The ten best British boxers right now.
Every casual boxing fan knows the names of British titans such as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, but are they missing out on many underrated talents in the world of UK boxing?
So, who is Britain’s pound for pound king of boxing?
From a Rocky-style final-round KO to red-hot cruiserweight “Sauce”, here are the 10 best boxers currently competing in UK rings.
10. Leigh Wood (Featherweight):
Wood is the current WBA Featherweight champion and has held the title since July 2021.
“Leigh-thal” has won 14 of his last 15 fights with his solitary loss coming against Jazza Dickens in 2020 by majority decision.
The Nottinghamshire born boxer won his latest fight in incredible fashion sending his opponent Michael Conlan through the ropes late in the 12th round after being knocked down in the first round.
9. Sunny Edwards (Flyweight):
The current IBF Flyweight champion has a perfect record so far in professional boxing winning all 17 of his bouts, with four coming by way of knockout.
Edwards won the British super-flyweight title in his first 12 round fight of his career and has gone from strength to strength winning three 12 round fights since, all by unanimous decision.
The 26-year-old won the IBF title back in April of 2021 against South African Moruti Mthalane. Edwards also successfully defended the belt in December in the UAE against Filipino Jayson Mama.
8. Josh Warrington (Featherweight):
Warrington is the only Leeds born boxer to win a world title, a feat which he achieved in his hometown at Elland Road.
Warrington fought Mexican Mauricio Lara in February 2021, a month after he vacated his IBF World title and 15 months since his last bout. He lost in the ninth round via TKO.
Warrington has a chance to regain the IBF title on March 19 when he faces Spaniard Kiko Martinez.
7. Billy Joe Saunders (Middleweight):
Saunders lost his perfect record in his last fight against pound for pound king of boxing Canelo Alvarez, Bringing his record to 30-1.
The 31-year-old Brit was forced to retire in round eight of his fight due to his right eye being swollen shut.
Saunders has still enjoyed a successful career and is considered by many as one of the best middleweights in the world. He has held the WBO titles at both middleweight and super-middleweight
6. Dillian Whyte (Heavyweight):
The Brixton heavyweight has shown in recent years that he deserves a shot at a world title seeing off the likes of Derek Chisora, Alexander Povetkin and Joseph Parker.
Whyte has lost once since his loss to Anthony Joshua back in 2015, a shock TKO defeat to Alexander Povetkin but Whyte returned the favour with a round four TKO victory in a rematch.
The “Body Snatcher” has a chance to cause an upset in his next fight when he finally gets his world title shot against Tyson Fury on April 23.
5. Anthony Joshua (Heavyweight):
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist had a meteoric rise when he first entered the professional boxing world, winning his first world title in his 16th fight.
Joshua went on to a perfect record of 20 KO wins before being taken the distance by Joseph Parker in 2018 in a unanimous decision victory.
In AJ’s five fights since then he has suffered shock defeats, to Andy Ruiz jr. and Oleksandr Usyk.
4. Josh Taylor (Light-welterweight):
In his latest bout against Jack Catterall, Taylor improved his record to 19-0. The result came to the bemusement of the boxing world as the Scot won by split decision.
Catterall dominated the fight from start to finish and landed 166 punches to Taylor’s 85. Catterall also scored a knockdown in the fight, clearly something the judges didn’t consider.
Despite being outboxed in his last fight “The Tartan Tornado” has enjoyed success in his career currently holding the WBA, WBC, IBF and the WBO light-welterweight titles.
3. Lawrence Okolie (Cruiserweight):
Okolie is the current WBO cruiserweight champion. Before turning pro, he represented Team GB at the 2016 Olympics, as a heavyweight.
Upon turning pro Okolie made the decision to fight as a cruiserweight after an unsuccessful time as a heavyweight at the Olympics.
Since turning pro “The Sauce” has won all 18 of his fights with 14 coming by way of KO, showcasing even at cruiserweight he has heavyweight punching power.
2. Callum Smith (Super-middleweight):
Exactly like Billy Joe Saunders, Smith’s only loss of his career came at the hands of Canelo Alvarez.
Smith has held the WBA super-middleweight title and won the world boxing Super Series in 2018, claiming the Muhammad Ali Trophy in the process.
The Scouser won his last fight against Lenin Castillo by knockout in September 2021. It was later revealed Castillo was hospitalised after he suffered a seizure.
1. Tyson Fury (Heavyweight):
The Gypsy King is the pound for pound king of British boxing.
The current WBC heavyweight champion and former unified heavyweight champion has bulldozed the competition since returning to the ring in 2018.
Fury has beaten everyone that’s stepped in his path including the likes of Deontay Wilder, Wladimir Klitschko and Derek Chisora.
Fury will go down as one of the greats of heavyweight boxing, with rumours that his next fight against Dillian Whyte will be his last.
