A high level boxer who is considered to be worthy of a title shot, or likely to get one soon. Due to the politics of boxing and the alphabet soup of titles, there is a lot of negotiation and involvement when setting up fights, but the contenders are the top ranking fighters with realistic hopes of becoming champions. They are the best in each weight class, with the champions being at the very top.
Contenders are often separated from the top prospects by gatekeepers – fighters who may not currently be in contention but will prove a tough opponent and give a boxer the chance to gain notoriety and prestige to prospects rising through the ranks to become a contender.
It can be argued that any decent fighter can be managed into a title fight, and can therefore be a contender, but traditionally it is a term used for the top ranking fighters in a division.
Boxing Unboxed 