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Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
ESPN’s annual ranking of the top 100 men’s fighters in the world is here and there is plenty of British interest.
It has been a fascinating year as Daniel Dubois became a first time champion, while Tyson Fury suffered a setback with his loss to Oleksandr Usyk. Fury will get his chance for revenge of course, as he looks to even the score with Usyk and reclaim the sport’s top prize in a rematch for the unified heavyweight championship.
Here, we pull out the British fighters from the list and look at where they stand.
(Editor’s note: To be eligible, boxers had to fight at least once in 2024 or in rare instances, have a fight scheduled for 2025).
10. Tyson Fury, 36, heavyweight
Record: 34-1-1, 24 KOs
Last fight: May 18 – L, SD12 vs. Oleksandr Usyk
Next fight: Dec. 21 vs. Usyk
Previous ranking: No. 10
Fury finds himself in uncharted territory heading into Saturday’s fight with Usyk. After all, he’s never lost before. That loss to Usyk was ultra competitive. Fury was ahead on the scorecards after eight rounds, and it was the pivotal ninth that lost him the fight.
That’s when Usyk hit Fury with a bundle of unanswered punches for the knockdown after the ropes held Fury up. It appeared for a moment that Usyk might stop Fury. “The Gypsy King” showboated plenty in the fight and told ESPN last week he is taking this rematch far more seriously. If Fury can exact revenge, he’ll enhance his legacy, which already stands as one of the best heavyweights ever.
23. Jack Catterall, 31, junior welterweight
Record: 30-1, 13 KOs
Last fight: Oct. 26 – W, UD12 vs. Regis Prograis
Next fight: Feb. 15 vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.
Previous ranking: No. 30
Catterall enjoyed his best campaign yet in 2024. Most importantly, he exacted revenge against Josh Taylor in May following his controversial loss for the undisputed championship in 2022. Catterall followed up with another big victory, a decision win over Prograis in October. He’s lined up for a reported Feb. 15 fight with Barboza in a WBO title eliminator.
26. Daniel Dubois, 27, IBF heavyweight champion
Record: 22-2, 21 KOs
Last fight: Sept. 21 – W, KO5 vs. Anthony Joshua
Next fight: Feb. 22 vs. Joseph Parker
Previous ranking: N/R
Since Dubois was KOed by Oleksandr Usyk in his first heavyweight title challenge, he has appeared to be a different fighter. Perhaps it was the experience of sharing the ring with an elite boxer. Whatever it was, Dubois went on to defeat Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller and Filip Hrgovic before he earned the life-changing victory in September, a fifth-round KO of Joshua at Wembley Stadium to win the IBF heavyweight title. His first defense will be a tough task as he takes on former champion Parker on Feb. 22.
43. Nick Ball, 27, WBA featherweight champion
Record: 21-0-1, 12 KOs
Last fight: Oct. 5 – W, TKO10 vs. Ronny Rios
Next fight: March 15 vs. TJ Doheny
Previous ranking: N/R
The Englishman is just 5-foot-2 and uses his diminutive size to pressure opponents and rough them up on the inside. Rey Vargas enjoyed a 5.5-inch height advantage and was dropped twice in a bout Ball appeared to win. The draw denied Ball his first world title, but he came through in his next fight with a split-decision victory over Ray Ford to win the WBA belt.
46. Hamzah Sheeraz, 25, middleweight
Record: 21-0, 17 KOs
Last fight: Sept. 21 – W, TKO2 vs. Tyler Denny
Next fight: Feb. 22 vs. Carlo Adames
Previous ranking: N/R
Sheeraz has scored 15 consecutive wins inside the distance and stepped up his competition this year with a 11th-round TKO of Austin “Ammo” Williams. Sheeraz will challenge for his first world title in his next bout, a February meeting with Adames.
