The proliferation of titles makes it troublesome for all however probably the most astute followers to find out the cream of the boxing crop.
That’s why Boxing Junkie got here up with its “Nice Eight” function, which names the most effective fighter in every of the unique eight weight lessons –heavyweight, gentle heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, light-weight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.
Heavyweight contains cruiserweight (and the WBA and WBC’s bridgerweight), gentle heavyweight contains tremendous middleweight, middleweight contains junior middleweight and so forth right down to flyweight, which incorporates junior flyweight and strawweight.
On this installment of “Nice Eight,” we crown a brand new heavyweight champion for the primary time because the function was began in 2020.
Oleksandr Usyk rallied from a gradual begin to rating a knockdown and defeat Tyson Fury by a break up determination on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, thus claiming the undisputed heavyweight championship and supplanting longtime king Fury because the “Nice Eight” champion.
And let there be little question that Usyk deserves the highest Boxing Junkie honor, with back-to-back victories over Anthony Joshua, a knockout of Daniel Dubois and now a choice over beforehand unbeaten Fury in his final 4 fights regardless that he’s smaller than the entire above.
In fact, Usyk won’t have a protracted reign. He and Fury stated in post-fight interviews that they plan to combat once more, maybe within the fall.
Fury, who fought effectively and would’ve walked away with a draw with out the ninth-round knockdown, would reclaim his throne with a victory within the rematch.
Keep tuned.
Listed here are the highest fighters within the unique eight divisions:
HEAVYWEIGHT
Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) – Usyk obtained loads achieved together with his victory over Tyson Fury on Saturday, changing into the primary undisputed heavyweight champion in 1 / 4 century and solely the second Nice Eight heavyweight champ.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – Bivol had been set to face Artur Beterbiev for 175-pound supremacy on June 1 in Saudi Arabia however the showdown was postponed after the latter was injured in coaching. As a substitute, Bivol will face Malik Zinad (22-0, 16 KOs) on that date.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder hasn’t fought since he got here up quick towards 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez in September after which misplaced his sanctioning physique titles at 154. Nonetheless, he stays the most effective at 160 and 154 … in the intervening time.
WELTERWEIGHT
Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford is about to maneuver from 147 to 154 to problem WBA beltholder Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles. The winner most likely will supplant Charlo because the Nice Eight middleweight champion.
LIGHTWEIGHT
Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – “Tank” stays the most-complete fighter at 135 and 130 however boxing wizards Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko may need one thing to say about who reigns in Nice Eight earlier than all is claimed and accomplished. Davis is scheduled to face Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas..
FEATHERWEIGHT
Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue gave arguably his most spectacular efficiency towards Luis Nery on Could 6 in Tokyo, rising from a first-round knockdown — the primary of his profession — to cease his opponent in dramatic trend. Can anybody compete with this man?
BANTAMWEIGHT
Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The Mexican 115-pound titleholder is scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, our Nice Eight flyweight champion, in a blockbuster matchup June 29 in Phoenix. The winner would be the bantamweight king right here.
FLYWEIGHT
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez will maintain his place as champion till the 112-pounder steps into the ring to problem Estrada at 115, which means we’re more likely to have a brand new flyweight champ in early July.
