One
of the main storylines in the Heavyweight division in 2016 was the highly
anticipated rematch between undefeated unified WBO/IBF/WBA/IBO Heavyweight
world champion Tyson Fury and former longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko. Due
to a plethora of circumstances however, the rematch between the two did not
take place and ultimately Fury relinquished his unified world championship.
Although
the situation involving Fury, Klitschko, and the circumstances which led to the
rematch not occurring dominated much of the landscape of the division in the
last year, there were other events that took place and fighters who were able
to establish themselves as players in the absence of both Fury and Klitschko.
The most established of those fighters was undefeated WBC Heavyweight world
champion Deontay Wilder, who will be entering his second year as a world
champion in 2017, successfully defended his title twice in 2016 scoring
knockouts of top contender Artur Szpilka and former world title challenger
Chris Arreola.
Wilder
has successfully defended his portion of the World Heavyweight championship
four times since winning the title from Bermane Stiverne in January 2015 and
now finds himself as the longest reigning champion in the division currently.
An interesting question that will be asked of Wilder as he prepares for his
fifth title defense on February 25th against current WBC number twelve rated
contender Andrzej Wawrzyk will be how he can come back from injuries after
suffering a broken right hand and torn right biceps in his last title defense
against Chris Arreola.
If
the champion can show no ill effects from the injuries he suffered in that
fight and can successfully defend his title for the fifth time, it would not
surprise this observer to see him in a unification bout for what would be his
sixth defense of the WBC world championship. As for whom that opponent would be
assuming Wilder is successful against Wawrzyk in February, there could be a few
possible options, each presenting an interesting challenge.
The
most likely opponent in my eyes would be undefeated IBF Heavyweight world
champion Anthony Joshua. Joshua, who won the IBF world championship in April of
last year with a second round knockout of Charles Martin, went on to
successfully defend his championship twice scoring dominant knockout wins over Dominic
Breazeale in June and in his last fight in December
against former world title challenger Eric Molina.
Much
like Wilder, Joshua has thus far been the definition of a “Knockout Artist”
winning all eighteen of his professional fights by knockout. Before a potential
fight between Wilder and Joshua can be made, it was announced shortly after
Joshua’s victory over Eric Molina that he will make the third defense of his
IBF world championship against Wladimir Klitschko on April 29th at the
legendary Wembley Stadium in London, England. In addition to Joshua’s IBF
crown, it was also announced that the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA)
Heavyweight world championship will also be at stake.
Although there is much more to discuss with
regard to the Heavyweight division, a logical scenario that would play
perfectly into one of the subjects on this observer’s “Boxing Wishlist For
2017” would be for the winner of Joshua-Klitschko to face the winner of Wilder-
Wawrzyk to further unify the World Heavyweight championship. As there always
seems to be in the sport of Boxing however, there are other scenarios that
could be a factor in whether such a concept of further unification takes place
as described.
In
regard to the World Boxing Council (WBC), the status of its number one
contender position is very much in the air. One thing that Deontay Wilder has
been unfairly criticized for during his title reign by some in my eyes is the
fact that he has not faced a mandatory challenger as of yet. Some may remember
that Wilder was prepared to defend his world championship against WBC number
one rated contender and former world title challenger Alexander Povetkin last
May in Russia, but the fight was cancelled days before it could take place due
to Povetkin testing positive for the banned substance Meldonium.
Povetkin
was scheduled to fight former world champion Bermane Stiverne on December 17th
in Russia in what was to be an official elimination bout where Povetkin’s
number one ranking and interim championship status in the WBC’s Heavyweight
ratings was to be at stake. As was the case with the cancelled encounter with
Wilder, the bout between Povetkin and Stiverne was also cancelled, this time on
the day the fight was to take place when it was revealed by WBC president
Mauricio Sulaiman that Povetkin had tested positive for another banned
substance Ostarine resulting in the WBC withdrawing its sanctioning of the
fight and Stiverne pulling out. Povetkin subsequently fought and scored a six
round knockout over last-minute substitute and former world title challenger
Johann Duhaupas later that day.
