As of today, the man who rules this heavyweight era is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian has wins over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois. For many, Usyk is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and the best of his era. However, if we wind the clocks back a few years, the heavyweight picture looks different.
Three men were the dominant forces in the heavyweight division. The three men were entertaining to watch and were all superstars in their own right: Tyson Fury, Deontay, and Anthony Joshua.
Three giants who captured the public attention. Boxing fans salivated at the thought of all three fighting each other.
Thought of all three fighting each other. It looked as if this trio would usher in a new era of heavyweight boxing. Unfortunately, we never saw this come to fruition. We saw a trilogy of fights with Wilder and Fury but that’s it.
This era of heavyweights hasn’t met expectations and has been disappointing.
I’m going to examine how their careers panned out and how the public perceives these three heavyweights.
Deontay Wilder
In a heavyweight division dominated by the UK, Alabama-born Deontay Wilder was a wrecking ball. Fundamentally, the Bronze Bomber has issues, but few can deny how exciting he was to watch. Wilder was among the most destructive punchers the heavyweight division has seen. Before his first Tyson Fury fight, the American had a reputation for being a knockout artist but wasn’t known by the public.
After the Fury fight, Wilder’s reputation skyrocketed. After almost knocking Fury out in the 12th and brutally knocking out the likes of Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz. Going into the rematch with the Gypsy King, the Bronze Bomber’s reputation was at an all-time high. The Alabama native was the favourite going into the second fight, with many believing he would render the Brit unconscious. It was this fight that saw the 38-year-old’s reputation plummet.
Not only did Wilder get dominated, but he famously blamed his loss on the costume that he wore on his ring walk. The public had completely turned on the knockout artist. Many had stated that his record painted a false image while his list of excuses lasted longer. From his costume to Fury cheating to his corner spiking his drink. The American’s reputation was at an all-time low. He was able to force a third fight with Tyson Fury, and while he did put up a great showing, he once again got stopped.
Since the third Fury fight, Deontay Wilder has lost two out of his last three fights. Losing two contenders like Joesph Parker and Zhilei Zhang hasn’t helped the American’s reputation. Financially, Wilder’s highest purse accrued is $25 million in the Fury rematch. On average, the Bronze Bomber usually earns around $10 million, less than his rivals make. There is no doubt that Wilder was exciting, but in the end, his reputation amongst fight fans plummeted. He was seen as someone with major issues in the ring and whose record was filled with lacklustre opponents.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnthony Joshua
We then look at the man who seemingly resurrected the heavyweight division. Anthony Joshua. If you walk around the UK, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know who Anthony Joshua is. The Brit was a superstar before winning a world title. Financially, he made more than both Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. In his second fight with Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua made £61 million. To put this into context, Deontay Wilder earned less in all three fights with Tyson Fury.
The Brit was undoubtedly the biggest name in the division, and early in his career, he looked to achieve great things. However, losses to Andy Ruiz, Oleksandr Usyk, and now Daniel Dubois have left fans with questions. Was the big heavyweight from Watford overrated? Was he exposed? Is he a hype job?
When fighting Waldmir Klitchscko, it was seen as a passing of the torch. Joshua went life and death with the Ukrainian knocking him out in the eleventh round. This fight cemented AJ as a household name in the heavyweight division. After the Klitschko fight, the Brit built up a solid resume, beating the likes of Breazeale, Povetkin and Joseph Parker. The big heavyweight collected four of the five heavyweight titles. There was a moment when it looked like a fight between AJ and Deontay Wilder was on the cards. However, the fight broke down, with many blaming team Joshua.
The Brit’s reputation took a hit and only got worse when Tyson Fury battled Deonaty Wilder. The narrative was that Fury had to save face for UK boxing. This only worsened when Joshua suffered his first career loss to Andy Ruiz. Whilst AJ got his revenge against Ruiz, the narrative around the Englishman is that this loss still haunts him.
Joshua’s career since the Ruiz loss has had some ups and downs. It looked like he hit rock bottom after his outburst following his second defeat to Oleksandr Usk. He then looked as if he was back on track after stopping Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou. The public seemed to be getting back on Anthony Joshua’s side. He recently took on fellow Brit Daniel Dubois, who demolished AJ in five rounds. Dubois knocked AJ down four times, and the former world champion could not beat the count on the fourth knockdown.
Overall, Anthony Joshua will always be recognised as a legend of British boxing for the shows that he put on. Financially, he was the most successful of the ‘Big Three’ and the bigger name. The perception is that he didn’t live up to his potential, but when it comes to British Boxing, the name Anthony Joshua will always be remembered.
Embed from Getty ImagesTyson Fury
We then get to the man who, at one point, was seen as the best of his generation. The Gypsy King Tyson Fury. After defeating Deontay Wilder twice, the Brit was seen as the division’s king. Fury was once loved by the boxing public and was seen as an inspiration. After overcoming severe mental health issues, the Brit returned after years out of the ring to return to world-level boxing.
Before his historic win over Wladimir Klitschko, Fury was seen as a divisive character. His views were controversial, and his fights at times flattered to deceive. However, once Fury got the fight against Klitschko, he systematically broke the Ukrianan down in and out of the ring. After vanquishing Klithschko, the Gypsy King was finally respected for his skill.
While Fury went away, the likes of Joshua and Wilder built their names to a point where everyone wanted to see the two fight. However, the shadow of the Gypsy King loomed large over the heavyweight division. Fury made his return, and after beating Wilder twice, the boxing public was eating out of his hand. However, the Gypsy King’s reputation then took a nose dive.
After the fight with AJ fell apart, fans were critical of the Gypsy King. Couple this with Fury’s never-ending trash talk, and fans grew bored. He then had a back-and-forth saga with Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukranian never previously had any issues making fights, so many blamed the Brit.
Once the fight with Usyk was over, everyone seemed to be on the Ukrainian side. It seemed that the British public had enough of the Gypsy King, with many hoping he would taste defeat. After losing to Usyk, the Brit blamed his loss on Ukraine’s war with Russia. He was insinuating that this was the only reason that the Ukranian Usyk got the decision. This statement has soured a lot of boxing fans.
Embed from Getty ImagesFinancially, Fury has made a lot and is one of the highest earners in the sport. This is only going to get bigger after his rematch with Usyk in Saudi Arabia this December. Legacy-wise, Fury will be remembered as a great fighter, but his antics have left many boxing fans feeling sick and tired. He is a great fighter whose reputation has been ruined simply by talking too much.
