A boxing match that lasted 46 seconds has dominated the conversation around the Paris Olympics in recent days and reignited the debate about who is eligible to compete in women's sports. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif advanced to the quarterfinals of the 66-kilogram (145.5-pound) division on Thursday when Italy's Angela Carini withdrew after being struck in the face by Khelif. "I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said, 'Enough,' because I didn't want to, I didn't want to, I couldn't finish the match," Carini said. The Italian said she did not abandon the fight to make a political statement. "I am not here to judge or pass judgment," Carini said. "If an athlete is this way, and in that sense it's not right or it is right, it's not up to me to decide." Some people near and far from the ring felt otherwise. Commentators on sports shows and celebrities on social media criticized the inclusion of Khelif, referring to her as a "biological male" and, in some cases, as a "man." In 2023, Khelif, along with an Olympic boxer from Taiwan, had been disqualified from the International Boxing Association World Championships. The IBA said Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, who competes in the 57-kilogram (125.6-pound) division, were disqualified because they failed gender verification tests. The IBA did not specify what type of test or the manner in which the boxers failed other than to say that it was not a "testosterone examination but [the athletes] were subject to a separate and recognized test." The IBA has not responded to a request for comment and clarification. The IOC considers the boxers eligible for the Paris Olympics and said the IBA decision to disqualify the boxers last year was arbitrary. The IOC is managing Olympic boxing because it cut ties with the IBA in 2023 after years, it says, of governance issues, opaque finances and questions about possible corruption. "These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA," the IOC said in a statement on Thursday. "Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process." Neither Khelif nor Lin has addressed the controversy publicly, and neither has commented on the recent issues surrounding their eligibility. For their entire careers, they have both participated in women's boxing, winning medals and losing matches without incident. Until now. Khelif, 25, is 37-9 in her career. She competed in the delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and was eliminated in the quarterfinals. She won the silver medal in the 2022 IBA World Championships, losing to Ireland's Amy Broadhurst in a unanimous decision in the final. She was notified of her disqualification before her gold medal match at the 2023 world championships. "Personally I don't think she has done anything to 'cheat'," Broadhurst posted on X shortly before Khelif defeated Carini at the Olympics. "I thinks it's the way she was born & that's out of her control. The fact that she has been [beaten] by 9 females before says it all." Lin beat Uzbekistan's Sitora Turdibekova on points Friday to advance to the quarterfinals. Lin, 28, is 41-164 over her career and a three-time world championship medalist with two golds and a bronze. She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, where she did not advance beyond the round of 16. The controversy comes at a time when the policy landscape has moved in favor of restrictions for transgender and intersex women. But it also is part of a long history. For as long as women's sports have existed, there has been monitoring of who gets to participate. The pursuit of fairness Sex verification testing and regulating eligibility for the women's category has historically fallen into four buckets: looking for cisgender men masquerading as women, policing doping, creating policy for intersex athletes and those with differences in sex development and creating policy for transgender athletes. At the core of these issues is the desire to pursue fairness and to regulate what many see as possible unfair advantages. This has taken multiple forms, but testosterone levels and testosterone-driven puberty have become the focal point of policy in recent years. Testosterone is a hormone that is typically substantially higher in those assigned male at birth and who have experienced puberty. Testosterone can provide metabolic and physiological advantages such as greater speed and the ability to build muscle mass. Differences in sex development (DSD) or intersex traits describe a group of conditions that are statistically atypical from the norm when it comes to biological sex. "These are individuals who have a hormonal or genetic condition where they have characteristics of both male and female," endocrinologist and former IOC consultant Dr. Myron Genel said. Sometimes differences in sex development can result in higher levels of testosterone. Athletes competing in women's sports with those types of DSD are a focus of policymakers because of the concern that higher testosterone could confer a competitive advantage. An example is someone who is partially or completely insensitive to androgens, such as testosterone. They may be assigned female at birth but have XY chromosomes because of their body's physiological insensitivity to androgens. A person with XY chromosomes who has a difference of sex development may not present with characteristics associated with maleness and therefore can be assigned female at birth and identify as a woman. Sometimes these conditions are lumped together as "46 XY DSD." Forty-six is the typical number of chromosomes, XY refers to the chromosomes present and DSD stands for differences of sex development. There is a difference between transgender athletes and intersex athletes. Someone who is transgender has a gender identity that is not in alignment with their sex, and they may or may not medically transition to address that dysphoria. Policy regulating eligibility for women's sports can address both of these populations, but in the case of Khelif and Lin, it's unclear if such policy would even apply. There is no evidence that either boxer is transgender, and beyond the failed IBA tests, there is little to no evidence that either athlete has a difference in sex development. "There has been some confusion that somehow it's a man fighting a woman, this is just not the case," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said about the Khelif-Carini bout in a news conference on Thursday. "On that, there is consensus. Scientifically this is not a man fighting a woman." Has anything like this happened before? The fight between Khelif and Carini and the subsequent outrage hearkens back to South African runner Caster Semenya's experience in Berlin at the 2009 track and field world championships. After crossing the finish line first in the 800 meters, Semenya was whisked away for a sex verification exam since her gender was questioned. The moment began a nearly 15-year battle between the South African middle-distance runner and World Athletics over her eligibility and that of other athletes like her. Following Semenya's win in Berlin, World Athletics (then IAAF) instituted policies that required Semenya to medically lower her testosterone, a process she described in an interview with Andrea Kremer as making her sick. "Made me gain weight," Semenya said. "Panic attacks. It's like stabbing yourself with a knife every day, but I had no choice. I'm 18 and I want to run." She returned to competition in 2010 and competed in 2012 at the London Olympics, where she finished second in the 800 but was elevated to gold following the disqualification of Mariya Savinova for doping. In 2015, Indian sprinter Dutee Chand challenged the World Athletics testosterone requirements at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled in her favor. That allowed both her and Semenya to compete in the 2016 Olympics without reducing their testosterone levels. Chand didn't advance beyond the 100-meter heats. Semenya won gold in the 800. New regulations were adopted in 2018 that affected Semenya's events and would have required her to medically lower her testosterone levels to stay eligible. She challenged the rules at CAS. During the hearing, World Athletics argued that the overrepresentation of athletes with DSD in elite women's athletics speaks to the advantage present. "Approximately 1 in 20,000 of the general population have a 46 XY DSD," the organization argued. "In elite women's competition, however, the proportion is approximately 7 in 1,000 -- a prevalence that is 140 times higher. This