By Joe Harrison
Photo © John Booz/FightWireImages.com

We are only three months into the year and the heavyweight division still has four world champions. Boxing fans all over the world are demanding unification bouts, but instead they are only provided with meaningless mandatory defenses. We just got one out of the way between Wladimir Klitschko and Ray Austin, but now we have three more to get past.

On March 10th, Wladimir Klitschko fulfilled his mandatory obligation by stopping Ray Austin in the 2nd round, retaining the IBF title in the process. Now Wladimir would like to unify his title with another, but he will have to wait since the other three champions are preparing to face their mandatory opponents.    

Nikolai Valuev will defend his WBA title against Ruslan Chagaev on April 14th. Shannon Briggs will defend his WBO title against Sultan Ibragimov on June 2nd. Oleg Maskaev will defend his WBC title either against Vitali Klitschko, WBC champion emeritus, or the WBC number 1 contender, Samuel Peter.

Other than the mandatory challengers, there are still many former champions looking to claim their titles back and there are prospects still looking for their shot at a world title. With so many heavyweights looking for their opportunity, it seems difficult for the champions to face each other. Well, since there are so many heavyweights, we can only break down the best and almost-best.

Shown below are my rankings of today’s top heavyweights.

1. Wladimir Klitschko (IBF) – After handing Calvin Brock his first loss and destroying Ray Austin within two rounds, “Dr Steelhammer” appears to be unstoppable. No longer haunted by his knockout losses to Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster, Klitschko seems very stable and confident in the ring. Will he be the one to unify the titles in the future?
 
2. Nikolai Valuev (WBA) – Ever since he won the WBA title in December of ‘05, Valuev has defended the title successfully 3 times. On April 14th, Valuev will face his mandatory opponent, Ruslan Chagaev. Can Valuev get past Chagaev and continue his quest toward a record of 50-0? If Valuev can perform like he did against Owen Beck and Monte Barrett, or better, his chances are pretty decent.

3. Oleg Maskaev (WBC) – After defeating Hasim Rahman for the second time and winning the WBC title, Maskaev made his first title defense successfully, winning a unanimous decision over handpicked opponent Peter Okhello. Now it seems like there’s a bounty on his head as Samuel Peter and Vitali Klitschko try to chase him down. Unfortunately for Maskaev, it is doubtful that he could defeat Peter or Klitschko. Sources claim that Maskaev will be facing Vitali Klitschko on June 2nd in Moscow. Will there be a new champion?

4. Shannon Briggs (WBO) – Just when it seemed like the boxing public lost faith in him, Shannon “The Cannon” defeated Liakhovich by a 12th-round technical knockout on November 4th to become the new WBO champion. It was unfortunate that Briggs couldn’t meet his mandatory, Sultan Ibragimov, on March 10th because of aspiration pneumonia. The match has been rescheduled for June 2nd, and Briggs will have another chance to show his critics that he is indeed for real.

5. Samuel Peter –Whether he deserved one victory over James Toney or both, the record books will always show that Peter defeated Toney twice. This makes “The Nigerian Nightmare” the top heavyweight challenger and the mandatory for Maskaev’s WBC title. If Peter chooses, he could probably challenge any of the champions, even if Vitali Klitschko wants to steal his opportunity.

6. Hasim Rahman – If anything is apparent, there are two sides to Hasim Rahman. There is good Rahman and there is bad Rahman. We’ve seen good Rahman outbox James Toney to a controversial draw, and he even knocked out a prime Lennox Lewis. On the other hand, there is bad Rahman who was knocked out in his rematch with Lennox Lewis, lost a boring decision to John Ruiz, and was TKO’d twice by Oleg Maskaev. Overall, Rahman poses a threat to anyone who faces him, especially if it is good Rahman, the version who tends to keep him among the elite.

7. Sergei Liakhovich – It didn’t seem like anyone wanted to face Shannon Briggs, but Liakhovich was nice enough to give him a shot at the WBO title. By the 12th round of their bout, the “White Wolf” appeared to be on the verge of winning by decision. Instead, he was TKO’d and lost the title. Now, his only chance for redemption is to fight a top-ranked heavyweight the same way he fought Brewster on April 1st of last year. Otherwise, he will be remembered as a one-hit wonder.

8. Lamon Brewster – It appears that Brewster has recovered from the eye injury which he suffered in his bout with Liakhovich. There is no doubt that he is strong enough to defeat other top heavyweights. Then again, that’s only if he can be the same Brewster that knocked out Andrew Golota and Wladimir Klitschko rather than the Brewster that lost to Clifford Etienne, Charles Shufford, and most recently, Sergei Liakhovich. His next bout could be a rematch against Luan Krasniqi or Wladimir Klitschko.

