After years of stagnation under the dominance of the Klitschko brothers, the heavyweight division is finally starting to attract the interest of boxing fans across the world again with a new, exciting era upon us.
The heavyweight division had been a sleeping beast with clear talent bubbling away but not quite ready to boil over. The beast is starting to awake and with this in mind an assessment of the heavyweight landscape is needed.
WBC:
The WBC title is currently held by 30 year old knock out artist Deontay Wilder. The undefeated American holds a 35-0 record containing a remarkable 34 wins by way of knock out.
Having knocked out 32 opponents in succession, Wilder found himself challenging Bermane Stiverne for the WBC title just under a year ago. Having been relatively untested on his journey to world title contention, many speculated that Wilder would come unstuck against a tough opponent such as Stiverne.
What was to result was a showing of boxing skill over 12 rounds that no one predicted. Wilder used his jab to full effect and kept Stiverne at distance throughout the fight. He rendered Stiverne completely inefficient from an offensive point of view and claimed the title.
Having showed his boxing skill against a decent opponent in Stiverne, Wilder has gone on to face the likes of Eric Molina and Johann Duhaupas, who quite frankly should have been nowhere near world title contention.
Not only has Wilder taken on opponents that he was expected to defeat easily but he has also not performed as many would have expected. He had taken a lot longer to dispose of Molina and Duhaupas than anticipated and has shown signs of clear vulnerability.
A lack of punch variety and defensive fragility has been highlighted which will give other top heavyweights real confidence.
Wilder will look to defend his title next weekend at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn against Polish southpaw Artur Szpilka.
The American is expected to defeat Szpilika and go on to perhaps face the likes of Tyson Fury or Alexander Povetkin later in the year.
WBA and WBO:
The WBA and WBO titles find themselves in the hands of the controversial Brit Tyson Fury, who shocked the heavyweight division to its very core by defeating Wladimir Klitschko in November.
Having been written off as little more than a big lump with a big mouth, many anticipated Fury to be easily defeated by the man who had commanded such control over the division for so many years.
Instead of another routine defence of the title, Klitschko was forced out of his rhythm of jab and grab and was made to look rather lacking in ideas and ambition.
Fury used his height, speed and underrated technical ability to frustrate Klitschko and leave him hesitant to throw his shots.
He was the clear winner on the night and thankfully the politics of boxing in Germany didn’t come into play as he walked away with the titles.
Having won the titles and shaken the sport to its very foundations Fury has received huge criticism from both the media and the public at large for his controversial comments and beliefs.
Much of what he has said has been taken out of context and misunderstood but at the same time he has to expect such a response if he isn’t careful with what he says. He is a huge personality who brings interest to the sport and whether you like him or not he is pure entertainment.
With a rematch clause inserted into this first fight with Klitschko, Fury will defend his titles against Klitschko later this year. Having defeated Klitschko first time around Fury will be the big favourite for the fight with many predicting him to go one better and win by knock out this time around.
Providing that Fury does indeed defeat Klitschko (which is no forgone conclusion by any means) then a fight with Deontay Wilder could be huge for the sport.
A unification battle between two young, exciting and charismatic heavyweight would generate huge interest and prove very lucrative for both men.
IBF:
The IBF title is currently vacant having been stripped from Tyson Fury just days after he won the title.
In a rather sour affair, Fury was stripped of the title for being unwilling to defend the title against his mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov. Fury had little choice in the matter though due to the contractual commitment mentioned previously to fight Klitschko again.
Fury is contractually obliged to rematch Klitschko and therefore had no choice but to give up his belt. The IBF could of course have given Fury an exemption to fight Klitschko and then Glazkov but they were unwilling to do so.
It is sad to see a title become vacant in such terms but what it does mean is that another route to heavyweight stardom is available.
The opportunity to become world champion falls to Glazkov and Charles Martin who will fight for the title on the undercard of the Wilder versus Szpilka fight next weekend.
Both Glazkov and Martin are decent fighters but neither are regarded as being in the top tier of the heavyweight division and the winner will surely be seen as the easiest route to winning a world title.
Top Contenders:
Aside from world titles there are a host of other contenders who are creating a real buzz with none more so than Anthony Joshua.
Aged 26 Joshua holds a 15-0 professional record with all 15 wins by way of knock out. Having won Olympic Gold and turned professional leaving a trail of fallen foes in his way without breaking sweat, the sport was seeming all too easy for the Brit.
This all changed last month when facing long-term rival Dillian Whyte in an all-action grudge match. Joshua was forced to take a big shot for the first time as a professional, had to enter the second half of a twelve round fight and proved that he carries his power for more than just a few rounds.
Joshua seems to have all the tools to go on and become a world champion but it has also become apparent that he needs to gain more experience before challenging for such honours. There are those who are keen to rush him into title contention straight away but to do so would not be wise.
He may well win a world title right now but you want him to be ready to defend the title for years to come afterwards.
Joshua is perhaps the brightest talent in the heavyweight division and his time at the top will come provided he is progressed at the correct speed.
Other top contenders include the likes of Alexander Povetkin and Luis Ortiz. Povetkin aged 36 is not a new man to the division but one who in recent years seems refreshed. Since being defeated by Klitschko in 2013 Povetkin has gone on to claim four consecutive knock out wins against Manuel Charr, Carlos Takam, Mike Perez and Mariusz Wach.
Povetkin is an extremely tough fight for any boxer out there and many would back him to defeat Wilder if he ever get the chance to face him.
Luis Ortiz also aged 36 is a 24-0 undefeated Cuban southpaw who has really thrown his name into the mix with a stunning knock out win over Bryant Jennings.
Jennings had challenged Wladimir Klitschko in his previous outing and produced a valiant display. To defeat Jennings in such emphatic fashion really sends out a message to the heavyweight division that he is a man to be reckoned with.
The return of former champion David Haye also brings significant interest to the division as if he is near the fighter he once was then he is capable of making a real assault on the titles. He is an explosive fighter with the experience of being a champion and the desire to regain lost glories.
Haye’s return will generate further interest to the division having been one of the biggest stars in British sport over the past decade.
The final contender considered in this piece is the young New Zealander Joseph Parker. Aged just 24 Parker holds a 17-0 professional record with 15 wins by way of knock out. He has shown real power and speed that has fans excited with anticipation for what he can go to do.
There are real hopes that Parker can go on to challenge at world level and he is just one of the many emerging contenders in the heavyweight division.
For too long the heavyweight division has lacked excitement with the two Klitschko brothers proving too much for contenders. With one brother retired and the other dethroned the division has arisen from its slumber and is once again starting to attract the attention of the boxing fan.
There is the possibility of very exciting times ahead for the big men of the sport and I for one am licking my lips with anticipation.
-Samuel Constantinou-Coulter / @samsboxinghaven
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