is strong evidence of a performance advantage." Semenya lost her legal battle. She chose not to medicate and therefore was ineligible to compete in her preferred events in the Tokyo Olympics, effectively ending her career. The study World Athletics used to inform its argument was published in 2017 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Four years after it was published, the journal issued a correction, saying, "There is no confirmatory evidence for causality in the observed relationships reported." In plain English: the paper, funded by World Athletics, failed to scientifically prove the relationship between higher testosterone levels in female athletes and a performance advantage. "I feel that [World Athletics] has confiscated a large part of my life," Semenya wrote in her memoir, "The Race to Be Myself." "I've spent as much time fighting them as I have training and racing. They have stolen years of performances not only from me but also from the audience." The regulations that have kept Semenya from competing have also impacted other athletes, such as the 800-meter silver medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Francine Niyonsaba. The controversy surrounding Khelif and Lin is the first around DSD athletes in combat sports at the Olympics. There have been examples of transgender athletes competing in lower levels, such as Fallon Fox in mixed martial arts and Mack Beggs in high school girls wrestling, but neither of those examples are good comparisons because neither Khelif nor Lin is known to be transgender. Regulating women's sports, however, has been happening for as long as the category has existed. When the modern Olympics began in 1896, women were not allowed to participate. Women did compete in Paris in 1900 and, as women's sports grew, sport governing bodies began exploring sex verification testing for women's competitions. An early flashpoint emerged in the 1930s after Zdeněk Koubek, an athlete from what was then Czechoslovakia, began publicly identifying as a man. Koubek is one of the subjects of the book "The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports" by Michael Waters. According to the book, Wilhelm Knoll, then head of the International Federation of Sports Physicians and a member of the Nazi party, wrote an op-ed in a German magazine accusing Koubek of "deliberately fooling" officials about his sex. Knoll called for examinations of all women competitors. Over time, sex verification has taken many forms, from visual inspections to chromosome tests to monitoring testosterone levels. What about other sports? Since October 2021, the IOC has allowed each international sports federation to set its eligibility requirements for the Olympics. Many international federations have adopted policies that set specific rules for transgender athletes and those with differences of sex development, though much of the focus is on transgender athletes. United World Wrestling, which governs wrestling at the Olympics, has a transgender athlete policy, but that policy is vague about athletes with differences of sex development. World Athletics, which governs track and field, has a specific policy for both populations. Transgender women seeking to compete in the women's category may do so provided they began testosterone suppression before puberty or age 12, whichever is first, and maintain a testosterone level below 2.5 nmol/L. It requires athletes with certain DSD to medically lower their testosterone level to under 2.5 nmol/L for 24 months prior to competition, maintain that level throughout and be legally recognized as female or intersex. Since the IOC moved away from a blanket policy, there has been an increasing patchwork of policies governing transgender and intersex athletes at all levels of sports. The NCAA amended its policy in January 2022 in response to collegiate transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and now follows the rules of each national governing body for its championships. Since 2020, 25 states have passed laws restricting access to girls' and women's sports for transgender women. Depending on which organization (or state or country) has jurisdiction over an event, eligibility policies (and laws) can vary widely. This is true of Olympic competition, collegiate competition, youth club sports, Olympic feeder programs and school sports within the United States. What happens next?
Khelif competes in the quarterfinals on Saturday, and Lin's quarterfinal is scheduled for Sunday against Bulgaria's Svetlana Kamenova Staneva. The IOC has vigorously defended its decision to include both athletes and it is not expected that either athlete will be ruled ineligible during this competition. Khelif will face Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori in her quarterfinal bout. The Hungarian Boxing Association says it plans to send letters of protest to the IOC and Hungary's Olympic committee, according to The Associated Press. Hamori is reportedly expected to fight Khelif. "I'm not scared," Hamori said to the AP. "I don't care about the press story and social media." USA Boxing released a statement on Thursday in support of the IOC's process. "The eligibility rules in place for the Olympic Games have been in place for years and USA Boxing has confidence that the IOC and the [Paris 2024 Boxing Unit's] eligibility requirements consider medical expertise and prioritize the safety of the athletes," the statement read. "USA Boxing prioritizes the safety of our boxers and would not knowingly enter our boxers into competitions unless eligibility rules relied on sufficient medical support. All boxers competing in Paris have qualified under their specific eligibility rules and regulations." Though the United States had boxers in the same divisions as Khelif and Lin, neither athlete advanced to the quarterfinals. Carini, who didn't shake Khelif's hand after her loss, has since expressed a desire to apologize to Khelif. "All this controversy makes me sad," Carini said to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I'm sorry for my opponent too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision." - Katie Barnes, ESPN.com  | ||||
| Ryan Garcia received a one-year suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive for the banned substance ostarine in April. Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images |
Ryan Garcia has been suspended one year following his positive tests for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine -- retroactive to his April 20 majority decision victory over Devin Haney, which has been overturned to a no-contest -- after the boxing star reached a settlement with the New York State Athletic Commission, the commission told ESPN on Thursday.
Garcia, 25, also forfeited his purse, the commission said. Garcia's disclosed purse was $1.2 million, sources said, which is what he will relinquish, though his guaranteed earnings were millions more. The commission said it also fined Garcia $10,000.
Garcia (24-1-1NC, 20 KOs) floored Haney three times during the bout, in Rounds 7, 10 and 11. Garcia was ineligible to win Haney's WBC junior welterweight title and now Garcia will be sidelined for at least one year. Garcia's attorney, Paul Greene, told ESPN last month that he was hoping for a four-month suspension or less.
"My whole thing is I'd rather tell the truth than try to fabricate it with a lie because lies don't stand," Garcia told ESPN last month before the B-sample returned positive. "So if I really did take [ostarine], I would be like, 'Honestly, I was going through a weird situation. I wasn't really that confident. I chose to take it. I'm sorry.' And that's it. But I didn't and I hate cheating. ... All I can say is legal team, help me figure this out."
The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association administered the doping tests, but it does not adjudicate punishment. That was up to the New York State Athletic Commission, under whose rules the fight took place.
Garcia and Haney enrolled in VADA testing ahead of their fight, meaning both boxers were randomly tested multiple times in the lead-up. Athletes are required to submit whereabouts forms so that collectors can find them anywhere.
"Whoever got caught doping and admitted it?" Haney said last month on "SportsCenter." "I think he would have been the first in history."
Haney was as much as a -900 favorite, per ESPN BET, before he entered the ring at -575 after Garcia was 3.2 pounds overweight. Haney was ESPN's No. 6 pound-for-pound boxer, a slick fighter who was the undisputed lightweight champion.
