The idea that a fight or fight card could happen at virtually any time is one of boxing’s most unique appeals. There is no dedicated boxing season, thus the sport isn’t confined to operating between certain months or at certain times of the year.

That said, there still tends to be trends and pockets of activity throughout the year. It’s not unusual for boxing to slow down toward the end of the year, offering everyone moments of reflection. It also makes sense for fighters, many of whom prefer not to worry about upcoming fights during the holiday season if they can help it.

Apparently 2025 isn’t keen on following any of those calendar guidelines, and The Ring IV kicks things off with a fight card of high-stakes bouts. The four featured clashes on The Ring’s fourth promotional outing are fights in which at least one participant is undefeated, and every fighter has something to prove.

The light heavyweight main event between Benavidez and Yarde is a departure from the rest of the fights, as it’s both the highest on the divisional scale and carries the most proverbial weight.

Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) is one of the sport’s most exciting fighters, and those are usually rare the heavier fighters get. Benavidez’s problem has nothing to do with his style, and he hasn’t yet been defeated. On the contrary, his career has really only suffered from dedicating perhaps too much effort to chasing a singular showdown with Canelo Alvarez. In the meanwhile, Benavidez hasn’t been able to become the same kind of superstar on his own.

Across from him, Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) is the older and slightly more seasoned banger who may just be on his last chance at a light heavyweight title. For the better part of a decade, Yarde has held various secondary and regional titles, and he uses explosive punching power to carry him through fights to frightening effect at times. Those three losses are haunting, though. Yarde was in all three of those fights and his endurance failed him. Now, even older, he has to figure out how not to fizzle out against the busiest light heavyweight he could find.

That Benavidez is a heavy favorite should come as no surprise. He’s a strong and tenacious fighter who applies the kind of pressure that forces opponents to question if they want to even be there. A fight with Alvarez might not even be a possibility given the timing and his apparent disinterest in the matchup. For it to be an option, Benavidez might need an unlikely star-making performance.

Yarde’s best chance of winning is to catch his foe during the moments where he loses concentration and finds himself eating shots, which come often enough for Benavidez to prove he has a great chin.

There will always be a place for Yarde on the regional scene, but a tough loss would mean an even tougher, lengthier and more costly climb back to a world title shot. Benavidez might feel more pressure: while far off, the potential for a victory to lead to a monster payday against Alvarez makes this a must-impress scenario.

The fight with the most explosive potential is between undefeated junior bantamweights Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez and “Pumita” Fernando Martinez. Both fighters are aggressive and throw plenty of punches, and both have been on impressive tears for about three years.

Rodríguez (22-0, 15 KOs) is a generational talent whose last handful of fights proved he’s one of boxing’s most formidable offensive machines. Between cleaning out junior bantamweight and dropping down to flyweight for a unification whistle stop, Rodríguez is clearly one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. At only 25, there’s no clear sign he’s slowing down, and the only palpable threat in his path is the relatively short shelf life of lower weight fighters.

Argentina’s Martinez (18-0, 9 KOs) has a record that’s as deceptive as his style can be. Though he has fewer than 20 pro fights, extensive amateur experience balances out a late start in the paid ranks. Martinez also fights with a style that initially appears to be that of a careful counterpuncher until he gets rolling, and then the punches don’t seem to stop.

Rodríguez and Martinez have put in serious work leading to this point, and they’re risking that hard work against one another. The fight for three of four divisional belts is, on paper, a jewel of a fight that promises action and a high level of skill. As of now, however, Rodríguez’s wins suggest he’s on a slightly different level than Martinez.

If there were a fight that figures to teach us something about one or both participants, it sure would be the vacant WBO lightweight scrap between Ohio’s Mason and Noakes. It’s two high level amateurs teetering on the edge of top notch contention and winning a world title, and on paper it’s likely the closest fight.

Mason (19-0, 17 KOs) is a southpaw from just outside of Cleveland, which used to be a notable fight town. Former champs Joey Maxim and Johnny Kilbane ruled at light heavyweight and featherweight, and Mason’s looking to add his name to the list. The 21-year-old has yet to step up to the world-class level, and he’s in need of a test.

Noakes (17-0, 15 KOs) just might provide that test. In terms of achievement, he is a smidge ahead of Mason after having won the British and European lightweight titles. Those trinkets don’t mean what they once did in terms of belonging among the best in the world, but they’re decent measuring sticks and thus far Noakes has proven to be a very good puncher.

If Noakes can find a way to land on the talented Mason, who comes from a boxing family with plenty of know-how, it should provide us with the answers we need before either of them proceed up the lightweight ladder. At this stage in their careers, both are risking perfect records and a future in a division that currently has no clear ruler.

On pure intrigue, the WBO welterweight clash between Norman and Haney is tough to beat. It also mixes contrasting styles in a way that makes boxing truly great and unpredictable.

On paper, Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) enters the fight an unvanquished two-division champion, but there are some asterisks there. For starters, Haney fights with a tough and awkward style that opponents struggle against. That’s tempered a bit by his lack of punching power and that he’s fighting as a welterweight for the first time. There’s also the elephant in the room that Haney continually absorbed the same punch from Ryan Garcia in their controversial meeting, and he hasn’t yet answered in-ring questions about that.

Norman (28-0, 22 KOs) has the size and punching power to demand those answers. His ledger doesn’t have bigger names such as Haney's, but he’s made up for it with brutal efficiency and against fellow welterweights.

It’s entirely possible there’s an uncrossable gap in skills between Haney and Norman, and if the former can stay consistent and disciplined that gap could be enough to overcome any size disparity. Norman’s recent stoppage wins ensure that there will be danger for Haney the entire way, though.

Between Top Rank, Sampson Boxing and Queensberry Boxing, some of the sport’s best and youngest talent will be on display with Ring IV. The combined record of the eight featured fighters on the card is 193-3.

The stakes are nearly as high as they could be for everyone on the card going into the end of the year. All that remains is finding out who will emerge with superstar potential and considerable momentum for 2026.