9. James Toney – After two losses, the man who refers to himself as “Lights Out” may want to consider hanging up his gloves. Not only did he clearly lose to Samuel Peter in their rematch, but he also sounded punch-drunk during his post-fight interview, slurring his words and claiming that he was robbed again. Now the word is that Toney is looking to fight again this year, possibly against Liakhovich, Vassiliy Jirov, or both. Is Toney too old to make another run at a world title?
 
10. Ruslan Chagaev – In a WBA eliminator, Chagaev squeaked by Ruiz with a split decision victory to stay undefeated and become Nikolai Valuev’s mandatory challenger. He will be Valuev’s first non-handpicked opponent. Considering the fact that Chagaev was more impressive in defeating Ruiz than Valuev, he might be a better boxer than Valuev. We will find out on April 14th as the Eastern European invasion continues.

11. John Ruiz – Even after losing his last two bouts to Valuev and Chagaev, Ruiz still posses a great threat to any heavyweight who may be climbing the rankings. He was previously a human roadblock for Hasim Rahman and Fres Oquendo. With the exception of boxers such as James Toney and Ruslan Chagaev, “The Quiet Man” has proven to be a difficult opponent for any heavyweight.
 
12. Chris Byrd – It seems that almost everyone has forgotten about Chris Byrd. Although it is apparent that Wladimir Klitschko has Byrd’s number, we shouldn’t forget how bad Byrd made many of his opponents look. Surely, he will continue to frustrate those beneath him as long as he stays active. On April 18th, Byrd will face Terry Smith.

13. Luan Krasniqi – He certainly had the tools to become the heavyweight champion, but Krasniqi made the wrong decision by trying to slug it out with Brewster while leading on the scorecards. Since that loss, he has fought poorly against opponents such as David Bostice and Brian Minto. If he gets a rematch with Brewster, he better pray that Brewster’s skills have deteriorated as much as his own.
 
14. Sultan Ibragimov – Even though he only earned a draw in an eliminator against Ray Austin, Ibragimov was handed a title-shot against Shannon Briggs. It should be an intriguing match-up once it takes place. Briggs’ health problems have already caused one delay. The winner of this bout should get a slight increase of respect. Will this be Ibragimov’s first loss?

15. Ray Austin – Surprisingly, Austin was able to score a draw with Ibragimov and was then given a title-shot against Wladimir Klitschko. It wasn’t a surprise to see Wladimir dispose of “The Rainman” within two rounds, but Wladimir is recognized by many as the world’s top heavyweight. When you see the other heavyweights below Wladimir, Austin still has a fair chance at winning another title. Do not be surprised if he sticks around for awhile. After all, Ibragimov couldn’t beat him.

Notable Fighters

Calvin Brock – Once undefeated and the number one American prospect, “The Boxing Banker” will have to work his way back up the ladder if he wants another shot at the heavyweight championship. His 1st-round knockout over Ralph West was a decent start.

Tony Thompson – After a very inactive 2005, Tony “The Tiger” has taken the heavyweight division by storm, scoring decision victories over Dominick Guinn and Timor Ibragimov. At the age of 35, it would be wise to stay active and go for a title-shot before it’s too late.

Dominick Guinn – Hope was all but gone after Guinn lost to Barrett, scored a draw against Friday Ahunanya, and then lost to Sergei Liakhovich and James Toney. He revived himself with a victory over Audley Harrison, and most recently knocked out Zuri Lawrence. Will Guinn ever live up to his potential?

DaVarryl Williamson – This boxer has been inactive, claiming that everyone’s ducking him. Perhaps now is the time for the “Touch of Sleep” to get a rematch from Joe Mesi. There is a rumor that Williamson may face Andrew Golota.

Vladimir Virchis – This Ukrainian’s only loss was to Ruslan Chagaev by a majority decision. Since then, “The Hunter” has become the European champion and is looking to make his mark on the heavyweight division.
 
Alexander Dimitrenko – Standing 6’7, undefeated, and 25 years old, Dimitrenko is another Ukranian looking to dominate the heavyweight division, including the Klitschko brothers.

Eddie Chambers – This American is 24 years old and undefeated, but has yet to step up to the next level. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer before he faces better competition.

Monte Barrett – He doesn’t seem to be championship material, already losing opportunities against Hasim Rahman and Nikolai Valuev, but Barrett is still a dangerous risk for any young prospect. Just ask Dominick Guinn and Owen Beck. Some believe Joe Mesi’s name should be included as well.