Boxing
Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, Tyson Fury: ranking of the 10 best British heavyweight of all time
Published
8 months agoon
For decades, British ponderous scales were known in the United States as “heavyweight horizontal”, this was their story in the fight for the title of world champion.
But this changed in the 1990s with the appearance of Lennox Lewis.
On Saturday, Daniel Dubois will try to become the third British who will be the undisputed ponderous world champion.
Ten boxers who were born in Great Britain had global heavyweight titles, while others bravely failed Global Glory.
– in the Usyk camp: behind the scenes with the heavyweight champion
– Dubois plans to free “chaos” to Usyk
Each list will create a debate – even about whether people on it should be classified as British.
ESPN breaks the 10 best British heavyweight of all time.
10. Daniel Dubois
Dubois became a champion after winning the IBF ephemeral title with winning in the eighth round over Filip Hrgovic, before he was promoted (without throwing a blow) to the full world champion, when Utyk gave up the belt last year. In the stunning first defense in September in September, Dubois four times four times on the way to win in round 5 sealed the former master Anthony Joshua on the way to victory in round 5.
27 -year -old Dubois bounced from two losses: against the English rival Joe Joyce (2020) and Utyk (2023). The British argue to get a reasonable knocking down when he challenged Usyk for the titles of WBA, IBF and WBO World, but was considered a low blow.
Then Usyk dropped Dubois in round 8 and knocked him out in the next round. Although Dubois had a great win on Joshua, time will tell if the former master has passed the best. Dubois needs another great win to raise on this list.
9. Tommy Farr
Welshman Farr, a former miner, made a brave effort against the great Joe Louis before 36 903 at the Yankee stadium in 1937.
Farr entered the fight, released as a no-hoper, but took the first distance master who did it in over 15 rounds-not the floor before losing a unanimous decision.
The Fresh York crowd even booed the result. Over 2 million people fought to listen to the fight on the radio in Great Britain. The following year, Farr lost his decisions for Max Baer and James J. Braddock.
8. Sir Henry Cooper
In 1963, 35,000 fans saw Muhammad Ali – then known as Cassius Clay – stopped Cooper on the cut on the previous floor at the Wembley stadium.
The left hook of Cooper – known as “Enry’s Ammer” – sent Ali to the canvas in round 4, but the Englishman was inclined to cuts, and was detained in the next round.
Three years later, Ali stopped Cooper again in cuts. It was the first world fight for the title of heavyweight in England for 58 years and was news on the first page, and the millions listened to him live on the radio shortly before the start of the World Championships in England in 1966. Ali’s exact blows left Cooper’s face covered with blood, and the fight was stopped in the sixth round.
7. Joe Bugner
The Bugner, who moved to Great Britain from Hungary in childhood, and later moved in Australia, twice in 1973 and 1975 he lost the distance to Muhammad Ali.
Bugner, who in 1975 underwent 15 rounds from Ali for the unquestioned title in Kuala Lumpur, defeated such as Jimmy Ellis, Jurgen Blin and Henry Cooper (controversial), but his rivals in Great Britain were more popular.
6. Frank Bruno
Bruno finally managed to win the title of world champion during the fourth attempt, but it’s best to remember the two losses of stopping the title of the world vs. Mike Tyson.
The Londonian was not in any way, but he gave Tyson a great fear in his first meeting for all three world titles in 1989. After returning after early knocking after only 12 seconds Bruno, and then torn out the heavyweight champion with his right hand and the left hook.
Tyson was at the top and found his rhythm in the fifth round to overwhelm Bruno with a wave of blows. Bruno was paralyzed with fear in the 1996 rematch and was destroyed in three rounds.
But Bruno won the exhausting meeting with Oliver McCall to win the WBC title about the point decisions in Wembley in 1995. Bruno lost to the best opposition, such as Tyson, James “Bonecrusher” Smith, Tim Witherspoon and Lennox Lewis.
5. David Haye
After unifying the world titles in the cruiser scale in the first defense in 2008, the Londonian overcame huge defects in height and weight to win the title of WBA World Heavywweight from Nikolai Valuev according to the decisions of the majority points in 2009.
