After Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury created a classic in their undisputed world heavyweight title fight, you wondered if they were in a league of their own.

In a thrilling fight, Usyk (22-0, 14 KO) won a split decision after coming close to stopping Fury (34-1-1, 24 KO) in a tumultuous ninth round on Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad. Saudi Arabia. Fury, who was counted out in round 9, had his moments and controlled the early rounds.

Former world champion Anthony Joshua leads the pack chasing Fury and Usyk in terms of form, stature and profile, but who are the heavyweight contenders to watch out for who could be fighting for titles soon?

Some of the top names in the division have suffered recent setbacks or have looked far from dominant in recent fights. Meanwhile, some emerging players are climbing the ranks.

Here are the fighters in the title fight, starting with the rising Joshua.

Top contender

Joshua (28-3, 25 KO) is probably in the best shape of any fighter on this list. The 34-year-old recovered from consecutive decision losses to Usyk (2021 and 2022) and a stoppage defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. (2019) to prepare for what is expected to be a breakthrough for the vacant IBF title on September 21.

Joshua looked cautious and nervous during his unanimous decision victory over Jermaine Franklin Jr. following a second loss to Usyk, but he has continued to improve in each of his last three fights, culminating in a vicious second-round KO of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis. Ngannou in March. Ngannou was a two-fight novice to professional boxing, but he defeated Fury by split decision last October.

The two-time heavyweight champion is in hazardous form and his confidence has seemingly been fully restored. Ngannou’s knockout was one of the best finishes of his professional career, which began after winning a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.

And all the biggest fights in the heavyweight division, apart from the Fury vs. Usyk rematch, involve Joshua. Joshua vs. Fury, after previous attempts to match their English rivals had failed when both were champions; Joshua vs. Usyk III and Joshua vs. former champion Deontay Wilder.

However, Joshua, who reigned as champion from 2016-2019 and then 2019-2021, will first focus on regaining his world title before taking on one of the bigger names.

Middle of the pack

While Joshua, who was at ringside on Saturday, is climbing to the top, the others at the front have fallen. Former interim champion Joe Joyce is in the process of rebuilding his career after being stopped in back-to-back fights by Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KO), a 41-year-old from China who seemed to be on the edge of the world fighting for the title , until he lost a majority decision to Joseph Parker in March.

Zhang isn’t the most mobile in the ring, but his punches are deceptively damaging, as we saw in his match against Joyce. But he could be an effortless target for the extremely striking Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KO), a former WBC champion who insists he has rediscovered his motivation for boxing. Wilder and Zhang will meet on June 1, and both need to win to ensure they remain in the frame for huge fights and huge paydays.

Wilder was at the top of the heavyweight division for some time during his five-year reign until Fury stopped him in seven rounds in 2020, a rematch of a draw in December 2018. Fury knocked out Wilder again in 2021, and the 38-year-old American has since he fought only twice during that time, defeating Robert Helenius in a round, but then looked terrible in a one-sided decision loss to Parker in December.

Like Joshua, Parker (35-3, 23 KO) has recently returned to form. The 32-year-old Modern Zealander disarmed Wilder’s explosive power and won by unanimous decision. The victory brought Parker, a former WBO champion, back into contention and as a top contender for the WBO title, he can expect a chance to fight whoever wins the title next year.

Parker, a good friend of Fury’s who trains with the “Gypsy King” in Morecambe, England, has looked great in his last two fights and has now recorded five straight wins. Joshua overtook Parker in 2018 and a rematch could be on the cards if Joshua vs. Fury doesn’t happen soon.

Agit Kabayel will also play a role in title fights over the next 18 months after impressively stopping Frank Sanchez with seventh-round body shots in a WBC title eliminator on the Fury vs. Usyk.

Kabayel (25-0, 17 KO), of Germany, dropped Sanchez (24-1, 17 KO), 31, first with a two-punch combination to the body and then with a left jab for the knockout. However, Sanchez posed a confined threat and there are better players in the league than 31-year-old Kabayel.

