WHO IS THE finest boxer on the planet? The query will not be simple to reply, not least as a result of there are 17 totally different weight courses. For his or her sheer measurement and brute energy, although, heavyweights, who tip the scales at something above 91kg (201lb), are typically essentially the most acclaimed. But even figuring out the most effective of the large males is troublesome. Boxing is a splintered sport through which an alphabet soup of governing our bodies—the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF—award titles. Nobody since Lennox Lewis in 1999 has held all 4 within the heavyweight division.

That can change on Could 18th when Tyson Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Mr Fury, a 2.06m (six-foot eight-inch) Briton, holds the WBC title and is the favorite, partially resulting from his top benefit. Mr Usyk, a Ukrainian who holds the remaining three belts, stands at a mere 1.91m. It isn’t simply the prospect of anointing an undisputed champion that makes the bout tantalising. The pair are excellent pugilists, who dominate the burden division. Each have but to lose. Mr Fury’s report is 34 wins, 24 by knockouts; Mr Usyk has 21 wins, with 14 knockouts. Many followers lament that the competition is occurring when their powers are fading. Mr Fury is 35, Mr Usyk 37. Each have been on the high for years—however they’ve by no means fought one another. That displays a lot that’s flawed with boxing.