BoxRec

So we have Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk as your current Heavyweight Champions. And Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr are still in the mix. Also Deontay Wilder and Charles Martin still there too... If anyone of them regain a World Heavyweight Championship they won't be a new name on the list...

But who do you think will be the next man to join the pantheon of the Heavyweight Champions list?

Zhang or Sanchez when they are given the chance.

Zhang probably

I'd love to see Sanchez v Ruiz if Andy is coming back.

Define "champion"

funso banjo baby wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 10:16 Zhang probably

I'd love to see Sanchez v Ruiz if Andy is coming back.

I'd love to see Ruiz V almost anybody at this stage.

He seems to have almost given up fighting despite talking a good game.

There's no excuse for him to be so inactive.

Syntax Error wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 12:46

funso banjo baby wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 10:16 Zhang probably

I'd love to see Sanchez v Ruiz if Andy is coming back.

I'd love to see Ruiz V almost anybody at this stage.

He seems to have almost given up fighting despite talking a good game.

There's no excuse for him to be so inactive.

He may be the first casualty of the middle east mega money?
When you've earned 50m for one fight it's probably hard to get motivated for 1 or 2m in Las Vegas

Daniel DuBois or Filip Hrgovic probably But would like to see Zhang have a shot at one of the top guys

Zhang has the most potential I'd say of the current contenders to be able to pick up a belt.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:14 Zhang has the most potential I'd say of the current contenders to be able to pick up a belt.

Only problem with Zhang is he will be 41 in May. Fury and Usyk supposedly will fight twice this year. I'll believe that when I see it.
But if they do fight twice, Zhang will be at least 42 when he gets his shot.

tiny_acres wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:23

gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:14 Zhang has the most potential I'd say of the current contenders to be able to pick up a belt.

Only problem with Zhang is he will be 41 in May. Fury and Usyk supposedly will fight twice this year. I'll believe that when I see it.
But if they do fight twice, Zhang will be at least 42 when he gets his shot.

It's Boxing bro. He'll get a shot at the WBA Regular belt or one of 'em will get stripped of one of the other belts, and he'll fight some other contender for it.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:34

tiny_acres wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:23

gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:14 Zhang has the most potential I'd say of the current contenders to be able to pick up a belt.

Only problem with Zhang is he will be 41 in May. Fury and Usyk supposedly will fight twice this year. I'll believe that when I see it.
But if they do fight twice, Zhang will be at least 42 when he gets his shot.

It's Boxing bro. He'll get a shot at the WBA Regular belt or one of 'em will get stripped of one of the other belts, and he'll fight some other contender for it.

I hope he gets a shot before it is too late. He deserves it

Zhang holds the interim WBO belt so if he beats Parker he's guaranteed a title shot at Usyk if he wins. If Fury wins and vacates Zhang will surely get promoted to full champion. A lot of IFs though.

Hrgovic has the next mandatory shot but I don't see him beating Usyk or Fury. It seems like Joshua might face Hrgovic first as well which could also count him out.

Sanchez vs Kabayel has been called as a WBC eliminator so if Fury vacates that could end up setting the winner up for a title shot.

Is Usyk beats Fury and defends a few times someone like Anderson or Bakole could be there to take a vacant belt.

funso banjo baby wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 13:36

Syntax Error wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 12:46

funso banjo baby wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 10:16 Zhang probably

I'd love to see Sanchez v Ruiz if Andy is coming back.

I'd love to see Ruiz V almost anybody at this stage.

He seems to have almost given up fighting despite talking a good game.

There's no excuse for him to be so inactive.

He may be the first casualty of the middle east mega money?
When you've earned 50m for one fight it's probably hard to get motivated for 1 or 2m in Las Vegas

Oh yes, that makes sense.

His loss of hunger seemed to coincide with his rematch with Joshua.

Syntax Error wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 18:16

funso banjo baby wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 13:36

Syntax Error wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 12:46

I'd love to see Ruiz V almost anybody at this stage.

He seems to have almost given up fighting despite talking a good game.

There's no excuse for him to be so inactive.

He may be the first casualty of the middle east mega money?
When you've earned 50m for one fight it's probably hard to get motivated for 1 or 2m in Las Vegas

Oh yes, that makes sense.

His loss of hunger seemed to coincide with his rematch with Joshua.

If there's something that Ruiz will never lose, it's hunger.

Kubrat Pulev

gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:14 Zhang has the most potential I'd say of the current contenders to be able to pick up a belt.

Except that he's 41

jamesmcdonnell wrote: ↑06 Feb 2024, 14:05

gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:14 Zhang has the most potential I'd say of the current contenders to be able to pick up a belt.

Except that he's 41

He also doesn't have a lot of miles on his body either though. I think he can still compete at a high level for another few years.

It's a shame he didn't come along about 10 years ago when Macau, China was trying to get into the Boxing business. He would've been a big main event guy there for sure.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑06 Feb 2024, 14:35

jamesmcdonnell wrote: ↑06 Feb 2024, 14:05

gilgamesh wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 14:14 Zhang has the most potential I'd say of the current contenders to be able to pick up a belt.

Except that he's 41

He also doesn't have a lot of miles on his body either though. I think he can still compete at a high level for another few years.

It's a shame he didn't come along about 10 years ago when Macau, China was trying to get into the Boxing business. He would've been a big main event guy there for sure.

Think he has more miles than you think. 55+ amateur fights and 28 pro fights. Not tonnes of rounds in the pros but he's been stopped and dropped in the amateurs. He also had kidney failure against Forrest. He's been boxing for 20+ years so sparring miles account for something too. He can't go on forever.

Forget his age, it has to be Zhang. Most people think he was unlucky against Hrgovic, and he fucked up Joyce twice, when Joyce was clearly a top 5 guy even on the most objective heavyweight fan's watch list.

Joyce walked through everybody including Parker who is suddenly a serious contender shutting out Wilder, a consensus top 5 guy.

Zhang destroyed Joyce twice.

Now, Fury may have ruined Wilder in those three fights, and Joyce may have just suddenly gotten old and flattered Zhang. But those wins are impressive and significant.

If boxing was fair, and based purely on results, Zhang is easily the most dangerous contender out there.

funso banjo baby wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 10:16 Zhang probably

You picking him over Parker next month?
I'm not so sure.