Britain’s five brightest boxing prospects to watch in 2026 including the ‘next Anthony Joshua’

The future of British boxing is in safe hands.

As the island’s biggest stars enter the twilight of their respective careers, there is a fresh crop of talent bubbling beneath the surface.

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury make way for Moses Itauma and Fabio Wardley, while Chris Eubank Jr steps aside for Hamzah Sheeraz.

The aforementioned next-generation stars have already established themselves with the British public, there are plenty of youngsters who are yet to have their breakout moment.

And here, talkSPORT.com has picked out five of the best young prospects in the fledgling stages of their boxing journeys.

Giorgio Visoli (10-0, 6KOs)

Lightweight prospect, 22 years old

A product of the legendary Repton Boxing Club, Visoli looks set to make a serious impact in the lightweight division.

The Guildford boxer possesses blisteringly quick hands, cat-like reflexes and maturity well beyond his 22 years.

He capped off 2025 with a headline slot at the O2 Indigo, beating Joe Howarth for the English title.

2026 is expected to be an exciting year for Visoli as he steps up through the levels with eyes on British and Commonwealth hardware.

Leo Atang (3-0, 3KOs)

Heavyweight prospect, 18 years old

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Atang has had an immense amount of pressure placed on his wide shoulders by promoter Eddie Hearn, who has touted the 18-year-old as ‘the next Anthony Joshua’.

While those comments may seem like a shameless marketing ploy, there are some similarities between the pair.

Both men stand 6ft 6ins tall, are boxer-punchers, and come from world-class amateur pedigrees.

Atang turned over in his teens, so he wasn’t able to emulate Joshua’s Olympic gold, but he did have a fruitful tenure at youth level, winning five national titles and a gold medal at the Under-19 World Championships in 2024.

So far as a professional Atang hasn’t put a foot wrong, blasting away all three of his opponents in the opening stanza.

John Joe Carrigan (1-0, 1KO)

Super welterweight prospect, 18 years old

If Carrigan can replicate his amateur successes in the pros, then Britain has a serious prospect on its hands.

His résumé reads: eight-time English champion, six-time North West champion, seven-time BoxCup champion, Under-19 World Championship gold medallist and a European Youth and Junior podium topper.

Carrigan made his professional debut in October, dispatching Dawid Przybylski in one round and returns to action on the Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin undercard on March 28.

Tiah-Mai Ayton (4-0, 4KOs)

Bantamweight prospect, 19 years old

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Ayton leads the charge for the next generation of British female boxers.

The teenage sensation won all 21 of her amateur bouts during a brief but successful stint that included five national titles, a Haringey Box Cup and a gold medal at the 2024 World Boxing Under-19 Championship.

Her style has translated well to the paid ranks, where her heavy hands and natural finishing instincts have produced four stoppage wins in four fights.

Ayton is set to return to the ring on the Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington undercard on February 21 against Catherine Tacone Ramos, who shocked Shannon Courtenay in 2024.

A win there should elevate Ayton into regional title fights.

Mikie Tallon (11-0, 2KOs)

Flyweight prospect, 21 years old

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Mikie Tallon stole the show on the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II undercard in November, knocking out Fezan Shahid in five rounds.

The 21-year-old earned his shot on the high-profile bill after catching Turki Alalshikh’s eye with a comprehensive win over Christian Robles at a Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford fight week event.

As we have seen with the likes of Mark Chamberlain and Josh Padley, impressing on Ring Magazine cards often leads to more big opportunities.

It is therefore highly likely that the precocious talent will be presented with the chance to display his sharp counters and excellent fundamentals at another big event in 2026.