Is boxing’s heavyweight division flying high? Or is it starting to stutter?
Both arguments might be valid in many respects but there is no denying that right now the sport is thriving. That could be largely down to some of the profiles of boxing’s biggest stars, the financial impact that Saudi Arabia has had on the sport or even the recent exposure from an undisputed heavyweight title fight.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s historic rivalry has captivated fans from around the world and may go a long way in proving that the division is perhaps the strongest it’s been for many years.
We had not seen an undisputed heavyweight fight in the four-belt era and you’ll have to go back all the way to 1999 when Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield to unify his WBC belt with his opponent’s WBA and IBF titles to become the previous undisputed heavyweight champion.
Much talk has revolved around Fury and Usyk’s monumental collision in Saudi Arabia. It has proven that right now, boxing is one of the most fascinating sports on the planet to watch and study. But there are concerns that a gap is starting to widen between Fury, Usyk and Anthony Joshua and other fighters operating in the heavyweight division.
Tyson Fury (right) Oleksandr Usyk (left) showed that boxing’s heavyweight division is thriving
Alongside Anthony Joshua (centre), Fury and Usyk are sitting at the pinnacle of the division
Deontay Wilder (centre) suffered a fifth-round knockout defeat by Zhilei Zhang on Saturday
And that gap is perhaps larger than anyone had ever believed.
Some had even thought Joshua was part of a larger bracket of heavyweight fighters that existed outside of Fury and Usyk. But that does not seem the case anymore.
It has become more apparent in some ways by Deontay Wilder’s recent results and Fury’s defeat by Usyk.
Unfortunately, it appears Wilder may have also now missed out on his chance to fight Anthony Joshua later this year, which is a real blow for the sport.
The pair had been circling each other for many years and had Wilder not lost to Joseph Parker at the end of 2023, Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh admitted that he would have made their long-awaited fight happen.
With Joshua due to fight at Wembley on September 21, there was even hope that Wilder could have secured a victory against Zhilei Zhang during Saturday’s 5v5 event in Saudi Arabia to salvage a fight against Joshua. But any hopes of doing so were extinguished following his fifth-round knockout by Zhang.
At 38, concerns are mounting over Wilder’s long-term future in the sport and it seems he is falling towards retirement. No one was knocking people out with brutal hammer blows like he was.
But it must be said, the calibre of opponents the former WBC heavyweight champion was facing before he first stepped into the ring with Fury in December 2018 was frankly underwhelming.
After clinching the WBC heavyweight title from Bermane Stiverne in 2015, he would go on to beat Eric Molina, Johann Duhaupas, Artur Szpilka, Chris Arreola, Gerald Washington and then Stiverne again before knocking out Luis Ortiz.
Fury (left of centre) and Usyk’s (right of centre) historic undisputed heavyweight title fight drew eyes from all over the world
There are now concerns that Wilder, 38, (left) is drawing closer to retirement after suffering his fourth defeat in five bouts
Wilder’s (pictured) loss has also meant we will miss out on seeing him finally settle his beef with Joshua
Stiverne was the only former champion he faced while he held the belts, with Ortiz being an interim champion.
Upon meeting a better opponent in Fury, Wilder didn’t have the tools to cope, with the Gypsy King holding the American to a draw in their opening trilogy fight before besting Wilder twice in their final two meetings via knockout.
That trio of fights have seemingly drained Wilder. Even Fury admitted that some of the blows he took against the American have knocked years off his life.
His defeat by Zhang may have shown that Wilder is no longer the big hitter he once was. Had a meeting between him and Joshua materialised, the British fighter, who is four years younger, would have certainly had a good chance of claiming victory.
He has been paid well during his career, with his last two fights now having taken place in Saudi Arabia, but he knows full well he can no longer beat the best and for that reason, the lust for Joshua and him to settle their beef in the ring has waned.
The British fighter now appears to be holding a very favourable hand and can have his say on who he fights next as he hopes to challenge either Fury or Usyk next year. Not too long ago there were fears over the future of AJ’s career. Back-to-back defeats against Usyk and a defeat to Andy Ruiz in 2019 had sounded alarm bells over whether the former WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion was starting to drop off the pace of the front-runners in the heavyweight division.
But his comeback after those devastating defeats by Usyk has been excellent. Four wins in four, with the most recent being a sensational second-round knockout against Francis Ngannou in March. Yes, Ngannou doesn’t have the same boxing experience as Joshua, but he is a big hitter and could have easily landed a brutal blow to floor the 34-year-old in the same way he knocked down Fury.
