“Randy’s Ringside” On Ringside Report: The Changing Heavyweight Landscape

By Randy “The Commish” Gordon

“As goes the heavyweight division, so goes boxing.”

Those words were said to m, e by legendary trainer/cornerman Angelo Dundee. He said them to me at breakfast a few days before the rematch between Heavyweight Champion Leon Spinks and Dundee’s fighter—Muhammad Ali—in September 1978.

Seven months earlier, Spinks had pulled off one of the greatest upsets in boxing history, when he took his 6-0-1 record into the ring in the Superdome in New Orleans and won a 15-round split decision against the 36-year-old Ali to capture the heavyweight crown.

That morning of the rematch, at breakfast, Dundee was pointing out just how much the heavyweight crown meant to boxing.

“It’s (the heavyweight championship) the biggest prize in sports. Nothing is bigger. Nothing is more important. Nothing is more revered or cherished. All eyes are going to be on this fight. This fight is going to change the heavyweight division. As goes the heavyweight division, so goes boxing.”

Dundee’s words about the fight changing the heavyweight were quite prophetic.

They were prophetic for several reasons.

First—and foremost—on the night of September 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali, before a crowd of 63,350 in the Superdome, took his title back with a convincing, one-sided 15-round decision.

Secondly, the victory over Spinks was the last victory of Ali’s career. He retired months later, only to have an ill-fated comeback against Larry Holmes two years
later.

Dundee’s words were also prophetic about boxing’s direction with a strong heavyweight division as the WBC, then being against rematch clauses, took the title from Spinks after he signed to face Ali in a rematch, and bestowed it upon top contender Ken Norton. Norton promptly defended the title he didn’t win in a ring against unbeaten 28-year-old Larry Holmes. The two fought in a heavyweight classic, with Holmes winning Norton’s bestowed WBC title on a 15-round unanimous decision.

Over the next 25 years, a parade of heavyweights, representing at least four sanctioning bodies, held pieces of the heavyweight title.

The parade finally ended, when, in the early 2000’s, a pair of hard-hitting brothers from the Ukraine—Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko—began gobbling up all the heavyweight belts. Between them, their control lasted until 2017, when Anthony Joshua won the IBF, WBA and WBO titles with an 11th-round TKO of younger brother Wladimir.

At the same time Joshua—the 2012 Olympic Heavyweight Gold Medalist—was rising through the heavyweight ranks, a U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist from the Games of four years earlier—Deontay Wilder—was making his presence known in the heavyweight division.

In January 2015, Wilder, 29, became WBC Heavyweight Champion with a one-sided, unanimous decision against defending champ Bermane Stiverne. At the time Wilder was becoming champion, upping his record to 33-0 with 32 knockouts, Joshua was just two years into his pro career, with a record of 10-0. It would take Joshua five more fights over the next year before he was given a title shot against the poorly-prepared IBF Champion, Charles Martin. Joshua won the crown on a power-packed, second-round knockout.

After Joshua’s title winning fight, which he accomplished at the age of BLANK, he defended the title six times over the next six years.

As he did so, all in the U.K.—where he became a sports idol—Wilder blasted through opponent after opponent, all in the United States.

A mega-fight between the two of them became THE fight boxing fans most wanted to see.

You saw what happened when a much-desired Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight was over-marinated for years before it finally took place in May 2015. By the time they climbed in the ring to face each other, it was an over-hyped, over-inflated, less-than-exciting fight.

Worse happened to Joshua and Wilder. They talked and talked. They dissed each other. They built up a fight between the two of them as if it would be the greatest heavyweight battle ever. Unfortunately, greed got in the way. So did a draw for Wilder. Then, so did Andy Ruiz for Joshua.

First, on December 1, 2018, Wilder—who was coming off an exciting, come-from-behind victory over Luis Ortiz eight months earlier, was held to a draw by Tyson Fury.

On June 1, 2019, Ruiz stopped Joshua in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden to claim Joshua’s IBF, IBO, WBA & WBO titles.

Bye bye, Wilder-Joshua.

Naturally, Joshua wanted his title back. He wanted to face Ruiz in a rematch and then he wanted Wilder. Joshua did his part by convincingly beating Ruiz in the rematch.

However, Wilder wanted to prove his draw against Fury was an abomination, and pushed for a rematch. On his way to the rematch, Wilder flattened Dominick Breazeale in the first round and Luis Ortiz in the seventh, in their rematch. Three months later came the Fury-Wilder rematch, followed by the pandemic, followed by shifting sands in the heavyweight division.
There are at least two fights which will happen before the possibility of ever seeing a Wilder-Joshua fight.

First, on September 25, Joshua will face former Olympic gold medalist and former Cruiserweight Champion, undefeated Oleksandr Usyk.

Two weeks later, it’ll be the trilogy of Fury-Wilder.

After those two fights, after the sweat stops flying and the smoke clears, we’ll know the updated status of the heavyweight division.

Will these two fights give us Joshua v Fury? Or will they give us Joshua-Wilder? Or Wilder v Usyk? Or Fury v Usyk?

As their individual fates are about to be decided, a slew of heavyweights, some far more gifted than the rest, are getting into position, set to step in an fight for one of boxing’s far-too-many championship belts.

