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Anthony Joshua has conceded he may be forced to give up one of his heavyweight world titles in 2020 due to an inability to satisfy all of his mandatory challengers.
Joshua recaptured the IBF, WBA and WBO straps by outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr this month, but there is already a queue of fighters waiting for their shot at the Briton.
Oleksandr Usyk is next up for the WBO belt, while Kubrat Pulev is first in line for a shot at the IBF, with discussions over a fight in April.
Should a deal be struck with the Bulgarian first, Joshua would then be unable to meet Ukrainian Usyk before the scheduled June deadline, meaning he would therefore relinquish the title – an idea that is already annoying the champion.
“I would hate [to vacate a belt] because it’s so hard to go round and collect all these belts, it’s really difficult and I’ve kept hold of them for so many years,” Joshua told Sky Sports .
Show all 16 1 /16Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 15. Oscar Rivas, Colombia Amid all the fallout of Dillian Whyte’s issue with UKAD, Oscar Rivas’ success in their bout last summer is easily overlooked. He staggered the Briton in the ninth round, was relentless coming forwards, and only lost by a narrow points decision on away soil. There are flaws suggesting he can be easily outboxed, though, with his victory against Bryant Jennings coming in the 12th round when trailing significantly on the scorecards. Beyond that, his resume is far from impressive. But against an opponent who can’t sustain a jab and move style, the Colombian remains very dangerous (TK).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 14. Alexander Povetkin, Russia Close to a world title shot in 2016, Povetkin was due to face Deontay Wilder for his WBC crown but later tested positive for banned substances. The Russian is in the closing stages of his career and put in a performance just about good enough to gift him victory against Hughie Fury, while he looked slow and lethargic against Michael Hunter recently. The opportunities of more world title shots are still realistic but will need to come inside the next year or two for Povetkin to stand any real chance of victory. A good career packed full of wins and a knockout of David Price which will live long in the memory of boxing fans
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 13. Adam Kownacki, Poland ‘Babyface’ is one to watch in 2020, with Al Haymon guiding his career. Kownacki was always mentioned as a potential opponent for Deontay Wilder – also managed by Haymon. Kownacki’s standout performance was against the admittedly limited Chris Arreola, who notably threw a CompuBox record 1125 punches in the points win. Durable and able to crack, Kownacki is in an excellent position to emerge as a contender in the near future (JR).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 12. Jarrell Miller, USA Before ‘Big Baby’ threw the toys out the pram after failing a drugs test and costing himself a world title shot, Miller was rising up through the heavyweight ranks with an undefeated record of 23 wins and one draw. Sure, it’s a record that does not feature a single standout name, but the Miller we last saw was proving to be one of the better contenders among the division’s also-rans. How much was that down to the juice? Well, we’ll see once he finally returns to the ring (JDM).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 11. Michael Hunter, USA Hunter: A fantastic amateur-turned-professional, Michael Hunter just misses out on the top 10 but is starting to make a name for himself in the division. Just one defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in the cruiserweight division, Hunter is now making a case for a world title shot next year. A stellar performance led to a controversial draw against Alexander Povetkin on the undercard of Ruiz vs Joshua II, a fight many neutrals had Hunter winning. At just 6'2 he could struggle against the biggest boys in the heavyweight division but is begnning to look every bit like he could be a regular at the top.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 10. Filip Hrgovic, Croatia The Croatian is a rising star in the heavyweight division and his presence inside the top 10 will raise eyebrows. But after dispatching Eric Molina in quick time, El Animal will be hovering on the brink of earning a world title shot throughout 2020. His athleticism and towering frame mean he ticks the requisite boxes to be a test for anybody; the volume of shots is impressive and the chopping hooks, whipped in from unorthodox angles (for a heavyweight) will make him a problem in the coming years (JR).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 9. Kubrat Pulev, Bulgaria The Bulgarian was embroiled in a controversial episode earlier this year with a female broadcaster, but now, under Bob Arum, Pulev appears primed to get his shot at a world title again as the IBF mandatory. His hopes of pulling off an upset, should Joshua decide to fulfil his mandatory, appear remote, given he was struggling to distinguish himself against Bogdan Dinu before a 7th round knockout, which was followed up by a pedestrian points decision over little-known Rydell Booker. The only other notable performance in recent years was his clear-cut decision over Hughie Fury. Will not be an opponent most will be desperate to watch against the champions.