Error code: %{errorCode}
Joshua-Fury, Dubois-Wardley: Five fights to bring the heavyweight division to life
Oleksandr Usyk cemented his place as the best heavyweight of his generation by knocking out Daniel Dubois in their rematch at Wembley last month.
But there is now uncertainty surrounding his next fight, while fans are also still waiting to see when Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will return to the ring.
The heavyweight division is currently in a state of limbo, but there are some fascinating fights that could be made.
Here, we pick out five clashes that would bring boxing’s blue-riband division to life.
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury
Let’s start with the obvious one. This showdown simply has to happen.
It has been talked about for a decade but is yet to materialise for one reason or another. Now, it is time to get it on before both men hang up their gloves for good.
Joshua and Fury have both fallen short against Usyk and fans now want to see who truly is the best British heavyweight of this era.
Fury announced his retirement at the start of the year, only to state last month that he will be making a comeback to face Usyk for a third time.
He has since cast doubt over those plans, and there is no great clamour for a trilogy with Usyk given the Ukrainian won their previous two contests.
The fight between Joshua and Fury is the one to make and let’s hope we finally see it in the coming months.
Bradley Collyer
Oleksandr Usyk vs Joseph Parker
Usyk is coming towards the end of his legendary career and may be eyeing bigger names than Joseph Parker.
But the Kiwi has admirably worked his way back into title contention and would be a worthy challenger to the undisputed champion.
Few could have predicted Parker would be in this position when he was knocked out by Joe Joyce in 2022.
The former WBO champion appeared to be on his way out of the sport, but has since bounced back to beat Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole.
He would be an underdog against Usyk, but the in-form heavyweight deserves his shot at becoming a two-time heavyweight champion.
Moses Itauma vs Agit Kabayel
Agit Kabayel is another heavyweight who is well-positioned for a chance at heavyweight glory, while Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has revealed his interest in putting 20-year-old Moses Itauma in with Usyk in the near future.
Yet both men ought to be behind Parker in the pecking order, so why not put them in against each other?
Itauma first has to get past Dillian Whyte later this month but knows a victory would push him into title contention.
If he could then beat the undefeated Kabayel, who has knocked out Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang in his last three outings, Itauma would have a very strong claim for being the next in line to take on Usyk.
Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley
Dubois will still be licking his wounds after a second loss to Usyk but he has vowed to return better than ever.
He will have to work his way back into the title mix, yet is still only 27 so has time on his side. One particularly interesting fight would be against fellow Brit, Fabio Wardley.
Wardley is on a roll and is yet to taste defeat as a professional after his stunning knockout of Justis Huni in June.
Dubois is very heavy-handed himself and it would be a fight to keep fans on the edge of their seats, with either man capable of changing the momentum of a bout with one punch.
Dubois and Wardley have world title aspirations and the winner would move one step closer to getting their hands on a championship belt.
Leigh Dawney/Queensberry
Joe Joyce vs Tony Yoka
This would be a fight between two men who are currently operating a rung below the top heavyweights in the division.
There are also concerns over the punishment that Joe Joyce has taken in recent fights and whether it would be wise for him to continue in the sport.
But if he does fight on, then a long-awaited rematch with Tony Yoka would make sense.
Yoka controversially beat Joyce in the 2016 super-heavyweight Olympic final in Rio, despite many observers feeling it was the Brit who should have got his hand raised.
Joyce has also maintained that he won that fight and would welcome a shot at revenge.
Meanwhile, Yoka has just signed with Queensberry and is looking to kickstart his career after losing momentum in recent years. Settling the score with Joyce once and for all could get him on the right track to achieving his potential as a professional.
Watch the biggest fights and best fighters with a DAZN subscription
A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.