Ruiz (35-2, 22 KO) and Jarrell “Gigantic Baby” Miller, who will clash in a heavyweight bout on Aug. 3, have also fallen in the rankings. Ruiz, a former WBA, IBF and WBO champion, returns from a nearly two-year hiatus after failing to capitalize on a shock stoppage of Joshua five years ago. Miller was retained by Daniel Dubois in December and similarly faded from prominence.

Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KO), a 31-year-old from Zagreb, Croatia, is another fighter who has failed to convince recently. Perhaps he was treading carefully as he waited as the mandatory challenger for the IBF world title. He was part of a nap fight last August against Demsey McKean, then barely broke a sweat against veteran Mark de Mori. His decision to win over Zhang in 2022 was also controversial. However, if Hrgovic can handle Dubois, he could fight Joshua in September and establish himself as one of the main players in the division.

The next generation

Jared Anderson (17-0, 15 KO), perhaps the best hope for a future American to hold the world heavyweight title, has yet to arouse enthusiasm and wide-scale interest. Anderson, from Toledo, Ohio, is only 24 years antique and in the top five in the rankings with three of the world’s four governing bodies, so a world title shot is no longer in the distant future. His program for next year will probably include a fight with a bigger name opponent.

Dubois (20-2, 19 KO) showed weakness in losses to Joyce and Usyk, but showed hazardous strength. The 26-year-old is younger than the likes of Joyce, but he too will lose momentum and status if he is beaten in Saudi Arabia on June 1 by the more experienced Hrgovic.

Moses Itauma (9-0, 7 KO), who also took part in the action in Riyad, is a prospect of the distant future. The 19-year-old Englishman defeated Ilja Mezencev in two rounds in a heavyweight fight. He recorded six of his nine wins by first-round KO and it was another display of his quick hands and strength.

English rivals Fabio Wardley (17-0-1, 16 KO) and Frazer Clarke (8-0-1, 6 KO) recently achieved a brilliant draw, but they are still out of the fight for the world title. Efe Ajagba (20-1, 14 KO), from Nigeria but living in Texas, is another fighter who is still learning his craft and trying to establish himself in a crowded division. He needs more time before he can fight for world titles.

Long shot

Dillian Whyte (30-3, 20 KO) also needs to make up for lost ground and it is unlikely that he will appear in a title fight soon. The Londoner recorded an effortless victory in March, which was his first fight since clearing himself of doping charges. He was scheduled to face Joshua in August 2023, but the fight was canceled after the 36-year-old returned a “negative” doping test result. Whyte, from south London, is in the top 10 rankings of four major governing bodies. Fury comfortably stopped Whyte in 2022, and the boxer’s best hope for a huge fight may be a rematch with Joshua.

Evander Holyfield says former opponent Mike Tyson has two ways to beat Jake Paul when the two fighters fight on July 20.

Holyfield, who was fighting the same age as his rival when he lost in the first round to Vitor Belfort, outlined the only weapon in Tyson’s arsenal. The Real Deal says that if Tyson doesn’t land as well, it could be a long night for the youngest-ever heavyweight champion.

When asked in an interview with Fight Hub TV if Mike would lose if he thought it would hurt boxing, Holyfield replied: “I personally wouldn’t take it that way.

“This man has fought his whole life for whatever reason he chose to fight. We already know that he won’t be as swift as him, but if he catches up, we know that you will not lose strength [with age]”

On how Tyson can beat Paul, Holyfield added: “I think basically the only thing he can catch him with is a left hook or a right hand. Mike knows you don’t have to punch a guy in the face all the time.

Questioning Paul’s impact resistance due to the fact that he had never actually been hit with a demanding punch, Holyfield stated: “This could be the end [if Tyson catches him] because he’s never fought someone who punches like Mike.”

Watch our latest interview where Evander Holyfield gives us an EPIC analysis of the Fury vs Usyk match!

Watch here: https://t.co/RPhn3Uf0PB#Box #PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/JNFZWVFr8i

— Fight Hub TV (@FightHubTV) May 15, 2024

The pair became eminent for their rematch in 1997, when Tyson bit off part of Holyfield’s ear, for which he was disqualified. The first fight was dominated by Holyfield, who eliminated Tyson at the end.

