Boxing Rankings explained: The complicated heavyweight landscape as Fury vs Usyk looms

By Graham Shaw

Boxing

Tue May 14, 2024 · 6M ago

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.