You never want to make a lot of assumptions, but there is clearly a feeling amongst those who follow Boxing that something has changed for the United Kingdom Promoters who had been in lockstep with Riyadh Season over the last couple of years.
That has meant a lot of the big fights have ended up in Saudi Arabia, but Turki Alalshikh has joined forces with Dana White and TKO to produce a new 'Boxing League' and that has perhaps meant less interest in partnering up with the likes of Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn.
The latter of those Promoters is still having some work together with the Saudis, but there seems to have been a real breakdown between Turki Alalshikh and Frank Warren.
Of course nothing has been said, but it is interesting that the WBO World Heavyweight Title will be defending in Manchester, while Callum Smith vs David Morrell heads up a card in Liverpool.
That fight and Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois are the kind of bouts that have not really been seen over in the United Kingdom over the last eighteen months and rumour will continue to swirl that all is not well between the big parties involved.
Ultimately it matters little to fans of the sport as long as the big fights are being made and there are several big cards taking place between April and May.
Before all that, we have a big fight taking place in Las Vegas this weekend when the WBC World Welterweight Title is on the line- the Division is still looking for a dominant force to come through and take over from the likes of Terence Crawford and Jaron Ennis who had been the leading names in the 147 pound Division.
And while the headliner in Nottingham is between two fighters who are perhaps past their best and the days when they won World Titles, fans have to be really excited about seeing Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington for the second time.
Two weeks ago, Britain lost a World Champion when Nick Ball was Stopped in the final Round by Brandon Figueroa and it was a missed opportunity for the Boxing Picks.
My feeling was that Figueroa might not have gotten a fair crack if the fight went to the cards, but he was someone that I wrote I would have backed in any neutral setting.
The last twelve months have been a little like that when not quite having the full conviction to follow through with a Pick and being disappointed at missing out.
2026 is still a long year and there are plenty of opportunities in front so you cannot be thinking backwards and instead have to stick to the plan and look for that to reap its own rewards.
Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia
There is a huge amount of controversy around Ryan Garcia- he has been Stopped by Gervonta Davis and the win over Devin Haney is massively tainted after Garcia failed a drugs test.
The last time we saw Ryan Garcia he was being dropped in the Second Round and putting in a listless performance in losing to Rolly Romero.
Of course that has been seen as good enough for the WBC to allow their Champion to fight Ryan Garcia having kept the latter in the top four of the Rankings(!)
The Welterweight Division is lacking real star power, although Devin Haney is now holding the WBO World Title and there is a natural rivalry with Garcia that can be explored further if the 27 year old is able to win the WBC World Title.
It is hard to know what to expect from Ryan Garcia who has won one of the last four fights if you consider the Devin Haney bout a No Contest.
He does feel like a fighter who has a big reputation without actually having proved he deserves that in the ring and Ryan Garcia is going to have a tough day in the office if he is not fully prepared.
However, it has long been stated that Mario Barrios may be one of the weakest World Champions in ANY Division and he has only managed to earn two Draws since being upgraded from Interim to full World Champion.
To say his run has been underwhelming would be an understatement and the last time anyone saw Mario Barrios, he had just drawn with Manny Pacquiao who had not fought in four years.
Prior to that, Mario Barrios had been given another Draw with Abel Ramos in a controversial Decision and that was against an opponent who had lost three of the previous five bouts.
So many people have thought about targeting Barrios for an 'easy' World Title bid, but he has managed to retain the support of the WBC and this will be just the third defence of this Title since October 2024.
Both fighters have come up short when they have stepped up their level and that makes the World Title clash tougher to call, but you have to feel that Ryan Garcia has the higher ceiling. He cannot afford to think he can coast to a win though and will have to put together a lot more intensity than he showed in the loss to Romero last year, while inactivity has been a real issue for both (at least Ryan Garcia had an 'excuse' of being given a ban after his failed test following the Devin Haney clash).
