1) Anthony Joshua
A former two-time heavyweight champion, Joshua is very much in the rebuilding process following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. At his best, he has managed to score wins against the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Alexander Povetkin, and Joseph Parker, as well as avenged his other defeat to Andy Ruiz.
Anthony Joshua celebrates knocking out Robert Helenius at The O2 Arena on August 12, 2023 in London, England (Mark Robinson/Getty Images)
2) Deontay Wilder
Widely considered the hardest puncher in the division, Wilder has ended 42 of his 43 pro wins inside the distance and possesses the power to switch off an opponent’s lights at any stage. His best wins remain the two come-from-behind stoppages of Luis Ortiz, yet he also came ever so close to beating Tyson Fury, not once but twice.
Deontay Wilder (Getty Images)
3) Joseph Parker
Although often put in his place when in against the division’s best, New Zealander Parker has still managed to create a decent career for himself as a go-to challenger. For every loss against Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce, for instance, there has also been a WBO heavyweight belt and victories over Andy Ruiz, Derek Chisora and Carlos Takam.
Joseph Parker lands on Joe Joyce during their heavyweight fight in Manchester on September 24, 2022 (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
4) Otto Wallin
Sweden’s Wallin has been underrated for some time but has seemingly shifted more towards the spotlight in recent years. It perhaps started when he pushed Tyson Fury hard over 12 rounds in 2019, and since then Wallin has notched good wins against Travis Kauffman, Dominic Breazeale and, most recently, Murat Gassiev.
Wallin catches Fury with his southpaw left Action Images/REUTERS/Steve Marcus
5) Filip Hrgović
Seen as part of the new breed of heavyweight, Croatian Hrgović has been matched fairly softly as a pro so far, though does boast a win, albeit contentious, over Zhilei Zhang. Now 31, it’s time for him to get a move on.
Filip Hrgovic stops Demsey McKean (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
6) Arslanbek Makhmudov
Russia’s Makhmudov has ended 17 of his 18 pro fights by knockout and is clearly one of the division’s dangermen. In his last fight he stopped Junior Anthony Wright in just 70 seconds, and he also has wins against Carlos Takam and Mariusz Wach.
Arslanbek Makhmudov (Vincent Ethier/Eye of the Tiger)
7) Agit Kabayel
For so long on the periphery, Kabayel won the European heavyweight title in 2017, defended it three times, and then decided to win it again in March 2023. He has still to advance beyond that level for some reason.
8) Frank Sánchez
Always good to see a heavyweight from Cuba, this one is unbeaten in 23 pro fights and starting to at last gather some momentum. To date Sánchez’s best win is a 10-round decision over fellow prospect Efe Ajagba in 2021.
9) Daniel Dubois
Dubois may have fallen short the two times he has stepped up in class – first against Joe Joyce, then against Oleksandr Usyk – but he is young enough, at 26, to learn from those setbacks and add to a résumé that so far lacks eye-catching wins.
Daniel Dubois with Don Charles (Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
10) Jarrell Miller
Some will argue that Miller, given his various issues with performance-enhancing drugs, should be nowhere near a boxing ring in 2023, yet it’s there you will find him in Riyadh on Saturday, eight months after stopping Lucas Browne in Dubai.
Jarrell Miller celebrates a second round knockout of Tomasz Adamek in a fight at Wintrust Arena on October 6, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)