Taking a Closer look at the Top 5 Heavyweight Boxers

The heavyweight division has never been stronger in boxing. Let’s take a look at the top 5 heavyweight boxers, and how they match-up with each other

Tyson Fury

Perhaps no other fighter has polarized the boxing community more than Tyson Fury. The “gypsy king” burst onto the scene in 2008, and recorded seven straight knockouts. In just his eighth professional fight, fury captured the English heavyweight title against John McDermott.

Fury would continue to dominate his division, and was eventually paired up against Derek Chisora in what was at the time the biggest fight in his career. Fury proved he belonged at the top of the sport by beating Chisora from bell to bell and winning a unanimous decision. Fast forward nine fights, and Tyson Fury was challenging the consensus #1 heavyweight in the world Vladimir Klitschko for the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO, and the ring heavyweight titles.

Fury refused to back down to Klitschko during the build up to the fights, constantly trash taking his foe and telling everyone who would listen that he would take the belt back to the UK. To the surprise of many, Fury did just that, making UK gambling news by outpointing Klitschko on every judge’s scorecard. Fury and Klitschko are set to throw down again in the future, although a date has not yet been set.

Tyson Fury’s greatest asset in the ring is his awkwardness. He is a huge heavyweight at 6 ft 9 inches, and has adapted his style to fit his body type. Fury utilizes punches from distance and knows how to swarm his opponent when they are hurt. Against Klitschko, Fury showed he can stick to game plan by circling on the outside and using a jab with great effect. Many are wondering how Klitschko would match up against the younger, hungrier heavyweight fighters, but until he loses, he is the man in the heavyweight division.

Vladimir Klitschko

Speaking of Klitschko, the long-time Ukrainian boxer is still without a doubt one of the top 5 heavyweight boxers alive. From 2004 to 2015, Klitschko dominated boxing, winning 21 straight fights including a victory over David Haye.

Vladimir was often criticized for his jab and clinch heavy style, but the numbers don’t lie, and for many years no one could solve the puzzle. His recent loss to Fury could be an indication that the end is near, but if Klitschko can win the rematch, he will likely find himself back on top of the heavyweight rankings.

How would Klitschko fair against the top heavyweights today? That remains to be seen. There’s a fair argument that the Ukrainian was not fighting the toughest competition during his run as champion, and the way he lost to Fury showed some massive holes in his game. Surprisingly, many online gambling sites in the UK including Bet365 had Klitschko as the favorite heading into the rematch.

Deontay Wilder

In terms of excitement, no one can match Deontay Wilder. The Alabama-born fighter is 37-0 with 36 knockouts, and yet he still has not broken into the type of mainstream notoriety that fighters like Mike Tyson held. Still, boxing fans are well aware of who Wilder is, and he seems poised to become one of the greatest ever if he can stay focused.

Wilder captured his first title in 2012 by knocking out Kelvin Price. He won his next seven fights to secure at shot at Bermane Stiverne for the WBC heavyweight title. Stiverne took everything Wilder threw, but lost a clear decision after 12 rounds. Since then, Deontay has finished four opponents, including former title challenger Chris Arreola despite suffering an injury during the fight.

Out of the top three fighters at heavyweight, Wilder seems to have the brightest future. He combines tremendous speed with vicious power, and has a style that fighters find is very hard to deal with. He does have a penchant for getting hit, and sometimes puts himself at risk in order to land a blow, but if he improves his defense he could go down as one of the best heavyweight fighters ever.

Kubrat Pulev

Bulgarian slugger Kubrat Pulev finally gained the respect he deserves after beating Derek Chisora by split decision this past May, but perhaps the most glaring fight on Pulev’s record is the KO loss at the hands of Vladimir Klitschko in 2014.

Apart from that loss, Kubrat has been virtually perfect in his career. He is 23-1 and seems to be one of the top choices to face fellow top 5 heavyweight boxers, Anthony Joshua. His style has been described as slightly robotic, using many jabs and a strong right hand.

A fight against Joshua would be a solid test for the Bulgarian. As unfortunate as it is, many still remember the KO defeat to Klitschko, and he may need to make a statement against a young knockout artist like Joshua to erase that memory completely.

Anthony Joshua

Immediately after winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Games, boxing fans were predicting Joshua would become a champion. The English boxer was smart about his career, at one point turning down a $50,000 offer to turn professional. Joshua wanted medals, and he accomplished just that.

Not long after the games, Joshua went professional, and has been unstoppable since. He currently sports a 17-0 record, with each victory coming by way of knockout. His most recent win came against American powerhouse Dominic Breazeale, who couldn’t offer much resistance to the accuracy and power of Joshua.

The fight that fans around the world are clamoring for is Joshua vs. Wilder. That would be two young stars with undefeated records throwing down to see who will be the next big star at heavyweight. Joshua’s next fight has not been established, but it seems likely he will face Joseph Parker for a mandatory title defense.

Each of these top 5 heavyweight boxers can beat each other on any given day. We have some massive fights coming up in the future, so make sure to check out GamingZion’s list of online sportsbooks in the UK including Bet365 for the best betting lines on boxing.