Queensberry – Home Of The Heavyweights

Queensberry promotions led by hall of fame promoter Frank Warren is proud to be the world home of heavyweight boxing. With Queensberry on its own now representing half of the top 10 heavyweights in all the governing body, there is no doubt that the Queensberry heavyweight stable is comfortably the strongest in the world.

Boasting the current IBF champion Daniel Dubois, previous world champions such as Joseph Parker and future champions like Moses Itauma, it is hard to see a heavyweight world title fight to happen in coming years that will not include a Queensberry fighter.

Daniel Dubois

Daniel Dubois is the IBF heavyweight champion of the world and the form fighter of the division heading into an undisputed showdown with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk on July 19. The 27-year-old, who previously challenged Usyk in August 2023, has defeated Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua in his last three fights, the Joshua trouncing representing a first defence of his IBF world title in front of 96,000 people at Wembley Stadium. Dubois previously held the WBA regular world title, winning it against Trevor Bryan and making a successful defence against Kevin Lerena. Among many other title successes, Dubois was formerly the Southern Area, English, British and Commonwealth champion.

Fabio Wardley

Former British champion Fabio Wardley is undefeated in 20 professional fights and the 30-year-old is now the WBA Interim world heavyweight champion following his sensational knockout victory over Justis Huni at Portman Road, home of Ipswich Town FC. Previously the WBA Continental champion, Wardley won the vacant British title with a third round defeat of Nathan Gorman, successfully defending and adding the Commonwealth belt against David Adeleye in Saudi Arabia. Wardley then entered into a two-fight sequence with the British Olympian Frazer Clarke, drawing the first encounter, before brutally knocking out his rival in the first round in the return fight in Riyadh.

Agit Kabayel

Agit Kabayel has quietly manoeuvred himself into position as one of the most feared heavyweights on the global circuit. The 32-year-old from Germany was an unbeaten and established European champion who propelled himself right onto the world stage with a huge breakthrough performance in Riyadh by defeating the previously undefeated Russian giant Arslanbek Makhmudov in December 2023. The victory set Kabayel on the road to a fellow undefeated heavyweight in the Cuban, Frank Sanchez, who was overwhelmed and stopped in seven. Then the Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang was accounted for in February for Kabayel to become WBC Interim world champion.

Joseph Parker

Joseph Parker is the Renaissance Man of the heavyweight division. The former WBO world champion, won by defeating Andy Ruiz in 2016, looked to be out of the picture when he was knocked out by Joe Joyce in 2022. He has responded by defeating Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and, most recently, Martin Bakole, to position himself as the WBO Interim world champion and next in line for a shot at the winner of the forthcoming undisputed collision between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. Previously Parker has featured in major showdowns against Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora.

Dillian Whyte

Dillian Whyte sprang to prominence with the emergence of his rivalry with Anthony Joshua at the end of 2015, which culminated in a thrilling showdown that Joshua closed out in the seventh. It still led Whyte along the road to world title contention, winning the WBC International title, then the British and WBC Silver and WBO International belts, beating the likes of Derek Chisora, Joseph Parker and Oscar Rivas along the way. A shock defeat and a comprehensive victory against Alexander Povetkin followed before Whyte got to challenge Tyson Fury for the WBC world title at Wembley Stadium in 2022.

Derek Chisora

Two-time world title challenger Derek Chisora, at the age of 41 and with 49 fights on his clock, is now the No.1 contender with the IBF for a shot at the world title held by Daniel Dubois. The former British, Commonwealth and European champion – along with a host of International titles – has enjoyed three straight victories over Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin, which have positioned him for another world title tilt, with his previous shots coming against Vitali Klitschko and Tyson Fury.

Moses Itauma

Moses Itauma is widely considered to be the future force of the heavyweight division. The 20-year-old is the WBO Intercontinental and WBA International champion, having enjoyed an unbeaten amateur career in which he won gold at the Schools, Juniors and Youth Europeans, along with World Championship gold in November 2022. He turned professional on becoming 18 at the beginning of 2023 and is quickly becoming a global name having three times featured on Riyadh Season cards over in Saudi Arabia, including a spectacular first round victory over former leading contender Demsey McKean.

Lawrence Okolie

Londoner Lawrence Okolie is a two-weight world champion now looking to make it big in the heavyweight division. The 32-year-old won the WBO cruiserweight world title in 2021 with a knockout victory over Krzysztof Glowacki and went on to make three successful defences. He then won the WBC bridgerweight world title with a first round KO of Lukasz Rozanski in Poland before making the switch up to heavyweight and winning the WBC Silver title with another first round triumph over Hussein Muhamed in December 2024. At cruiserweight, Okolie was also British, Commonwealth and European champion after featuring at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

David Adeleye

David Adeleye is the current British heavyweight champion following his stoppage victory over Jeamie Tshikeva last time out in April. The career-build of the 28-year-old centred on his winning of the WBO European title, which he won in early 2023, and led him into a first British and Commonwealth title challenge against Fabio Wardley in October 2023, when he suffered his single defeat via a seventh round stoppage. Adeleye responded by becoming English champion with a savage first round stoppage of Solomon Dacres, which preceded his British title triumph.

Filip Hrgovic

The 2016 Croatian Olympian and bronze medalist Filip Hrgovic is back on the world title trail following his WBO International title success over Joe Joyce in April. The 33-year-old, known as ‘El Animal’, was seemingly destined to become IBF world champion after a lengthy period as No.1 contender until he suffered his sole career setback against Daniel Dubois in June 2024. Hrgovic had earlier defeated both Zilei Zhang and Demsey McKean to secure his position as No.1 contender, having previously made two successful defences of the IBF International title.

Zhilei Zhang

The Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang is the former WBO Interim world heavyweight champion and a silver medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The ‘Big Bang’ also featured at the London 2012 Games where he encountered the eventual gold medal winner in Anthony Joshua. In the pro ranks, the 42-year-old secured his Interim title status with a double victory over Joe Joyce before being outpointed by Joseph Parker. He knocked out former world champion Deontay Wilder in June 2024 but was stopped in his WBC Interim world title challenge against Agit Kabayel last time out in February.

Nelson Hysa

An Albanian force is hovering over the heavyweight division in the shape of KO-artist Nelson Hysa, who is unbeaten in 23, with 21 knockouts. In 2023, Hysa won the WBC CISBB heavyweight title with a first round stoppage of Maximiliano Sosa, making a single defence before winning the WBF Intercontinental title with a first round blitz of Luis Jose Marin Garcia. The IBO International title was secured before another first round triumph came a month later against Thorsten Fuchs, this time winning him the WBO European title belt. Successful defences of his WBO title have come with stoppage victories over Todorche Cvetkov and, most recently, Patrick Korte.