The Heavyweight division has been fairly lackluster over the past decade or so, arguably falling off the map somewhere around the millennium. But you already knew that. You’re welcome. Fortunately the glamour division has been shaping up over the past few years, with new blood entering what had become a one-horse race after Vitali Klitschko left brother Wladimir behind to rule supreme.
But things have changed in recent times. Wladimir Klitschko has finally been toppled by another skyscraping behemoth, and a decent number of ferocious, athletic, and ultimately dangerous fighters are hot on the heels of the division’s champions. Heavyweights are beginning to ‘look’ like Heavyweights, and more importantly, pull off ‘Heavyweight performances’. Let’s delve into Boxing Base’s updated rankings.
Heavyweight Top 10
1. Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KO)
The 6’ 9” Brit isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s just how this self-marketing machine likes it. He’s a motor-mouth, sure, but also one who backed up his words by outpointing Wladimir Klitschko, albeit narrowly, last November. Charismatic, unbelievably confident, and often indescribable, Fury brings great flavor to the division, and his improved ring smarts and ability cannot be denied. Fury currently holds the WBO, WBA and RING titles.
2. Wladimir Klitschko (64-4, 53 KO)
‘Dr Steelhammer’ needs little introduction to most fight fans. The 6’ 7” Ukraine-based fighter, and brother of retired champ Vitali, is a future Hall of Famer who has clocked up countless successful title defenses since 2006 before being recently conquered by Tyson Fury. While Klitschko has failed to become a true crossover star during his career, his dominance is one for the history books, even if he has campaigned during one of the division’s driest periods. Klitschko is now set to rematch Fury on a yet to be determined date, likely in London, later this year.
3. Alexander Povetkin (30-1, 22 KO)
This Russian-born warrior may not possess the Heavyweight stature of giants like Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua, but the man’s a solid tank who has turned in some impressive performances. Povetkin went through hell to hear the final bell against Wladimir Klitschko back in 2013, and has bounced back to land himself a title shot against Wilder sometime in May. Given Wilder had to work harder than expected against unranked Eric Molina, Johann Duhaupas and Artur Szpilka, it would be foolish to count out Povetkin in a hurry.
4. Deontay Wilder (36-0, 35 KO)
‘The Bronze Bomber’ has one-punch lights out power, and has been relying a lot more on his boxing ability and athleticism since dethroning Bermane Stiverne last January to pick up the WBC crown. For obvious reasons, Wilder is a hit with boxing fans (a frightening 97 percent KO ratio will usually do that for a fighter). That raw power recently stopped challenger Artur Szpilka in a fight which saw Wilder falling behind on the cards. Wilder now has an intriguing date with Alexander Povetkin, unofficially on for May.
5. Kubrat Pulev (22-1, 12 KO)
Of all our ranked Heavyweights, Pulev makes the least noise internationally. But this solid, well-rounded 6’ 4” Bulgarian, despite taking on a couple of soft touches since being hammered by Wladimir Klitschko in 2014, is deserving of his position, having flattened Alexander Dimitrenko, Alexander Ustinov, and convincingly outpointing game veteran Tony Thompson in 2013. Pulev is scheduled to face (aw, gawd) Derek Chisora on May 7th.
6. Luis Ortiz (25-0, 22 KO)
Ortiz was a dark horse of the division as he went about his business, throttling a host of non-contenders. But the Cuban-born powerhouse made his critics sit up and listen when he bagged a breakout win last December, punishing respected operator Bryant Jennings en route to a 7th round TKO. 44-year-old ex-champ Tony Thompson was next for the chop, enduring three knockdowns before getting counted out in the 6th. While Ortiz’s record is fairly padded, Boxing Base considers him to be a bona-fide threat to the division’s top dogs. Ortiz’s fight calendar is currently empty.
7. Bermane Stiverne (24-2-1, 21 KO)
Canadian-based Stiverne was once considered a legitimate threat to anyone over 200 pounds, and certainly to a once untested Deontay Wilder before they met last January. Stiverne, who put his WBC strap on the line, was soundly outboxed by Wilder, but had his moments and, if anything, proved he could walk through hell thanks to an iron will and chin. Whether Stiverne can become a two-time champion at 37 is yet to be seen, but no there’s no doubting his raw power, physical strength and well-rounded ability make him a top contender. Stiverne, who outpointed Derric Rossy in November, is yet to announce a future opponent.
8. Bryant Jennings (19-2, 10 KO)
While it’s true Jennings lacks the frame and height to achieve greatness at Heavyweight, there’s no denying his tenacity and drive as an excellent contender. Top victories on the Philadelphia-born fighter’s record include a hard-fought decision over Mike Perez, a TKO of Artur Szpilka (who gave Deontay Wilder fits in January), and a 12-round points defeat to Wladimir Klitschko without hitting the deck (well, it’s a win of sorts). Jennings, who suffered the second defeat of his career against Luis Ortiz last December, doesn’t have an opponent scheduled.
9. Anthony Joshua (15-0, 15 KO)
Joshua has garnered tremendous attention in the boxing world ever since capturing Gold at the 2012 Olympics. 6’ 6”, muscle-bound, in possession of exceptional Amateur pedigree and vaunted power, Joshua looks to be the real deal and more than worthy of the hype. While his 15-fight record isn’t filled with the most eye-catching names (bar Dillian Whyte), it’s the fashion in which they’ve been dispatched which has raised endless alarm bells. No opponent, bar Whyte (who lasted 7 rounds), has managed to go beyond 3. Joshua now has a meeting with Charles Martin inked in (below).
10. Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KO)
Like most untested contenders, Martin always had his critics. And capturing the IBF title seems to have only produced more. It’s both fair and not. Fair because Martin won that accolade by default after champ Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a hideous knee injury, and not fair since…well, Martin had no control over that outcome. But there’s plenty to like about this unheralded world champion. He’s a big lad at 6’ 5”, is 29-years-young, and brings plenty of TNT to the ring. We’ll soon find out if Martin is the real deal when he takes on the beastly Anthony Joshua on April 9th. Shivers.
Closing In On the Heavyweight Top 10
- Lucas Browne (24-0, 21 KO, WBA champion)
- Andy Ruiz Jr (26-0, 17 KO)
- Vyacheslav Glazkov (21-1-1, 13 KO)
- Robert Helenius (22-0, 13 KO)
- Dominic Breazeale (17-0, 15 KO)
- Carlos Takam (33-2-1, 25 KO)
- Tomasz Adamek (50-4, 30 KO)
- Joseph Parker (18-0, 16 KO)
- Artur Szpilka (20-2, 15 KO)
- Erkan Teper (15-0, 10 KO)
What’s your take on Boxing Base’s Heavyweight Top 10 and the glamour division in general? And finally, how do you see the immediate and future clashes unfolding?
