Boxing rings in the new year with many positive expectations for 2018 after a marvellous year just gone for the sport in 2017.

There seems to be a genuine expectation across the board for the sport this year, worldwide.

Just before 2017 ended Asia showed why again that it can provide some fantastic world title action in the lower weight divisions.

The traditional powerhouse countries in the sport of the US and UK look set to continue to make big fights this year.

As well as other areas in Europe and other areas across the world also chipping in to the international boxing scene continuously.

In many ways the heavyweight division over the next few years could tell a lot about this new era in boxing, how it could grow namely.

If a unified heavyweight champion emerges from the pack of Joshua, Fury, Wilder and Parker, whom hopefully will all fight one another over the coming years – boxing could in theory grow substantially more as a sport in that time.

There’s plenty of more room for growth.

Possibly even getting back to how it used to be in the golden ages of the sport. When boxing was considered a mainstream sport in the pantheon of global sports.

There’s a bit to go until we’re there of course – but boxing is certainly going in the right direction.