There is absolutely no doubt about it, Andy Ruiz Junior shook up the heavyweight division in one major way with his stunning upset win over Anthony Joshua. The stoppage win the Mexican-American “Destroyer” scored inside a raucous Madison Square Garden sent shock-waves through the weight class, and saw Ruiz take the WBA/IBF/WBO titles – but does the win mean Ruiz is deserving of the top spot in the top-10 best heavyweights today?
If it isn’t Ruiz, then which heavyweight should be ranked at the top of the pile? It is quite a tough proposition, listing a current heavyweight top-10 that everyone can agree with; impossible even.
That said, here’s a list of rankings you might have an opinion on:
1: Tyson Fury
Why is he number-one? Fury is the lineal champ, the man who beat the man, etc… He holds a big win over Wladimir Klitschko, and most fans and experts feel he deserved the win over Deontay Wilder.
2: Deontay Wilder
Holds a win over Luis Ortiz, and some people do feel Wilder beat Fury in their drawn fight.
3: Andy Ruiz Jr
Beat Joshua and lost a close, debatable decision to Joseph Parker. Time will tell as to whether or not Ruiz can achieve more and eventually become the undisputed best in the division.
4: Anthony Joshua
Can the former three-belt champion rebuild and come again?
5: Dillian Whyte
Holds good wins over Joseph Parker, Dereck Chisora and Lucas Browne. If he beats Oscar Rivas in July, Whyte will surely get a title shot.
6: Joseph Parker
Beaten only by Joshua and Whyte, the Whyte fight being a close affair, and Parker has that now significant win over Ruiz on his record.
7: Luis Ortiz
Holds decent wins over Bryant Jennings, Tony Thompson and Travis Kauffman, also came within a whisker of perhaps upsetting Wilder.
8: Kubrat Pulev
Beaten only once, by Wladimir Klitschko, Pulev has won his last seven. Holds decent wins over Hughie Fury, Dereck Chisora and one or two others.
9: Alexander Povetkin
The former WBA heavyweight champ aims to give it one last run following his stoppage loss to Joshua.
10: Adam Kownacki
A rough and tumble young guy on the way up, Kownacki has pleased fans with his all-action style. Holds wins over Gerald Washington and Charles Martin.