Right now, we all know that the heavyweight division is ruled by two fighters—Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder—the two big men who have all the belts and receive all the acclaim. But what happens after the two giants meet? Or, if they don’t meet, what happens when they have to dig into the pool of available contenders? What does the rest of the division look like below the top 2?
Here’s a brief look at the heavyweight landscape and who will likely challenge for the top spot next:
Tyson Fury (27-0, 19 KOs)
Fury is still, technically, the lineal heavyweight champ, undefeated since beating Wladimir Klitschko via unanimous decision in November of 2015. However, a more than two-and-half-year layoff due to mental health issues and substance abuse problems put his career in jeopardy. The Gypsy King is back now, two fights into a comeback and less than three weeks away from a PPV battle with Wilder for the WBC title. Fury is tall, awkward, and brimming with confidence when at his best. If he can outbox “The Bronze Bomber,” he will become a “must fight” opponent for Joshua in a blockbuster all-UK heavyweight battle for all the belts.
Dillian Whyte (24-1, 17 KOs)
8-0 since being stopped in a tougher-than-expected 2015 seventh round TKO loss to then-emerging star Joshua, the Jamaica-born, London-living Whyte has made a name for himself with a pretty solid level of opposition. In his eight-fight post-Joshua run, the top contender has beaten names such as Dereck Chisora, Robert Helenius, Lucas Browne, and Joseph Parker.
Luis Ortiz (29-1, 25 KOs)
The Cuban contender accounted well for himself this past March when he battled Wilder for the WBC crown, controlling large chunks of the fight before eventually succumbing to the defending champ’s power in the tenth round. Ortiz returned to the ring in July, knocking out journeyman Razvan Cojanu in two rounds. Age is a factor for the still highly-ranked big man-- His reported age of 39 years is presumed to be more than a decade below his actual age. But if the skill and the will are still there, he has to be considered a top five player in the division.
Alexander Povetkin (34-2, 24 KOs)
The veteran Russian contender fought well in the first six rounds of his recent challenge of Joshua in Wembley Stadium, but was eventually stopped in the seventh by the fresher, larger, and more powerful defending champ. The 39-year-old Povetkin will remain a legitimate contender for as long as his punch resistance holds up and his skills hold out.
Jarrell Miller (22-0-1, 19 KOs)
Miller’s high placement on media rankings maybe speaks more to the desire to see an American heavyweight on top than to his actual body of work. With high-water mark wins over Mariusz Wach and a badly faded Tomasz Adamek as his current claim to top contender status, the 30-year-old “Big Baby” has a slim resume that doesn’t say much about his chances at winning the “big ones.” However, Miller does have ability and if his ballooning weight doesn’t become an issue, he should have a chance at hanging with the elite of the division.
Bryant Jennings (24-2, 14 KOs)
Jennings is still the guy who gave Wladimir Klitschko a tougher-than-expected time in 2015 and, most recently, the guy who blew away former top contender Alexander Dimitrenko. A longshot at grabbing a title, the Philadelphia native remains a tough out for anyone in the division.
Adam Kownacki (18-0, 14 KOs)
After going life-and-death in a ten round unanimous decision win over pedestrian former world champ Charles Martin this past September, questions abound whether the 29-year-old Polish big man is more top contender or tough second-tier player.
Joseph Parker (24-2, 18 KOs)
When the former WBO heavyweight champ puts it all together, he looks to have flashes of high-end ability. The problem is that he’s “putting it all together” less and less these days, losing back-to-back recent bouts against Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. Will a return to New Zealand and some re-tooling push Parker back to where he was before becoming a world champ? Maybe, maybe not. But at 26 years of age, he still has time to turn things around.
Kubrat Pulev (26-1, 13 KOs)
The 37-year-old Bulgarian veteran has only been defeated once as a pro—via five-round blowout by Wladimir Klitschko in 2014—and has remained a top contender since that loss. Post-Klitschko wins over Dereck Chisora and Hughie Fury have kept Pulev relevant and in the mix when it comes to top challengers for Joshua and Wilder. Whether he’s simply good enough to be anything more than a contender is the question that must be answered soon.