Jared Anderson is the highest-ranked American at No. 14. Anderson, who has won 18 of 19 fights with 15 stoppages, suffered a fifth-round loss to Martin Bakole in 2024, which halted his rise. Since then, he has had only one fight, defeating Marios Kollias by decision. This confined activity slowed his return to solemn title contention.
American challengers are still rebuilding their position
Richard Torrez Jr. ranks 15th and remains one of the most promising heavyweights in the country. Torrez improved his record to 14 wins and 12 knockouts after defeating Guido Vianello and Tomas Salek in 2025. His progress is still improving, but his ranking shows that he is still working on a position and is not close to a title shot.
Jarrell Miller ranks 23rd and remains out of reach for the championship. Miller lost to Daniel Dubois in 2023 and later drew against Andy Ruiz Jr. These results prevented him from securing the victory needed to enter mandatory territory.
Former champion Deontay Wilder ranks 30th. Wilder has stopped 43 opponents in 44 wins, but recent losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang have changed his position in the league. He returned from a victory over Tyrell Herndon and is scheduled to face Derek Chisora in April. His ranking reflects the difficulty of returning to title contention at age 40 after multiple defeats.
Stephan Shaw comes in at No. 44 after rebuilding from his 2023 loss to Joseph Goodall. Shaw has won three fights in a row, including a win over Raphael Akpejiori, but based on his current standing, he remains well out of championship reach.
Oleksandr Usyk holds the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBC titles and remains a central figure in the division. Fabio Wardley currently holds the WBO interim title and is scheduled to defend it against Daniel Dubois in May.
The rankings confirm that American heavyweight fighters are still rebuilding their position, and the championship image remains under the control of fighters from outside the United States.
Ken Hissner is a senior boxing journalist at Boxing News 24 with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Known for his in-ring reporting, detailed results and historical perspective, he provides authoritative coverage of boxing through the eras.