Tyson Fury Stays On Top Of Ring Magazine’s Heavyweight Rankings; Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder Follows
For Ring Magazine, Tyson Fury is the champion in the heavyweight rankings, not Anthony Joshua.
Ring Magazine released its heavyweight rankings on Monday with Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) at the top, followed by Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) and Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs). For some boxing fans, they’re surprised Fury is the top seed ahead of Joshua, an IBF, WBA and WBO champion.
“It’s a bit surprising that WBC champion Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs), with his one belt and 18 months of inactivity, is ranked higher than Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs),” William Lloyd of Boxing News 24 wrote.
The magazine’s divisional ratings were first introduced in 1925. The rating panel is made up of a “dozen experts from around the world.”
Fury, 32, has recently been in the news because his newborn daughter, Athena — who was born on August 8 — was in the intensive care unit and at one point needed a ventilator. But on Monday, Fury shared that the newborn is out of the ICU with a video of himself feeding her.
Boxing Promoter Eddie Hearn recently argued that the World Boxing Council should give Fury the “Emeritus champion in recess” tag due to his period of inactivity. He wants to make Dillian Whyte – who is ranked in the top five of the list – as the temporary WBC champion.
Fury is set to face Wilder in the delayed world title clash on October 9, but on Tuesday Fury’s father, John, said he’s prepared to cancel the fight due to the critical conditions with his newborn daughter.
“Nobody could expect a boxing match to go on in times like this,” his father previously told BT Sport. “Family is family, business is business and sport is sport but family is first and foremost.
“I am his dad and he is here now and if problems persist then we will cancel the fight, I will cancel the fight.”
Still, the magazine has kept Fury at the top of its rankings.
Here is Ring Magazine’s heavyweight rankings.
Champion: Tyson Fury
1. Anthony Joshua
2. Deontay Wilder
3. Dillian Whyte
4. Joseph Parker
5. Andy Ruiz Jr
6. Luis Ortiz
7. Michael Hunter
8. Oscar Rivas
9. Joe Joyce
10. Oleksandr Usyk