The modern heavyweight division is at the height of its powers as it parades a long-awaited undisputed champion while pitting some of the biggest names in boxing against each other.
The belts belong to a worthy ruler in Oleksandr Usyk, behind whom is a spearhead hunting pack of both established and up-and-coming heavyweight challengers looking to make a dent in the knockout proceedings.
So where are we? And what might come next?
Fury and Usyk II
Let’s start with the top of the heavyweight tree. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. So good, they have to do it twice.
Usyk completed a two-decade stint in Saudi Arabia earlier this month when he defeated Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era and the first since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999. He pursued cruiserweight supremacy to further cement his status as one of the greatest fighters of his generation.
The masterful Ukrainian weathered a storm of Fury in a grueling first half of the fight before finding victory midway through and following up with a stunning ninth round in which he was seconds away from stopping the rampaging Gypsy King.
It was understood that a rematch clause was included in the contract, with it being announced this week that the pair will meet again on December 21. Win again and Usyk would have nothing more to prove. As for Fury, another AJ-shaped domino could fall regardless of the outcome later this year.
AJ is waiting… but with whom?
An explosive Anthony Joshua reignited his knockout exploits and clawed his way back into title contention after shaking off back-to-back defeats against Usyk.
Joshua will be in attendance to watch Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois fight as part of this Saturday’s 5 vs 5 fight in Saudi Arabia, the winner of which will await as a potential opponent for the former unified world champion later this year. That, however, could also depend on Usyk being forced to vacate the IBF belt, which Joshua and one of Hrgovic or Dubois would likely be in contention for.
The Olympic champion is riding the momentum of his stunning knockout victory over Francis Aponnos, having also defeated Robert Elenius and Otto Wallin in announcements to close out 2023. Hrgovic is a perfect 17-0 as a pro after defeating Marc de Maury in first round in December, while Dubois is 20-2 following his 10th round stoppage win over Jarrell Miller late last year.
Joshua will take both, especially if the opportunity to become a three-time world champion arises. But he’ll also feel like he’s got bigger fish to fry.
And then… Fury?
If the ‘Battle of Britain’ is ever going to happen, 2025 looks like the window. Both Joshua and Fury have long maintained their desire to give their fans one of the biggest heavyweight dust-ups in British boxing history, but so far many attempts to make the fight have failed miserably.
Joshua and Fury were seemingly set to meet in 2021 after reportedly signing the contract, before Fury was ordered to meet Deontay Wilder in the third fight of their dramatic trilogy. The two then verbally agreed to fight after Joshua’s rematch loss to Usyk in 2022, before the fight fell through as the Londoner enjoyed a recovery period.
Joshua reiterated his intentions to face Fury following his knockdown of former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou earlier this year, where Fury was watching in Saudi Arabia ahead of his fight against Usyk, in which Fury himself would hint that he will face Joshua next time. . It feels as close as ever, but there’s first the matter of the undisputed rematch to deal with later this year.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said recently Sky Sports that Fury remains keen to fight Joshua in 2025, highlighting Wembley Stadium as the ideal venue. We’ll see.
Where does Wilder fit in?
It feels like something of a climactic moment for the current crop of heavyweight contenders as challengers try to cling to their last hopes of staying in the mix. Deontay Wilder is among the aforementioned.
The Bronze Bomber is under no illusions as to what may be at stake for him when he takes on Zhilei Zhang in a battle of devastating punching power this weekend. Lose, and that might be it. Win and win in style, and a potential showdown with Anthony Joshua potentially resurfaces, having been sidelined by a shock loss to Joseph Parker.
A punishing trilogy with Fury coupled with a long period of inactivity left Wilder staring down his destructive self in a unanimous decision loss to the New Zealander as many questioned his chances of overcoming Zhang’s threat. But this right-hand man has created a reputation that deserves the utmost respect and can never be erased.
Top Rank boss Arum has identified Wilder as a possible next opponent for Jared Anderson as they look to further the promising young American star’s career. But getting beaten up by Zhang is not typical, and they know it.
The Parker party continues
Hello, reborn Joseph Parker. Rarely is the heavyweight landscape blessed with simplicity or logic, and now it’s Parker’s turn to throw another wrench in the works as he fights for another world title shot.
The 32-year-old upset Wilder with the best performance of his career in December to herald his revival, before overcoming a knockdown against Zhang to win a majority decision that places him as the WBO’s mandatory challenger.
Parker has taken to social media to call out both Joshua and Dillian Whyte in recent months, keen to capitalize on his prime-age displays. Both because of his form and his young age, you have to feel he is on his way to another title shot.
The rise of Kabayel
Agit Kabayel might be one to watch. The German just knocked out both Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez to improve his record to 25-0, the latter of which served as a WBC final eliminator that leaves him on the brink of a world title shot.
Logic would point to a shot at Fury or Usyk once their rematch is settled. Logic doesn’t always prevail in boxing, especially given the possibility that Fury and Usyk’s careers could look elsewhere, whether it’s Joshua or retirement.
What else is going on?
Joe Joyce has aspirations of resuming a delayed rise to the world stage when he faces Derek Chisora this summer amid his comeback from back-to-back defeats by Zhang. Martin Bacole is the WBA’s No. 1 ranked challenger, while Dillian Whyte remains on a comeback trail of his own.
Interesting storylines continue to emerge at bridgerweight as Lawrence Okolie moves closer to the heavyweight division after his emphatic first round knockout of Lukasz Rozanski in Poland. The former cruiserweight world champion looks set to face mandatory bridgerweight challenger Kevin Lerena, but seems destined to make the move.
And while Frazer Clarke and Fabio Wardley await news on their next steps after a Fight of the Year contender, 19-year-old Moses Itauma is just getting started as one of boxing’s most feared prospects with aspirations of becoming the world’s youngest ever heavyweight. champion.