Let’s talk heavyweights.  No not the fire flames Ben Stiller movie from 1995 but the lifeless, destitute, once proud but now largely ignored boxing division. Title fights in this division were once considered must watch events that captured the interest of the public worldwide and sometimes served as alternate battlegrounds for larger world issues (ex. Joe Louis vs. Max Schmelling). Leading up to the fight and for days after water cooler talk would be dominated by uninformed opinions and lengthy debates from boxing fanatics to the most casual of fans.  Growing up with characters such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, and many others it was hard to look away.  Big punchers who often had even bigger personalities squaring up in a ring to determine who is the king of the most feared and macho forum in all of sports.

Unfortunately the division met its tragic death for many of us on June 21, 2003 when Lennox Lewis fought Vitali Klitschko.  The fight which was dubbed “The Battle of the Titans” lasted only 6 bloody and competitive rounds and was called to a stop due to a nasty cut above the left eye of Klitschko resulting in a Lewis TKO.  Klitschko was ahead on all 3 scorecards 58-56 at the time of the stoppage.  Although plans of a rematch swirled around for a year after the fight they never came to fruition when Lewis decided to retire rather than take the bout.  This kicked off the reign of the Klitschko brothers who have defended their titles nearly 30 times since beginning their run in 2005.  These title defenses have been mostly uninteresting due to the dominance of the Klitschko’s over sub-par competition as well as their lackluster fighting style.  As the years went on, dedicated fans began to lose interest as the brothers easily dispatched any competitors in a reign that hasn’t been seen since Joe Louis and his bum of the month club in the early 1940’s.

For most fans there was no end in sight to the monotony of the heavyweights so we began to ignore the division.  Heavyweight title fights took a backseat to whoever Floyd was fighting next and whether he would ever face Pacquiao.  This seemed like it would continue until the brothers decided to call it quits.  This happened for Vitali late in 2013 when he officially retired.  He hadn’t fought since September 2012 and his political aspirations had become a priority.  Vitali’s retirement left Wladimir to hold down the division on his own, without big brother, which he did until he ran into the buzzsaw known as Tyson Fury in November of 2015.  Fury and Klitschko fought an uneventful 12 round fight in which Fury easily outpointed the long standing champion.  This marked the first sign of hope for the resurgence of the Heavyweight division now that the giant had been slain.  Since then Fury has relinquished his belts and has not fought due to a litany of issues in 2016.  When he does come back he will return to a roster of legitimate heavyweight contenders, the likes of which have not been seen for 20 years.  Below is a list of the top 5 names you should look out for and why.

Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua has as much potential and ability as anyone in the sport let alone the heavyweight division.  Standing 6’6”, 235 lbs, this 2012 British Olympic gold medalist is an imposing physical specimen.  With 18 KO’s in his first 18 professional fights, he has proven that he has the power to back up his impressive physique.  Along with the power he is possibly the most athletic heavyweight that we have seen in ages.  Currently he is the holder of the IBF belt which he took off of Charles Martin early in 2016.  He has easily defended the belt twice since gaining it.  The only knock on Joshua is the level of competition he has faced thus far.  He has fought capable but far from elite fighters up to this point in his career but that is all about to change.  On April 29^th he is slated to face former champion Wladimir Klitschko in front of his home fans at Wembly Stadium with both his own IBF title as well as the vacant WBA belt on the line.  This will be a real test for Joshua, but it’s a test Vegas certainly thinks he is ready for as he currently sits as a -260 favorite.  This is the first of many mega-fights boxing fans hope to soon see in the heavyweight division.

Deontay Wilder

Wilder is the great American heavyweight hope that boxing desperately needs.  He is 38-0 with 37 knockout and towers over most opponents at 6’7″.  Wilder’s name has been relatively well known since becoming the only American man to medal is the 2008 Beijing olympics taking home the bronze.  Since then he has gone on to earn himself more impressive hardware winning the WBC heavyweight belt in 2015 and defending the title successfully with 5 consecutive KO’s.  Just like Joshua, his only criticism is the talent level of his opponents which is a factor he has little control over.  This should change soon as Wilder has publicly stated that he is willing to take on the top names, often times calling them out publicly.  Most recently he called out WBO title holder Joseph Parker (22-0, 18KO’s) after his fight with Tyson Fury’s cousin Hughie fell through, offering to step in on short notice.  Parker’s camp did not seem interested.  Although Wilder’s next opponent is unknown, I would expect to see an exciting matchup with one of the other top heavyweights on this list before the end of the year.

