Speed and skill, as well as size and raw force, are critical to success in the 21st century heavyweight class.
Daniel Dubois’ recent form propels him into the top ten.
Oleksandr Usyk is highly regarded despite having only seven heavyweight contests to his resume.
Few worldwide sporting events can attract an audience like a world heavyweight title fight in boxing. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and George Foreman have all proven to be the best fighters in the sport’s most visible division at different points in time.
However, the sweet science is constantly evolving, and the twenty-first century has produced a new breed of heavyweight. Size and raw power, while valuable qualities, are no longer the determining elements in the weight class.
In the present day, the division’s greatest stars rely on speed and technique equally. GIVEMESPORT has ranked the top ten heavyweights of the twenty-first century.
Ranking variables include an overall record in the 21st century.
Titles held since 2000
The following are the top 10 heavyweights of the 21st century based on their ring ability.
Rank
Name
Professional Record
1
Wladimir Klitschko
64-5 (53 KOs)
2
Oleksandr Usyk
23-0 (14 KOs)
3.
Tyson Fury
34-2-1 (24 KOs)
4.
Vitali Klitschko
45-2 (41 KOs)
5.
Deontay Wilder
43-4-1 (42 KOs)
6.
Lennox Lewis
41-2-1 (32 KOs)
7.
Anthony Joshua
28-4 (25 KOs)
8.
Daniel Dubois
22-2 (21 KOs)
9.
Chris Byrd
41-5-1 (22 KOs)
10.
Joseph Parker
35-3 (23 KOs)
10Joseph Parker
Professional record: 35-3 (23 KOs)
Parker, the former WBO Heavyweight Champion, struggled to regain form after losing his belt to Anthony Joshua on points in 2018. However, since losing to Joe Joyce in September 2022, the New Zealander has won five straight fights, putting him back in contention for world titles.
His most recent victories over Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder rank among his best. The 33-year-old is determined to become a two-time world champion when he challenges Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title next month.
9Chris Byrd
Professional record: 41-5-1 (22 KOs)
Byrd pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the new century, defeating Vitali Klitschko on short notice in April 2000 to capture the WBO Heavyweight Championship, inflicting the Ukrainian’s first loss of his career.
The American lost the title in his following bout to Vitali’s brother, Wladimir. To his credit, Byrd went nine battles without losing. Among those wins was a victory over Evander Holyfield to secure the IBF Heavyweight Championship. He went on to defend his title four times before losing to Wladimir Klitschko in a rematch in 2006.
8Daniel Dubois
Professional record: 22-2 (21 KOs)
Dubois’ extraordinary rise since being knocked out by Oleksandr Usyk in August has seen him break into the heavyweight division’s elite ranks. After failing to strip the Ukrainian of his world belts, Dynamite has defeated three major challengers to win the IBF Heavyweight Champion.
The 27-year-old defeated Jarrell Miller in December, then stunned Filip Hrgovic during the summer before knocking out Anthony Joshua in front of 98,000 fans at Wembley Stadium to cement his place as one of the best names in the weight class today. Dubois has stated that he wants another opportunity at Usyk, but he must first defend his championship against top opponent Joseph Parker.
7Anthony Joshua
Professional record: 28-4 (25 KOs)
Anthony Joshua’s hopes of winning the world heavyweight title for the third time have been dashed after his catastrophic loss to Dubois. The defeat adds to Joshua’s recent problems, as ‘AJ’ has now lost four of his last ten fights. Given his current slump in form, some may overlook his previous sporting achievements.
The Watford-born fighter began his professional boxing career with a perfect record, winning all 20 of his first contests via knockout. During this amazing run, he won two versions of the world heavyweight title. One of the most important victories during this time period was his victory over Wladimir Klitschko, which cemented Joshua’s position as a dominant force in the division.
However, Joshua’s undefeated streak was abruptly stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, a setback that was both surprising and humbling. He would eventually revenge his humiliation, but two years later he was defeated twice in a row by the brilliant Oleksandr Usyk.
His most recent defeat at the hands of Dubois was his most comprehensive ever, and many wondered if he would hang up his gloves right away. Joshua plans to fight on, but a rematch with Dubois and a long-awaited battle with Tyson Fury are now in doubt after ‘The Gyspy King’ declared his retirement. Regardless of who he fights next, the Matchroom slugger must win in his next bout.
6Lennox Lewis
Professional record: 41-2-1 (32 KOs)
If this list included form from the late 1990s, Lewis would, at the very least, be contending for first place. However, the Brit’s resume after the turn of the century was not as outstanding as his previous work.
