![\"Tyson](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_GettyImages-2190710991.jpg\")
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk faced off last year(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\nOleksandr Usyk remains as the number one ranked heavyweight boxer in the world and despite Tyson Fury’s return prompting suggestions that he could topple him, there are other major contenders further up the queueTyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk faced off last year(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Ring Magazine\u2019s top ten contenders for Oleksandr Usyk<\/a>\u2019s mantle, released this week, is topped by Tyson Fury<\/a> and excludes Anthony Joshua<\/a>. I understand both choices to a degree, but that\u2019s not how I see the heavyweight world. Here\u2019s my list.<\/p>\n No.1 Fabio Wardley. He deserves the ranking. As he often is, Wardley was behind against Joseph Parker yet, as I predicted, found a way to win. That\u2019s the beauty of the old equaliser, you need pull it out of the bag only once.<\/p>\n No.2 Moses Itauma. A southpaw with hands like lightening, Itauma is the most exciting prospect on the planet. He punches accurately as well as hard, the combination of speed and power an explosive cocktail. Can he go the distance flat out? Can he take an elite punch? They are the only questions left to answer.<\/p>\n No.3 Agit Kabayel. Unbeaten with an incredible chin. He may lack that special something that makes fighters stand out but he is durable and tough, which makes him a challenge for any opponent.<\/p>\n No.4 Joseph Parker<\/a>. A thoroughbred. He has come back from defeats before. Maybe he will again. Some saw conspiracy in the outcome against Wardley. I didn\u2019t. The referee\u2019s intervention spared him further punishment for which he might yet be grateful.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Amir Khan sends message to Manny Pacquiao over Floyd Mayweather rematch<\/a>READ MORE: Oleksandr Usyk urged to battle UFC king Alex Pereira in retirement bout<\/a><\/p>\n No.5 Daniel Dubois. Vulnerable but a banger. Dubois has the power to win against any opponent, as he showed in the brutal dispatch of Joshua, and is young enough to come again.<\/p>\n No.6 Tyson Fury. Does he have the hunger and determination to come back? If he does Fury is still right up there with the ability to beat anybody. But there must be a doubt about his motivation and desire to put himself through the mill again.<\/p>\n No.7 Filip Hrgovic. A big, athletic guy with a lively punch. The defeat to Dubois 16 months ago was a setback for sure but two good wins since have put him back in the conversation.<\/p>\n Who do you think is the best boxer in the world? Share your thoughts in the comments below<\/a><\/p>\n No.8 Zhilei Zhang. Proved consistently tough and on his day has the tools to trouble any if, at the age of 40, he can get out of the blocks quickly. He\u2019s enormous with fast hands, which makes him both hard to beat and a threat.<\/p>\n No.9 Martin Bakole. His best might be behind him. He was badly KO\u2019d by Parker in February when he looked too heavy. He\u2019s big and strong and were he to shed a few pounds might revive his career in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n No.10 Anthony Joshua. We wait to see what next year brings, but as things stand the defeat to Dubois looks to have ended his prospects of winning the world heavyweight title a third time. Never say never, however.<\/p>\n Follow Barry on X at @\u200cClonesCyclone<\/a> @mcguigans_Gym<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Oleksandr Usyk remains as the number one ranked heavyweight boxer in the world and despite Tyson Fury’s return…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":238038,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[2560,4035,9254,4036,6848,101,6901,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-238037","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-boxing","9":"tag-daniel-dubois","10":"tag-joseph-parker","11":"tag-oleksandr-usyk","12":"tag-ring-magazine","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-tyson-fury","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom","17":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238037"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238037\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238038"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Fabio](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_GettyImages-2243296801.jpg\")
Fabio Wardley looks to be the natural successor for Oleksandr Usyk(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n