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 all the heavyweights that were in action on the mega “Day of Reckoning” card on Saturday in Saudi Arabia it seemed like a good time to update the rankings, so here they are:

Note: Results through Dec. 25

Heavyweights (201 pounds and up)

1. Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs)

Last: W (SD10) Francis Ngannou, Oct. 28

Next: Feb. 17 vs. Oleksandr Usyk

Rafael’s remark: The lineal and WBC champion fought just once in 2023 and it was a less-than-stellar effort against the former MMA star Ngannou, who crossed over to boxing to make his pro debut in the spectacle. Ngannou dropped Fury in the third round of a split decision loss, but despite the poor showing from huge favorite Fury, who didn’t seem to take the bout all too seriously, he remains the king of the division. He will have the chance to cement that status and become the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999 — and the first-ever in the division in the four-belt era — when he meets three-belt titleholder Usyk in a huge fight, which was delayed from December because of the rough time Fury had against Ngannou.

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