He began the year 2000 as the unified heavyweight champion, having defeated Evander Holyfield just weeks before to add the IBF and WBA belts to his WBC crown. A trio of conventional defences followed, before he grossly miscalculated how long it would take him to adjust to the time difference in South Africa for his April 2001 match with Hasim Rahman.
The American mercilessly exposed Lewis’ lack of preparation, finishing him inside five rounds. However, Lennox would exact his revenge in a rematch before the end of the year, and he set his sights on a long-awaited fight with Mike Tyson the following summer.
‘Iron Mike’ was long past his prime when Lewis knocked him out in June 2002, detracting from what could have been a career-defining victory in different circumstances. In June 2003, Lennox retired from boxing after controversially defeating Vitali Klitschko via TKO due to cuts.
5Deontay Wilder
Professional record: 43-4-1 (42 KOs)
‘The Bronze Bomber’, one of the most powerful punchers in heavyweight boxing history, was the WBC Heavyweight Champion for more than five years, from 2015 to 2020. Wilder defended his title ten times until falling apart in dramatic fashion in his February 2020 rematch with Tyson Fury.
That defeat marked the beginning of a streak in which the American would lose four of his last five contests. His record of 42 knockouts in 43 wins demonstrates that he is one of the most entertaining boxers of the current era. Despite recent losses, Wilder’s fearsome reputation will live on in mythology for future generations.
4Vitali Klitschko
Professional record: 45-2 (41 KOs)
Aside from the aforementioned April 2000 setback to Chris Byrd, Vitali faced few opponents who tested him. He was even ahead of Lennox Lewis on the scorecards before the referee controversially stopped the fight due to a nasty cut over Klitschko’s left eye, resulting in his second career loss.
Vitali falls short of the top three owing to a lack of meaningful opponents on his record. The oldest Klitschko brother rarely left the comfort of his adopted base of Germany, marching through most of his opponents and stopping them within striking distance.
Even a nearly four-year absence from the ring to pursue political ambitions had little impact on Vitali’s rhythm. He was a dominant champion while holding the WBC’s heavyweight belt, but he was never able to unify the division because his brother, Wladimir, typically held the other titles in the weight class.
3Tyson Fury
Professional record: 34-2-1 (24 KOs)
Fury’s undefeated streak came to an end when he faced the outstanding Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in May. Even yet, ‘The Gipsy King’ lost by a divided decision. However, in the rematch, Usyk was a decisive winner.
The former two-time world heavyweight champion from Morecambe first achieved international recognition when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko in Germany. However, he was unable to defend that gold owing to a mix of disciplinary troubles and mental health challenges.
Fury gained weight while out from the ring, reaching 330 pounds. It seems improbable that he would ever return to action. Fury, with the support of his coach at the time, Ben Davison, worked his way back to fitness and eventually overcame Deontay Wilder to reclaim the WBC Heavyweight Championship in February 2020.
Following his most recent defeat to Usyk, Fury announced his retirement. If he decides to return to the ring, he has a lot of exciting fights ahead of him, including a rematch with long-time rival Anthony Joshua.
2Oleksandr Usyk
Professional record: 23-0 (14 KOs)
Usyk is arguably the most talented pure boxer on this list, with impeccable footwork and timing. After dominating the cruiserweight division and reigning as the undisputed world champion, the Ukrainian moved up to heavyweight. So far, he’s made the shift appear effortless.
Usyk had only fought twice as a heavyweight before challenging Anthony Joshua for the world championship, but the Londoner was no match for ‘The Cat’, who cruised to a unanimous decision victory. The 37-year-old repeated the dose in a rematch against Joshua before stopping Daniel Dubois in Poland in August.
These victories resulted in two fights with Fury and undisputed heavyweight championship. Given how well he’s performed, it’s difficult to believe he’s only competed in the weight class seven times. With additional experience, he could well have led this list.
1Wladimir Klitschko
Professional record: 64-5 (53 KOs)
With more than half of his career taking place after the turn of the century (including all of his world title wins), Wladimir Klitschko is regarded as the greatest heavyweight of the twenty-first century. From October 2004 to April 2015, he won 22 consecutive fights, unifying three of the four main world heavyweight titles in the process.
Klitschko’s chin was shaky at times, but his talents far surpassed his faults. Wladimir, known for his spear-like jab and devastating punch power, was a formidable opponent for anyone who faced him at his best.
In his final two fights, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua handed him two of his five career defeats. Even then, Wladimir was a hazardous operator. Klitschko dropped ‘AJ’ to the canvas at Wembley Stadium with a strong right hand in what would be his final professional fight, but he lost. Klitschko announced his retirement in August 2017 and will be enshrined into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021. Having hinted at a comeback to the ring in recent weeks, he may just add to his formidable CV.