The winning fighter may be presented with a few opportunities, but you have to imagine most at the top of the sport would prefer that to be Ryan Garcia.
He does have the faster hands and the flashier combinations, while Mario Barrios will want to dig in and make this a rough fight.
Ryan Garcia does carry some power though and that may end up being the difference in the Championship Rounds of this World Title fight, although he needs to put together a really strong effort to impress and erase the memories of some of those recent outings.
There will be some expectation on Ryan Garcia to make a statement and perhaps push through the gears and Stop Mario Barrios, but he may have to settle in becoming World Champion thanks to the Judges.
This is a card being headed up by Riyadh Season and The Ring Magazine, which means there is a healthy looking undercard that has been put together.
Young prospect Amari Jones can continue his move up towards the top of the Middleweight Division, which could soon have a number of vacant World Titles available if Janibek Alimkhanuly is banned after failing a drugs test.
He is facing a veteran in Luis Arias who has only been Stopped once before.
However, Arias has become a fighter used to give prospects Rounds and has lost two in a row against unbeaten opponents, but taking both to the cards.
His best days are behind him and Amari Jones has shown a bit more spite than most as he has moved up the Rankings and he can become the second fighter to force a Stoppage against Luis Arias after Erickson Lubin managed that in 2023.
We should also see Bektemir Melikuziev continue his winning run as he takes a step back in level of opponent in the wide open Super Middleweight Division.
Recent outings have not been the most impressive, but Bully is facing an opponent who has been out of the ring for fifteen months and who had been Stopped very early in back to back fights before a blowout in his most recent outing.
Sena Agbeko has not been able to handle the early power and that may be the case again in this bout.
One of the intriguing undercard bouts features a returning Frank Martin who is back out just two months after ending a year long layoff.
He is now operating at the Light-Welterweight level, but he looks a very short favourite against Nahir Albright.
The underdog was only beaten by Keyshawn Davis in a Majority Decision in the Lightweight Division, but upset his brother Kelvin Davis last June. That victory was marred by a backstage scrap with the other Davis brothers, but Nahir Albright has shown he is a tough out and his style could make things very tough for The Ghost.
On paper the Gary Antuanne Russell World Title defence against Andy Hiraoka looks like an appetising support for the main event.
Combined they have suffered just one defeat between them, while thirty-seven of the forty-two combined wins have been in Stoppages.
It most definitely feels like the Champion has been in with the higher calibre of opponent, while there has to be some serious doubts about Andy Hiraoka's decision to arrive in the United States just a couple of days before the fight is due to take place.
At one point it sounded like he would not be given a Visa to travel, but the late arrival is not going to be ideal in what could develop into a really good fight.
You would not describe Gary Antuanne Russell as the most active fighter out there, but he may just outlast the Challenger and he can force the Stoppage after an entertaining battle.
Another who may earn a Stoppage in defence of his World Title is Richardson Hitchins who will be defending the IBF Light-Welterweight Title for the second time.
His Promotional team have asked Hitchins to move through the gears and impress fans by putting his shots together and the Stoppage of George Kambosos Jr in his first defence has given the Champion a real boost.
There is a dangerous opponent in front of him as Oscar Duarte Jurado is unbeaten in four fights since losing to Ryan Garcia to earn this shot.
The Mexican earned a couple of wins in 2025 to earn this opportunity, but it does feel like this is a step up compared with recent opponents and the toughest fight since he was beaten by Ryan Garcia.
In the main Richardson Hitchins has been happy to rack up the points and use the cards to remain unbeaten, but the performance against Kambosos Jr showed a bit more.
An open Division is going to be calling for Unifications soon and Hitchins will want to remind the fans of his own quality by matching the Stoppage earned by Ryan Garcia against this opponent.
Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington II
There is no love lost between these fighters, but there is also a healthy respect having shared the ring once before.
October 2023 was the first time Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington faced off and it was not the first time that Wood had seemingly been losing a fight before turning it around by displaying his huge punching power.
