TYSON FURY has walked away from the heavyweight boxing division to play cash-grab with MMA giant Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

With Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz – who stunned the world by beating Anthony Joshua in 2019 – refusing to fight each other to decide a mandatory challenger for the WBC Gypsy King, the division is frustrating fans no end.

After dominating Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights and jabbing Daniel Dubois into submission, Oleksandr Usyk is the rising star after being undisputed king of the cruiserweight division.

But the rest of the rankings are a pick’em blend of falling heroes, rising prospects and champing-at-the-bit-contenders.

As with all of these utterly subjective, fantasy boxing lists, nobody really knows.

10. JARED ANDERSON

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Big Baby is growing in record and reputation, with US promoters Top Rank expecting the 23-year-old to be a sensation.

Fury used the American for sparring before his Wilder wins and agrees with them.

Bizarrely 16-0 Anderson doesn’t seem to love the sport and is treating it like a business he is already looking forward to leaving but he has all the credentials and potential to be the boss of bosses when the current crop start to retire.

9. BAKHODIR JALOLOV

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It’s another dark mark on the greedy boxing bureaucracy that this 29-year-old southpaw giant has been allowed to have 13 pro fights while still jetting around the world winning amateur tournaments.

The 6ft 7in leftie is a major problem for everyone in the heavyweight division but he’s currently battering journeymen in the pros and, mainly, kids in the amateurs. Once he commits to the pro ranks he will be a world champion but right now his handlers are exploiting boxing’s bonkers rules and wasting his and our time.

8. FILIP HRGOVIC

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A few fights back the Croatian ‘Animal’ was chairman of the who-needs-him club. A celebrated amateur, a spiteful puncher and a no-nonsense brute who doesn’t care for talking trash or selling tickets.

But he was handed a gift against Zhang and he was taken all 12 rounds by unknown Australian Dempsey McKean in August so nobody is begging for Hrgovic to get his world title shot right now.

But mandatory position with the IBF could get him a shot at Usyk soon.

7. DANIEL DUBOIS

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A controversial choice on current form but both of the Londoner’s defeats have come with caveats.

He was ahead on the cards when he took a knee against Joyce and he floored Usyk with a body punch that was ruled a low blow and is currently being contested by promoter Frank Warren.

The sadly unavoidable fact is that behind Dynamite Dan’s ideal physical characteristics there remains a frail mind that is prone to folding under extreme pressure.

But a bit more maturity, a psychology coach or just a lightbulb moment could cure that and make him a monster.

6. JOE JOYCE

The Juggernaut was robbed of 2016 Olympic gold that would have fast-tracked him to a world title in the same way it did for AJ four years early.

But when he beat Daniel Dubois in 2020 he finally became a mainstream star.

The loss to Zhang was disastrous and a repeat will sadly end his status as a serious contender but a win will rocket him back into the reckoning where all-English clashes with Fury and AJ would sell out a football stadium.

5. ZHILEI ZHANG

Nobody in their right mind wants to fight a 20st southpaw who struggles to sell tickets outside of his China home so when the 40-year-old battered Joe Joyce in April he catapulted himself into the big leagues.

He was robbed of a win over heavyweight boogie man Filip Hrgovic in the bout before but is now bearing down on the big boys. Time is running out for the veteran and a rematch defeat to Joyce will almost end his top-tier career but a win makes him a major player.

4. ANTHONY JOSHUA

Another London 2012 golden boy but also another former champion on the slide. There is no shame in losing back-to-back decisions to Usyk but the comeback performances against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius have underwhelmed.

The history books should never forget the rapid rise through the amateurs, the tear through the division and the excellent way he has conducted himself. But never facing Wilder or Fury will be a stain if AJ’s superb career ends any time soon.

3. DEONTAY WILDER

Despite a draw and back-to-back defeats to Fury, Wilder’s stock rose following their iconic trilogy – he was proven not to be just a flat-track bully – and it is a travesty he has done just one round in the two years since.

If he lands that right hand on Usyk, Joshua, Ruiz et al he could well knock them spark out and separate himself from that chasing pack but his inactivity is doing him no favours and he could soon fall lower down the list without a real bout.

