The 20 Best Heavyweight Boxers in the Game Right Now

With a name like Fury, it’s no wonder this man got into boxing. The current WBO/WBC heavyweight champion boxed the best match in his career when he defeated Deontay Wilder for the WBC title last February. It was a rematch against a man that nearly finished him in their first bout which was declared a draw. A trilogy is all but certain but in boxing.

“The Bronze Bomber”, the last man to hold the WBC title and have it taken from him by Fury. Wilder is often criticized for the thing that makes him popular, his punching power, and the way he throws them. It may not be what boxing purists consider “boxing,” but it was enough for him to become a champion once and can probably do it again.

Joshua is the current unified heavyweight boxing Champion. Meaning he holds the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles, for the second time. He lost those to a last-minute replacement in Andy Ruiz Jr in June of 2019, he won the titles back the following December becoming Champion again. while ranked second to Fury on many boxing sites, the loss and subsequent rematch put some doubt in the minds of a lot of fans.

Ruiz wasn't supposed to win when he fought Joshua the first time. He was not the originally scheduled opponent, and physically, Ruiz was the polar opposite of Joshua but looks can be deceiving. Ruiz's 33-1 record at the time went under the radar because of that. He was knocked out Joshua to become Champion. He lost in the rematch but it was by decision.

Whyte is the interim WBC titleholder which means he and Fury have to face each other eventually. Whyte has competed in both mixed martial arts and kickboxing, making him a dangerous striker for anyone he faces. He competes against Alexander Povetkin in August so Fury is likely paying attention to that match up.

Ortiz is a former WBA interim titleholder and challenged for the WBC title twice. The two losses are his WBC attempts against Wilder when Wilder was the WBC champion. Of Ortiz’s 31 wins, 26 came by way of knockout. Known for his punching power and counterpunching, at 41 years old Ortiz was winning on the scorecards against Wilder until he got dropped in the seventh round.

Usyk’s name as a heavyweight draws some ire because most of his success comes at cruiserweight but he made his heavyweight debut last Fall. He won the debut and could make a run for Joshua if his success continues.

Parker is a former WBO heavyweight champion and his only two losses are to Joshua and Whyte. He has won his last three bouts, all by knockout (KO) or technical knockout (TKO) bringing his total number of KOs to 21 out of his 27 wins. 

Pulev, a Bulgarian heavyweight whose only loss is to Wladimir Klitschko in 2014, has not tasted defeat since then. Pulev was scheduled to face Joshua in June before the COVID-19 pandemic changed schedules all over the world. The bout has been officially postponed, but boxing, like MMA, has been slowly returning, so expect some news soon.

Chisora has challenged Vitali Klitschko in the past and holds multiple titles at the regional level. He was actually scheduled to face Usyk before the COVID-19 pandemic forced boxing and every other sport to change their 2020 plans. On top of the Klitschko match, he has also shared ring time with Fury, Pulev, and twice with Whyte. If anyone is a test for Usyk or any other heavyweight for that matter it would certainly be Chisora.

The Polish heavyweight is coming off of a loss this year, but his rise in the sport cannot go unnoticed. Kownacki’s win over Chris Arreola in August of 2019 was a sign of him being a force at heavyweight before losing to Robert Helenius last March. The loss is his first but at only 31-years-old Kownacki should not be written off.

Povetkin is a former WBA heavyweight champion and his only two losses are to Klitschko and Joshua. His last bout on the undercard of Ruiz vs. Joshua II was to a draw against Michael Hunter. Povetkin thought the match could have gone either way but would not mind a rematch. In the meantime, he is scheduled to face Whyte at the Matchroom Fight Camp in August.

Hunter’s sole loss to Usyk and the draw against Povetkin makes him someone to watch amongst the heavyweight boxing elite. Before the draw against Povetkin, he won the WBA intercontinental heavyweight title. Fighting to a draw three months later is only a testament to the challenge he presents to other heavyweights.

Breazeale’s losses are his two title challenges against Wilder in May of 2019 and Joshua in June of 2016. Outside of those losses Breazeale has finished 18 of his 20 wins by way of KO, TKO, or having his opponent retire in their corner. The loss against Wilder was in round one, and Breazeale likely needs some time to prepare for a return but at 34-years-old, the more boxing keeps moving forward during the pandemic, it is probably only a matter of time before Breazeale gets a call to compete again.

A former WBA Continental Heavyweight Champion and only 29-years-old Wallin should certainly make some waves in boxing in the years to come. Wallin’s last bout was against Fury in September of last year where he lost by decision. However, he is already looking to return in August against Travis Kauffman paving his way to return to action as a competitive heavyweight.

The 33-year-old Columbian heavyweight has held the IBF International, WBC-NABF, and WBO-NABO heavyweight titles. His sole loss is to Whyte and as an amateur holds wins over Ruiz and Pulev. With the loss to Whyte in July of last year, the time could be right for him to make a return but with travel making matchmaking difficult during coronavirus times, it could be while.

Helenius won the WBA gold heavyweight title when he beat Kownacki, who was touted as the favorite in their match last March. He also won the WBA Intercontinental title in 2018 with an eighth-round knockout over Erken Teper. The win over Kownacki, who was making a name for himself at the time means Helenius elevated his own status by scoring the underdog victory.

Undefeated and only 22-years-old, Dubois holds the British, Commonwealth, WBC Silver, and WBO International heavyweight titles. He scheduled to compete again at the end of August and has made a name for himself as a power puncher with 13 of his 14 wins coming by way of KO or TKO. With his youth and power, it is likely Duboise will top many lists in the future of heavyweight boxing.

Ajagaba has an odd claim to fame as holding the fastest victory in boxing history. It was in 2018 when his opponent, Chris Harper walked out of the ring in protest of how he was being paid, but officially, the victory still stands. That should not take away from the Nigerian’s undefeated streak in boxing with most of his wins coming by way of knock out. He won his last bout in March with TKO in round nine against Razvan Cojanu.

Martin, a former IBF heavyweight titleholder might have been the name Kownacki built himself off of but that does not take away from his accomplishments amongst heavyweights. He has won his last three since his loss to Kownacki so do not be surprised if that rematch arises in the future. His other loss is at the hands of Joshua.