Terence Crawford became boxing’s latest undisputed champion when he beat Canelo Alvarez earlier this month to sweep up all the super middleweight titles.
He has now completely unified three separate divisions, and chasing undisputed status has become a common trend in boxing in recent years.
The likes of Canelo, Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue have all achieved this goal by testing themselves against the best on a consistent basis.
But there are some weight classes where big fights simply are not being made, and the division is stagnating as a result.
Here, we pick out five divisions that are in desperate need of a shake-up after being left in limbo.
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Cruiserweight
Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed champion at 200lbs back in 2018 when he won the World Boxing Super Series.
The Ukrainian great beat Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev on his way to lifting the trophy before seeing off Tony Bellew ahead of his move up to heavyweight.
In the seven years since, the division has become somewhat of a mess.
Australia’s Jai Opetaia is the IBF and Ring champion, and is widely regarded as the best fighter in his weight category right now.
But he has failed to secure a unification fight and has instead had to settle for uncompetitive title defences on home turf in recent times.
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Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez holds the WBO and WBA belts but has only fought once this year and is now recovering from shoulder surgery. A meeting with Opetaia looks further away than ever.
Finally, there is Badou Jack with his WBC strap. Jack, who will be 42 next month, won his title in March 2023 and has only defended it once when he fought to a draw with Noel Mikaelian in May.
A lack of activity and champions not fighting each other has made the cruiserweight division increasingly infuriating to follow.
Opetaia has teased a move up to heavyweight which could free up a belt, while the likes of Chris Billam-Smith and WBC interim champion Michal Cieslak are waiting in the wings for a title shot.
Something needs to happen sooner rather than later to get this division going before fans completely lose interest with what is happening at 200lbs.
Middleweight
When was the middleweight division last thriving? That would be around 2018 as well.
In September of that year, Gennady Golovkin and Canelo went to war over 12 rounds. It was the Mexican who controversially got the nod on the scorecards, and although some may have disagreed with the result, there was no doubting that fans had been treated to elite level boxing.
Canelo subsequently moved up to super middleweight, while Golovkin edged closer to his 40s and never looked the same again.
New champions emerged but it was always going to be difficult to follow in the footsteps of Canelo and Golovkin.
Golovkin’s fellow countryman, Janibek Alimkhanuly, is currently in possession of the IBF and WBO titles. The Kazakh puncher is unbeaten and outspoken when it comes to calling out his rivals.
But he is yet to get his hands on WBC champion Carlos Adames amid reports that talks over a unification fight have stalled.
The 42-year-old Erislandy Lara is the other titlist in the division, but he has only stepped into the ring twice since 2022 and is yet to make an appearance in 2025.
Once again, it is a sorry state of affairs. Boxing badly needs Janibek and Adames to agree to face each other to kickstart things at 160lbs. Right now, the once-proud middleweight division feels insignificant and that needs to change.
Welterweight
Some of the best fighters in the 21st century have enjoyed their greatest success in the welterweight division.
Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford all ruled the world at 147lbs in a division that often displays the perfect blend between skill and power.
But, right now, the welterweight division is the weakest it has been in some time.
There are four different champions – Rolando Romero, Mario Barrios, Brian Norman Jr and Lewis Crocker – with no unification clashes lined up.
A 46-year-old Pacquiao returned from a four-year layoff in June to draw with Barrios, highlighting how the level has dropped at welterweight.
Romero is also a champion now but was involved in a forgettable fight with Ryan Garcia in May, while Devin Haney’s welterweight debut against Jose Ramirez on the same card was equally disappointing.
Haney will face Norman Jr in November and that fight could spark a resurgence at welterweight. The division badly needs it, as since Crawford departed after achieving undisputed status in 2023, it has been a tough watch.
Lightweight
If you look at the current lightweight champions on paper, it is an impressive list.
All three men – Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Raymond Muratalla – are unbeaten, while Davis and Stevenson are on the cusp of being top 10 pound-for-pound fighters.
But Davis has opted against defending his belt in favour of taking an exhibition bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, and Stevenson is expected to jump up to super lightweight in early 2026 to face Teofimo Lopez.
Meanwhile, the WBO title is vacant after Keyshawn Davis failed to make weight back in July.
Rising star Abdullah Mason and Britain’s Sam Noakes will fight for the vacant belt in November, but the lack of title fights elsewhere at lightweight is a concern.
With Davis and Stevenson prioritising other challenges, governing bodies need to step up and deliver opportunities to fighters rather than allowing the division to be held up.
Bantamweight
The bantamweight division has been ruled by Japanese knockout artist Junto Nakatani in recent times. But that is all about to change.
Nakatani has chosen to move up to super bantamweight and will make his debut in his new division in December ahead of a potential domestic showdown with Naoya Inoue next year.
He has vacated two belts and there is no longer a standout names at 118lbs. Antonio Vargas and Christian Medina are the current titlists in the division, while the legendary Nonito Donaire is an interim champion.
We have seen how weight categories can lose their relevance when a great champion moves on. The cruiserweight and welterweight divisions are still recovering from Usyk and Crawford stepping up in weight.
It is important that the same does not happen at bantamweight. Title fights must swiftly be arranged with the aim of moving towards unification bouts so that fans can find out who the new No 1 at bantamweight truly is.
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