Haney (31-0-1NC, 15 KOs) had never been on the canvas in 31 pro fights before he faced Garcia. One judge scored the bout even, 112-112, but was overruled by 114-110 and 115-109 scorecards for Garcia.
Now that Garcia is suspended for one year, what comes next?
Why was Garcia suspended for one year?
Garcia avoided a hearing with the commission and instead accepted a one-year suspension, a harsh penalty that will prevent the star boxer from competing until April 20, 2025. Garcia already forfeited $600,000 to Haney after he missed weight and will now lose $1,210,000 more, bringing the total to $1,821,000.
"It is a harsh result," Haney's attorney, Pat English, told ESPN. English, who has worked in boxing for more than 40 years, has handled numerous PED cases. "I have never seen a $1.2 million forfeiture or anything remotely close to it."
With such a high-profile case being closely monitored, the commission surely felt a responsibility to mete out serious punishment and prove it wasn't favoring a star boxer. It did just that with a costly penalty that it hopes will deter PED use in the future.
When Canelo Alvarez, boxing's top star, was suspended six months in 2018 for the banned substance clenbuterol, the short length drew criticism. After all, most boxers at that level compete just twice a year anyway.
Garcia fought twice last year, a KO loss to Gervonta "Tank" Davis in April, and a KO victory over Oscar Duarte in December.
What was Garcia's defense?
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| Ryan Garcia forfeited $1.2 million to his promoter, Golden Boy, and was fined $10,000 by the New York State Athletic Commission. Sam Hodde/Getty Images |
According to the New York State Athletic Commission's rules, when a fighter tests positive for a banned substance, they have the "right to a fair hearing" where "the burden is on the athlete to come forward with evidence that rebuts the presumption of doping."
The commission adheres to "strict liability" in regard to doping.
"The combatant is responsible for anything that he/she puts in their body," the rules read. "If the combatant takes supplements and later tests positive, it is the combatant's responsibility.
"The combatant should be aware that the supplement industry is poorly regulated and studies have shown that some supplements are contaminated with steroids. If a prohibited substance is detected in the combatant's sample -- even if it was unintentional -- it will result in a violation of NYSAC rules."
Garcia claimed just that: supplement contamination. It doesn't matter how the banned substance -- in this case, ostarine -- entered Garcia's system, however. It's still a violation of the rules.
Ostarine was found in Garcia's A-sample following a urine test April 19 (the day before the fight) and April 20. The B-sample later came back positive as well.
Greene acknowledged a "negligent component" to Garcia's actions but argued that there was an "innocent mindset." In other words, Garcia's team didn't contest the fact that a doping violation had taken place.
"We understand Ryan's going to get some sanction," said Greene, the founding partner of Global Sports Advocates, which represented UFC stars Jon Jones and Sean O'Malley in doping cases. However, Greene also expected the punishment to be "on the very lowest end of how they determine these cases."
Garcia submitted doping control forms alongside those urine tests where he was required to list all supplements he was taking. Two of them -- raspberry-lemonade flavored NutraBio SuperCarb and BodyHealth's strawberry-flavored amino-acid blend -- later revealed the presence of ostarine, according to lab tests.
However, the supplements Garcia's team submitted to the lab were unsealed. NutraBio rejected Garcia's claim of contamination June 14.
"NutraBio has never manufactured a supplement with ostarine and has never brought ostarine into our manufacturing facility for use in any product, ever," the statement read. " ... Making defamatory statements about our product and brand that rely on test results done on an unsealed, expired container handled by the accused individual has no credibility.
"Further, the minuscule amount of ostarine allegedly detected in the open container of SuperCarb does not explain the amount of ostarine identified in Ryan Garcia's urine, which at 6 ng/ml is 60 times the testing limit."
Victor Conte, who works with Haney as a sports nutritionist and performance adviser, told ESPN the supplement "test results simply cannot be authenticated because there is no chain of custody."
"Why are they testing powders from unsealed supplement containers?" said Conte, the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, who served time in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute performance-enhancing drugs.
"In my opinion, it seems likely that tampering may be involved. Testing of product samples from sealed containers of the same manufacturing numbers is the place to start if the results are to be considered credible."
Can Garcia fight outside New York while suspended?
Can Garcia fight outside New York while suspended?
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| Ryan Garcia knocked down Devin Haney three times before scoring a majority-decision victory back in April. Al Bello/Getty Images |
The Association of Boxing Commissions (practically every major athletic commission in the U.S.) will honor any suspension from a commission in that group.
"I know I will find a way to fight," Garcia told ESPN last month. "If I got to go to a different country to fight, I will. ... I just want to be in the ring. I'm in my prime. I feel good. I feel strong."
That's precisely what Garcia will need to do, though most notable international commissions will likely recognize the ban. Surely, he can find a country where he can fight, given his star power and the business he generates.
However, the NYSAC could always institute further punishment in that case.
How does ostarine enhance performance?
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| Ryan Garcia, right, defeated Devin Haney by majority decision, but that result has been changed to a no-contest after Garcia's positive test. Al Bello/Getty Images |
Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator that attaches to proteins in the body and effectively tells muscles to grow. It aids performance by helping athletes build muscle mass, enhance their fat loss rate, increase stamina and recovery ability.
Ostarine has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list since 2008, and in 2022 was listed as an anabolic agent by WADA.
"During a fight camp, athletes will predominantly cut a lot of pounds so they can make the agreed weight category ahead of their fight," Conte told ESPN. "Ostarine can also be used during the weight-cutting phase. During the weight-cutting period, people often resort to strict diets -- mainly missing out on conventional calorie intakes.
"Ostarine has the capability of maintaining both muscle strength and mass during caloric deficits. It has proven to be the ideal product for body enhancement cycles where you are aiming to build muscle mass while cutting down on excess fat."
Ostarine is prohibited by the commission at levels greater than 0.1 ng/ml. Conte posted on X last month that Garcia's ostarine level was 6 ng/ml, which is 60 times the allowable threshold.
Has ostarine been linked to any other notable fighters?
British boxing star Amir Khan was handed a two-year ban by UK Anti-Doping after he tested positive for ostarine following his sixth-round TKO loss to Kell Brook in Manchester in February 2022. Khan hasn't competed since.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended O'Malley for six months after he tested positive for ostarine in May 2018. He was handed a nine-month suspension the following year when ostarine was again found in his system.
