Fury, Joshua, Dubois and Itauma – UK’s heavyweight boomImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Daniel Dubois (left) is currently the only Briton to hold a heavyweight world titleByChris McKennaBoxing writerPublished1 hour agoThe heavyweight landscape has rarely looked so British.Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish the WBA, IBF and WBC titles has opened the door for a new era and UK heavyweights could not be better placed.
Across the four major sanctioning bodies – WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF – seven fighters from the nation sit in the top 10 of their rankings.
WBO champion Daniel Dubois is the only one in possession of a title, with Fabio Wardley ranked number four after losing to his fellow Briton in May.
Rising star Moses Itauma, former world champions Tyson Fury – ranked number one with the WBC – and Anthony Joshua, British champion Richard Riakporhe are the other names.
Itauma faces Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic on 29 August but has been ordered to face Cuba’s Frank Sanchez, the IBF number one, for the vacant title.
Lawrence Okolie remains number two with the WBC despite returning an adverse analytical finding in a drug test.
German Agit Kabayel, 33, has been elevated to WBC champion but is signed to Queensberry, which opens the door for British challengers.
Russia’s Murat Gassiev is expected to be upgraded to full WBA title holder before facing Tony Yoka in Moscow on 11 July, but Itauma, Fury and Joshua are in the sanctioning body’s top five.
While everyone has been in Usyk’s shadow for the past five years, the British heavyweight talent pool has developed serious depth.
“We’ve become a dominant power in the last 20 years,” Frank Warren told BBC Sport.
Warren promotes five of the seven ranked British heavyweights at Queensberry. “It was something we targeted. When we went to do a TV deal back in 2016, I told them we were going to build a big heavyweight stable,” he added.
“Within a couple of months of doing the deal I went in with Tyson [Fury]. He was overweight and people mentioned he couldn’t come back, but I mentioned we could build a heavyweight stable around him.”