It was Haye’s third fight as a ponderous weight when he defeated a seven-stone defect to defeat the Russian warrior. Haye (217 pounds) was too mobile and cleverly packed in a 7-meter, 316 pounds Valuev, which rose over 6-3 Haye.
Haye made two defense, after which she lost the title Vladimir Klitschko in points in the fight for the title of unification in 2011. Valuev is not considered one of the best heavyweight masters in history, and Haye did not shine when it mattered vs. Klitschko.
4. Anthony Joshua
The two -time moment of the world champion came when he left the canvas to knock out the former long -term world champion Vladimir Klitschko in round 11 before 90,000 at the Wembley stadium in 2017. Joshua was knocked out by Dubois seven years later, before 96,000 in the same place, and since then not Fear.
AJ ruled as a master in 2016–2019, and then from 2019 to 2021, and also provided the stunning KO of the former UFC Francis Ngannou champion in August 2024.
His knockout power made him one of the largest crowds in the history of British boxing.
Joshua won the titles of WBA, IBF and WBO, but he lost points twice for Usyk, as well as suffering a humiliating losing KO with Andy Ruiz in 2019. His record in the fighting titles is nine wins, four defeats.
35 -year -old Joshua is expected this year, and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, said that 2026 would be his last.
3. Tyson Fury
Fury was outclassed by Wladimir Klitschko with movement and boxing skills to win the titles of WBA, WBO and IBF in Germany in 2015, but he never defended belts because of problems with depression, drugs and alcohol.
Fury returned to boxing three years later and survived the knocking in rounds 9 and 12 to get a draw vs. WBC champion Deontay Wilder. In their rematch in 2020, Fury became the third British boxer (after Lennox Lewis and Bob Fitzsimmons), who won the world championship title on American land, when he detained Wilder in round 7 and became a two -time world champion.
When Fury met with the American again in 2021, he produced 11 rounds to confirm his status of heavyweight leading in the world.
After winning the detention on the English rivals of Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, Fury did not beat the best of his era twice when Usyk won two points last year.
Fury’s heritage will be defined by these failures, while the potentially the biggest fight in his career, compared to Joshua’s English rival, is threatened that it will not happen.
Fury, 37 years in August, suggested a return in April 2026. Fury has 5-2-1 in the fight for the title of world champion.
2. Bob Fitzsimmons
Fitzsimmons, who moved from Cornwall in England to Fresh Zealand at the age of 11, defeated James J. Corbett for the title of world champion at Carson City, Nevada, which was a shock and huge global news in 1897.
Fitzsimmons increased from being a champion of world medium weight, and Corbett was a heavyweight champion.
Corbett, who surpassed Fitzsimmons by 16 pounds, was detained by the Englishman in the 14th round. Then Fitzsimmons lost the title in the first defense of James J. Jeffries on Brooklyn in 1899, and the American knocked out Fitzsimmons in the 1902 rematch in San Francisco, when Fitzsimmons remained an hidden in the eighth round.
A year later, Fitzsimmons became the world champion in three importance when he won the world heavyweight title.
1. Lennox Lewis
Lewis, who left London at the age of 12 to live in Canada, became the undisputed champion in 1999, 100 years after the end of two -year rule of Fitzsimmon as a heavyweight king.
The three -time world champion defeated Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko. Lewis was denied the undisputed glory by a scandalous draw against Holyfield in 1999, but he achieved justice in a rematch later the same year with a unanimous decision in Las Vegas.
Lewis produced stunning winnings vs. Hasim Rahman, Frans Botha and faded Tyson. Lewis defeated the crisis to defeat Klitschko, and Avenged defeated with McCall and Rahman. After losing to McCall, Lewis hired coach McCall, Emanuel Steward, who forced him to operate his reach, boxing skills and stab more.
It was a strategy that served Lewis well when he accumulated a stunning record of 17 wins, 2 losses and a 1 draw in global fights for the title of heavyweight.