All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins tested positive for ostarine in 2022. Former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Taylor Lewan also tested positive for the same substance in 2019, as well as multiple Clemson players before the College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame in 2018.
- Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
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DEONTAY WILDER PLEDGES TO DESTROY ZHILEI ZHANG IN HEAVYWEIGHT CLASH
Deontay Wilder is pledging to destroy Zhilei Zhang in their heavyweight clash next month on June 1st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fans don’t buy what Deontay says because he looks like he can no longer pull the trigger on his punches, haunted by his two knockout losses to Tyson Fury, and worried about getting stopped again.
The fights against Fury, a slapper, showed that Wilder’s punch resistance is too poor to handle the hard shots that the 6’6″ southpaw ‘Big Bang’ Zhilei Zhang (26-2, 21 KOs) will be hitting him with in their fight on June 1st.
Wilder’s Apology and Transformation
JPN: 140kg or 40 kg, the Olympics has the bed for you
Fans don’t buy what Deontay says because he looks like he can no longer pull the trigger on his punches, haunted by his two knockout losses to Tyson Fury, and worried about getting stopped again.
The fights against Fury, a slapper, showed that Wilder’s punch resistance is too poor to handle the hard shots that the 6’6″ southpaw ‘Big Bang’ Zhilei Zhang (26-2, 21 KOs) will be hitting him with in their fight on June 1st at the Kingdom Arena.
Wilder’s Apology and Transformation
Former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) says he’s made a “transformation” in his life, and he’s apologizing to Zhang ahead of time for what he’ll do to him during their 12-round fight.
Wilder wants to make a statement to show people he’s back with the killer instinct he once had after his recent losses to Joseph Parker and Tyson Fury.
The 38-year-old Wilder can’t afford another loss if he wants to get that lucrative fight against Anthony Joshua that he’s been chasing for the last five years.
Deontay’s Statement Fight
“No more, Mr. Nice Guy. The Bronze Bomber is back,” said Deontay Wilder to the Queensberry YouTube channel. “I think it’s exciting for me to fight so many guys that outweigh me and I’m still able to do what I do.”
If Wilder is to have any chance of winning against Zhang, he’s going to need to fire his right hand with conviction from the first round. He can’t afford to move around the ring, waiting for an opening because Zhang will make quick work of Deontay if he’s too afraid to pull the trigger on his punches like we saw in his last fight against Joseph Parker last December.
“With him having the pedigree that he has [two-time Olympian], the height, big bang, the big punch, and a southpaw, all of that is amazing to me,” Wilder continued. “He’s a great fighter for me to make a statement to show people I’m back.
- my life. They’re calling the Bronze Bomber back. I mean no peace for anyone. This is nothing personal. It’s only business. I must destroy you in great fashion. I’m trying to bring nothing but pain,” said Wilder.
Most likely, it’s going to end badly for Wilder, with him getting banged out by Zhang within four rounds. I don’t think it’s going to take more than four rounds for Zhang to knock Wilder out an end his career.
- Robbie Bannatyne
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BOXING CHAMP JERMALL CHARLO ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH DWI FOLLOWING COLLISION
The WBC middleweight titleholder's blood-alcohol content was greater than 0.15%, police say.
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| Jermall Charlo before a WBC middleweight title fight in Houston in 2021.Carmen Mandato / Getty Images file |
WBC middleweight boxing champion Jermall Charlo was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors of driving while intoxicated, eluding and fleeing from police and leaving the scene of a crash that involved more than $200 in damage, police in Pearland, Texas, told NBC News on Tuesday.
Charlo was arrested Monday night at 12799 Broadway St. in Pearland, a suburb of Houston.
Officers arrived after the collision and witnessed a verbal altercation between the two parties, police spokesperson Chad Rogers said. Charlo fled in his Lamborghini and refused to pull over. Police eventually boxed him in and arrested him. His blood alcohol content was greater than 0.15%. The legal limit in Texas is .08%.
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| Jermall Charlo, then the IBF junior middleweight champion, before a title fight in Las Vegas in 2016.Steve Marcus / Getty Images file |
Charlo, 33, was taken to the Brazoria County Jail and released after he posted a $9,500 surety bond.
Charlo is one of the top boxers in the world. He is 33-0 coming off a unanimous decision win against José Benavidez Jr. in a catchweight fight — a fight with an agreed-upon weight limit between two divisions — in November. He has not defended his middleweight belt since he defeated Juan Macias Montiel by unanimous decision in June 2021.
Charlo had been expected to face Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in September, but the fight fell through. His identical twin brother, WBC, WBA (Super) and IBF light middleweight champion Jermell Charno (35-2), stepped in and lost by unanimous decision.
- Greg Rosenstein
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THE HEAVYWEIGHT LINEAL CHAMPIONS: TYSON FURY AND 37 OTHERS WHO PRECEDED HIM
Tyson Fury has accomplished a staggering amount during his 35 pro-fight career, enough to cement himself among the all-time greats. The heavyweight championship division Fury rules over today is part of perhaps the most-storied lineage in all of sports, one that dates back to 1885.
That's when John L. Sullivan, once the bare-knuckle champion, became boxing's first-ever heavyweight champion under the Marquess of Queensberry rules. He held that distinction until his landmark fight with James "Gentleman Jim" Corbett in 1892. Following Corbett's 21st-round KO victory in New Orleans, the championship lineage that extends to today was established. As pro-wrestling legend Ric Flair says, "To be the man, you have to beat the man."
Now more than ever, with four titles in each weight class, the lineal championship helps to identify who is "the man." This Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Fury defends the lineal championship against Oleksandr Usyk in boxing's first undisputed heavyweight championship fight since Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield in 1999 (ESPN+ PPV, noon ET).
Through 139 years of heavyweight boxing history, just 38 men have had the honor of calling themselves the lineal champion in the sport's glamor division, the title that bestows each individual "baddest man on the planet" status. Four of those fighters were two-time lineal champions -- Floyd Patterson, George Foreman, Holyfield and Lewis -- and only one won the title three times: Muhammad Ali.
Even former cruiserweight lineal champ Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs), 37, of Ukraine, who defeated Anthony Joshua twice and currently holds three of the four heavyweight titles, nor Joshua, despite his lengthy run as unified champion, have ever possessed the heavyweight lineal championship. Though lineages can always be debated.
After Fury upset Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to win the lineal heavyweight championship, he didn't fight for another 2½ years as he battled substance abuse and depression. During that time, Anthony Joshua collected the three belts Fury vacated and produced a string of impressive defenses. His second reign was ended by Usyk, who defeated Joshua twice.
