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Deontay Wilder is taking back America after ending his 4,296-day reign

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Deontay Wilder smiles during a media appearance with a United States flag behind him

Deontay Wilder has reclaimed his place as the top-rated American heavyweight less than a year after his 4,296-day streak at the top of the pack in the United States finally ended.

Last year, Wilder overtook Richard Torrez Jr. after more than a decade as America’s top heavyweight champion, but one win over Derek Chisora ​​put the “Bronze Bomber” back ahead of the undefeated Olympic silver medalist.

The latest WBC list places Wilder in sixth place and Torrez in ninth place, down three spots. This is a real change for Wilder: Torrez moved forward, but the takeover didn’t last long.

WBN first calculated that the period was 4,296 days when Torrez moved over Wilder, making this latest change a direct reversal of the longest American heavyweight reign in the current rankings picture.

Torrez’s rise looked like a possible changing of the guard in the American heavyweight division. Instead, Wilder took the spot before the 26-year-old could properly take up the role.

The same rankings also confirmed Tyson Fury’s return to the top spot after his victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov, with the WBC heavyweight list now filled with British fighters.

Wilder regains his place in the USA

Wilder’s return to America’s top spot comes just months after Torrez became the first American heavyweight to overtake him in the WBC rankings in twelve years.

The former WBC heavyweight champion maintained that position in the country through title reigns, defeats, inactivity and the latter stages of his career. The loss of this award marked Wilder’s first real break from the American heavyweight scene. Taking him away keeps him alive in a division that has started to grow.

This is not a detail that can be overlooked. Wilder’s name is still bigger than any other American name in his area, and his punching power remains the one thing that every challenger and champion in this division must respect.

MF Pro

Stalls along the WBC Belt route

The former WBC champion could face Oleksandr Usyk for the world title later this month as the WBC gave the Ukrainian a voluntary window.

Instead, Wilder stuck to his agreement to fight Chisora, a decision that could ultimately cost him the clearest route back to the WBC belt.

Wilder has another path to the WBC title if the heavyweight fight stalls. Bridgeweight champion Kevin Lerena told World Boxing News he will “100 percent” give Wilder a chance to win the 224-pound crown, while maintaining the possibility that Wilder will retire as a two-weight world champion.

This option gives Wilder a second path to a world title, and his return to heavyweight restored his domestic ranking without giving him back control of the world title fight.

The WBC’s decision earlier this year to create an interim championship line around Agit Kabayel puts Wilder in an odd position. He’s once again above all American heavyweights in the WBC rankings, still unsafe enough to matter, and still waiting for the championship picture to open up.

Currently, the cleanest scenario in the heavyweight division may involve Kabayel finally being elevated to full champion after Usyk faces Rico Verhoeven.

WBC list of British heavyweight fighters

As well as Wilder reclaiming the US number one, the latest rankings also highlight how much the WBC heavyweight picture is currently tilting towards the UK.

Fury remains on top despite two defeats to Usyk, and Itauma’s rapid rise to third place continues to fuel expectations that the youthful contender is being aggressively pushed towards a future title fight.

Joshua also remains at the top of the division despite his inactivity, while Okolie remains in second place despite his drug testing controversy.

The concentration of British names in the rankings gives this list a second Wilder comeback story. America has its top heavyweight champion back, but the wider WBC picture is being cluttered by UK fighters.

But for Wilder, the headline is national. The 4,296-day winning streak ended, Torrez took the lead, and the former WBC champion returned to this position.

Whether this becomes a route to the heavyweight title, a bridgeweight gamble or just a rankings win now depends on what the WBC does next with Usyk, Kabayel, Lerena and the belts floating around the Wilder name.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Boxing

Fury vs Joshua Tickets Now Available for Highly Anticipated British Heavyweight Clash

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"Fury vs Joshua Tickets Now Available for Highly Anticipated British Heavyweight Clash"

World Boxing News has found tickets for Tyson Fury’s long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua already being offered online despite no official confirmation that Britain’s biggest heavyweight fight has been signed.

Multiple ticket websites are advertising seats for the proposed contest, one complete with seating plans, pricing and availability, despite no official announcement from either fighter or their promoters.

The listingsfor a November 21 clash at Wembley Stadium have fuelled speculation that Fury and Joshua are finally on course to meet after both returned to winning ways this month.

Fury stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand before Joshua recovered from two first-round knockdowns to halt Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.

Ticket Listings Raise Questions

One ticket marketplace is already claiming to be selling secondary seats, while another company is taking registrations despite acknowledging that key details are still to be confirmed.

The sale has naturally sparked excitement among fans desperate to see Britain’s biggest heavyweight rivalry finally settled after years of failed negotiations, retirement announcements and missed opportunities.

However, none of the major parties involved in the negotiations have officially confirmed the contest.

