Who was the best American Heavyweight Champion 2000-2025?

[MalevolentBite]

I wanted to compile a list of American heavyweight champions post 1999. Who do you feel was the best American champion in this era 2000-2025? I feel like this era was the weakest era for American heavyweights but I still wanted to know if you had to choose one American heavyweight champion in this 25 year span who would you choose?

Puerto Ricans count as Americans so they will be included and any other person born on American territory or military base.

Americans only and only 2000-2025 champions.

this list is only for fighters who actually picked up a heavyweight championship in the years of 2000-2025. So dont suggest a boxer who won in the 90s and never reclaimed a belt after the year 2000 but still continued on fighting.


Here's how I rate them and I explain at the bottom.

1. Chris Byrd - 2 Time Heavyweight Champion. 2000 and 2002 He was ranked by BoxRec in the world's top 10 heavyweight from 1998 to 2004, reaching his highest ranking of No.3 in 2000.(Currently not in the hall of fame).

2. Deontay Wilder - Held the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020. By winning the title, Wilder became the first American world heavyweight champion since 2007, which was the longest period of time in boxing history without an American heavyweight champion.

3. Hasim Rahman - He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified WBC, IBF, IBO and lineal titles in 2001; and the WBC title again from 2005 to 2006. He was ranked as a top 10 heavyweight by BoxRec from 2000 to 2007, and reached his highest ranking of world No.6 in 2000

4. John Ruiz - Held the WBA heavyweight title twice between 2001 and 2005. The first Latino boxer to win a world heavyweight title.


5. Lamon Brewster - He held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title from 2004 to 2006.

6. Roy Jones Jr. - Won the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title in 2003, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years. Undefeated at heavyweight 1-0.

7 Andy Ruiz - Unified world heavyweight champion, WBA, IBF, and WBO, IBO titles in 2019.

8. Evander Holyfield - Held the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001

9. Shannon Briggs - (WBO) heavyweight title from 2006 to 2007.

10. Charles Martin - He held the IBF heavyweight title in 2016. His 85-day reign as champion is the second-shortest in heavyweight boxing history.



Everyone below Roy Jones, lost in their first title defense. Everyone above Roy Jones had a successful title defense, multiple title defenses or became a 2x heavyweight champion within the era of 2000-2025.

Shout out to Chris Byrd !!!!!!
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________

New Rankings base on comments and discussions. 6/28/25

1.Chris Byrd
2. Deontay Wilder
3.Hasim Rahman
4. Andy Ruiz
5. Lamon Brewster
6. John Ruiz
7. Shannon Briggs
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Roy Jones Jr.
10. Charles Martin


Shout out to Chris Byrd !!!!!!

[QueensburyRules]

- - American Hvys were uniformly miserable then and now. Ukraine took over with 30 yrs of domination.

[MalevolentBite]

- - American Hvys were uniformly miserable then and now. Ukraine took over with 30 yrs of domination.

I agree. Making this list was pretty sad to say the less but this puts in perspective how good Chris Byrd and Deontay Wilder were compared to their American counterparts lol.

Since 2000, The uk had more heavyweight champions. Tyson, Haye, AJ, Lewis and Dubois. Ukraine only had 3 heavyweight champions since 2000s. Not counting two / 3 time champions.

If you included or counted the former USSR / soviet union then they had the most because Ukraine would be included. Russia had alot of champions from 2000 to 2025 even without Ukraine.

[MalevolentBite]

Russia had 6 or 7 heavyweight champions during 2000-2025. 9 or 10 for Soviet Union ( with Ukraine).

[DeeMoney]

Thats rough to read, but I can't think of anyone who was missed. Upsetting

[MalevolentBite]

Thats rough to read, but I can't think of anyone who was missed. Upsetting

Do you agree with the Ranking ? I think Chris Byrd has a good case for number #1 best American Heavyweight from 2000-2025.

[The D3vil]

Wilder
Wilder
Wilder.

A lot of revisionist history from Anthony Joshua stans, who claimed he was better than Lennox Lewis have hurt his reputation.

Not a single fighter on that list would've put the prime version of Tyson Fury (that just had 2 life or death fights, while past his prime, with Oleksandr Usyk) on his ass 4x

[DeeMoney]

Do you agree with the Ranking ? I think Chris Byrd has a good case for number #1 best American Heavyweight from 2000-2025.

Depends on what you are ranking by. Byrd's top wins this century are better than Wilder's: Prime Tua, aged Holyfield, and Vitali (even if that win is kinda dubious). Based on that, then yeah he has probably gotta be #1 over the past 25 years.

But I am openly biased in favor of Wilder, as he was basically the only thing keeping the US heavyweight scene alive over the past decade. And if I had to pick one of them to win in their prime head to head, I'd lean towards the Bomber. So it depends on what you are looking at. I imagine you are looking at those top wins, and in that case I got no problem with it.

I think RJJ has to be at the bottom of the list if you are basing on resume though. He just had that one fight (well he didn't make weight at Cruiser when he was old later in his career if you want to count that as heavy). But he just doesnt have a heavyweight resume to be ranked higher than the others- and RJJ was my fav in the 90s

[Willow The Wisp]

Wilder
Wilder
Wilder.

A lot of revisionist history from Anthony Joshua stans, who claimed he was better than Lennox Lewis have hurt his reputation.

Not a single fighter on that list would've put the prime version of Tyson Fury (that just had 2 life or death fights, while past his prime, with Oleksandr Usyk) on his ass 4x

You are right on my friend. Wilder - Joshua, held any time between 2015 and 2022, would look a lot like Foreman-Norton.
This, I know.

A lot of fans dispute that, But they reason with pure emotion. With a little sprinkle of US envy tossed it.

Look at Wilder's reaction when Fury - Wilder II was stopped.

Now look at Joshua's reaction when Ruiz Jr. - Joshua I was stopped.

That's all you need to know.

Not the same level of "Fight" in those two dogs at all.

[MalevolentBite]

Depends on what you are ranking by. Byrd's top wins this century are better than Wilder's: Prime Tua, aged Holyfield, and Vitali (even if that win is kinda dubious). Based on that, then yeah he has probably gotta be #1 over the past 25 years.

But I am openly biased in favor of Wilder, as he was basically the only thing keeping the US heavyweight scene alive over the past decade. And if I had to pick one of them to win in their prime head to head, I'd lean towards the Bomber. So it depends on what you are looking at. I imagine you are looking at those top wins, and in that case I got no problem with it.

I think RJJ has to be at the bottom of the list if you are basing on resume though. He just had that one fight (well he didn't make weight at Cruiser when he was old later in his career if you want to count that as heavy). But he just doesnt have a heavyweight resume to be ranked higher than the others- and RJJ was my fav in the 90s

I got Byrd number base on what you said plus he was a 2x champion. Wilder isn't getting another belt at this point. Number #2 best American Heavyweight champion in the last 25 years is still impressive no matter what.

Roy is number six only because he went up in weight and claimed a belt and went undefeated at heavyweight lol. If you want to put him below Andy Ruiz and Old Holyfield thats fine. I had a hard time placing him so I decided to go off. 2 time heavyweights, title defenses. Everyone below him within that time period didn't really achieve much. I guess Ruiz could be six. .

Thanks for replying back and giving your honest feedback.