Fury, 35, ESPN's No. 10 pound-for-pound fighter, knows all of this, of course. His historical knowledge of the division gives much-needed context toward exactly what he's looking to accomplish, and how this monumental fight with No. 3 ranked Usyk might impact his legacy.
"You gotta understand the game you're in, the division you're in," Fury told ESPN, "the people who came before you so you can understand who you are and where you've come from and what journey you're on. I believe that.
"You're just talking about elite, elite, elite men. That's why not all of these champions can be on that list as lineal champions. Only the best of the best of the best can be lineal champions. That's why this fight, it means a lot to me, because if Usyk can beat me, puts his name on that list. If he can't beat me, he's not even gonna be on the list of lineal champions ever."
Fury will look to gatekeep Usyk from that hollowed list of great fighting big men in a bout that's nearly deadlocked per ESPN BET (Usyk at -105, Fury at -115). Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, told ESPN last month that the rematch is planned for Oct. 12 or 13 in Riyadh. Fury's goal across these two upcoming fights with Usyk: "Keep 'em off that list."
"Only way that they get on that list is if I retire before them and then they get a chance to do it," Fury said. "While I am the gatekeeper, no one shall pass."
"Do you know who has a lot of knowledge like this, though? Mike Tyson," Fury added. "Mike is the historian. I trust myself as I know a lot about heavyweight boxing. But Mike can go back to like 1845. Mike is incredible."
Ahead of the summit meeting to crown boxing's first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era, "The Gypsy King" showed off his immense knowledge of the heavyweight division with his thoughts on many of those 37 other lineal champions who came before him.
John L. Sullivan | 38-1-1, 32 KOs | 1885-92
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| John L. Sullivan is credited to be the first heavyweight champion in history. Getty Images |
Regarded as boxing's first-ever superstar, Sullivan was a cultural icon of late 19th century America. He was bestowed the championship on Aug. 8, 1887 in Boston, though his 75th-round KO victory over Jake Kilrain in Mississippi is largely recognized as the first-ever heavyweight championship fight. That was the final heavyweight title bout contested under the bare-knuckle, London Prize Ring Rules. It was also one of the first sporting events in the United States to gain national news coverage. Sullivan's first defense of the recognized championship was his final fight, a 21st-round KO loss at the hands of Corbett. Both men wore five-ounce gloves.
"John L. Sullivan was a pioneer in this game," Fury said, "and he made it possible for all of us people after him and even today to be able to do what we're doing."
There are some, including Fury, who believe Sullivan wasn't the first champion at all. Fury credits James "Jem" Mace as the inaugural heavyweight champion. And there is a legitimate claim. Mace had defeated Tom Allen in 1870 in Louisiana, but anti-British entailment led many to disregard him as champion in the bare-knuckle days.
"Mace was a gypsy like me," Fury said. "He had to be, he was brilliant. He was a three-time world champion. Three different divisions: middleweight, welterweight, heavyweight. Before Queensberry rules. It's actually debated [who was the first champion]. Some people don't say it's John L. Sullivan. ... I'm not gonna go into it, that's a topic for another day."
James Corbett | 11-4, 2 NC, 3 KOs) | 1892-97
Corbett fought just 20 times, but nine of his opponents ended up in the International Boxing Hall of Fame just like him. Prizefighting was still illegal in 21 states during his title reign, which included just one successful defense. A 14th-round KO loss to Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897 in Carson City, Nevada, ended Corbett's run. He challenged twice more for the heavyweight championship in a pair of stoppage defeats to James J. Jeffries.
"Corbett was a good guy. Corbett and Jeffries, all of these guys, they were all good guys back in the day," Fury said. "They had a very weird style, what we'd say today. They were sort of like men who just punched each other to pieces. They were good, tough men back in the day. Different, different era, different time of boxing, but all good men."
Bob Fitzsimmons | 61-8-4, 6 NC, 57 KOs | 1897-99
No. 8 on The Ring Magazine's list of the top 100 punchers, Fitzimmons was boxing's first three-division champion. He weighed just 167 pounds when he defeated Corbett and lost the title in his first defense, an 11th-round KO loss to Jeffries in Brooklyn.
James J. Jeffries | 19-1-2, 2 NC | 1899-1905
Best known as the "Great White Hope" who came out of retirement to lose to Jack Johnson in a second heavyweight title bid, Jeffries went on a tour of exhibition bouts around the U.K., ahead of his first defense. That came against Tom Sharkey in a rematch. Jeffries made seven more successful defenses before he retired in 1905. Five years later, in 1910, he returned to fight one last time, a 15th-round TKO defeat to Johnson in what was promoted as the "fight of the century."
Marvin Hart | 28-7-4, 20 KOs | 1905-06
Following Jeffries' retirement, Hart won the vacant title in July 1905 with a KO win over Jack Root in Reno. Before that win, Hart had already defeated Johnson on points. Hart was knocked off in his first defense, a 20-round decision defeat to Tommy Burns.
Tommy Burns | 47-4-8, 35 KOs | 1906-08
The Canadian Burns made 13 defenses before he met Johnson, who scored a 14th-round TKO victory in Sydney, Australia, when the police stopped the bout.
Jack Johnson | 54-11-8, 4 NC, 34 KOs | 1908-15
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| Jack Johnson, right, won the heavyweight lineal championship by defeating Tommy Burns at Sydney Stadium in Australia in December 1908. Philipp Kester/ullstein bild via Getty Images |
With that landmark victory, Johnson became boxing's first Black heavyweight champion. Johnson made seven defenses before a 26th-round KO loss to Jess Willard in Havana, Cuba. Johnson is regarded as one of the 10 best heavyweights ever and among the most important figures in sports history.
Jess Willard | 22-5-1, 20 KOs | 1915-19
Willard made one successful defense at Madison Square Garden before he encountered another all-time great, Jack Dempsey, who needed just three rounds to separate Willard from his title.
"Jess Willard was massive, 6-6, 6-7, however big he was," Fury said. " ... So it's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog for sure."
Jack Dempsey | 53-6-8, 43 KOs | 1919-26
One of Mike Tyson's boxing idols, Dempsey was a sporting icon who took part in the first boxing event to produce a $1 million gate with his 1921 victory over Georges Carpentier in Jersey City, New Jersey. Dempsey made five defenses before he was defeated by Gene Tunney in 1926. After a seventh-round KO of Jack Sharkey at Yankee Stadium, Dempsey met Tunney in a rematch, an infamous bout that ignited one of the first national sports controversies with "The Long Count Fight" in 1927. Tunney was floored in Round 7 but won by decision a second time.