As a Side Hustle side note, Wilder has been one of my favorite fighters since he beat up an internet troll who was calling him out back in 2014.  He told the guy, who claimed to be a great boxer, to meet him at the gym and they could box.  The guy actually showed up and this was the result.

Tyson Fury

It’s difficult to predict what will happen with Tyson Fury’s boxing future.  He is a giant of a man who stands 6’9″ and fights around 250 lbs with a record of 25-0 and 18 KO’s.  As the man who dethroned the king, boxing fans are very interested to see his form when he returns to the ring.  I say when because just today Tyson released a video on the BoxNation twitter page stating he is 100% coming back (Tyson Fury Comeback Video).  This is exciting news for all boxing fans.  Although Fury has now stated that he will be returning, he does face a few obstacles before that can happen.  The first obstacle is a possible suspension from a drug test that both he and his cousin Hughie failed. They are confident that they will not be suspended and blame the failed test on eating an entire boar including the internal organs.  This isn’t the first time an excuse like this has been used in sports and apparently this can happen if the meat is contaminated.  The second obstacle has to do with Tyson’s weight. He has been seen in public looking quite hefty as of late and said himself that he is up to a whopping 350 lbs.  Along with that acknowledgement came a proclamation of confidence stating he has never had an issue losing the weight before and this will be no different.  He has recently called out Wilder for a fight that would make for must see action between these two talented behemoth men . Regardless of what happens, it is great to see that Tyson seems to have defeated many of his demons for the time being and will be returning to the ring hopefully sometime soon.

Wladimir Klitchko

Like him or hate him, you have to respect what Wladimir Klitschko has done in boxing.  Fighting at 6’6″, 250, He has amassed a record of  64-4 with 53 KO’s and has lost only once since the year 2005.  This streak of wins lasting almost ten years is the second longest run as heavyweight champion behind only Joe Louis which is an amazing accomplishment.  That being said, I can’t wait to see him go. As I stated earlier, the dominance of both he and his brother is what has put this division in a ten year coma.  If he loses this upcoming fight versus Joshua I have to believe it will be the end of the 41 year old champion’s legendary career.  This is a real possibility considering this is the first fight in which he has been the underdog in almost 7 years. I personally expect him to lose on Saturday because he will be facing two formidable opponents in that ring, Anthony Joshua and father time.  Then again, you can never count out a legend who has proven his elite ability time and time again.  Will this be the end of the Klitschko regime?  One can only hope.

Luis Ortiz

Luis Ortiz is a name many are not familiar with but he is certainly no spring chicken.  The powerful 6’4″ fighter who goes by the nickname “King Kong” is a ripe 38 years old and spent the majority of his career as an amateur before defecting from Cuba and turning pro in 2010.  Since then he has went 27-0 with 23 KO’s and has proven that his power cannot be overlooked as he has knocked down opponents with thunderous blows to both the head and body.  I was looking forward to watching him on the undercard of the Porter vs. Berto event this past week but Ortiz unfortunately had to pull out due to a thumb injury.  Ortiz is a solid fighter who can’t be ignored although I don’t put him on the same level as Fury, Joshua, Wilder, and Klitschko.  He will have a chance to prove me wrong though since he is next in line to fight the winner of Joshua vs. Klitschko.

Honorable mention – Joseph Parker 

Parker is a talented and athletic fighter who puts together solid combinations for a heavyweight.  He is 6’4″, 245 lbs and currently holds a 22-0 record with 18 KO’s to go along with the WBO title.  You have to respect Parker for holding a heavyweight belt at the age 25 considering how difficult an accomplishment that has been over the past decade.  That being said, I don’t think he would fare very well against any of the other competitors on this list with the possible exception of Ortiz at this point in his career.  He would have faced a solid test in his upcoming May 6th fight had Hughie Fury not pulled out citing a back injury. Instead he will face Razvan Cojanu in a bout I expect Parker to handle with ease.

So there you have it folks.  A breakdown of what to expect and who to keep your eye on from the division that use to dominate the sports universe.  DO NOT miss the fight coming up this Saturday, April 29th, between Joshua and Klitschko as it could represent a changing of the guard and kick off a new and exciting era of heavyweight boxing.  It airs live at 4:15 ET on Showtime and will be re-broadcast at 10:15 ET on HBO so if you’re not around, set your DVR’s accordingly.  Enjoy the fight and keep checking Side Hustle Sports for breakdowns of marquee boxing matches in the near future.