58. Anthony Joshua, 35, heavyweight
Record: 28-4, 25 KOs
Last fight: Sept. 21 – L, KO5 vs. Daniel Dubois
Next fight: TBA
Previous ranking: No. 28
Daniel Dubois, right, knocked down Anthony Joshua four times during his fifth-round KO victory to defend the IBF heavyweight world title. Joshua remains one of boxing’s top stars, but following another upset TKO defeat, it’s doubtful he can regain his footing as one of the sport’s elite fighters. The latest such loss came to Dubois in September before nearly 100,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua’s punch resistance has been a concern since his stunning defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, but he showed in two competitive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk that he has the boxing skills to hang with anyone. A bout with Deontay Wilder has lost its appeal but a showdown with Tyson Fury is still a blockbuster in the U.K., especially if Fury loses to Usyk again.
62. Galal Yafai, 32, WBC interim flyweight champion
Record: 9-0, 7 KOs
Last fight: Nov. 30 – W, TKO6 vs. Sunny Edwards
Next fight: TBA
Previous ranking: N/R
The younger brother of former champion Kalal Yafai, Galal announced his arrival earlier this month with a sixth-round TKO of former No. 1 flyweight Edwards. The 112-pounder has just nine pro fights under his belt, but at 32, the Olympic gold medalist is ready to challenge for a world title.
71. Chris Billam-Smith, 34, cruiserweight
Record: 20-2, 13 KOs
Last fight: Nov. 16 – L, UD12 vs. Gilberto Ramirez
Next fight: TBA
Previous ranking: No. 62
England’s Billam-Smith looked competitive against “Zurdo” Ramirez, but was ultimately outgunned in a title unification. Still, Billam-Smith more than held his own and should land another title crack in the near future.
72. Joshua Buatsi, 31, WBO interim light heavyweight champion
Record: 19-0, 13 KOs
Last fight: Sept. 21 – W, SD12 vs. Willie Hutchinson
Next fight: Feb. 22 vs. Callum Smith
Previous ranking: No. 82
Joshua Buatsi, right, went 2-0 in 2024, including a decision win over Willy Hutchinson in September to win the WBO Interim light heavyweight title. Buatsi enjoyed his best campaign yet in 2024 with quality wins over Dan Azeez and Willy Hutchinson. He steps up to his toughest opponent yet with a Feb. 22 date with former champion Callum Smith.
82. Chris Eubank Jr., 35, middleweight
Record: 34-3, 25 KOs
Last fight: Oct. 12 – W, TKO7 vs. Kamil Szeremeta
Next fight: TBA
Previous ranking: No. 79
The son of British legend Chris Eubank, he’s in talks to once again fight Conor Benn in a high-stakes U.K. grudge match.
85. Conor Benn, 28, welterweight
Record: 23-0, 14 KOs
Last fight: Feb. 3 – W, UD12 vs. Peter Dobson
Next fight: TBA
Previous ranking: No. 69
Benn was finally reinstated from suspension for a failed drug test this fall and should get his career back on track in 2025, whether it’s against Chris Eubank Jr. at 160 pounds or with a 147-pound title shot.
87. Josh Taylor, 33, junior welterweight
Record: 19-2, 13 KOs
Last fight: May 25 – L, UD12 vs. Jack Catterall
Next fight: TBA
Previous ranking: No. 34
The former undisputed junior welterweight champion hasn’t won a fight since his controversial decision victory over Catterall in February 2022. Taylor lost the rematch in May but was competitive.
88. Callum Smith, 34, light heavyweight
Record: 30-2, 22 KOs
Last fight: Nov. 30 – W, TKO5 vs. Carlos Galvan
Next fight: Feb. 22 vs. Joshua Buatsi
Previous ranking: No. 49
Smith attempted to become a two-division champion in January but was bludgeoned by Artur Beterbiev inside the distance. The Englishman has a chance to revive his career with a win over Buatsi on Feb. 22.
90. Anthony Yarde, 33, light heavyweight
Record: 26-3, 24 KOs
Last fight: Oct. 19 – W, UD10 vs. Ralf Vilcans
Next fight: TBA
Previous ranking: N/R
Yarde gave Artur Beterbiev all he could handle in a stoppage loss last year. The Brit collected two stay-busy wins in 2024.