Gene Tunney | 65-1-1, 1 NC, 48 KOs | 1926-28
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| Gene Tunney, right, survived a long count to defeat Jack Dempsey by unanimous decision in 1927. Getty Images |
Tunney fought only once more following "The Long Count Fight," an 11th-round TKO of Tom Heeney that earned him Fight of the Year honors from The Ring magazine in 1928. Fury credits Tunney as a turning point for the more sophisticated stylings of pugilism embodied today, saying "the real boxing pursuit started [with] Gene Tunney, The Boxing Marine."
"Before that, they were mostly brawlers like Dempsey and all of the men before 'em, they were all like brawlers, get stuck in and be fit and have a go," Fury added. 'Gene Tunney was a very experienced boxer and he was probably one of the finest boxing men that's ever lived."
Max Schmeling | 56-10-4, 39 KOs | 1930-32
Following Tunney's retirement, Schmeling defeated Jack Sharkey via fourth-round DQ at Yankee Stadium to capture the vacant title. After one successful defense, Schmeling lost the title to Sharkey in the rematch via split decision. Schmeling lost to Max Baer via 10th-round TKO but rebounded with a 12th-round KO of Joe Louis in 1936. That was before Louis became heavyweight champion. In the 1938 rematch, one of the sport's most notable fights ever, Louis exacted revenge with a first-round TKO win to retain his title.
Jack Sharkey | 37-13-3, 13 KOs | 1932-33
Sharkey failed in his first title bid but gained boxing's top prize in the Schmeling rematch. He lost the belt in his first defense, a sixth-round KO to Primo Carnera. Sharkey's final fight was in 1936, a third-round KO loss to Louis.
Primo Carnera | 88-14 (71 KOs | 1933-34
"The Italian guy was a big, big brute of a man," Fury said. "6-foot-6, he had the size and everything. ... This is a great example of size is not everything because Primo Carnera was 6-6 and he was beaten by small men. Little men."
Carnera lost the title in his third defense, an 11th-round TKO loss to Baer, who was 6-2. Like Sharkey, Carnera suffered a KO loss to Louis (also 6-2) later in his career.
Max Baer | 63-13, 51 KOs | 1934-35
No. 22 on The Ring's list of the sport's all-time biggest punchers, Baer never made a single successful defense. He lost the title to Jimmy Braddock via decision and was knocked out by Louis in his next fight.
James Braddock | 46-24-4, 3 NC, 26 KOs | 1935-37
Braddock's performance inspired the 2005 film "Cinderella Man" that depicted a Great Depression-era journeyman boxer who works on the docks punching his way out of poverty. Just like many of the men who preceded him on this list, the reign was short-lived. Braddock, too, was KOed by Louis in Round 8 of his next fight. That was the 24th defeat of his career.
"He had an up-and-down career," Fury said. "He was a tough guy. He always fought with hand problems. I use Jimmy Braddock as a great example. When people tell me fighters of today, they can't do this 'cause they haven't eaten for four hours or they feel like they're a bit weak 'cause this, that, and the other. Jimmy Braddock didn't eat for three days 'cause he couldn't afford it and then fought Max Bear for the heavyweight championship of the world and beat him."
Joe Louis | 66-3, 52 KOs | 1937-49
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| Joe Louis, right knocked out Jim Braddock in the eighth round of their June 193 fight in Chicago. Getty Images |
Joe Louis, right knocked out Jim Braddock in the eighth round of their June 193 fight in Chicago. Getty Images
Arguably the greatest heavyweight ever, Louis put an end to the revolving door of champions with a 12-year reign that brought even more prestige to the title. His 25 consecutive title defenses remain a record regardless of weight class. Louis is one of the most influential athletes of all time and is regarded as perhaps the first Black American sporting hero.
"Joe Louis was a bit of a game-changer," Fury said. "He was a boxer, brilliant jab, brilliant right hand. 'The Brown Bomber,' great, great fighter, bum-of-the month [club] campaign. He'd come at a time in World War II when it was difficult to be a boxer. And he'd done a lot of stuff for inspiring men at war, which was fantastic. He used to travel around [with] the military and tell jokes and sing and everything else he did."
Ezzard Charles | 95-25-1, 52 KOs | 1949-51
Charles ended Louis' historic reign with a unanimous decision victory at Yankee Stadium. He made four defenses before he was KOed by "Jersey" Joe Walcott in Round 7 of their trilogy meeting. Charles won the first two bouts. He also owns a pair of wins over Hall of Famer Joey Maxim and is regarded by many as the greatest light heavyweight ever.
"Very underrated fighter, a lot of fights [121]," Fury said. "He even became a trainer in the end. Very, very good fighter ... he fought all the greats. ... He was one person who fought everybody. If you go through Ezzard Charles' résumé, there's some real legends."
'Jersey' Joe Walcott | 49-20-1, 31 KOs | 1951-52
Walcott mastered The Philly Shell defensive stance, rolling his shoulder to alleviate the impact of punches. One of the best heavyweights of the 1940s and 50s, Walcott defeated Charles in the title rematch to even their series at two apiece before he dropped a pair of fights to Rocky Marciano ahead of his retirement. Walcott broke the record at the time for oldest boxer to challenge for the heavyweight title when he fought Louis in a 1948 rematch at age 33. He dropped Louis twice in the first meeting. Walcott was the referee for the infamous Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston rematch in 1965.
"The Dancing Master Jersey Joe, he was ahead of his time," Fury said. " ... Big for his day. Not big as in today, big, but big for his time. A really good boxer. ... He could punch, he could box, he could move. He was slick. I watched plenty of his fights. I watched plenty of his wins and then I watched him put Rocky Marciano down ... and get knocked out [of] the ring in about Round 13."
Rocky Marciano | 49-0, 43 KOs | 1952-56
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| From left to right: Evander Holyfield, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis and George Foreman. ESPN |
From left to right: Evander Holyfield, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis and George Foreman. ESPN
Marciano, an icon of the 20th century, remains boxing's only heavyweight champion to retire undefeated. An undersized yet formidable puncher rated No. 14 by The Ring all time, Marciano's KO of Walcott where he split the champion's nose is one of boxing's most-indelible moments. Following a first-round KO over Walcott in the immediate rematch, Marciano made five defenses. Three of those wins came against Hall of Famers (a pair of victories over Charles and a ninth-round KO of Archie Moore in Marciano's final fight). Marciano died in a plane crash in 1969 at age 45.