However, Mike’s frustration level was clearly high on both occasions, so it could have been detrimental to Paul if he had actually started to dominate during the Texas exchange. Tyson is older and wiser, but he still has that dog in him, as he proved not too long ago when a fan irritated him during a flight.

If Paul beats Tyson and the annoyance level reaches an all-time high, who knows what might happen in those ropes? This could also be a large reason why nearly 80,000 spectators are expected to pack into AT&T Stadium for the first Netflix boxing event available to all subscribers.

WBO welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez will defend against No. 13 Steve Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KO) on June 29 live on ESPN at the James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami, Florida. The event starts at 10:00 PM/7:00 PM PT on ESPN and ESPN

Teofima rejected these killers for Claggett: Raymond Muratalla, Elvis Rodriguez and Kenneth Sims Jr. Any confidence Teofimo once had in his career has evaporated since 2021 and he looks like a washed-out one-hit wonder.

You could argue that the 34-year-old Claggett is just a step above the journeyman level. With seven losses and no significant wins on his long, 15-year resume, Claggett is a indigent choice to challenge for a world title.

A confidence booster for Teofimo

This is another indigent fight for former unified lightweight champion Teofimo (20-1, 13 KO), who won a controversial 12-round unanimous decision over Jamain Ortiz last February in Las Vegas.

Teofimo clearly lost that fight, picking up his second controversial victory in his last three appearances, hurting his popularity even more than it already was after being defeated by George Kambosos Jr. in 2021.

Some might argue that Teofimo’s promoters at Top Rank are pitting him against Claggett to ensure he wins and artificially enhance his skyrocketing popularity.

By feeding Teofimo a lower-level fighter, his chances of winning and looking good are high, which will enhance the interest of casual boxing fans who are unaware that Claggett is not highly rated and is not the best at 140 at all.

“It’s like a Rocky Balboa story for Steve Claggett,” Teofimo said, essentially admitting that in his voluntary defense he was facing a hopeless ham and egg rather than one of the killers who could potentially dethrone him.

“There were no other fighters who were interested in fighting me and I felt like he would give not only me but also the fans a great fight to watch,” Teofimo said.

Teofimo isn’t being truthful when he says “no other fighters” are interested in fighting him. There are plenty of 140-pound contenders who would jump at the chance to fight Teofimo if he and his promoters at Top Rank were willing to fight them.

Fighters wanting to fight Teofimo:

Jamaine Ortiz
Keyshawn Davis
Richardson Hitchins
Gary Antuanne Russell
Arnold Barboza Jr.
Sandor Martin
Prograis, apparently
Elvis Rodriguez
George Kambosos Jr.
Jose Ramirez

Teofimo appears to be tired of losing to Kambosos three years ago and has failed to live up to the expectations fans and media had for him after his upset against the injured Vasily Lomachenko in 2020.

Robeisy Ramirez vs. Brandon Leon Benitez

Former WBO featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez (13-2, 8 KO) will face the little-known Brandon Leon Benitez (21-2, 9 KO) in a 10-round main support fight.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, Robeisy lost his WBO 126-pound title in his last fight against lanky Rafael Espinoza by a 12-round majority decision last December in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Espinoza’s height, reach and high output caused Robeisy huge problems. Robeisy knocked off Espinoza in fifth place, but let him off the hook by failing to finish.

Espinoza then dominated the later rounds and knocked down Robeisy in the 12th round with a barrage of shots. After this loss, it’s understandable why Top Rank is fitting Robeisy into a cushioned touch.

Still, he’s 30 years ancient, has lost twice in his brief five-year career, and can’t afford to fight tomato cans for long because he has more than enough experience as an amateur to bounce back from the best, provided he doesn’t face someone as elevated as Espinoza at 180 cm.

To beat a guy like this, Robeisy would have to concentrate more on his shots, as his amateur style of throwing single shots didn’t work against this high-volume effect.