Top Heavyweight Boxing
London, UK (June 29, 2024) - Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and many other top heavyweight boxers are rapidly approaching the end of their careers. This begs the question, is it time they make way for the next generation of superstars? This sparks even further debate as to which new boxers are the hottest prospects coming through with the potential to be boxing’s next major star. Let’s dive straight in and find out.
Fortunately, for those of you who have grown bored of seeing the same old faces in the ring, several up-and-coming new candidates are currently looking to take over the reins and become the sport’s next big thing.
The current stars have been at the peak of the sport for several years, especially in the heavyweight division, and it’s only a matter of time before a new star is born.
Top heavyweights like Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua, only to name a few, will eventually step away from the ring and hang up their gloves for good, and one of a handful of exciting new prospects with impressive records could easily step in and replace the current stars who are all now well into their thirties.
The same is also true in several other boxing divisions. If there were any boxing betting odds on who the sport’s next superstar would be, some of the most likely prospects and contenders with the best chance of achieving this would be:
They all look destined to achieve greatness, but just one loss could crush their dreams of being the next Usyk, Fury or Joshua. These elite heavyweights all command millions of dollars per bout, and the rising stars will be looking to do the same.
One of the first names that comes up when discussing heavyweight boxing's next star might be Olympic gold medallist Bakhodir Jalolov 14-0 (14 KOs). The 29-year-old 6 ft 7 in southpaw (a left-handed fighter who leads with his right) is from Uzbekistan and has an incredible 81-inch reach.He has already won several major awards, including gold medals at the World Championships (2019 and 2023), three Asian Championships, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. So far, he has had an outstanding amateur career with an undefeated professional record, and many believe Jalolov is the one to watch.
However, others, including Tyson Fury and Frank Warren, believe that 19-year-old Moses Itauma could very well be boxing’s next big star, some even labelling his all-action style as similar to that of ‘Iron Mike’ Tyson. He was on the undercard in Riyadh at the recent Fury vs. Usyk undisputed clash, unbeaten in 24 fights as an amateur, has never lost as a pro, a Multi-Nation BoxCup winner and two-time National champion. Itauma has also won gold medals at the Youth World Championships and Youth European Championships.
24-year-old Jared Anderson is America’s next rising star, having won the U.S. National Championships on two separate occasions (2017 and 2018). Following his amateur career, he held the NABF heavyweight title in 2021. Despite a shaky performance in 2023 against Charles Martin and several brushes with the law, many tip him to be boxing’s next heavyweight king. If he can sort his issues outside the ring and focus on becoming the world’s next great heavyweight, he could very well achieve this.
Frank Sanchez is one of the oldest boxers from this list of potential candidates at 31 years old. Since 2020, the Cuban professional boxer has held the WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title and the NABO title. He was also on the undercard of Fury vs. Usyk in Riyadh, where Sanchez surrendered his undefeated record to Germany's Agit Kabayel. Time will tell if Sanchez can regain his lost momentum.
Often overlooked as a potential candidate is 25-year-old Australian heavyweight Justis Huni, who has become a clear choice for many. In 2019, he picked up an amateur bronze medal at the World Championships, and since 2020, he has held the Australian heavyweight title.
As the current stars continue to fight it out in the ring in the twilight of their careers, people will naturally start to look at who those next stars will be. One or two rising stars could take that title, but only time will tell.
Boxing is an unpredictable sport; only their upcoming fights will determine which fighters will have what it takes to take on the very best and become dominant stars.
Other heavyweight breakout stars to watch closely in 2024 are Richard Torrez Jr., Agit Kabayel, Fabio Wardley, Vladyslav Sirenko, Lenier Pero, Sonny Conto, Umut Camkiran, Gurgen Hovhannisyan, Johnny Fisher, Mark Petrovsky, Damian Knyba, Jeremiah Milton, Ricardo Brown, Solomon Dacres, to name a few.
Top Heavyweight Boxing covers the past, present and future of boxing's premier division. Copyright© 2024
Setup by Digital Dynasty Design
