With a new year upon us and a quiet January in store, things pick up considerably in February and March with the rest of the boxing calendar filling up as we go along.

During this period of downtime, I decided to look into the future and attempt to pick one fighter in each weight class that could one day develop into a world champion.

Some of the fighters you'll doubtlessly know, while others you’ll have to research.

While preparing this story, I had David Nyika earmarked. The New Zealand star was featured in a New Faces column in the December 2024 issue of The Ring Magazine. However, at relatively late notice, Nyika stepped into the big leagues and was beaten by Ring and IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia in devastating fashion.

Here's who I picked in each division as a future champion. The only rule, none of the fighters were allowed to be Ring-ranked:

Why: Itauma is widely perceived as the future of the heavyweight division. The recently turned 20-year-old is very fast of hand and foot, with impressive power and a killer instinct. He won all four fights inside two-rounds in 2024. However, it was the second-round stoppage over the usually durable former world title challenger Mariusz Wach and then blitzing Demsey McKean in one-round that caught the attention and helped earn him The Ring Prospect of The Year.

Next: Itauma is still basking in the glory of his win last month but figures to make his 2025 bow within the next few months.

Why: Perez was a good amateur in his native Cuba before turning to the professional ranks, initially in Russia, in the fall of 2018. Unfortunately, he's not been particularly active, fighting just 13 times, but the potential is undoubtedly there. At 26, he's still young enough to reach the top if he increases his activity.

Next: Nothing yet. He’s ready for a step up in competition against a fringe contender.

Why: Khataev scored a highlight reel knockout at the 2020 Olympics and won bronze a year later at the World Championships. Physically very strong with eye-catching power in the mold of undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. The Russian-born Australian resident fights out of Canada and has found activity and form with Eye of The Tiger. He holds the NABF title and looks primed for liftoff.

Next: Khataev is coming off a career-best win over previously unbeaten Yunior Menendez (TKO 3) in December and will likely return in the spring.

Why: Mathieu, 20, has been kept very active by his promoter, Eye of The Tiger, and has benefited from that. He's tall (6-foot-1), languid, with a sharp jab. Yet to find his man strength, Mathieu may grow into a light heavyweight by the time he's ready for titles but he’s one to keep an eye on.

Next: Likely to return in March.

Why: The uber-talented Cuban won two World Championships (2021/ 23) though he couldn’t fight at the Olympics due to his division being expunged. He's been in camp with super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez, which will provide him with invaluable experience. I view Hernandez as the future of the division.

Next: Hernandez will return on the David Benavidez-David Morrell undercard against Mexico's Angel Ruiz (18-3-1, 13 KOs) on February 1.

Why: The Frenchman turned professional at just 17 and has been doing well at home. While he’s still some distance from the bright lights, it wouldn't be a surprise if one of the bigger-name promoters came on board now. Samake impressively stopped teak-tough veteran Australian Wade Ryan (TKO 7) in November.

Next: Not one to stand around, Samake will face South Africa's Rourke Knapp (18-2-1, 13 KOs) in Paris on April 18.

Why: Iriarte was an excellent amateur with over 300 fights and 17 national titles. He signed with Sheer Management and is trained by Roberto Diaz. Promoted by Golden Boy, Iriarte has flown out of the blocks as a pro, winning all five of his fights inside the distance. The young Californian is very big at the weight (6-foot-1) and reminds me of a prime version of the marauding Jose Ramirez. If he can emulate Ramirez, he'll be doing just fine.

Next: Tabbed to fight on the undercard of Oscar Duarte-Regis Prograis in Anaheim, California, on February 15.

Why: The Colombian-born fighter was discovered by Marc Ramsey, who quickly brought him on board. Orobio is only 21 but extremely well thought of in the corridors of power at Eye of The Tiger, where there’s a feeling that he will one day become a world champion. He's had a lot of activity (7 fights last year) and is now at eight-round level. I'd imagine the opposition will improve and the activity may slow slightly.

Next: Similar to his stablemate, Mathieu, I expect he'll be back in action in March.