Fury, Joshua, Wilder and Usyk will not remain at the top forever. It may not even be for very much longer. Both Usyk and Wilder are in their mid-30’s. Devastating losses to either man may well be the last we’ll see of them. It’s unlikely that a loss by Joshua and Fury—who are both 30—will spell the end for them. However, Fury has hinted that he may not be involved for that much longer.

In that case, who are the possible heavyweights we will see ascend the heavyweight throne? Let’s take a look.

THE LONG SHOTS

Martin Bakole: Record: 16-1 (12)…Age: 28…HT: 6’6”…WT: 252…Country: U.K…Record in 2021: No fights…Last bout: Dec. 2020, W 12 Sergei Kuzmin…In his lone loss, was stopped in 10th round by Michael Hunter in 2018.

Cassius Chaney: Record: 20-0 (14)…Age: 34…HT: 6’6”…WT: 260…Home: Connecticut, U.S…Fights in 2021: None. Style: Standup boxer who likes to exchange.
Ivan Dychko: Record: 10-0 (10)…Age: 30…HT: 6’9”…WT: 240…Comes from Kazakhstan, resides in Kissimmee, FL…Record in 2021: 1-0 (1)…His last fight, on July 10, ended two years of inactivity.

THE POSSIBLES

Arslanbek Makhmudov: Record: 12-0 (12)…Age: 32…HT: 6’5½”…WT: 265…Style: Pressure puncher. Possesses tremendous power in both fists…Record in 2021: 1-0 (1)
Vlad Sirenko: Record: 17-0 (14)…Age: 29…HT: 6’3½”…WT: 240…Country: Germany, by way of the Ukraine. Surprisingly fast. Powerful puncher with both hands. Record in 2021: 2-0 (1)
Filip Hrgovic: Record: 12-0 (10)…Age: 29…HT: 6’6”…WT: 242…Country: Croatia…Record in 2021: No fights yet…Slow afoot…Excellent puncher.

THEY’LL BE CONTENDERS

Sergei Kuzmin: Record: 15-2 (11)…Age: 34…HT: 6’4”…WT: 260…Resides in Russia…Two losses have come against Michael Hunter and Martin Bakole, both by decision…Won 227 of 250 amateur fights…Record in 2021: No fights

Mike Coffie: Record: 13-0 (10)…Age: 35…HT: 6’6”…Weight: 275…Was the last New York Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Champion before the tournament ceased competition…Can box as both a conventional fighter and as a southpaw. Has knockout power in both hands. Loves to work inside and to the body. Can be outboxed…Record in 2021: 2-0 (2)…Even with all his ability, eight of his 13 opponents have had losing or .500 records.

Stephan Shaw: Record: 14-0 (10)…Age: 28…HT: 6’4”…WT: 240…Hometown: St. Louis, MO…Fights in 2021: None…Six of his 14 wins have come against opponents with losing or .500 records.
Trevor Bryan: Record: 21-0 (15)…Age: 31…HT: 6’4”…Bryan is the heavyweight champion nobody knows. He owns the trinket WBA title…Promoted by Don King…12 of his 21 victories have come against opponents with losing or .500 records.

THE FAVORITES

Jared Anderson: Record: 9-0 (9)…Age: 21…HT: 6’4”…WT: 245…Boxes from both the conventional and soutrhpaw positions…Quick & powerful…Has killer instinct. He is the division’s “Can’t Miss” prospect. Record in 2021: 2-0 (2)…Next fight: October 9′

Efe Ajagba: Record: 15-0 (12)…Age: 27…HT: 6’6”…WT: 240…Hometown: Stafford, Texas, by way of Nigeria…Tall, standup, patient boxer/puncher with the most powerful right hand in the division next to Deontay Wilder…Record in 2021: 1-0 (1)

Tony Yoka: Record: 10-0 (8)…Age: 29…HT: 6’7”…WT: 245…From Paris, France…Won Olympic Gold Medal as a Super Heavyweight in the 2016 Olympics…Powerful standup boxer…Right-hander…Has been brought along slowly as a professional…To his credit, has faced only opponents.

Joe Joyce: Record: 13-0 (12)…Age: 35…HT: 6’6”…WT: 263…Strong, standup boxer…Not extremely Record in 2021: 1-0 (1)

Daniel Dubois: Record: 16-1 (15)…Age…23…HT: 6’5”…WT: 240…Strong, standup boxer/puncher…Needs to work on defense, as he’s too stiff…Lone loss was to Joe Joyce in November 2020 via a 10th round TKO…Re cord in 2021: 1-0 (1), stopping 20-2 Bogdan Dinu in the second round. His age, power and overall skillset make him among the top heavyweights to watch.

The above heavyweights are, without much doubt, the names you will be hearing throughout the next two years.

Gone from contention will be many of the same old names we’ve been hearing for years. Let’s face it: Luis Ortiz, Kubrat Pulev, Carlos Takam, Derek Chisora, Dominick Breazeale, Gerald Washington, Chris Arreola, Mariusz Wach, Erkan Teper, Alexander Ustinov, Bermane Stiverne, Lucas Browne and Fres Oquendo have more than had their moments in the spotlight. It’s time for them to move on to other endeavors, and time for us to start paying attention to heavyweights listed earlier in this column.

Those are the guys who have a real shot at picking up at least one of boxing’s alphabet soup belts.

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