Boxing News selects the next generation of heavyweights
THERE is no denying the heavyweight division is on the brink of a sea change. Undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk is now 37 while Tyson Fury, who will attempt to win the hardware back at the end of the year, turned 36 on August 12.
Anthony Joshua, who is eyeing a crack at the winner of that rematch, is the youngest of the three at 34 but his promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that the 2012 Olympic champion could well retire in just 18 months’ time.
The good news, however, is that there is a wave of heavyweights ready and waiting for the three most significant big men of the current era to walk off into the sunset. Here, Boxing News takes a look at the 10 who might be king.
THE AMERICAN HOPE
Jared Anderson
Age: 24
Record: (17-1, 15 KOs)
Jared Anderson had looked like perhaps the most complete heavyweight on this list and, at 24, still has plenty of time to improve on his all-round game. But, with many people falling over themselves to hand him the crown already, the Anderson train was violently derailed by Martin Bakole in August.
Anderson had barely put a foot wrong throughout his 17 wins as a professional but Bakole was clearly a step too far, too soon. The American was dropped and stopped in the fifth round and now the onus is on him to learn from the defeat and prove he can bounce back.
The truth is he has plenty of time on his hands but the man from Ohio, who has no problem admitting he has little love for boxing, has spoken openly about his desire to exit the sport as quickly as possible. The loss to Bakole could be the making of him – or he could disappear without a trace.
THE PRODIGY
Moses Itauma
Age: 19
Record: (9-0, 7 KOs)
If you wanted to buy shares in anyone on this list, your best bet might just be Moses Itauma. Still only 19, and with designs on breaking Mike Tyson’s record as the youngest ever heavyweight champ, it is scary to think how much better this southpaw can get.
Although a record-breaking world title in the next year will be pushing it, he appears to have it all; incredible shot selection, middleweight speed, knockout power and what seems like a total inability to be flustered. However, at just over 6ft 2ins, Itauma is not the biggest on this list and it will be interesting to see how his power and strength match up to some of the heavyweight giants who lie in wait.
THE COMEBACK KID
Daniel Dubois
Age: 26
Record: (21-2, 20 KOs)
The most established heavyweight on this list, it is easy to forget just how young Daniel Dubois still is. He turned over after only a handful of senior amateur bouts and has been learning on the job ever since.
He came under fire after both his defeats – to Joe Joyce and then Oleksandr Usyk – because he was accused of ‘quitting’ in both but proved the doubters wrong with back-to-back stoppage victories over Jarrell Miller and then Filip Hrgovic. He also showed an almighty chin in both fights, when he was caught flush multiple times.
That’s never a good tactic in boxing, let alone at heavyweight, so there is plenty of room for improvement but he has time on his side. Could turn the entire division on its head by beating Anthony Joshua at Wembley on September 21.
THE CHARACTER
Richard Torrez
Age: 25
Record: (10-0, 10 KOs)
A trainee pilot, a Rubik’s cube expert and a wannabe gardener, the highly educated Richard Torrez Jr is not your average heavyweight. The bad news for the rest of the division is he can also really fight.
After winning super-heavyweight silver at the 2020 Olympic Games, Torrez signed with Top Rank and has raced to 10-0, 10 KOs in a little over two years as a professional. The moustachioed Californian was beaten by Bakhodir Jalolov (more on him later) in the final in Tokyo and was badly knocked out by him at the worlds, too – and, given they are both aligned with Top Rank, expect the pair to meet in the paid ranks down the line.
What Torrez lacks in height, he makes up for in angles, variation and combination punching and he suggested the future could be bright when he stopped fellow undefeated American Brandon Moore in May. He is yet to step up beyond eight-round level at the time of writing so the jury is still out on whether or not he will take-off as a legitimate world title contender.
THE DARK HORSE
Justis Huni
Age: 25
Record: (10-0, 5 KOs)
What stands out about Justis Huni in comparison to some of the other names on this list is how much experience he has managed to glean in just 10 fights. All but one of those outings as a professional have been 10-rounders and six of those went the distance meaning he has already done 74 rounds under the lights.
You could argue this suggests the 25-year-old might lack the requisite power to really trouble those at the top but the man from Queensland has always found a way to win regardless. In two of his last three fights, he has outpointed two very capable opponents in Andrew Tabiti and Kevin Lerena, suggesting that Huni is perhaps the furthest ahead of any heavyweight on the planet with 10 fights or less.