2. OLEKSANDR USYK

London 2012 Olympic champion after an amateur record of 94-15, undisputed 14st 4lbs boss inside just 15 pro fights and now the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight ruler.

We are already looking at one of the finest fighters of the modern era. But the step up to 6ft 9in, 19st Fury is massive and would take something superhuman, which the Ukraine southpaw could well be capable of.

1. TYSON FURY

The undefeated 34-year-old giant outboxed Wladimir Klitschko when he was the decade-long don and demolished Bronze Bomber Wilder in two of their three fights to cement his position as top dog.

Bouts against Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte recently have underwhelmed but if AJ and Usyk are turning down his offers, he has earned the right to play away with Ngannou for now.

The duo, 33 and 35 respectively, have twice been on the the brink of a historic domestic dust-up but have yet to share the ring with one another.

British boxing fans are still itching to see the pair duke it out before they call time on their careers, although the same, seemingly, can’t be said for former heavyweight champ Frank Bruno.

The former WBC titleholder told The Gypsy King: “I don’t think Joshua should go anywhere near you.

“Because you’ll teach him a lesson you know, a boxing lesson.”

Fan favourite Fury is well aware of the global interest in a fight with AJ but has zero interest in facing his fellow Brit.

He told The Daily Mail: “I don’t really care what he says. He’s a bum in my opinion.

“He’s just one big bum-dosser that has been knocked out three times.

“He’s been knocked out twice and had three losses.

“He can’t even compare in my league any more.

“It’s not even a fight I am thinking about any more.

“I’m not even interested. That bubble has been burst.

“His virginity has been taken away so it’s not interesting for me any more.

“He’s been spanked by Usyk twice and been beaten by a fat man.

“So it’s not in my interest to beat him.”

Current WBC king Fury is gearing up for a controversial crossover clash with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia next month.

And he insists the boxing novice poses more of a threat to him than former unified champ AJ, saying: “I am fighting a guy who is in his prime, who is a champion.

“Who is bigger than him, who is stronger than him and who is a bigger knockout puncher than him.

“He needs to get to the back of the queue. That fight is gone, it’s dead.

“That fight was off the cards as soon as he got beaten.”

A Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight has been talked about for years, and at one point both parties even put pen to paper for the heavyweight showdown.

Back in 2021 Joshua had the WBA, WBO and IBF titles, whilst Fury, fresh from his knockout victory over Deontay Wilder, had the WBC belt and the two agreed terms for a historic undisputed clash which would have undoubtedly been the biggest fight ever in British boxing.

Speaking about the potential fight to Frank Bruno – himself a former heavyweight world champion – ‘The Gypsy King’ said:

“I’m really looking forward to a challenge. This might sound strange but I’ve been a professional for 13 years and I’ve been travelling the world to find somebody who can beat me basically and I haven’t found him so far in 32 fights.”

Bruno himself went on to give his thoughts on the showdown, declaring Fury would give his fellow Brit a ‘boxing lesson’.

“I don’t think Joshua should go anywhere near you because you’ll teach him a lesson you know, a boxing lesson.”

Unfortunately fans never got to see if Bruno’s prediction was right, as Fury was instead forced to face Wilder for a third time after the American won an arbitration battle. The trilogy fight ended the same way as their second contest, with Fury knocking out ‘The Bronze Bomber’ after an action packed heavyweight classic.

Fury went on to defend his title twice more, first against mandatory challenger, Dillian White, then another trilogy fight against ‘old-pal’ Derek Chisora.

Joshua on the other hand has since lost all his belts, suffering back-to-back defeats to former cruiserweight undisputed champion, Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury next faces MMA star, Francis Ngannou, in a crossover contest, whilst Joshua had looked set to take on Wilder in the new year, but talks have seemingly stalled with promoter Eddie Hearn admitting they might have to look for alternative opponents.

Two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua could make an appearance in the ring once more in 2023 as Tyson Fury’s agent, Frank Warren, has suggested Daniel Dubois as a potential opponent for Joshua’s next fight.

Joshua has picked up two straight wins in 2023 after suffering consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk as he looks to work his way back to taking on the heavyweight elite in the coming months.