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 8. Joseph Parker, New Zealand The former WBO heavyweight champion made two successful defences of his title before losing it to Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision a year and a half ago. At just 27 he has yet to reach his peak and really find his feet in the division, but already has a solid resume and originally won the belt in a close decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. His punch selection is excellent but when it has come to the big fights, those against Joshua and Dillian Whyte, Parker has come up just short and failed to let his hands go - but always given a good account of himself. Now partnered with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, Parker has got himself back to winning ways and will look to rise up the division once again (AH).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 7. Luis Ortiz, Cuba It’s hard to know what Luis Ortiz has left in the tank at this point. He came within seconds of victory in his first fight against Deontay Wilder, and won almost every second before being stopped by a single punch in their rematch last month. That second loss may turn out to be a final swansong and payday for the Cuban veteran, sapping away any motivation to step down the rungs again. Nevertheless, if he's willing to persevere, the southpaw is as technically complete as any heavyweight and still one of the division’s hardest punchers.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 6. Andy Ruiz Jr, USA Andy Ruiz: The ‘Destroyer’ was anything but in his rematch with Joshua, which was a huge shame as he looked to have transformed the ‘big three’ into a quartet. But the way that he did for Joshua in their first bout should act as a firm reminder of what Ruiz can do if he applies himself in training, and with some of the fastest hands in the division and the power to back it up, he remains a dangerous opponent who may just have had the wake-up call he needed to take the next step up (JDM).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 5. Oleksandr Usyk, Ukraine There is very little evidence so far in his heavyweight journey after a debut against fodder in the form of Chazz Witherspoon. The polished skills of Usyk would be a nightmare for both Wilder and Joshua, though their hulking power may ultimately prove decisive - we must see how Usyk takes a shot against a powerful heavyweight. How Usyk deals with the length of Fury remains a mystery too; at his best the Gypsy King could set up a wall between himself and the Ukrainian in the form of his jab, so let's see how Usyk gets on during the infancy of his spell at heavyweight before crowning him (JR).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 4. Dillian Whyte, UK With just the one loss to Anthony Joshua on his record and a string of 11 straight victories behind him, Whyte is hammering at the door for a world title shot and has been dodged by the ‘big three’ for the last two years. The ‘Body Snatcher’ has demonstrated frightening knockout power against Lucas Browne and Dereck Chisora as well as an ability to grind out the wins too, and though he is yet to reach to the very top of the division, he’s about as close as you can get before reaching it (JDM).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 3. Deontay Wilder, USA Stunned by Fury in seven brutal rounds, the American bully was bullied by Tyson Fury, does he dare activate the rematch clause for a trilogy? We'll soon find out.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 2. Anthony Joshua, UK - WBA, IBF and WBO champion Back on track with the smartest victory of his career to regain the WBA, IBF and WBO titles from Andy Ruiz, Joshua can once again look for the fights that will come to define him. Each man in the top three of the division has their own strengths that could see them beat the two others, and for Joshua it is his power blended with an imposing style and the ability to vary his gameplan that he believes will see him come out on top. Whether he will remains to be seen, but the Watford native is back on the right path to see if he can go on and join the greats.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 1. Tyson Fury, UK - WBC champion True to his word, he dismantled Deontay Wilder in seven rounds in a way very few truly believed possible. Heavier and more aggressive than ever, the clear No 1 in the division and now a nightmare for Anthony Joshua should they ever fight with the Kronk influence
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“So to have to vacate because of the boxing politics would be annoying, but there’s things that are out of my control. If I do lose one, I know I’ll be able to get it back.”
Joshua remains positive though after a gruelling year, no matter who emerges as the next challenger.
“Time moves so fast, it’s easy to forget things. So we just look forward into the new year and more challenges, more competition and hopefully more memorable years to come.
“It’s 2020 vision. Whoever’s on the cards will get taken down. I just keep myself focused and whoever wants it can get it.”
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