Benavidez vs Opetaia tops Ring Magazine's 2026 wishlist

David Benavidez against Jai Opetaia at cruiserweight landed the top spot on Ring Magazine's wishlist of fights the staff hopes materializes before the calendar flips to 2027.

The outlet polled its editorial team on dream matchups they want to see booked in the next eight months. Benavidez-Opetaia received the most votes by a wide margin, per the publication. Both cruiserweights remain undefeated, and Ring's breakdown promised "guaranteed violence" at a skill level exceeding recent heavyweight wars like Daniel Dubois-Fabio Wardley.

Inoue-Rodriguez and Garcia-Haney rematch round out top three

Naoya Inoue versus Bam Rodriguez checked in at No. 2. The matchup would require Rodriguez to climb another weight class to 122 pounds after his recent debut at 118. Ring called it "an inevitable high-level chess match" between the publication's pound-for-pound No. 1 and No. 4.

The Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney rematch claimed third place. Both fighters now hold major welterweight straps — Garcia the WBC, Haney the WBO — following victories over Mario Barrios and Brian Norman respectively. Their first meeting two years ago ended in a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for performance-enhancing substances despite winning a majority decision. "There's a backstory here between Garcia and Haney and a lot of bad blood that makes this one of the most anticipated fights in boxing," the staff wrote.

Rounding out the top five were Osleys Iglesias against Hamzah Sheeraz at middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight and Jaron Ennis versus Vergil Ortiz at welterweight. The Ennis-Ortiz pairing has stalled over a promotional dispute between Golden Boy and Ortiz, though Ring noted the stylistic matchup "feels inevitable" for an explosive result. Iglesias, meanwhile, could be "the most avoided fighter in the sport," according to the staff.

Ring emphasized the list represents speculation rather than confirmed bookings. Opetaia recently told media he considers the Benavidez fight a "dream" matchup he hopes lands by the close of 2026.

Source: ringmagazine.com