"Marciano was a tough guy. Very tough, brutal, aggressive, little hard, strong, fit, determined destroyer," Fury said. "And I think people say, oh, he was only about 200 pounds or 180 so pounds. I think he'd be a handful for anybody in any era. For sure."
Floyd Patterson | 55-8-1, 40 KOs | 1956-59, 1960-62
Patterson KO'd Moore in Round 5 to capture the vacant title and become the youngest heavyweight champion ever at age 21. He's also the first-ever two-time lineal heavyweight champion. Following four successful defenses, Patterson lost the title to Johansson via third-round KO. He regained it the following fight with a fifth-round KO in the rematch. Following another KO win over Johansson in the rubber match, Patterson dropped the title in a first-round KO loss to Sonny Liston, and lost the immediate rematch in the same manner.
"Patterson was a good fighter for sure," said Fury. "Trained by Cus D'Amato. Champion. He actually had some brilliant fights ... good boxer ... but he didn't have good feet, he had slow feet. And when he fought people fleet-footed like Muhammad Ali and people like that, they were found wanting. ... I'll tell you one guy I did rate, he fought Patterson in his pro debut, Pete Rademacher. He had Patterson down a few times as well. And [Patterson] got up and beat him later on in the fight."
Rademacher, a gold medalist at the 1956 Olympic Games, is the only boxer in history to challenge for the heavyweight championship in his pro debut. The former Washington State football player fought Patterson in August 1957. Rademacher floored the champion in Round 2, but Patterson rebounded to drop the challenger seven times en route to a sixth-round KO.
Ingemar Johansson | 26-2, 17 KOs | 1959-60
Johansson fought four more times following three consecutive fights with Patterson before he retired.
"Johansson was a good fighter," Fury said. "Swedish guy, bit of a flash-in-the-pan. He beat Paterson, and [Patterson] beat him back [again]."
Sonny Liston | 50-4, 39 KOs | 1962-64
Liston ended Patterson's second reign and his only successful defense came in the rematch. The following fight, in one of the most important fights in boxing history, Cassius Clay TKO'd Liston in Round 6.
"Sonny Liston, one of the most feared men of his day," Fury said. "Mike Tyson said he makes him look like a Boy Scout. He was a bad man, Sonny Liston. But then he was no match for the great Cassius Clay back in the day and then later on, Muhammad Ali."
Muhammad Ali | 56-5, 37 KOs | 1964-71, 1974-78, 1978-79
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| Muhammad Ali, top, defeated Sonny Liston in Round 1 of their rematch at the Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston, Maine. Bettmann/Getty Images |
Muhammad Ali, top, defeated Sonny Liston in Round 1 of their rematch at the Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston, Maine. Bettmann/Getty Images
When Liston entered the ring for the rematch 15 months later, his opponent was not Clay but Muhammad Ali. This time, it took Ali only one round to end matters. The KO produced one of the most-famous sports photographs of all time. Ali remains boxing's only three-time lineal heavyweight champion. Perhaps the most influential athlete ever, Ali made 11 defenses until he lost to Joe Frazier in what was then the biggest fight ever. Three years later, Ali beat Frazier again, outpointing him to earn a unanimous decision win before regaining the title with a KO win over George Foreman in his next fight. Ali once again made 11 defenses until his reign was ended in shocking fashion by Leon Spinks. Ali defeated Spinks in the rematch but lost the championship to Larry Holmes a few months shy of his 39th birthday. Ali fought once more, a decision defeat to Trevor Berbick.
"Greatest of his time? That's all he can ever be," Fury said of Ali. "That's all any man can ever be. Great in your own time because we can't time travel. And again, it comes down to opinions. And again, opinions mean nothing. ... Ali had all the controversial moments.
"He had all the stuff going on in his life: change of name was unheard of back in the day, the draft [and] not going to war, the Olympic gold medal, being refused in restaurants, it was in a time of racial prejudice in America. ... He was loved by many, hated by many in his day. People didn't like him. He was brash. But after he was finished, people loved him 'cause they realized how good he was at the end of his career. It's typical when you're active, people don't really care, but when you finish they all say, 'oh, he is a great fighter, yada yada yada.'"
Joe Frazier | 32-4-1, 27 KOs | 1971-73
Frazier will forever be connected to Ali as part of the greatest rivalry in boxing history. The first meeting was the most historic, but the Thrilla in Manila, their third meeting, is one of the greatest fights of all time. After that 14th-round KO loss to Ali, Frazier fought just twice more, including another KO loss to George Foreman. But his reign ended in the first fight with Foreman, a second-round TKO loss that produced the famous Howard Cosell call, "Down goes Frazier."
George Foreman | 76-5, 68 KOs | 1973-74, 1994-97
Foreman made just two defenses during his first reign, most notably a second-round KO of Hall of Famer Ken Norton. Then came his upset loss to Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle. Foreman fought six more times afterward -- including another KO win over Frazier - and then retired following a defeat to Jimmy Young in 1977. He returned 10 years later at age 38 and then in 1994, shockingly knocked out Michael Moorer at age 45 to become the oldest heavyweight champion ever.
"'64 and '68 ... gold-medal winners in the Olympic game and great fighters," said Fury, referring to Frazier and Foreman, respectively. "Joe Frazier knocked everybody out, beat Muhammad Ali the first time around. And then look what Foreman did to him, knocked him off his feet with an uppercut and absolutely blitzed him.
"That's why I always say styles make fights because Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali and the fight he lost with him was very close as well. George Foreman absolutely wrecked Joe Frazier twice. And then Ali beat George Foreman and Frazier. That's how fights work. Styles do make fights."
Leon Spinks | 26-17-3, 14 KOs | 1978
A one-hit wonder in the pros -- though also an Olympic gold medalist in 1976 -- Spinks shocked Ali for the crown in just his eighth pro fight. He lost the title back to Ali in the immediate rematch.
Larry Holmes | 69-6, 44 KOs | 1980-85
Holmes owned one of boxing's greatest jabs and used it to cement himself as the best heavyweight of the 80s. He was already the WBC titleholder (with a TKO win over Earnie Shavers) when he defeated Ali for the lineal championship. Holmes made 14 defenses -- including a third-round KO win over Spinks -- until he ran into Leon's older brother, Michael.
Michael Spinks | 31-1, 21 KOs | 1985-88
Michael Spinks turned out to be a much more accomplished pro than his younger brother. And when Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion ever, it was Spinks who was still recognized as the lineal champion after his pair of decision wins over Holmes. In Tyson's best performance, he ended Spinks' reign in explosive fashion in the opening round.
