The heavyweight division is known for fighters who can continue on all the way into their 40s, which often provides the runway for fighters to reinvent themselves over the course of a career.
One of those heavyweights is Joseph Parker, who will face Fabio Wardley this coming Saturday at the O2 Arena in London.
On this list, we identify eight fighters from the heavyweight division – starting from 1990 onward – who changed their style, body or just the narrative around them.
What qualifies a fighter for the list below is building an initial record of ability and competence and then, in the middle or twilight of their careers, reshaping the public perception of their talent or legacy.
8. Zhilei Zhang
Record: 27-3-1 (22 KOs)
Zhang fought Jerry Forrest to a draw in 2021, and many thought the secret was out about “Big Bang” Zhang. It appeared that he tired in the second half of the fight, and a narrative was born. Then, just as quickly, he killed it by putting together a great run of fights. Zhang lost a split decision to Filip Hrgovic, the outcome of which was hotly debated. He knocked out Joe Joyce in two consecutive fights after that. Lately, China’s 42-year-old Zhang has had mixed success, but even if he is now past his prime, in the late stage of his career he was able to capture magic and alter perceptions.
7. Andy Ruiz Jnr
Record: 35-2-1 (22 KOs)
Ruiz has some of the fastest hands in the heavyweight division. He also punches in combination with great head movement – something most heavyweights aren’t accustomed to facing. Given his physique, which looks closer to that of a civilian than a pro athlete, many have questioned his commitment to the sport. After losing to Joseph Parker in a title opportunity, Ruiz was relegated to the undercards of big fights – until he knocked out Anthony Joshua. The win forever changed Ruiz from a fighter with a ton of potential to one of boxing’s biggest underdog stories.
6. Joseph Parker
Record: 36-3 (24 KOs)
Few have accomplished what Parker has. He went from a titleholder who lost his belt to Anthony Joshua to having mixed success – losing to Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce – then coming back even better than before. The loss to Joyce was especially damning, as it came three years ago and was an accumulation knockout – the type from which most fighters don’t recover. But Parker bounced back with a six-fight win streak that includes victories over former titleholder Deontay Wilder, Zhang and Martin Bakole. At 33 years old, Parker appears to be the best version of himself – a boxer-puncher with brilliant hand speed who can make other heavyweights hesitate when engaging with him based on his speed, timing and power. On Saturday, he will fight Fabio Wardley, attempting to add to his comeback story.
5. Tyson Fury
Record: 34-2-1 (24 KOs)
Fury stands a towering 6ft 9ins, so a knockdown at the hands of career cruiserweight Steve Cunningham in Fury’s US debut in 2013 lingered for some. But Fury went on to outbox and stun Wladimir Klitschko, who had ruled the heavyweight division for roughly a decade. And then Fury went away. He got big – really big – and battled depression, among other demons. When he returned to boxing after a three-year hiatus, Fury then lost weight and, together with titleholder Deontay Wilder, put on one of the best heavyweight trilogies boxing has known. The brutal bouts took something out of both combatants, but Fury established himself as a top heavyweight of his generation. Both up and down more than once, Fury has rewritten his story on multiple occasions.
4. James “Buster” Douglas
Record: 37-6-1 (24 KOs)
Douglas went from a talented fighter who couldn’t put it all together to the man who knocked out the previously impervious Mike Tyson in Japan. Douglas’ knockout of the most feared man in the world lead to stardom that to this day makes him a notable name not just in boxing but also across pop culture. Douglas would never replicate his success in that fight, but he proved that one brilliant, well-timed performance could change a life and a legacy.
3. Lennox Lewis
Record: 42-2-1 (32 KOs)
You could make a case for Lewis as the greatest heavyweight ever, not just despite his being knocked out twice in his career but, in part, because of it. Stopped by Oliver McCall in 1994, Lewis would return the favor in their rematch. And late in his career, in 2001, Lewis was knocked out by Hasim Rahman. He returned in the following bout to stop Rahman. Lewis fended off foes with his thudding jab, but the way he came back from defeat defined his career as much as any of his physical gifts or marquee wins.
2. Wladimir Klitschko
Record: 64-5 (53 KOs)
Klitschko was stopped early in his career by a fighter named Ross Puritty. He won 16 fights in a row before Corrie Sanders stopped him – and then it happened again three fights later, when Lamon Brewster crumpled him. After the Brewster loss, Klitschko was knocked for being “chinny” – and then went on an 11-year unbeaten run, dominating the heavyweight division. Klitschko (rightly) credited famed trainer Emanuel Steward for helping rebuild his approach and confidence. The two formed a formidable partnership that yielded one of the best heavyweight runs in history, as Klitschko went from a big puncher with vulnerabilities to an unbeatable force.
1. George Foreman
Record: 76-5 (68 KOs)
The greatest heavyweight comeback story ever. In 1974, the menacing Foreman, after winning his first 40 professional fights – 38 by knockout – famously fell to Muhammad Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Shaken by the experience, Foreman lost to Jimmy Young three years later and all but disappeared. A decade later, paunchier and infinitely more pleasant, he returned ready to capture the heavyweight crown – and he did. At the age of 45, Foreman defeated Michael Moorer to win the unified heavyweight title. What many forget is that Foreman had just been outboxed in a loss to Tommy Morrison before taking on the Moorer challenge as a clear-cut underdog. Foreman’s defeat of Father Time is one of, if not the greatest, reinvention in all of boxing lore.
Honorable mention: Derek Chisora, Tommy Morrison
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