I just missed the cut:
Herbie Hive: two -time WBO world champion; He made Michael Bentt in 1994, but Riddick Bowe knocked him out in the 6th round of the first defense; In 1997 he won the WBO belt, stopping Tony Tucker in two rounds, before he was detained in two rounds by Vitali Klitschko in the third defense in 1999.
Danny Williams: Ko’d Mike Tyson in four rounds in July 2004, but then he was flattened by the WBC master Vitali Klitschko less than six months later.
Matt Skelton: He lost his unanimous decision vs. Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA secondary title in 2008.
Don Cockell: In 1955 he made a brave performance vs. Rocky Marciano in the penultimate defense of America. Marciano was lucky to escape with a series of fouls before he stopped Cockella in round 9.
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Boxing
Derek Chisora makes his feelings clear about Conor Benn leaving Eddie Hearn for Zuffa
Published
2 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
Derek Chisora has shared his opinion on Conor Benn leaving Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and joining Dana White’s Zuffa promotion.
When it was announced last month, it was a huge shock Benn has parted ways with longtime promoter Hearn to join forces with the modern upstart company Zuffa, headed by UFC boss White.
Benn spent his entire career at Matchroom up to 2016, going through many ups and downs during that decade, including the infamous failed drug tests and two epic fights with Chris Eubank Jr last year.
He returns to action when he faces Regis Prograis in a 150 catchweight bout on April 11 at Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov, for which he will reportedly receive a purse worth $15 million.
It is because of this number that heavyweight contender Chisora has no objection to Benn leaving Hearn. saying Playbook Boxing that his compatriot did the right thing.
“We both know the saying: If you want to be steadfast, you buy what? A dog. I’m not steadfast. No one is steadfast when someone comes along and says, ‘You know what?’ I will give you this much money. Come with me.”
“Let’s not try to tell ourselves that what this teenage man did was so bad. He made a good deal. If he turns it down, you’ll think, ‘Oh, you’re fools. Why did you turn it down? Oh, you’re steadfast to Eddie.’ No, fuck it, man.
Chisora must prepare for his own fight next month when he faces former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder at the O2 Arena on April 4.
Boxing
Jazza Dickens: “I finally got a chance when no one believed in me”
Published
4 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
WHAT JERSEY DOES What do Joe Walcott, Archie Moore and James “Jazza” Dickens have in common?
All three have shown incredible resilience on their journey from their professional debut to winning the world title. It took Walcott (heavyweight) 21 years in 1951, Moore (lithe heavyweight) 17 years in 1952, and Dickens (junior lightweight) 14 years and 319 days.
Dickens added his name to the list of boxers who have the longest time to win their first world title since their professional debut, when he was promoted from interim WBA champion to full world champion in December after Lamont Roach was stripped of his world title belt.
Dickens (36-5, 15 KO), 34, of Liverpool, will step into the ring as a world champion on Saturday for his first defense against Northern Ireland’s Anthony Cacace (24-1, 9 KO), 37, at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Dickens, who traveled from his training base in Dubai after the region was bombed, was scheduled to face Japan’s Hayato Tsutsumi at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Saudi Arabia in December, but was canceled due to Tsutsumi’s injury.
While there are similarities to Cacace’s blossoming career (he stopped Joe Cordina at age 35 to win the IBF junior lightweight title), Dickens’ story is very different from that of superstar world champions like Oleksandr Usyk, Naoya Inoue and Ryan Garcia.
Dickens had to work challenging without the support of his main promoter, struggling with knockout defeats, passivity and boxing politics. His career was very different from the attention and wealth enjoyed by his fellow Englishmen Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Conor Benn.
At times, Dickens wondered whether his career would ever reach the same heights as it did in 2016, when he challenged Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux for the WBA junior featherweight world title and was stopped slow in the second round with a broken jaw.
BUT Dickens has changed his career in 2025. First came a 10-round points victory over Zelfa Barrett, before Dickens knocked out Russia’s Albert Batyrgaziev, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist, in the 4th round to win the interim WBA junior lightweight title in Turkey.
