Boxing

Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, Tyson Fury: ranking of the 10 best British heavyweight of all time

Published

1 year ago

July 16, 2025

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.

Boxing

Devin Haney Confident Ahead of Dec. 19 Title Unification Battle with Liam Paro

Published

10 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Devin Haney Confident Ahead of Dec. 19 Title Unification Battle with Liam Paro"

A formal press release was issued today announcing the December 19 welterweight title unification between Devin Haney and Liam Paro at San Francisco’s Chase Center, and in anticipation of the meeting with a co-feature of Brian Norman vs Abel RamosHaney shared his excitement for what he expects to be another successful outing to snag some more hardware.

“My resume speaks for itself,” Haney said. “I’ve never been afraid to go into a champion’s backyard and put my record on the line. I went to Australia, took George Kambosos’ belts, and became undisputed lightweight champion of the world. Now I’m bringing another Australian world champion, Liam Paro, into my backyard. This time, I plan to take his belt and become a unified welterweight world champion right here at home.
“Oakland is where my story started, and the Bay Area has always been part of who I am. The Valkyries just brought a championship to Chase Center, and on December 19, I plan to keep that championship energy going.

“I made history in Australia. Now it’s time to make history at home.”

Paro, however hopes to upset the odds, knowing he’ll be coming into this fight as a decided underdog.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis,” Paro said. “I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it’s here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard.

“I’ve never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people. Devin’s a great fighter and I respect that. But I’ve been the underdog plenty of times and I’ve made history before. December 19, I’m coming to unify the division and make more history.”

With the WBO and IBF welterweight world titles on the line, one fight will be heading into the new year halfway to undisputed.

Boxing

Liam Paro Set to Face Devin Haney at Chase Center for Title Showdown

Published

10 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Liam Paro Set to Face Devin Haney at Chase Center for Title Showdown"

Liam Paro served as supporting cast the last time Devin Haney headlined at Chase Center. Come December 19, he walks into San Francisco carrying the IBF welterweight title, gunning to strip Haney of his WBO strap.

Three years transformed Paro from an undercard face into a headline attraction. He watched Haney shut out Regis Prograis from the locker room in December 2023. Now he commands the marquee, even if getting US fight fans to open their wallets on pay-per-view presents an uphill battle.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis. I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it is here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard. I have never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people,” Paro stated.

The Australian proved his mettle by snatching the 140-pound crown from Subriel Matias on hostile soil. Richardson Hitchins took it right back six months later, checking Paro’s momentum before mainstream crowds took notice.

The jump to 147 pounds provided the reboot he needed. Three straight wins, capped by a gritty points victory over Lewis Crocker to claim the IBF strap, set the stage for this encounter.

Haney ends a lengthy layoff on home turf. Sitting out more than twelve months makes asking fans to purchase a DAZN PPV against a fighter unknown to mainstream viewers a tough sell. Belts by themselves rarely move the needle at the box office.

Brian Norman Jr. takes on Abel Ramos in the ten-round co-feature. Norman dropped his WBO belt to Haney last November and must now accept undercard placement on his conqueror’s bill.

Paro earned his position the hard way. December 19 decides if his punch output can upset the hometown favorite or if Haney cruises behind his jab.

Boxing

Tyson Fury Dismantles Wilders Career: A Turning Point in Their Ongoing Rivalry

Published

12 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Tyson Fury Dismantles Wilder's Career: A Turning Point in Their Ongoing Rivalry"

Tyson Fury sees little point in Deontay Wilder stepping inside a ring again, an inconvenient stance given Wilder’s spot on his upcoming December 11 card. Labeling the former champion “shot to bits” severely undercuts Jai Opetaia’s heavyweight entrance, turning a marquee pairing into an exercise in past glory.

Wilder meets the undefeated cruiserweight ruler at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, supporting the Netflix headliner between Fury and Anthony Joshua. Opetaia carries a spotless 31-0 record into the division. Wilder enters at 45-4-1. While the American’s presence guarantees instant marquee value, Fury openly questions if any real substance remains.

“Silly for Deontay’s part,” Fury remarked to FightHype regarding the bout. “He shouldn’t be nowhere near a ring. It’s a dying shame that this man has to continue to fight when he’s shot to bits.”

Fury argued Wilder should have walked away after their brutal 2021 trilogy finale. He referenced Wilder’s narrow split decision over Derek Chisora in April to illustrate the decline, pointing out that Chisora walked through shots that once ended nights instantly.

This goes well beyond standard fight banter or favoring the younger fighter. Fury insists any ring appearance by Wilder is a mistake, no matter the rival. Sharing thirty rounds across three savage encounters gives his assessment real credibility, even with his typical theatrical flair taken into account.

That leaves promoters with an awkward narrative. Wilder’s box office appeal relies entirely on the sudden violence of his equalizer. If the card’s headline attraction claims that thunder is gone, fans are paying for nostalgia rather than prime danger.

Opetaia faces a distinct reputational limit because of it. A dominant performance adds a legendary heavyweight scalp to his ledger, yet it will not convince skeptics he can challenge the division elite. Fury provided the counterargument months in advance: the opponent should have stepped away long ago.

The move up remains hazardous for the Australian. Stepping up in weight brings obvious physical disadvantages, and assuming Wilder is completely toothless would be reckless. Opetaia must rely on sharp footwork, making the veteran chase shadows instead of giving him a stationary target.

Diminished skills can still pack enough punch to alter someone venturing north of 200 pounds. Even so, this version barely resembles the wrecking ball who defended the WBC belt ten times.

Fury tore through the promotional sheen around this contest. Opetaia gets his crack at the famous Bronze Bomber name, but the card’s top star insists the man in Cardiff belongs in the crowd, not under the lights.

What’s interesting is how Fury is eager to declare Wilder finished, yet plenty of fans see his main event with Joshua as two faded names cashing in before the wheels fall off completely.

If Joshua catches him and puts him away early, the reaction will be merciless. The narrative will immediately flip to Fury being a shell of the giant who outboxed Wladimir Klitschko or battered Wilder in their rematch.

When a fighter spends years taking heavy punishment, blowing up between camps, and showing diminished punch resistance, the drop-off rarely happens gradually. It comes all at once.

Ever since the Francis Ngannou knockdown, Fury’s aura of invincibility has vanished. He was hurt badly and dropped by Oleksandr Usyk, and even in his recent bouts against big punchers like Arslanbek Makhmudov, he showed far less mobility and far more vulnerability to clean shots. His legs do not bail him out of trouble the way they used to.

Joshua rebuilt his career against lower-tier opposition, Kristian Prenga, and a crossover fight with Jake Paul, but the memory of being taken apart by Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk, and flattened by Andy Ruiz Jr. never truly disappeared. He remains cautious, mechanical, and prone to freezing.

If Joshua lands the clean right hand and flattens him, Fury will not have any room to complain about the commentary that follows. You cannot publicly brand your former rival a walking corpse on your undercard, then expect sympathy when the boxing public decides Father Time caught up to you on the very same night.