Still Plenty to Be Decided

How tickets can be on sale for a fight that isn’t even confirmed is anyone’s guess. While some websites are already advertising Fury vs. Joshua seats, there’s no guarantee any of the details prove accurate until the fight is officially announced.

The proposed staging also raises questions for one obvious reason: the British weather. Holding the biggest fight in UK boxing outdoors at that time of year would be a significant gamble given how unpredictable conditions can be.

Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn proved a major late-autumn event can work when they fought at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year. However, Fury vs. Joshua is on another level commercially, and risking Britain’s biggest heavyweight showdown in freezing temperatures or heavy rain would be a bold call.

If the fight does happen on British soil during that period, the safest option would surely be a stadium with a roof. That immediately brings Cardiff’s Principality Stadium into the conversation, offering organisers protection from the elements without taking the event away from British fans.

Even then, there remains a strong belief that the powers behind the event would still prefer the United States.

For now, the appearance of tickets is simply the latest twist in a rivalry that has frustrated British boxing fans for years.

Until Fury, Joshua and the promoters officially announce the fight, supporters should treat any ticket listings as speculative, no matter how convincing they appear.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

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Heavyweight Shocks Again: Tyson Fury Left Bloodied and Knocked Out Cold

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"Heavyweight Shocks Again: Tyson Fury Left Bloodied and Knocked Out Cold"

Otto Wallin, the heavyweight who left Tyson Fury covered in blood and was later stopped by Anthony Joshua, suffered another crushing setback when Vladyslav Sirenko knocked him out cold in the final round of their Zuffa Boxing clash in New York.

Wallin was trailing on all three scorecards before Sirenko landed a devastating right hand followed by a left hook in the closing seconds of the tenth and final round.

The Swedish southpaw crashed to the canvas and remained down long enough for a stretcher to be brought into the ring, although he later sat up and responded to medical staff.

From Tyson Fury Scare To Another Knockout

Wallin’s career has become one of the heavyweight division’s biggest “what if” stories.

In 2019, he came within touching distance of ending Tyson Fury’s unbeaten record after opening a horrific cut above the Briton’s right eye that required 47 stitches. Many believed the contest could have been stopped before Fury battled through to win on points.

Speaking exclusively to World Boxing News three years later, Wallin insisted the fight would have been waved off had the roles been reversed.

“I think the cuts that he had were very bad. He had 47 stitches after the fight. If I had those cuts, the doctors would have stopped the fight, for sure,” Wallin told WBN.

Despite that disappointment, Wallin rebuilt his career by defeating current WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev before earning high-profile clashes with Joshua and Derek Chisora.

His defeat to Joshua ended in a fifth-round stoppage. This latest loss to Sirenko marks the second knockout defeat of Wallin’s career and leaves the 35-year-old facing the toughest questions yet over his future.

Zuffa Boxing

Vladyslav Sirenko Scores Career-Best Win

For Sirenko, the victory represented the biggest win of his professional career.

The Ukrainian improved to 23-1 with 20 knockouts by stopping one of the heavyweight division’s most respected contenders after bouncing back from last year’s defeat to Solomon Dacres.

Wallin once looked destined for another world title opportunity after pushing Fury to the brink and defeating future WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev.

Two knockout defeats later, that dream looks further away than ever.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

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Terence Crawford Declares One Current Fighter Unbeatable: He Will Take Over

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Terence Crawford Declares One Current Fighter Unbeatable: "He Will Take Over"

Terence Crawford believes one man will follow in his footsteps and retire as an unbeaten world champion, essentially becoming a generational great in the process.

‘Bud’ became not only a world champion but a three-division undisputed king, ending his career with a legacy-defining unanimous decision triumph over Canelo Alvarez.

Even before that, Crawford was considered an elite pound-for-pound operator for over a decade, with many believing his most complete performance came against Errol Spence Jr in 2023.

But while the American is perhaps in a class of his own, he nonetheless believes that four-division world champion Shakur Stevenson can achieve a similar degree of success.

The 29-year-old claimed a career-best victory in January, losing just one round as he dethroned Teofimo Lopez with a masterful unanimous decision victory.

Having now signed with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, though, it remains to be seen whether he defends his WBO super-lightweight title or pursues opportunities elsewhere.

Either way, Crawford has told Fight Hub TV that Stevenson has the mental and physical attributes to remain unbeaten at the highest level.

“I think Shakur [will take over]for sure, Shakur hands down. I think, given the opportunity, he’s going to show the world that he’s the best. His mental, his defense [sets him apart]takes his craft serious. He’s the type of the fighter that you gotta pull out the gym. [Is he beatable?] Not at all. Everybody [is] beatable, but I don’t see nobody beating him.”

Since inking a promotional deal with Zuffa, Stevenson has named Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis as two potential opponents who would cement his greatness.

The slick southpaw could therefore compete anywhere between lightweight and 147lbs, depending on which division offers the most realistic opportunities.

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