Josh Warrington has seemingly been haunted by the defeat and felt the referee had let him down by Stopping things right at the end of Round Seven instead of allowing him to have that minute between Rounds.
In fairness Warrington looked done in the fight having dominated, but then caught by some huge shots from the gloves of Leigh Wood.
He is the underdog in this fight back in Nottingham, although not at the City Ground as Leigh Wood would have liked, and both fighters know that this could be a career-ender for the loser.
The defeat to Wood was the second of a three fight losing run for Josh Warrington, which culminated in a defeat on the cards by Anthony Cacace- that took place in September 2024 and Warrington left his gear in the ring to suggest he was calling time on his career before surprisingly returning in 2025 and shaking off the ring rust in a Ten Round Decision win.
Leigh Wood has only had one fight since the win over Warrington and that was also a defeat to Antony Cacace, although this time it was in a Ninth Round Stoppage in May last year.
There is no doubt that both have moved past their primes, but that should mean we are in for another barnstormer with some of the punch resistance gone and the two at a similar stage in their careers.
Plenty of leather was thrown in the original bout and that ended in the Seventh Round.
The pattern is likely to be the same when Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington meet again and it would be a surprise if this one goes the distance.
It will either be Josh Warrington wearing out Leigh Wood or the latter finding another combination of big punches, but the wear and tear on both fighters at 35 and 37 years old respectively should be shown up in the ring on Saturday.
Ultimately the fans should be getting their money's worth when these two face off with neither looking like they will settle for taking a backwards step.
The chief support sees the British Light Middleweight Title on the line.
Ishmael Davis won the that Title and the Commonwealth Light Middleweight Title in a close victory over Sam Gilley in November and he has won two fights in a row having suffered three straight defeats.
Those came in contests when Davis was willing to step in on short notice, but he impressed enough to be given more opportunities and he is the favourite.
However, Bilal Fawaz has to be respected having beaten a highly touted prospect in Junaid Boston- he had to fight the youngster twice after a controversial Draw the first time around, but Fawaz deserved the Decision in the rematch and he has been signed by Matchroom, which underlines the potential they still see in a 37 year old who has been held back in his career as his immigration status has been fought out in the courts.
In another life Fawaz would have competed for Great Britain in the Olympic Games and there is some momentum in his career right now and an opportunity you feel he can grasp.
This is a tough step up and Ishmael Davis has overcome plenty of disadvantages in his own life, while also operating against a higher level of opponent.
Beating Troy Williamson is impressive and Davis certainly gave Josh Kelly and Caoimhin Agyarko real tests, which also look more impressive especially after Kelly has moved on to become a World Champion.
Both are tough, grizzled and with everything to gain and so it does feel like the Judges will be needed.
Bilal Fawaz is hugely motivated, but Ishmael Davis has shown he can do enough to win fights against this kind of level of opponent and it makes for fascinating viewing.
The undercard is littered with a number of one-sided women fights with the A side names all expected to come out on top.
There is still a real lack of depth in the women's side of the sport, which means Sandy Ryan is able to fight for a World Title just one fight removed from back to back defeats. She should be able to get a Belt back around her waist and both Molly McCann and Tiah Mai Ayton are also expected to continue their development towards the top of the Rankings with wins.
One fighter who is expected to impress is Dave Allen who returns and is expected to make short work of Karim Berredjem.
The latter is experienced and only been Stopped in three of his ten defeats, but those have come in the Fourth, Third and First Round and Allen should be able to come in and just get back to winning ways pretty quickly.
MY PICKS: Ryan Garcia to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Amari Jones to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.61 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Bektemir Melikuziev to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Gary Antuanne Russell to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.75 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Richardson Hitchens to Win Between 7-12 @ 10.50 William Hill (1 Unit)
Leigh Wood-Josh Warrington Fight to Go Distance- No @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)
David Allen to Win Between 1-3 @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Boxing 2026: 2-7, - 6.66 Units (16 Units Staked, - 41.63% Yield)
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