The top 10 heavyweight rankings
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From the time I started as the boxing writer at USA Today in early 2000 until leaving ESPN in April 2020, I was responsible for the divisional rankings during my time at each outlet. At USA Today, I updated them once a month until leaving in early 2005. At some point during my time at ESPN they became weekly. Now I am doing my own thing here at Fight Freaks Unite, where I publish division top 10s from time to time as results warrant. Given the recent heavyweight action over the summer leading to this past Saturday in London’s Wembley Stadium it seemed like a good time to update the rankings, so here they are:
Note: Results through Sept. 24
Heavyweights (201 pounds and up)
1. Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs)
Last: W (SD12) Tyson Fury, May 18
Next: Dec. 21 vs. Fury
Rafael’s remark: The 2012 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist and former undisputed cruiserweight champion is a tremendous southpaw boxer with great skill and toughness. He has had just six fights since moving up to heavyweight in 2019, but he has been quite impressive. In his second fight in the division he outpointed Derek Chisora; then took the three-belt unified title from Anthony Joshua by decision and beat him again via upset decision in an immediate rematch; easily destroyed Daniel Dubois in a ninth-round knockout; and then dropped and narrowly outpointed Tyson Fury to hand him his first defeat in a massive fight to become the first-ever four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion (although he was later forced to vacate the IBF belt) and the first undisputed champion in the division since Lennox Lewis did it in 1999 during the three-belt era. The rematch with Fury will be another mega fight.
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