Boxing Rankings explained: The complicated heavyweight landscape as Fury vs Usyk looms
Heavyweight boxing has not had an undisputed champion for 25 years, but that should all change on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk currently hold all of the titles as they prepare to lock horns in an enormous unification battle which has fight fans on the edge of their seats.
The bookmakers can barely split these two brilliant exponents of the noble art - right now they stand apart at the top of the fight game’s marquee weight class.
But beneath them we have a complicated picture with four recognised sanctioning bodies, four belts and four sets of rankings. All different.
Latest Heavyweight Boxing Rankings
As we said, there are four major world titles and every single one will be on the line when Fury (34-0-1) and Usyk (21-0) finally meet in the ring on Saturday night.
WBC Heavyweight Rankings
Champion: Tyson Fury
- Anthony Joshua
- Frank Sanchez
- Agit Kabayel
- Efe Ajagba
- Jared Anderson
- Daniel Dubois
- Deontay Wilder
- Filip Hrgovic
- Zhilei Zhang
- Martin Bakole
- Joe Joyce
- Bakhodir Jalolov
- Fabio Wardley
- Arslanbek Makhmudov
- Luis Ortiz
IBF Heavyweight Rankings
Champion: Oleksandr Usyk
- Filip Hrgovic
- Not Rated
- Anthony Joshua
- Daniel Dubois
- Jared Anderson
- Frank Sanchez
- Agit Kabayel
- Zhilei Zhang
- Joe Joyce
- Efe Ajagba
- Otto Wallin
- Arslanbek Makhmudov
- Fabio Wardley
- Martin Bakole
- Justis Huni
WBA Heavyweight Rankings
Champion: Oleksandr Usyk
- Martin Bakole
- Anthony Joshua
- Daniel Dubois
- Frank Sanchez
- Lenier Pero
- Mike Perez
- Cassius Chaney
- Michael Hunter
- Agit Kabayel
- Deontay Wilder
- Kubrat Pulev
- Fabio Wardley
- Jared Anderson
- Jonathan Guidry
- Ivan Dychko
WBO Heavyweight Rankings
Champion: Oleksandr Usyk
Interim Champion: Joseph Parker
- Anthony Joshua
- Zhilei Zhang
- Frank Sanchez
- Jared Anderson
- Filip Hrgovic
- Fabio Wardley
- Daniel Dubois
- Agit Kabayel
- Justis Huni
- Efe Ajagba
- Martin Bakole
- Jermaine Franklin
- Deontay Wilder
- Ryad Merhy
- Bakhodir Jalolov
So, is that it? Any more heavyweight titles?
Actually, yes, there are.
As the countdown to fight night approaches you will hear two other major heavyweight titles mentioned by commentators and pundits alike.
The esteemed Ring magazine has a much-vaunted heavyweight title and belt - and that is currently held by Usyk.
There is also the moniker of ‘lineal champion’ (effectively ‘the man who beat the man’) and Fury holds this title. There is no belt with this one, just the kudos.
Why are the rankings all so different?
This is boxing, where sport often meets politics.
All of the sanctioning bodies have their own way of working, and often their own agendas. No Usyk in the WBC rankings for example, no Fury in the IBF, WBA and WBO.
At least most of the bodies have similar names in their top 15. And then we have the WBA….
Why is it so hard to become (and stay) undisputed champion?
Because of the way the sanctioning bodies work. Each champion will have to regularly make mandatory defences of their title/s. And it may not be against a fighter they want to meet.
If this happens the fighter has a choice, take the fight or vacate the title or potentially be stripped of it. As you can imagine, keeping all four bodies happy in terms of mandatory defences = virtually impossible.
While Fury vs Usyk will crown an undisputed champion, the reports suggest it won’t be that way for long. The IBF title will reportedly become vacant within days of that May 18 date, potentially leaving Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic to fight for it in Riyadh on June 1.