The 33-year-old has been linked to a 2024 showdown with Deontay Wilder but with that fight still not confirmed, it’s possible that the British-Nigerian could explore a number of different possibilities and Warren believes Dubois would be ideal.

The British contender travelled to Poland last month but was stopped by Usyk.

Despite the defeat, Dubois emerged with his head held high and he counts himself unfortunate to have tasted defeat after a shot he landed was called low by the fight’s referee.

“I’ll tell you a good fight if that doesn’t happen,” said Warren when speaking to IFLTV on the potential clash between Joshua and Wilder.

“You know what would be a good fight in the UK and people would buy tickets to watch it, and we’ll see who is the biggest puncher and who has got the biggest heart? Him (Joshua) and Daniel Dubois.”

“That would sell out anywhere. You can’t say it’s not going to sell. It would sell. It’s a big fight.”

Anthony Joshua should face Daniel Dubois next in a clash that would ‘sell out anywhere’, claims Frank Warren – who believes the former world champion’s bout with Deontay Wilder ‘won’t happen’.

Joshua and Wilder have already agreed terms on a blockbuster bout, which was expected to take place in Saudi Arabia, but complications with the country’s boxing management company has plunged it into doubt.

AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn exclusive revealed to Mail Sport that he was still awaiting the contract for Joshua vs Wilder and that he may have to explore alternate venues and opponents – with former rival Andy Ruiz and Filip Hrgovic also in the running

And Warren has claimed the fight will not come to fruition and instead wants Joshua and his team to consider a huge all-British showdown against Dubois following his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua was also beaten by Usyk last year and is looking to rebuild himself and get back into world title contenion.

‘The Deontay Wilder & Anthony Joshua situation, I know their people had conversations and thought that it would happen, but I never thought it would happen, and it’s not,’ he told iFL TV.

‘The problem is, the amount of money they felt they were going to get paid or they heard they were going to get paid, they’re not going to achieve that anywhere. That’s not going to happen.

‘What we’re hearing from Matchroom is every other week or every two weeks, they were going to announce it. We are now hitting mid-December. It ain’t going to happen.

I’ll tell you a good fight if that doesn’t happen. You know what would be a good fight in the UK and people would buy tickets to watch it and we’ll see who is the biggest puncher and who has got the biggest heart? Him [Joshua] and Daniel Dubois

‘That would sell out anywhere. Before you start your hate, that would determine who has got the biggest heart, who would grit their teeth. You can’t say it’s not going to sell. It would sell. It’s a big fight.’

It comes after Hearn revealed his frustration with delays to getting Joshua vs Wilder off the ground.

Speaking to Mail Sport, Hearn said: ‘We’ve agreed terms for that fight, we have agreed the money. We have agreed everything. What we haven’t got is the contract.

‘There is a change in terms of boxing politics in Saudi Arabia. The people that we have worked with for a number of years, who told us the fight is done, have left so that might not be the case now. But, I guess the strategy will be assed by them.

As I understand it, they still want to do AJ vs Wilder. They also want to do AJ vs Usyk. Do they want to do AJ vs Fury? I have no idea. But, we are in for that fight but at the same time, we aren’t going to wait forever.

‘We will see what happens over the next couple of weeks. There is a good chance that AJ will fight in December if he doesn’t fight Wilder in January.

‘We are now looking at alternative venues for that fight as well just in case as previously we were told the fight was done. It’s a massive fight whether that’s in Saudi, whether that’s in Abu Dhabi or whether that’s in Vegas or Wembley.’

Hearn finished by saying: ‘It’s a massive fight. I do expect it to happen. AJ wants to keep active and there is a chance he will fight in December.

Mahmoud Charr believes Anthony Joshua is a “mentally broken” fighter and is just one loss away from calling time on his boxing career.

Charr is the current WBA “regular” heavyweight champion who hasn’t fought this year, and he is not impressed by what he’s seen from AJ recently.

AJ has picked up routine wins over Robert Helenius and Jermaine Franklin in 2023 as he works his way back into title contention after suffering consecutive defeats against WBO, IBF, and WBA “super” champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Charr believes Joshua’s issues date back to his first career loss which came at the hands of massive underdog Andy Ruiz in 2019.