Already ranked inside the top 10 with the WBO, his allegiance with Matchroom will also open doors for him all over the world.
THE ATTRACTION
Johnny Fisher
Age: 25
Record: (12-0, 11 KOs)
Never mind the Chinese takeaways, the Insta-famous Dad or the astonishing legion of fans, the bottom line is that Johnny Fisher has evolved into a genuine heavyweight contender. His promoter Eddie Hearn has often suggested that Fisher’s career will be a ‘fun one’ which belies the seriousness of the Romford Bull’s ambitions to reach the very top.
He has an incredible humility which has underpinned vast improvements in the ring and his career so far has been a steady march through the lower levels of the division. His dismantling of Alen Babic in just 36 seconds, however, seemed to signal a change in perspective; the apprenticeship is now over and Fisher is ready for the next step.
Huge challenges await in Britain alone but he has time on his side and the correct mindset to improve. Oh, and he punches like a mule.
THE AMATEUR
Bakhodir Jalolov
Age: 30
Record: (14-0, 14 KOs)
It would be fair to argue that a 30-year-old with 14 professional wins, gold medals at the Olympics and the worlds (twice) can’t really be included on a list of the best young, promising heavyweights. However, despite his accomplishments so far, it feels as if Bakhodir Jalolov has not really scratched the surface of what he can achieve in the pro ranks yet.
This is partly because the big Uzbek just cannot stay away from the amateur code and represented his country once again at the Olympics in Paris winning his second successive super-heavyweight gold
He is expected to focus fully on life punching for pay thereafter and it is not pushing it to say he has all the tools to emerge as the most dominant heavyweight on the planet over the next decade. Being capable of doing it and actually doing it, however, are two different things.
THE BIG MAN
Gurgen Hovhanisyan
Age: 26
Record: (6-0, 6 KOs)
At 6ft 7ins and the best part of 280lbs, Gurgen Hovhannisyan is the biggest specimen on our list and has been making steady improvements under trainer Joe Goossen since relocating to Los Angeles.
As the nickname suggests, ‘Big Gug’ has the size to make life uncomfortable for anyone already but he is no flat-track bully. He is surprisingly nimble on his feet and technically gifted with his hands. He applies pressure sensibly and, inside the ring at least, has made serene progress to 6-0 with all of them quick. The question is whether Hovhannisyan will get the backing required to really make a dent at the top as a heavyweight. He spent the whole of 2023 out of the ring and has boxed under a number of different promotional banners already.
A man of his style, size and quality is always welcome in the ‘Who Needs Him? Club’ but given the opportunity, can prove his worth as a headliner.
THE NATURAL
Fabio Wardley
Age: 29
Record: (17-0-1, 16 KOs)
At 29 years old, as British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, Fabio Wardley looks perfectly placed to take advantage of the change in guard at the top of the division.
Given his lack of amateur experience, with only a handful of white collar fights before he turned pro, he also has few miles on the clock despite his advancing years in comparison to some of the pups on this list.
An unorthodox and explosive fighter, Wardley has made great strides since linking up with Ben Davison and has banked big fight experience against David Adeleye and Frazer Clarke.
The latter of those, however, was a bloody war which ended in a split draw. It was the sort of fight which can change a man so the onus on Wardley is to win the rematch and press on for bigger and better things thereafter.
THE PROBLEM
Jai Opetaia
Age: 29
Record: (25-0, 19 KOs)
Given Oleksandr Usyk’s ascent to the undisputed heavyweight crown it would be remiss to exclude cruiserweight Jai Opetaia from this list. The Australian has almost identical dimensions to his Ukrainian counterpart and boxes in such a similar style that Tyson Fury called him in for sparring for his last camp.
Usyk has shown that such a style, particularly from a southpaw, can be kryptonite for the division’s biggest men and Opetaia looks well set to make a splash at heavyweight if that’s where he wishes to ply his trade.
Usyk was nearly 33 when he made his heavyweight debut so at 29, Opetaia has plenty of time on his side too. More importantly, he has the sort of tenacious attitude required to try his hand in the weight class above and has the talent to more than hold his own when he gets there.