Although
Povetkin failed twice in 2016 in regard to voluntary anti-doping tests
conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) as part of the WBC’s Clean
Boxing Program, the status of his number one ranking remains unknown as of this
writing, but it was recently announced that the “B” sample of Povetkin’s test
prior to what would have been his fight against Bermane Stiverne will be opened
at Povetkin’s request. What will be interesting in this observer’s eyes
assuming that the second sample comes back negative for any banned substances
is whether the WBC will mandate that the fight between Povetkin and Stiverne
still take place or if the second sample confirms the original results if
Stiverne will be named the number one contender and thus take over the
designation as having interim championship status in the WBC’s Heavyweight
ratings. What could make that interesting is it could open the possibility of a
rematch between Stiverne and Wilder assuming Wilder is first successful in his
title defense against Andrzej Wawrzyk and assuming that a fight with the
Joshua-Klitschko winner is not made in the immediate future. We will have to
wait and see what the result of Povetkin’s “B” sample will be and what the
World Boxing Council will ultimately rule on this matter.
In
regard to how the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization
(WBO), and the International Boxing Organization (IBO) will also fit in to the
landscape in 2017, there are a few possibilities. Although the vacancy in
regard to the WBA’s version of the World Heavyweight championship will be
filled when Anthony Joshua meets Wladimir Klitschko in April, some may remember
a tournament concept that was started by the WBA in January of last year with
the goal of determining one champion and eliminating at least with regard to
the Heavyweight division, interim/regular championship designations in it’s
rankings.
For
a variety of reasons including some of the circumstances which led to the
cancellation of the Tyson Fury-Wladimir Klitschko rematch, two fighters remain
that will determine a mandatory challenger for the Joshua-Klitschko winner in
regard to the WBA. It was recently announced that the WBA has ordered
negotiations between former WBO Heavyweight world champion Shannon Briggs and
longtime contender and former world title challenger Fres Oquendo, with the
winner of that potential fight possibly facing current WBA number three rated
contender Alexander Ustinov before facing whomever the reigning WBA champion
might be.
In
regard to the International Boxing Organization (IBO), their version of the
World Heavyweight championship will also be on the line in the Joshua-Klitschko
bout. As for the World Boxing Organization (WBO), it was recently announced
that undefeated WBO number two rated Heavyweight contender Hughie Fury, cousin
of Tyson Fury has entered negotiations for a potential challenge of newly
crowned undefeated WBO world champion Joseph Parker.
What
is also interesting with regard to the current WBO Heavyweight ratings is
current WBO number one rated contender and former two-division world champion
Daviid Haye will face current WBC Cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew on
March 4th in a twelve round Heavyweight bout in London, England. Although
Bellew will be fighting for the first time as a Heavyweight as a professional,
one should assume that Haye’s number one ranking would be at stake.
There
are also possibilities of rising prospects and former world title challengers,
who are not currently involved in the discussion in terms of the top of the
Heavyweight division, who will be looking to enter the picture. A potential
fight that I think would draw interest if it could be made would involve
undefeated WBA number eight rated contender and knockout artist Jarrell Miller
and recent world title challenger Andy Ruiz, who suffered a narrow loss to
Joseph Parker in a fight for the vacant WBO Heavyweight world championship on December
10th, could catapult the winner into a potential world championship
opportunity. It will be interesting to see if Miller, Ruiz or other top
contenders like Luis Ortiz or Kubat Pulev will be able to get closer to a world
championship opportunity in the year ahead.
What
all of the above represents may give the impression, particularly among casual
Boxing fans of a complicated picture with so many possibilities and various
political aspects that surround the sport, which also may have play a role in the
potential fights that could happen and/or rulings that could be made. If
nothing else, the landscape of the division should provide some intrigue in the
year ahead. If the fights that have already been made can produce fireworks,
any potential bouts that might follow are likely to reap the benefit from those
encounters. Exciting fights often generates interest and if one clear
Undisputed Heavyweight world champion does indeed emerge from this puzzle of
champions and contenders, the better for the sport.
“And
That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The
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