Although not household names, Lenier Pero, Agit Kabayel, and Labinot Xhoxhaj could very well be the best undiscovered and unknown heavyweights in boxing today.
Given the glamor of the heavyweight division, fight fans are always looking to see who could be the next great in the division.
Pero returns Saturday against Jordan Thompson at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. The bout will be telecast by DAZN and marks Pero’s second fight of the year, which corresponds with his second fight with Matchroom Boxing, who co-promotes him with Boxlab Promotions.
Given the hype around Pero, and his world rankings of three with the WBA, Pero is close to a big opportunity. Thompson, meanwhile, is moving up to heavyweight after being stopped by cruiserweight titleholder Jai Opetaia in 2023.
Here are some of the heavyweights who might have flown under the radar, but are worth watching in the next few years.
9. Joshua Edwards
Record: 4-0 (4 KOs)
A 2024 U.S. Olympian, Edwards has been a staple of Golden Boy undercards since signing with the promotion this year. Edwards shares some resemblance to Philly’s Steve Cunningham and has faced solid developmental opposition, but his test will come when he faces physical and formidable opponents who can move him back. How he handles that challenge will define how the rest of his career goes. There could be a chance we one day see him at cruiserweight or bridgerweight as he often weighs between 221-228lbs.
8. Frank Sanchez
Record: 25-1 (18 KOs)
Yes, Kabayel beat him, but he is really good. Any heavyweight who can box well and move fluidly will give 75 percent of the division fits, because the division consists of a lot of athletes coming from other sports looking to find success. Sanchez getting stopped by Kabayel was a shock at the time, but now the loss doesn’t look nearly as bad. Sanchez is the high-risk, low-reward fighter of the division. It appears Sanchez could potentially face Daniel Dubois in an IBF eliminator bout next.
7. Emanuel Odiase
Record: 9-0 (8 KOs)
Odiase is an untested 6ft 8ins heavyweight, born in Germany and residing in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, United Kingdom. He had a good amateur career, and is handling the opponents put in front of him the way you’d expect. At this point, it is hard to assess what Odiase truly is as a pro, but given that he had a good amateur career, he should get a meaningful fight in the next few years.
6. Kevin Ramirez
Record: 10-0-2 (4 KOs)
The most promising heavyweight contender from the delightful WBC Grand Prix tournament. Ramirez is now in the finals as he faces Ahmed Krnjic on December 20. More impressive, Ramirez is a career cruiserweight who has handled his own against top-tier competition in the next weight class up. He might not be the next Usyk, but he is proving that doesn’t matter.
5. Labinot Xhoxhaj
Record: 20-0-1 (16 KOs).
Autocorrect loves Xhoxhaj’s name, and though he may never be a belt holder at the world-class level he has established himself as a top-level fighter. He defeated Mourad Aliev, a promising French heavyweight from the 2020 Olympics, in his last bout, and stands at just 6ft tall. He stopped unbeaten Oleksandr Zakhozhyi the fight before and has proved that he can beat fighters even when coming into enemy territory. It seems physical limitations might be the only thing that holds him back.
4. Damian Knyba
Record: 19-0 (11 KOs)
A 6ft 7ins Polish heavyweight Knyba has an 86-inch reach and is developing into a good professional. He took a slow path to become a contender, but since 2023 has beaten fringe contenders and gatekeepers like Helaman Olguin, Curtis Harper, and Michael Coffie. His most recent win this month against Joey Dawejko has him on the brink of entering the rankings. Knyba is talented, and his height and reach give him an advantage. We have to find out if Knyba is more than just a fighter with long arms by seeing him fight, and beat, some top-15 contenders. If he does that, we are looking at a new force in the division.
3. Teremoana Jnr
Record: 8-0 (8 KOs)
Teremoana Jnr has a lot of the traits reminiscent of George Foreman: big, powerful, and with boxing ability. He has fought only once in the United States, in June, and only one opponent has seen the second round in his company. Teremoana Jnr is looking like a future title challenger and a main event fighter for years to come.
2. Lenier Pero
Pero is the most interesting new edition to the heavyweight division. He sets his sights on becoming a true contender in 2026, and his trainer Bob Santos has even compared him to Oleksandr Usyk, the world’s best heavyweight.
Pero faces Thompson on Saturday in a match-up that should keep the tires rolling down the road. He will be part of the next era of the heavyweight division once Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder retire.
1. Agit Kabayel
Record: 26-0 (18 KOs)
The workhorse of the division, Kabayel is a bit smaller than most modern heavyweights. At 6ft 3ins, he weaponizes pace and forces heavyweights to fight at a speed they don’t like. Kabayel has a high output and is relentless. Besides that, he has proven himself. He has only fought twice in the past two years, but his wins came against Zhilei Zhang and Frank Sanchez; he stopped both. Kabayel is one of the toughest opponents in the division for anyone.