The British fighter avenged the defeat but hasn’t looked the same since.

“Right now, Joshua is mentally broken, you can see that,” Charr told Seconds Out.

“Against Andy Ruiz Jr when he got first knocked out, two losses against Usyk, he looks broken. He needs time. He is not ready for [Tyson] Fury.”

Joshua is currently in talks to fight Wilder. However, negotiations for the heavyweight blockbuster have recently hit a snag, and boxing promoter Eddie Hearn is looking for a new host site.

Charr thinks the fight falling through could be a blessing in disguise for the British fan favoruite who he thinks could be knocked into retirement by Wilder, Tyson Fury, or even himself.

“[Joshua] needs five or six easy fights to get back to himself,” he added.

“If he fights Wilder next, he can stop boxing after that. He is not ready for Wilder or Fury and not ready for me.”

Charr was heavily linked to a fight with Fury last year, but ‘The Gypsy King’ opted to face Derek Chisora in a trilogy bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium instead.

While a clash with Wilder remains the priority, Hearn recently claimed his star client may take a stay-busy fight in December if talks drag on much longer.

Perhaps Charr will get the call to defend his belt against Joshua later this year.

Eddie Hearn says he’s in “limbo,” waiting for the contract from the Saudis that might never come for the Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder fight. Surprisingly, Hearn hasn’t given a drop-dead timeline for when he’ll move on, but it could be soon, judging from how flustered he is.

Hearn says the Joshua-Wilder fight could occur in Las Vegas or the UK and will do well in those locations. But obviously, the money that AJ would receive fighting there would be nowhere near what the Saudis would have paid. Have The Saudis Changed Their Mind? Hearn doesn’t explain why the Saudis have delayed sending the contract. Still, it’s reasonable to assume that they’re no longer enamored with the idea of paying big money for the Joshua vs. Wilder fight after watching AJ’s recent performances against Robert Helenious & Jermaine Franklin.

Joshua’s last six fights: Robert Helenius Jermaine Franklin Oleksandr Usyk – rematch Oleksandr Usyk Kubrat Pulev Andy Ruiz – rematch

The way Joshua has looked in his last six fights, gunshy and afraid to pull the trigger on his punches, you can’t blame the Saudis if they choose not to stage the Joshua-Wilder fight in their country. There are a ton of fighters that show more fire than Joshua, who looks like a fragmented, broken shell of the guy he’d been when he turned pro in 2013. “Until we receive a contract to do that fight, it’s not happening. Now does that come this week, does it come in two months, does it come at, all I don’t know,” said Hearn to Boxing Social about the contract he’s waiting for from the Saudis for the Joshua vs. Wilder fight.

Joshua Not Limited To Saudi Arabia It would be a good idea for Hearn to stop waiting for the Saudis and move on with Joshua to stage that fight in Vegas or London. If Hearn truly believes that a fight with Tyson Fury will happen for Joshua next year, he should avoid matching him against Wilder and focus on another journeyman-level opponent to ensure he doesn’t lose.

Joshua took a lot of punishment in his last fight against 39-year-old Robert Helenius, and it’s clear from watching that contest that Wilder will mow him down. “So we’re a little bit in limbo, obviously. We were working with people we’ve worked with, and when they tell us it’s done, generally it’s done, but on this occasion, it’s not yet done.

“We’re not limited to doing that in Saudi Arabia or the Middle East,” said Hearn. Instead of Hearn talking about Joshua not being limited to Saudi Arabia, he needs to show some pride and move on already.

Eddie Hearn said in an interview with talkSPORT that the fight Anthony Joshua With Deontay Wilder can still take place. If the deal with Saudi Arabia does not materialize, it could be moved to March or April in Las Vegas or Wembley. Hearn added that AJ could fight another opponent in December, while Wilder is eyeing a fight in November.

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“I’m Anthony Joshua’s No. 1 fan. In my head — call me crazy — but he’ll knock out Deontay Wilder and then he’ll knock out Tyson Fury and become the undisputed heavyweight champion and then we’ll sail off into the sunset together. Call me crazy, I don’t care what you call me, I believe in it and I’m clear about it,” added Eddie Hearn.