Boxing is a sport where fans always want to be ahead of the curve. You always want to be the first one to pick a future star out and then down the line when they’re winning titles, give it the classic “told you so” to your pals. We’ll be picking out three fighters in British boxing who we believe will go from prospects to serious contenders in 2023.

With 2023 now safely upon us, we’ll take a look at the three boxing fights we NEED to see over the next 12 months.

Chris Billam-Smith ensured that British boxing’s final punch of 2022 was one of its best as he recovered from an early wobble to sensationally knock out Armend Xhoxhaj in Bournemouth.

The Leeds Arena has been a fortress for Josh Warrington since his first outing there in 2014.

Rarely does a trilogy span over a decade. Barrera and Morales battled over four years - Ali and Frazier too. Gatti and Ward shed blood across 18 months, whilst Leonard and Duran did so over nine years.

It was two contrasting yet controversial endings as the capital played host to a Matchroom and Queensberry double header on Saturday night.

It was the ‘fight before the fight’ for Anthony Yarde as a huge announcement loomed over his fight with Stefani Koykov in Telford.

It still feels like we’re in an alternate universe when it comes to this side of our sport. Floyd Mayweather is a boxing icon, and arguably the pioneer of a modern era inflated by money and ego. Deji is a YouTuber, himself a pioneer, but of a world more renowned for pranks than punches.

Dmitry Bivol outpointed, outworked and outclassed Zurdo Ramirez to strengthen his claim as the division’s number one in Abu Dhabi.

Katie Taylor lit up Wembley Arena in green and gold as she successfully defended her four lightweight world titles against tough Argentine Karen Carabajal.

It was a fight announcement that stole this week’s boxing headlines as a trilogy, unthinkable at the start of the year, was pencilled in for the end of it.

Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall put on a fight worthy of the sport’s biggest stage as they rounded off a historic night at the O2 Arena.

After the loudest yet quietist weekend in British boxing for a while, the sport bounces back with one of the most anticipated fights of the year. Boxing is in the news for all the wrong reasons at the moment, so let's hope for a week where our sport is front and centre for reasons right.

It was a rivalry built on pride, disdain and ultimately hatred. A rivalry with foundations that have stood the test of time. Now, 30 years on, this family feud ignites once more for a British boxing blockbuster.

Joe Joyce came through a heavyweight classic on Saturday night to prove once again why ‘they don’t want a war with Big Juggernaut’.

It was a passive ending to one of modern-day boxing’s greatest rivalries, as the rubber match between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin was jeered to a close in Vegas.

This weekend, Las Vegas will for the third and likely final time, play host to one of the sport’s most emotive and controversial modern rivalries.

Hometown triumph for beefy on bizarre night of boxing. "S***H****!" was Liam Smith's shout towards a surrendered Hassan Mwakinyo as Saturday night's boxing action ended in an unsatisfactory manner in Liverpool.

I remember watching KSI as a kid. It was inappropriate jokes, games of FIFA and short comedy sketches. So to see him headlining a boxing card at the O2 Arena is still somewhat of bizarre sight.

Every country needs a hero and at a time where Ukraine is experiencing some of the worst atrocities since its independence back in 1991, Oleksandr Usyk once again brought some light to a nation in need.