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The Heavyweight division has regained its spot as the top weight class in the sport of boxing.
For a long time, the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao ruled the sport. The best fighter on the planet right now is a middleweight in Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. But after the two fights between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder and the pair of bouts between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz, there is no doubt that the heavyweight division is the hottest in the sport right now.
Let’s take a look at the Top 10 heavyweight in boxing for 2020 and why not check our article about the most controversial boxing decisions ever.
1. Tyson Fury
Fury’s win over Deontay Wilder last February put him on top of the heavyweight division. After he was “robbed” with a draw in their first bout, Fury left nothing to the judges when he knocked out Wilder in their rematch. The Gypsy King is a terrific boxer who reminded us against Wilder that he also packs plenty of power in his punches. Wilder has exercised his rematch clause and if Fury beats him again, he will likely be headed to a big-money showdown against countryman Anthony Joshua.
2. Anthony Joshua
You have to give Anthony Joshua plenty of credit for defeating Andy Ruiz in their rematch. I mean AJ was beaten badly during their first encounter and many didn’t think he would have the fortitude to come back and win his belts again. Although it wasn’t the performance fans were hoping to see, Joshua beat Ruiz by fighting a safe bout. He is scheduled to face Kubrat Pulev next and is also looking at Oleksandr Usyk on the horizon. If he gets past both, then a mega-fight against Tyson Fury could be one of the richest in the history of the heavyweight division.
3. Deontay Wilder
If there was another deserving heavyweight, I would have moved Wilder down to four or even five. His performance against Tyson Fury was atrocious. He looked like a fighter who didn’t know what to do inside that ring. But I won’t push him lower because one bout doesn’t define a fighter. Sure, you can talk about his questionable resume but there is no doubt that he is the hardest and most devastating puncher in the entire spot. Wilder also has two wins over Luis Ortiz which isn’t easy so I think he deserves this spot. He will get another crack at Fury and that is going to be an interesting fight.
4. Andy Ruiz
Like Wilder, he was awful in his last fight. Ruiz came in too heavy against Joshua and he admitted that too much partying got to him during their rematch. I feel sorry for this guy because, in their first bout, he was an explosive dynamo who shocked the world by knocking out Joshua. Ruiz recently fired his trainer who made him a world champion. We don’t know who his next opponent will be but right now, he deserves this spot for ending Joshua’s unbeaten run.
5. Dillian Whyte
Whyte is probably the hungriest contender in the division right now. He’s been asking to fight Wilder and Joshua (again) but hasn’t been given the opportunity yet. Whyte says both are afraid of him but I don’t think so. Whyte was knocked out by AJ in 2015 but he’s resurrected his career with wins over Joseph Parker, Derek Chisora ( two times ), and Oscar Rivas. His next fight will be against Alexander Povetkin. If he wins that one, it will be hard to deny him a title shot.
6. Joseph Parker
The former WBO champion has lost his luster since losing to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. But after suffering back to back losses, the Kiwi has rebounded to win three consecutive bouts, all by knockout. With those wins, Parker proved that he is still an elite fighter. However, if I pit him against the Top 5 on this list, I’m not sure if he comes out victorious in any match-up. Nor am I sure if he can still evolve as a boxer and become champion again. He’s limited when it comes to skill but has power and is tough as nails.
7. Luis Ortiz
Ortiz was once the bogeyman of this division as he was the most avoided fighter at heavyweight, However, after back to back knockout losses against Deontay Wilder, it’s safe to say that the Real King Kong is on the decline right now. He’s over 40 years old but was still able to outbox Deontay Wilder in almost all of the round across two fights. However, he was stopped in both and time is running out on him. Getting another title shot may be out of the issue for Ortiz but he is still among the elites in the heavyweight division.
8. Kubrat Pulev
The Bulgarian man-mountain has been a force in the heavyweight division for years. But while has always been steady, he has never been great. Pulev got knocked out by Wladimir Klitschko in his only title shot in 2014. But he stayed in the picture with eight straight wins over mid-tier heavyweights like Derek Chisora and Hughie Fury. His resume isn’t any better than Wilder’s but if Pulev can upset Joshua when they fight next, it’s going to shake-up these rankings from top to bottom.
9. Oleksandr Usyk
The undisputed cruiserweight king moves up to heavyweight for a shot at trading punches with the big boys. Usyk was so dominant at cruiserweight that he no longer has a reason to stay there. Moving up will be a challenge although he was a heavyweight gold medalist in the amateurs. His only fight at this division so far is against Chazz Witherspoon and it doesn’t prove anything yet. He is one of AJ’s mandatory challengers and if AJ beats Pulev next, Usyk might get the big break.
10. Oscar Rivas
Rivas is ranked higher by the Ring at #9 and that is a surprise especially since he is coming off a loss to Dillian Whyte. The Colombian won his first 26 bouts, 18 by knockout before he dropped a unanimous decision to Whyte last July 20, 2019. Rivas did drop Whyte once in that fight and he also has wins over Joey Abell, Fabio Maldonado, and Bryant Jennings.
