Most of us agree that Tyson Fury is the top dog, the main man, the best heavyweight in the world today, while most of us agree Fury’s rival world champ, Anthony Joshua comes in at second place. These two will hopefully get it on later this year, maybe even twice. But what about the rest of the heavyweight division?
Who are the next best big men right behind the big two? Dillian Whyte spoke with fans after his important revenge KO win over Alexander Povetkin, and “The Bodysnatcher” ranked today’s top 5 as follows:
Tyson Fury
Anthony Joshua
Me!
Deontay Wilder
Andy Ruiz
A less modest person, a more cocksure fighter, would rank himself at the top. For though Whyte was beaten, stopped by AJ, in a great action affair, that was a long time ago now. Still, Whyte is a realist and he knows he had to defeat a Fury or a Joshua before he can honestly call himself the best heavyweight in the world. And Whyte has sure earned his chance.
As for Wilder and Ruiz being placed at #4 and #5 respectively, this seems about right. Having said that, neither Wilder nor Ruiz has boxed in well over a year – Ruiz in December of 2019 and Wilder in February of 2020. And both former champions lost their last fight. But are there any other more active heavyweights, who have each won their last fight, that deserve to be ranked above Wilder or Ruiz? Probably not.
It is a good top 5 we have today, even if the old-timers would have no issue telling you the greats of yesteryear, from the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s, the ’80s and the ’90s, would have had a party against the best big men the sport has to offer today.
In an ideal world, Fury and Joshua would fight at least once, and then the winner would face Whyte, then the winner of that fight would face the winner between Wilder and Ruiz. However, there is plenty of talk that suggests the fight to make is Whyte vs Wilder. It’s certainly a match-up we fans would take, and the winner of that fight would not so mich be knocking on the door for a world title shot but kicking it clean off its hinges.
While a Wilder vs Ruiz fight, which has also been mentioned as a possibility, would also have major fan interest. Fury and Joshua are at the top of the heavyweight pile, but those three guys who are coming up the rear need to get their shot soon; Whyte especially. It could be argued how Wilder and Ruiz need to earn a shot at regaining the title (this is why a fight between the two makes sense). As for Whyte, he has more than earned his opportunity. And the fact that Whyte is now willing to get in there with Wilder, wanting, as he says, to “smash Wilder’s face in,” shows us all how much of a born fighter Whyte really is.
Right now, he ranks himself as the third-best heavyweight out there today. But this is not enough for Whyte – he wants the world.