Mike Tyson | 50-6, 2 NC, 44 KOs | 1988-90
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| Mike Tyson, left, dethroned Michael Spinks to become the heavyweight lineal champion in 1988. AP Photo/Richard Drew |
Mike Tyson, left, dethroned Michael Spinks to become the heavyweight lineal champion in 1988. AP Photo/Richard Drew
Tyson established himself as the guy at heavyweight with his destruction of Spinks and went on to make just two defenses of the lineal crown. But he remains one of the most recognizable and bankable athletes of all time. Following his upset defeat to James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo, Tyson was found guilty of rape and sentenced to six years in prison. After he was released in March 1995, Tyson shared the ring with Holyfield in one of greatest fights in heavyweight title history before the infamous "Bite Fight" rematch.
"I think Mike Tyson is an absolute living legend," Fury said. "Mike Tyson's one of these people, no matter how old you are, no matter where from or what language or what religion you are, everybody knows Mike Tyson. ... And he's had his ups and downs and he's had his in-betweens, but he's still going and he's still representing boxing and he's still a legend. ...
"He's had a brilliant career, spent more money than any man could ever earn and enjoyed it. Wasted it, invested it, whatever he did with it. And now he's back again and he's back to fight Jake Paul and get a s--- ton of money in one of the biggest events of the year. So congratulations to Mike. Still repping.
"All human beings have their ups and downs and they have their episodes of depression or anxiety or mental-health struggles, whatever it might be, drug addiction, alcohol addiction. We're all only humans and we all can be affected by human stuff. And the fact that me and Mike are so open about it, which makes us feel vulnerable, people can relate to that and that's why we're relatable."
James 'Buster' Douglas | 37-6-1, 1 NC, 24 KOs | 1990
In arguably the greatest upset in sports history, Douglas picked himself off the canvas and defined 42-1 odds to end Tyson's reign in Tokyo. Douglas was in noticeably bad shape for his first defense as he was KO'd in Round 3 by Holyfield, the former cruiserweight champion.
Evander Holyfield | 44-10-2, 1 NC, 29 KOs | 1990-92, 1993-94
Holyfield is known for his immense fighting spirit. Though undersized, Holyfield was able to absorb Tyson's concussive blows and knock him out in the first meeting. His heavyweight title trilogy with Riddick Bowe is one of the greatest in history and included the infamous "Fan Man Fight," the rematch where Holyfield regained his title. Holyfield lost it again in the following fight, a decision loss to Moorer.
Riddick Bowe | 43-1, 1 NC, 33 KOs | 1992-93
"Big Daddy" Bowe outpointed Holyfield in the first meeting but dropped the title via majority decision in the rematch. Bowe also defeated Holyfield in the rubber match, but neither man was champion then.
Michael Moorer | 52-4-1, 40 KOs | 1994
Like many others on this list, Moorer never made a single successful defense. He lost the crown in shocking fashion to Foreman and later was stopped by Holyfield in a unified title fight, though Holyfield wasn't then the lineal champion. Moorer, a former light heavyweight, is the only southpaw on this list.
Shannon Briggs | 60-6-1, 1 NC, 53 KOs | 1997-98
Briggs, like Moorer, didn't score one win as lineal champion. He won the title with a majority decision victory over Foreman and was subsequently stopped in Round 5 by Lewis.
Lennox Lewis | 41-2-1, 32 KOs | 1998-2001, 2001-04
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| Lennox Lewis, right, stopped Mike Tyson in Round 4 of their heavyweight title fight at The Pyramid in Memphis in 2002. Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images |
Lennox Lewis, right, stopped Mike Tyson in Round 4 of their heavyweight title fight at The Pyramid in Memphis in 2002. Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images
One of the 10 greatest heavyweights ever, Lewis fought Holyfield in 1999 in the last undisputed heavyweight championship. Lewis lost the title via KO to Hasim Rahman in one of the biggest upsets in division history but exacted revenge in the next fight to start a second reign. Lewis retired as champion following a scare with Vitali Klitschko. Klitschko was ahead on the scorecards when the doctor stopped the fight. Klitschko required 60 stitches to close a cut above his eye. Lewis' 2002 TKO win over Tyson shattered revenue and PPV records.
Hasim Rahman | 50-9-2, 41 KOs | 2001
Though Rahman never made a successful defense, he was featured in several notable fights in defeat. He suffered a grotesque hematoma in his forehead against Holyfield and was later knocked out through the ropes and onto the floor by Oleg Maskaev in Round 12 of a title bid.
Wladimir Klitschko | 64-5, 53 KOs | 2009-15
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| Tyson Fury, right, defeated Wladimir Klitschko by unanimous decision to become the lineal champion in November 2015. AP Photo/Sebastian Konopka |
The man Fury defeated to capture the lineal championship, Klitschko ruled over the division for most of the 2000s and 2010s in a down-era for heavyweight boxing. Fury was a sizable underdog but outboxed Klitschko in Germany to launch himself to stardom.
"I think my favorite fighter from back then -- I admire 'em all -- but I always looked at Wladimir Klitschko because he was the champion when I was an amateur boxer," Fury said. "So I was always focusing on Wladimir and nobody else really."
Tyson Fury | 34-0-1, 24 KOs | 2015-present
Fury remains at the mountaintop and will rake in $10s of millions more in this long-awaited clash with Usyk, an ultra-rare meeting of two heavyweights on the pound-for-pound list. Fury's impressive résumé includes a pair of wins over Deontay Wilder in their epic trilogy, including the 2021 ESPN Fight of the Year and KO of the year. Fury surprisingly struggled with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in October but is in far better shape for this fight with Usyk, which was set to take place in February. That was before Fury absorbed a nasty gash over his right eye from an elbow in sparring weeks out from the fight. Now, we're finally here at Fury's date with destiny and the chance to add "undisputed" to accompany his status as lineal champion.
"I've got two fights with Usyk, and then I'll probably do another couple of fights with big old sausage AJ [Anthony Joshua] and then I'll fight whoever," Fury said. "Like Turki said, he wants me to do another eight, 10 fights. We can rack 'em up nice and quickly the next few years. Happy days.
"I don't really care where they wanna put me [historically] or whatever 'cause I've lived my day," Fury added. " ... I'm having it now. I'm living it. But when it's all finished, I've had a good old time doing it and I enjoyed every minute of it."
- Mike Coppinger, ESPN
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