Boxing’s marquee division is in rude health currently, with some serious talent atop the heavyweight pecking order. Crucially, these men are keen to meet each other - and when the best fight the best, there is still no spectacle quite like it.
Here furyjoshua.com assesses the landscape and ranks the best big men around.
Boxing’s heavyweight division is red-hot as we head deeper into 2026, with Oleksandr Usyk still very much at the top of the pile and a new sensation now ready to usher in the next great era.
And finally the division will get a fight which will define an era with Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua finally set for later this year (live on Netflix).
Let’s look at how all the major recent fights have impacted our heavyweight rankings and the world heavyweight title picture. And how things might shake out in the coming months.
Our heavyweight rankings
Such is the influence of the sanctioning bodies in the sport, which sadly often defy logic to push their own agendas, it has never been an easy task to impartially rank the heavyweights. Our list ignores the so-called ‘alphabet’ ratings in favour of a non-partisan system which ranks fighters based purely on their skillset, ring achievements, title victories and potential.
1. Oleksandr Usyk (25-0)
The brilliant 38-year-old Ukrainian retained his perfect professional record with an 11th-round stoppage of Rico Verhoeven in Egypt. But it was something of a surprise to see the peerless Usyk given a real test by a kickboxer who had only fought professionally as a boxer once in his life, and that more than a decade ago. The best heavyweight on the planet deserves a pass for now though, remember Tyson Fury was taken to the wire by another boxing novice in the shape of Francis Ngannou in 2023. Usyk shocked the world in late June by vacating his world title belts, and now we await his next move. That appears likely to be a showdown with big-punching American Deontay Wilder.
Next fight: tbc
2. Tyson Fury (36-2-1)
Fury is set for a huge finish to 2026 after returning from a 16-month absence to post two routine victories. First he easily outpointed the giant Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov in London in April, and followed that up by stopping Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand last month. Now ‘The Gypsy King’ is finally set to move on to that long-awaited all-British blockbuster vs Anthony Joshua. While Fury may not be quite the force he once was, he has showed there remains plenty in the tank and still merits the #2 slot in our top 10.
Next fight: Fury vs Anthony Joshua (Q4, 2026)
3. Agit Kabayel (27-0)
Kabayel is the new WBC heavyweight champion of the world without even needing to win the title between the ropes. He was elevated to that lofty position in late June when Usyk vacated his titles. German star Kabayel has been the division’s biggest revelation in the last two years - claiming terrific wins in Saudi over giant Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov, the Cuban slickster Frank Sanchez and more recently the Chinese man mountain Zhilei Zhang. His brilliant knockout of Sanchez on the Fury vs Usyk undercard also earned him the spot as mandatory contender for the WBC heavyweight title, and it was richly deserved. In all of those big wins Kabayel was punch-perfect, executing the ideal gameplan. He is tough and technically sound, and adept at mixing attacks to body and head beautifully. In short, a danger to any top-level opponent.
Next Fight: tbc
4. Daniel Dubois (23-3)
Just when the critics start to write off Dubois, he roared back to confound them once more. ‘Dynamite’ again had a lot of questions to answer after that disappointing second loss to Usyk in their huge unification showdown at Wembley last year. But once more he is back, and now as a two-time world heavyweight champion after stopping the incredibly game Fabio Wardley in an absolutely gripping slugfest in Manchester. The big-punching Dubois is now the WBO world heavyweight champion and remains a brutal adversary for just about anyone not named Usyk. His next fight appears likely to be an immediate rematch with Wardley, likely in October.
Next fight: tbc
5. Filip Hrgovic (21-1)
The giant Croat, for so long avoided by the biggest guns in the sport, is now a world heavyweight champion after that incredible ninth-round stoppage of the much-hyped Moses Itauma in London last Saturday night. ‘El Animal’ - now 34 years old - has done quite the job of rebuilding his career since that first pro defeat at the hands of Daniel Dubois in 2024. He completed the renaissance by somehow surviving a punishing night at the hands of the venomous Itauma to outlast the British phenom. Hrgovic displayed a granite chin to withstand some spiteful punches before coming back to finish an exhausted Itauma in Round 9. The big Croatian is no easy match for anybody, with his chopping punches and incredible chin. On Saturday night he proved it beyond question.
Next Fight: tbc
6. Moses Itauma (14-1)
How do you rate Itauma after this? He probably won 7 or 8 of the completed rounds in his IBF heavyweight title challenge against Hrgovic, before running out of gas and being stopped in Round 9. For most of the night the 21-year-old Moses was exactly what we expected him to be, a hugely talented young fighter with speed and spiteful punching power. But this time he came up against a man who could withstand those punches, and worryingly he ran out of gas in a major way. The question marks are against his preparation, conditioning and adjustments during the fight rather than his talent or ability. We believe he is too good not to come again, this is not the end of the Moses Itauma story.
Next Fight: tbc
6. Joseph Parker (36-4)
It has been a tortuous period for the New Zealander, as he first lost his position as mandatory challenger for the WBO world title in that controversial loss to Wardley. It was a fight Parker arguably did not need to take, and ultimately it cost him a title he would have picked up when Usyk subsequently vacated it. There was worse news still to come when a drug test taken by Parker on the day of the Wardley fight returned traces of cocaine. Joseph strenuously denied taking banned substances and a subsequent investigation found that the traces were caused by a nutritionist.
Next fight: tbc
8. Anthony Joshua (30-4)
Joshua warmed up for his expected showdown with Fury later this year by taking on little-known Albanian Kristian Prenga in July, and things did not go quite according to plan for the two-time world heavyweight champion. AJ was put on the floor twice by Prenga before coming back to knock out his massive underdog opponent in Round 2. We saw nothing that night to change our view that AJ is clearly on the downside and is no longer in the very elite of heavyweights. We make Fury a firm favourite to defeat him should that dream match finally take place.
Next fight: tbc
9. Fabio Wardley (20-1-1)
For now the Fabio Wardley fairytale has been halted after the Ipswich heavyweight suffered the first defeat of his professional career. Wardley was stopped by Dubois in their Manchester showdown and Fabio dropped his WBO world heavyweight title in his first defence. It was a brutal loss for Wardley, the sort which can take time to recover from. Wardley though is not just any fighter and he has immediately triggered the rematch clause with Dubois. That could take place in October.
Next Fight: tbc
10. Bakhodir Jalolov (17-0)
‘The Big Uzbek’ could be the next big thing in heavyweight boxing now he has decided to go all in on the pro game. Jalolov has already built a 17-0 record in the paid ranks as well as claiming a second Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024. He returned to action in May by defeating Agron Smakici in May and bigger tests now surely await.
Next Fight: tbc
