THE BIGGEST OF TIMES
It could be a heavy artillery few months in the world of boxing, including an end to the year that might go some way to repairing the division’s damaged reputation.
In all honesty, 2023 was an abysmal year for the heavyweights. A solid ONE defence of the division’s titles was sat in amongst a frenzy of failed negotiations and burnt egos.
It’s no wonder that as the fighters became increasingly acquisitive, fans themselves became increasingly disconnected. It isn’t asking for much, calling on the division’s top two to fight for their own glory and legacy.
By the time December rolls around, it will have been a year since we saw Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk go face-to-face after the Brit’s victory over Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Yet interest seemed to - at least for a while - have deviated towards watching cross-discipline exhibitions. I, like many, am at the end of an extremely tight tether.
If we can yank some positives from the previous 12 months, it is that the recent Saudi-based investment is hoisting these heavyweights back to where they should be - the ring.
If it wasn’t for Fury’s below par performance in Riyadh last month, we might well be sitting here rubbing our hands at the prospect of crowning an undisputed heavyweight champion just in time for Christmas.
Typically, we have to wait, but the once ill-fated December 23rd date will now host auditions for the division’s hungry challengers, and these guys won’t play quietly.
Both Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder have always been frontrunners for the Saudi revolution. Understandably too, the pair make one of the sports’ most exciting gunfights.
But before they meet, both have challenges to overcome in Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker respectively.
For Joshua, a fight with Wallin is a chance to lay down a marker. Boxing loves nothing more than a comparison, and the man who bloodied Fury back in 2019 would be a perfect assassination.
Joshua is top three with EVERY governing body, but perhaps most importantly, his specific number three spot in the IBF rankings puts him in contention for what will be a vacated belt in the wake of Fury vs Usyk.
Wilder, on the other hand, was dropped out of those same IBF rankings just this month, threatening the fight with Joshua should the Brit chase the chance to become a three-time world champion.
Wilder’s fight with Parker is an intriguing one.
Parker, current IBF number four, benefits hugely from his relationship with Team Fury. His opportunity to fight a former Fury-foe is one that, with victory, edges him closer to what was once an unlikely return to the division’s top table.
Even more unlikely was the success of Daniel Dubois’ appeal after August’s low blow controversy. His next move, likely to be against the once-disgraced Jarrell Miller, may well temporarily land him as the division’s most popular figure.
If you get where I’m coming from.
Dubois’ ascent back to the top doesn’t require an immediate rush. At just 26, his longevity is perhaps his biggest weapon.
One man we can’t forget, even though the IBF seem to have, is Filip Hrgovic. The IBF mandatory’s biggest battle lay in whether to wait for his vacant world title shot, or lace up the gloves prior to 2024’s undisputed showdown.
We also have Zhilei Zhang, Martin Bakole, Arslanbek Makhmudov and many more waiting in the wings. One thing the division certainly doesn’t lack is talent.
It really is set to be an eventful few months for the heavyweights.
If they get right, it could end up paying back some of those fans whose faith in boxing is slowly beginning to wilt.
Oscar Bevis