport still has a lot of growing up to do.

Good or bad? Bad. Really bad.

9. Mayweather and Pacquiao are no more

An obvious one but nonetheless a sizeable change is the absence of Mayweather and Pacquiao in 2025 (if you ignore exhibition bouts and whispers of comebacks). The sport is likely better off without them in many ways – waiting for them to have a fight all but ruined half of the previous decade – but nobody has come along since who generated the interest they did. 

Good or bad? Neither. Fighters grow old; it happens. Though the Mayweather-Pacquiao saga became a blight on the landscape, we’re still waiting for the next true worldwide superstar, a full decade on.

10. The media

Although a sweeping change was already underway, there were still plenty of hard-nosed journalists around in 2015 who weren’t afraid to ask difficult questions or tackle unsavoury subjects. Today, with the Saudis taking a dim view of criticism of any kind, the best way to get ahead in journalism – such as it is in 2025 – is to tow the party line and act as a mouthpiece for the most influential. It is frankly a crime that journalists, whether broadcast or print, can lose their livelihoods by saying or writing something other than glowing praise.

Good or bad? Woeful.