Why: Mason may just be the best young fighter in boxing and has been blessed with a bit of everything. He's still young (20) and there’s no rush, but he's so good that Top Rank may not have a choice. Though he was dropped twice in his last outing, Mason responded well to the adversity to score a second-round stoppage. If the Ohio native is what he's perceived to be, he could be Top Rank’s next superstar.

Next: Mason will face his best opponent yet when he takes on Manuel Jaimes (16-2-1, 11 KOs) in New York on February 14. In his last fight, Jaimes went 10 rounds in a losing effort to Rolando Romero.

Why: The 21-year-old Florida resident was a solid amateur who can boast wins over Joel Iriarte and Abdullah Mason. Since turning professional in Mexico at the age of 17, Lopez has grown and improved immeasurably. The youngster has linked up with Eddy Reynosa and benefitted from that by fighting on Canelo's undercard last September when he scored a dominant win over Richard Medina (UD 8).

Next: Nothing on his ledger as yet but figures to fight in the next couple of months. After another fight or two, this exciting southpaw will be ready to face a contender.

Why: The young boxer-puncher is being expertly groomed by Robert Garcia, who feels "Chop Chop" is the best young guy in his gym. Gonzalez also has the support of Top Rank, who are very high on him. Now ready for the next phase of his career, I expect him to become more well-known in 2025. The secret will be out.

Next: His 2025 schedule hasn't been worked out yet, but he fought five times last year and I expect a similar pace this year against increasingly better competition with a few showcase appearances on big Top Rank shows.

Why: Price won junior and youth national titles before turning professional at 18. He's had to be patient, fighting all but two of his fights on the East Coast. The 26-year-old has already won the NABF title but that didn't help progress his career. Requiring the nurturing of a big-name promoter, Price needs an opportunity now. He has served his apprenticeship and just has to be ready when his chance comes.

Next: Nothing is scheduled at this time.

Why: Sakai, who went 50-2 in the unpaid ranks, claimed seven national titles and beat highly touted Andrey Bonilla en route to winning the World Youth Championships in 2022. The tall southpaw signed with Ohashi Promotions and has won two fights inside the distance so far. He is only 19, so has plenty of time to develop and live up to his potential.

Next: I don't expect too much of a push with him yet. He’ll be kept busy against increasingly better opposition.

Why: Bonilla, whose twin brother Andrey is a prospect at bantamweight, represented his ancestral home of Mexico internationally as an amateur and claimed gold at the World Youth Championships in Spain in 2022. The 19-year-old made his professional debut in a 10-round contest last August and followed it up by stopping previously unbeaten Nelvis Rodriguez (TKO 5).

Next: Only recently fought, so don't expect anything until later in the first quarter of the year.

Why: Kira was a standout amateur before turning professional earlier this year. The 21-year-old has taken to the pro game like a duck to water, winning two fights with ease and he’ll be fast-tracked. The Japanese fighter’s speed, power and debilitating body attack were very much in evidence last time out.

Next: Bigger challenges lie ahead, but I expect him to be national and potentially OPBF champion by this time next year. He looks like the next star coming off the Japanese conveyor belt of talent.

Why: Takami was a good amateur, which gave him a solid foundation to work from. The 22-year-old is promoted by Mr. Honda's Teiken Promotion who have kept him active since he made his debut in July 2022. He already has notable wins over grizzled veteran Kenichi Horikawa (TKO 6) and the experienced Wulan Tuolehazi (UD 8).

Next: At the time of writing, Takami doesn’t have a fight scheduled. He looks ready for the next step which could be the national title currently held by Toshiki Kawamitsu.

Why: Kobayashi moved quickly after turning professional, beating the more experienced Marco John Remetizo (UD 10) in just his fifth outing. Two fights later, he lost to Jake Amparo (UD 12), but that seems to have served as a valuable learning curve. The 26-year-old has won twice since and is working his way toward contender status in boxing's lowest weight class.

Next: He'll face the experienced Yuni Takada (15-8-3, 6 KOs), who is the Japanese national champion and on a seven-fight winning run, in Tokyo on January 24. This looks like an interesting domestic fight that will position the winner for a title shot later this year.