Ringside Intel Heavyweight Rankings: Daniel Dubois Shakes Things Up with Big Upset

Olympic silver medalist and former WBO interim champ Joe Joyce was headed towards marquee bouts with Oleksandr Usyk or Tyson Fury before running into the show stopping power of Zhilei Zhang twice. After a knockout win in a tune up fight with Kash Ali in the rearview mirror, Joyce was ready to continue towards a world championship.

That was until a fight with Derek Chisora in July did not become the second tune up fight many thought it would be. Instead, an exhausted Chisora managed to drop him in the ninth before winning the unanimous decision. The draw between Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller temporarily preserves his spot on this list.

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Agit Kabayel was probably best known for once being a sparring partner for Tyson Fury and having a subsequent bout with “The Gypsy King” being called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Kabayel put up exceptional results against Frank Sanchez on May 18 by repeatedly targeting the body. His second-round knockout win in the WBC title eliminator represents the Cuban’s first professional defeat. It could be just what he needs to push himself further up the ladder among a crowded field of potential heavyweight stars.

A coming out party for Jared Anderson turned into a show stealing performance from Martin Bakole. The Congolese fighter dominated Anderson and closed the show with a fifth round knockout that put him in the top 10 and opened up the doors of possibility.

Now the 31-year-old can look forward to facing more established fighters to make a run at promoting his WBO International belt to a world title. His combination of power, activity, and 6’6” frame just might surprise a lot of more recognizable contenders. 

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Since 2018 Filip Hrgovic has been a mainstay in the international scene, holding WBC and IBF titles during much of that time. Despite being undefeated and holding a win over Zhilei Zhang, “Stoneman” has largely flown under the radar of many boxing fans. 

Unfortunately for Hrgovic, his recent TKO loss to Daniel Dubois was a horribly timed roadblock. Any ambitions to climb the ladder will have to be put on hold for the time being as the Croatian will have to go back to the drawing board.

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“Big Bang” was on the steady rise among his peers until a decision loss to Filip Hrgovic in summer of 2022 halted his climb. Zhang responded with consecutive stoppage wins over Joe Joyce for the interim WBO belt in 2023 before ending last year with a majority decision loss to Joseph Parker.

The Zhang rebrand got a huge boost with his fifth-round knockout of Deontay Wilder. Rumor have matched up him up with Martin Bakole and Parker. Another win, especially by knockout, can make waves in the division.

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Once arguably the best heavyweight in the world, Anthony Joshua fell on rough times beginning in 2021 when he lost his titles to Oleksandr Usyk and dropped an immediate rematch. After suffering the only defeats of his career, he rebounded in dramatic fashion.

Unfortunately, that resurgence hit a brick wall against Daniel Dubois. “AJ” was quickly overwhelmed by the power and forward pressure from the opening bell. By the fifth round, Joshua was laid on the canvas unable to beat the count.

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Joseph Parker seems to be repeating his own history. Following back-to-back losses to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte in 2018, the Kiwi quickly got back on track with a six-fight win streak that included a pair of decisions over Derek Chisora.

A KO loss to Joe Joyce in 2022 forced Parker to hit the reset button again. This time his five-fight bounce back includes title bouts against former WBC champ Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. His recent success makes him an obvious choice for an upcoming big stage showcase.  

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It looks Daniel Dubois has put his setbacks against Joseph Parker and Oleksandr Usyk firmly in the rearview with his recent performances. In his three outings since being stopped by Usyk, “Dynamite” has earned three knockout victories of his own.

In his latest, Dubois crushed Anthony Joshua in London to defend the IBF heavyweight title. The victory makes him an obvious choice for the winner of Usyk and Tyson Fury in December.

Tyson Fury had two birds to kill coming into his undisputed championship fight with Oleksandr Usyk. Not only did he have to remove the doubt cast on him following his lackluster showing against Francis Ngannou in his professional boxing debut, but he also had to retain his WBC title against the relentlessness of Usyk.

While he did look far improved compared to his showing against Ngannou, he came up short on the scorecards and relinquished his status as champ. Fury will have a chance to get revenge and claim the undisputed throne in October when in a rematch with Usyk.

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Any questions about who the world’s best heavyweight boxer are were answered in what will likely go down as the most exciting fight of 2024. Oleksandr Usyk not only handed Tyson Fury his loss but also became the undisputed champion.

In a gutsy performance, Usyk rallied after a scare near the midpoint to drop Fury in the seventh. However, Usyk shouldn’t rest on his laurels. The October rematch puts him right back in front of Fury with a hungry field of contenders waiting for their chance.

Even though Usyk decided to vacate the IBF belt and relinquish his undisputed standing, there’s no denying that he is the best heavyweight in the world and has earned his place in history.

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