Wilder (left) was tested during his his trio of bouts against Fury (right) but perhaps those fights may have taken something out of the Bronze Bomber
So what’s next for Joshua?
It seems he’ll either get a domestic dust-up with Daniel Dubois or will attempt to banish some southpaw demons against Zhang.
Neither, though, are the sexiest of replacements for the once formidable Wilder. In some ways a fight against Zhang could prove to be a smart move commercially, considering his large following in China. But equally, the thought of an all-British heavyweight bout at Wembley may be an enticing thought for many, even Alalshikh.
The Saudi boxing chief wants to break the attendance record for the most fans at Wembley for a boxing match, a record that was set by Dillian Whyte and Fury, when 94,000 fans watched their Wembley showdown back in 2022.
Putting the commercial aspects aside, Joshua simply needs to stay sharp as he waits until Fury and Usyk’s rematch is decided on December 21.
Joshua (pictured) must now stay sharp ahead of a potential meeting with Fury or Usyk next year
Joshua can now set up a fight later this year against Daniel Dubois (left) or Zhang (right)
The three are operating at the top of boxing’s heavyweight division and the gap between them and the rest of the division is larger than anyone had thought. While every heavyweight fight is a dangerous one, Joshua, Fury and Usyk are currently in a class of their own.
Equally, Joshua’s defeats by Usyk already look a lot better now after Fury’s split decision loss in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago.
Simultaneously, Wilder’s demise is starting to diminish the Gypsy King’s victories too. While the Ukrainian heavyweight sits at the top of the division, intrigue still grows around a possible bout between Fury and Joshua, a contest that is now far closer on paper than many would have thought 12 months ago.
While Fury banked approximately £81.2million from his bout against Usyk, no one in the heavyweight division has ridden the Saudi wave better than Joshua.
After rising as the face of UK boxing and ushering in a boom period for the sport in his homeland a decade ago, Joshua may have to be patient but will likely have his shot at immortality.
But intrigue still grows around an all-British fight between Joshua (left) and Fury (right)
Benn’s struggles to wash-off doping woes
Conor Benn’s doping suspension will prove another tough blow for British boxing fans. His fighting future in the UK has been left hanging in the balance after Mail Sport exclusively revealed in March that UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBoC) had won an appeal against a verdict to lift his temporary suspension.
It appears his ban has now been reimposed after Benn had twice tested positive for the banned substance clomifene back in 2022.
It is such a shame to see considering the raw talent that Benn possesses. He is one of the most talented athletes in the sport, considering his aggression, punching power and fiery reactions.
Conor Benn (pictured) is an exciting talent but he is currently suspended by the BBoC and UKAD
Can Eubank Jr realise his potential?
There is no doubt Chris Eubank Jr has all the qualities to become a top fighter. But it seems he just lacks a bit of direction.
Exacting revenge on Liam Smith may have gone a long way in rebuilding his confidence, but the 34-year-old must tread carefully over his next steps. That is coupled by the recent announcement that he had become a free agent on X (formerly Twitter).
While it appears a fight with Benn is now off the cards, Eubank Jr is out to find a new opponent and seemingly lit the touchpaper on rumours that he could face off against former undisputed lightweight champion Terence Crawford.
But Crawford will now be fighting Israil Madrimov, and Eubank must find a top opponent to test himself at the top level in the meantime.
He is one of the biggest names in British boxing but whether he can sell out Wembley as the likes of Joshua and Fury can remains to be seen.
Chris Eubank Jr (centre) is currently looking for his next big fight after exacting revenge on Liam Smith
Hearn is all smiles despite suffering defeat
While Eddie Hearn suffered another landslide defeat against Frank Warren on Saturday, with the Queensberry promoter securing a landslide 5-0 defeat against Matchroom, Hearn was still smiling after the event.
Warren’s fighters dominated Hearn’s, yet while the latter may be licking his wounds, he will have been reimbursed very well following the Saudi event.
If Alalshikh is providing two of England’s most bitter promoters with enough money to seemingly play nice, then that’s all you need to know about the power the Saudi executive wields in boxing.
Money talks and it’s likely we’ll only see the biggest fights in London or Las Vegas when Saudi Arabia doesn’t want them.
Eddie Hearn (right) suffered a clean sweep against his rival Frank Warren (left) at the 5v5 event on Saturday
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