Veteran heavyweight questions sanctioning lists, says only proven draws drive division numbers and big fights
Derek Chisora has dismissed current heavyweight rankings, saying they do not reflect who actually runs the division. The veteran named Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as the fighters who bring the numbers and define the top level.
His dismissal of the current ranking systems highlights a growing divide between the sport’s governing bodies and its commercial reality.
“I looked at the rankings of Oleksandr Usyk, Fabio Wardley, and then it was a bunch of dudes I never heard before,” Chisora said to Fight Hub TV “I was not even in there. Even Anthony was not in there. It’s quite sad.”
Chisora’s logic is simple: if you aren’t selling tickets or generating pay-per-view buys, do your rankings even matter? To him, the heavyweight division is anchored by a few “bankable” names who have proven their worth at the gate.
That frustration wasn’t about his own position as much as it was about what the rankings represent. Chisora rejects the idea that sanctioning bodies can define who the best heavyweights are, pointing instead to a small group of established names.
“I ain’t going to need credit from them,” he said. “Get credit from the fans. Only credit from somebody who’s got a paper to just decide who’s a better fighter? No. We know who does better, me, Anthony, Tyson Fury, you understand? Oleksandr Usyk. That’s it.”
The point makes sense because it reflects how the division actually operates. Big fights are still built around familiar names, while many ranked contenders struggle to generate attention outside hardcore circles.
“We do better numbers-wise, gate-wise,” Chisora said. “So we’re good.”
If the sport shifts entirely toward popularity, it risks becoming “prizefighting” without the “sport.” When only a handful of fighters are “bankable,” promoters become terrified of them losing. This leads to the “soft touch” matches, popular stars fighting overmatched opponents to protect their market value.
This hurts the sport because it stalls the development of new stars. Fans eventually grow tired of paying PPV prices for predictable outcomes.
If the rankings don’t matter, then a talented but “boring” or “unpopular” fighter from an emerging market like Agit Kabayel might never get the chance to prove they are the best. Without a clear path to the top based on wins, boxing loses its integrity as a sport.