“There were times when I thought, ‘What is this all about?’ When things were really challenging,” Dickens told ESPN.
“I believe if you listen, God is teaching you, but I wondered, ‘What are you trying to teach me?’ sometimes. I’m glad I was patient all these years because I finally got a chance when no one believed in me. The most significant thing that happened was the opportunities, that’s why I’m here now as a world champion.”
“These opportunities came when people thought I had had enough. When I got knocked out [Hector Andres] Sauce [in July 2023]people thought I was finished. There were a lot of things going on behind the scenes leading up to this fight, but I got knocked out and it didn’t look good.
“People thought I was done after that fight, and Batyrgaziev thought it would be an straightforward fight against me, but I went out there and dominated.”
JUST LIKE THE RING the legends of Moore and Walcott, Dickens showed unwavering perseverance in pursuing his goal.
Dickens, who has won four fights since his last defeat, has repeatedly rebuilt his career. After being stopped by Kid Galahad in 2013, Dickens suffered back-to-back losses to Rigondeaux and Thomas Patrick Ward in 2016 and 2017. After another loss to Galahad in 2021 and a crushing loss to Sosa, Dickens started 2025 far from world title contention.
“I joined my coach Albert Aryrapetyan a year ago and moving to Dubai to train has been a key part of my career,” Dickens told ESPN.
“He was the only person who answered me when I needed a coach. The phone didn’t ring, no one wanted to know, but since I became champion, he hasn’t stopped calling. We joined forces before the fight with Barrett, and Albert put together a good game plan for that fight and for the fight with Batyrgaziev.
“Since those defeats against Rigondeaux and Galahad, I always go to the gym, trying to get better, trying to develop, that hasn’t changed. What has changed? Perhaps I have grown mentally, as happens with age in any sport or job.”
After completing one of the longest world title journeys in boxing history, Dickens also now manages boxers under the banner of Integrity Boxing Management with Mitchell Walsh.
“We called it honesty boxing because there’s not a lot of honesty in boxing,” Dickens told ESPN.
“We don’t do this for a fee, it’s my pleasure and my reward is seeing the smiles on the faces of the boxers and their families.”
Boxing
Eddie Hearn says Turki Alalshikh will expect more from Zuffa Boxing
Published
6 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
Promoter Matchroom has suggested that the acts staged so far will struggle to meet the standards set by Alalshikh with the season’s events in Riyad, which feature headline fights, packed houses and global attention.
“He’ll be sitting there watching Zuffa perform and he won’t be very impressed,” Hearn told Ariel Helwani while discussing the current boxing landscape.
Hearn explained that Alalshikh’s expectations for boxing highlights are based on recognizable fighters, sturdy cards and an atmosphere usually associated with stadium cards. The Saudi emphasis on boxing has placed an emphasis on major fights between top fighters, gigantic venues and international distribution that puts the sport in front of a global audience.
“He loves substantial shows. He loves substantial fights. He loves deep cards, substantial names, sold out stadiums and the buzz of boxing,” Hearn said, describing Alalshikh’s approach to the sport.
The Saudi official played a key role in the recent series of high-profile boxing events surrounding the Riyad season, many of which featured top champions and challengers from multiple divisions. These cards included major heavyweight and other title fights that attracted worldwide attention.
Zuffa had only recently entered the boxing industry, and its early events were held on a smaller stage than many of the season’s events in Riyad. Several shows were held in smaller venues and focused on brand building rather than staging major title fights.
Hearn believes the difference will remain noticeable as the project continues to develop and try to establish itself in the sport. In his opinion, the early cards had not yet matched the scale and depth of the events that had become common during the Riyad Season era.
For Hearn, the standards for major boxing events are already clear and any fresh promotion entering this space will ultimately be judged against them. From his perspective, early Zuffa cards simply hadn’t reached that level yet.
Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
Derek Chisora makes his feelings clear about Conor Benn leaving Eddie Hearn for Zuffa
Anthony Joshua abandons the UK for Dubai as the boxing star moves amid terrifying scenes in the Middle East
Jazza Dickens: “I finally got a chance when no one believed in me”
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