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The top of boxing’s most notable weight class is seemingly as wide open as it has been in a long time. While many past stars from the heavyweight division, such as Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua, still factor into the title picture, there are plenty of rising contenders who are waiting to pounce on the opportunity to join the upper echelon.
What will it take for up-and-comers such as Fabio Wardley, Moses Itauma and Richard Torrez Jr. to make the next step?
Usyk currently holds three world heavyweight titles (WBC, WBA, IBF) while Wardley was promoted to WBO champion after Usyk relinquished the belt last year.
Will the other belts remain in the same hands? How many fights does Fury have left? Can Joshua and Wilder stake claims to challenge for titles once again?
We examine the future of boxing’s glamour division.
It’s complicated, but Usyk will likely have at least one of his three titles at the end of the year. Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) may be stripped of one or two belts due to overdue mandatory defenses. The recent speculation is that the WBC, WBA and IBF world champion will face 36-year-old Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in a bizarre crossover bout next. If Usyk, 39, goes ahead with that, it could cost him one of his titles.
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Agit Kabayel (27-0, 19 KOs) is in good form, and as the WBC interim champion, would be elevated to full champion status if the WBC governing body decides to strip Usyk. Kabayel, 33, may have to beat former cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie next to keep the WBC interim belt. Murat Gassiev (33-2, 26 KOs), of Russia, stopped Kubrat Pulev to claim the WBA regular championship (the WBA’s secondary title after its full world title) in December. He could also be promoted to world champion status if Uysk opts for another opponent next. Moses Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs), the 21-year-old rising star of the division, could get a shot at the WBA title later this year if he wins his next fight against Jermaine Franklin on March 28. Itauma would also be strongly fancied to overcome the likes of Gassiev.
Usyk’s ultimate goal for later this year could be a trilogy clash vs. Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs). If Usyk vs. Fury III happens, the winner will hold at least one and maybe two world titles.
Tyson Fury returns from a brief retirement on April 11 to face Arslanbek Makhmudov. Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty ImagesThis depends first on his comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KOs) on April 11, and then on a victory over either Usyk, Wardley or Joshua, likely in September in London. Two-time former champion Fury has not fought since a second successive points defeat to Usyk in December 2024. While losing to Usyk or Wardley in a title fight would not ruin his chances of a long-anticipated, long-overdue fight vs. English rival Joshua, it would shorten his career. Given Fury’s age at 37, his previous retirements and his options, he probably has at least three fights left before another retirement.
Yes. Despite both seeming to be completely out of contention at the moment, their massive earning potential may see them land a title shot in the second half of the year. But with Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs), we must wait to see if the two-time former champion wants to continue his career following the death of two close friends and members of his team in a car crash in December, which happened shortly after his sixth-round KO of Jake Paul.
Joshua’s last fight before Paul was in September 2024, when he lost by fifth-round KO to Daniel Dubois. Normally, it would take a few fights to get back into title contention, but due to the revenue he generates, Joshua could be handed a title shot in his next fight. If Fury gets his hands on the WBO belt via the winner of Wardley vs. Dubois (which could be in April or May), expect to see Joshua in a title fight later this year.
Former WBC champion Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) lacks momentum and form, but his name still carries weight. Wilder’s team hopes a successful return vs. Derek Chisora on April 4 sets up a title shot for the second half of the year. Despite the 40-year-old looking like a faded force with four losses in his last six outings, if he beats Chisora, he could land a title shot against Usyk.
There are bigger threats than Wilder lurking in the heavyweight division, like Itauma. But if Wilder beats Chisora, he still generates interest. Facing Kabayel in his home country of Germany would be a big event, but fighting Wilder in the U.S. or Fury in the U.K. are the biggest fights available for Usyk. Usyk is unlikely to fight Joshua, who trained with his team last year.
Moses Itauma has won nine consecutive fights by knockout. Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty ImagesItauma might not end the year with a belt, but he will be on the verge of a title shot if he can earn more KO wins this year. If Usyk is stripped of the WBA belt, Itauma could finish the year as one of boxing’s youngest champions. Mike Tyson (20 years old and four months) and Floyd Patterson (21 years, 10 months) are the two youngest heavyweight champions, and Itauma turns 22 years old in December. The English boxer is currently the sport’s most exciting heavyweight, and if he continues his knockout form, his fan base will grow. One potential fight for Itauma later this year is the winner of Wardley vs. Dubois.What will the heavyweight top 10 look like at the end of 2026?Expect Usyk to be No. 1 after a win over either Fury, Kabayel, or Wilder. Fury, after ending a brief retirement with a couple of wins over Makhmudov and perhaps the winner of Wardley vs. Dubois to become a three-time world champion, will be back among the chasing pack, followed by Kabayel, Itauma, Wardley, Dubois, Filip Hrgovic, Richard Torrez Jr., Okolie, Bakhodir Jalolov and Joshua. Joshua could end a difficult year higher on the list if he wins a big fight in 2026. Wardley, who has pulled off impressive comeback wins, is an influential figure in all of this. If he beats Dubois and then Fury, does that make a potential Fury vs. Joshua fight even less likely? It would also make Wardley No. 2 behind Usyk.Who could make a big move into the top 10?If two-time Olympic gold medalist Jalalov (16-0, 14 KOs) can get the fights, he has the skillset to become a major player over the next five years. He had two low-key fights last year in Kazakhstan and Russia.Torrez (14-0, 12 KOs) is another one to watch out for. The Californian, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, could take a huge step forward in his career if he beats Frank Sanchez in an IBF title eliminator in his next fight.Richard Riakporhe (19-1, 15 KOs) also looks big, powerful and threatening since moving up from cruiserweight. The 36-year-old Londoner registered two quick stoppage wins last year and is already ranked by the WBC. Efe Ajagba (20-1-1, 14 KOs), who faces former champion Charles Martin on Zuffa Boxing 03 on Feb. 14, has a big stage to shine on this year if he can deliver, but the 2016 Olympian needs to do better than his points draw with Martin Bakole last May.
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