This time, it’s because of the rematch between WBO heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley at O2 Arena in London on DAZN PPV.

Their first clash lived up to the billing as a high-stakes shootout on May 9. Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs), The Ring’s No. 1 heavyweight, overcame two knockdowns in the first three rounds to deliver a vicious beating, stopping Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) in the 11th to become two-time champion.

Much has changed since Dubois and Wardley, The Ring’s No. 5 heavyweight, met. The Ring champion Oleksandr Usyk vacated the IBF, WBA and WBC titles in the summer. Since then, Filip Hrgovic has stopped Moses Itauma to become the IBF champion and Agit Kabayel, The Ring's No. 2 heavyweight, has been elevated to WBC champion. Murat Gassiev, The Ring's No. 9 heavyweight, contentiously holds a version of the WBA title, which Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will fight for on a Ring show December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

What the future holds at heavyweight largely hinges on the result of Dubois-Wardley 2.

Declan: Firstly, big respect for Wardley for calling it straight on. It’s indicative of boxing these days that Wardley knew if he let this rematch opportunity go this time, he could be waiting years for another chance. The fight itself is interesting because Wardley has made the requisite adjustments in a rematch before and won in style, namely when he drew a war with Frazer Clarke and then obliterated him in a round in their second clash. This obviously feels like a much taller order, and Dubois, dropped twice inside three rounds, insists he has shaken off the nerves that offered Wardley that early opening.

John: Dubois is a confidence fighter. After a horrendous start to the first fight that saw him dropped in the first and third rounds, he steadily established control and proved himself to be the better man. He will approach the rematch with a healthy respect for Wardley’s power, but rather than putting him into his shell, it should result in him keeping things simple and utilizing his outstanding jab and thudding right hand.

Wardley is a dangerous puncher and a brave man, but Dubois should punch too hard and too straight and retain his WBO title by the middle rounds of another exciting fight.

Declan: If we agree that Usyk will remain No. 1 until he loses or retires, you could argue that a second straight victory over Wardley here will make Dubois the best of the rest. Of course, he has already stopped Hrgovic, while Kabayel, excellent though he is, has not faced the same quality of opposition as Dubois yet. Crucially, the Londoner is still only 29, so he has plenty more years to become No. 1 and cement that position.

John: The Ring champion Usyk has virtually lapped the field at heavyweight and, despite his unexpected struggle with Rico Verhoeven, he remains at the top of the rankings. The winner will deserve the No. 2 spot.

Declan: I still think Itauma will be the next great, dominant heavyweight. The likes of Dubois, Hrgovic, Kabayel, even Gassiev, will hopefully chop and change over the next couple of years, but I think the next decade will belong to Itauma overall.

John: Provided he beats Wardley in their rematch, Dubois looks ideally placed to take the reins. Dubois has already beaten Hrgovic, and has the jab and power to get past any heavyweight on the planet. As long as he maintains his self-belief, he can maintain the top spot.

Despite his own loss to Hrgovic, Itauma remains the X-factor in the heavyweight division but will now have to work his way back into title contention.

Declan: I think from a style perspective, Dubois and Wardley are pretty hard to beat, and the proof was in the pudding from their first fight. Outside of that, any combination of Kabayel, Hrgovic and Itauma would be fun. Just for the sheer drama, given they share a coach in Ben Davison, Wardley-Itauma would be huge over here in the UK and would be breathless action for the three rounds it lasted.

John: In terms of pure action, Dubois and Wardley seem made for each other. Their rematch surely can’t be as drawn-out or violent as their first fight, but it promises to be exciting for as long as it lasts.

A rematch between Hrgovic and Dubois would be a high-stakes battle which would reshape the heavyweight landscape. Hrgovic belittled Dubois before their June 2024 fight and still seems disgusted at the way a man he dismissed as “a baby” was able to walk him down. Hrgovic was eventually stopped on cuts in the eighth round.

Both have improved since that first fight and, unless things change in the meantime, a rematch would be a world title unification with genuine edge.

Declan: See above. Yes. Obviously, defeats like that one have ended many careers in the past, but I think Itauma is in this for the long haul now. The fact is, on another night, one of those shots would have taken Hrgovic out, and a similar performance against almost anybody else would have resulted in victory. Most importantly, however, I think he will now learn the value of patience when it’s needed.

John: Itauma undoubtedly has the talent and ability to rebound from the crushing defeat and become the dominant heavyweight of his generation. We are about to find out exactly how much he wants to do it.

The version of Itauma we saw against Hrgovic would beat 99% of the world’s heavyweights, but the exhausting, painful and heartbreaking culmination to the fight taught him exactly what it will take to beat the elite 1%.

Itauma will return to training knowing that he needs to be fitter, smarter and stronger. Hrgovic shattered the aura of invincibility that had quickly built up around him, and other top heavyweights will now think that they can replicate what the Croatian did.

Wladimir Klitschko rebounded from similar struggles to rule the world. Time will tell if Itauma can do the same.

Declan: I think Leo Atang and Adam Olaniyan will develop into contenders eventually, but it will take a few years. They will be well-placed in five or six years once the current crop is approaching 40. Teremoana Teremoana has also shown glimpses of what is needed to mix it on this side of the globe, like Joseph Parker has done. Whether that means he will become a world champion is another matter.

John: No. The heavyweight division’s current crop of champions and contenders seem certain to pass the titles between each other for some time.

A talented but inexperienced crop of fighters are still some way from working their way into contention, let alone replacing the established names.

Justis Huni has the boxing skills to spring a surprise or two, but whether the Australian has the punching power to keep the division’s top men at bay for 12 rounds remains to be seen.