Who Is Next in Line for A World Heavyweight Title Shot?

The heavyweight division is currently dominated by Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, who share the four major belts between them.

With no signs of a deal between the two Brits to meet in a unification contest, opportunities could arise for several boxers at the top end of the various rankings in early 2021.

Here are three men who are very close to securing a world title shot for themselves.

Daniel Dubois

Nicknamed Dynamite, due to his knockout record, Daniel Dubois is considered to be one of the hottest prospects in any division in boxing.

The Brit has a 15-0 record since turning pro in 2017, with 14 of those wins coming inside the distance. He has already held the WBC silver title and the WBO international belt, as well as British honors. Dubois is set to meet Joe Joyce next month in a domestic showdown in London. He is the -322.58 favorite in the 2 bout betting. A victory against his unbeaten opponent will put him a step closer to his dream of a world title shot.

Frank Warren, his promoter, has not rushed his exciting prospect through the ranks. He has been keen for Dubois to get as much experience as possible under his belt before his maiden world title fight. 

Trevor Bryan

New York’s Trevor Bryan is unbeaten in the ring with a 20-0 record but has been inactive since he won a version of the WBA title against BJ Flores in August 2018. Bryan is the mandatory challenger for Manuel Charr’s WBA regular belt and a win over Syrian would elevate him into a position to demand a shot at Joshua’s super champion title. It would also be the biggest win on his record as, other than Flores, he has not beaten anybody of note.

The American will need to prove in his next fight that he remains as sharp as he was in 2018. He remains quite high with many major organizations and at the age of 31, he will not want to wait much longer before he gets his first shot at one of the major honors.

Oleksandr Usyk

Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers on the planet. His next challenge in the sport is to win a world title in the heavyweight division.

The Ukrainian made his debut in the division in October 2019 when he defeated Chazz Witherspoon in the seventh round of their clash. Usyk is set to meet Dereck Chisora in the ring at the end of this month. This is likely to be a much harder challenge as the Brit is tough and has shared the ring with some of the best heavyweights of the last decade.

The bookmakers make Usyk the heavy odds-on favorite at -800 to keep up his unbeaten record against Chisora. A victory could be enough to earn a mouth-watering clash with one of the world champions in 2021.

With the above three men and a long list of other respective boxers on the fringes of a world title shot, it makes the next couple of years an exciting period in the heavyweight division.