Who Have Been Britain’s Best Boxing Champions Since 2000?
The state of British boxing is very healthy at the moment. This year some of the biggest fights in the sport will involve British boxers, with the biggest of them all likely to be the clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
We’ve taken a look at all the British champions since 2000 and come up with a list of who have been the best champions in that period using criteria that includes success in big fights, length of title reign and their global appeal.
Lennox Lewis
Three-time world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was at the top of the sport in the 90s and early 00s. He finished his career with an outstanding professional record of 41-2-1.
Lewis is the last undisputed heavyweight world champion. Fury and Joshua have the opportunity to replicate what their British compatriot did when they meet in the ring later this year. All the leading sportsbooks listed and reviewed at asiabet.org make Fury the favourite in the betting for that bout. As stated on the page, many of these sportsbooks also offer the fight outcome as one of the available markets and some even offer live betting so that punters can take advantage of round-by-round changes. The most likely method of victory, according to the odds, is Fury on points.
The highlight of Lewis’ illustrious career was his victory over Iron Mike Tyson in 2002. It was one of the biggest events in boxing history. Lewis dominated the fight and knocked out ‘the baddest man on the planet’ in the eighth round. This was a statement bout for Lewis as he proved he was one of the best of his generation.
Lewis is not just one of the best British boxers of all-time, he is right up there with the leading heavyweights in history. Both Fury and Joshua will be hoping they can build a similar legacy over the next few years.
Joe Calzaghe
The Pride of Wales is the longest-reigning super-middleweight world champion in history. He finished his career with a perfect record of 46-0.
Calzaghe did not dodge anybody around his weight through his career. He had wins over Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. The latter of those two came in the light-heavyweight division.
The Welshman was such a stylish boxer to watch and he was even named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2007. He was also a huge fan favourite, with his supporters travelling all over the world to support him and he never let them down.
One of the fights that stands out the most in his career was the one over Lacy. The American travelled across to the UK with a huge reputation. He was being deemed the next Mike Tyson in boxing. Calzaghe schooled him over 12 rounds in such a dominant performance.
Ricky Hatton
There have been some fantastic events involving Ricky Hatton through the British boxer’s career. The man from Manchester held world titles at welterweight and light-welterweight.
Hatton made a name for himself when he defeated Australian Kostya Tszyu. He claimed the IBF light-welterweight belt following that success, but he also proved he was capable at the highest level.
Victories followed over Luis Collazo and Jose Luis Castillo. The latter courtesy of a fourth round stoppage. That was an example of how exciting Hatton was to watch. He had a great deal of power in his punches for his weight and he was not scared of getting into a war in the ring.
Hatton earned the opportunity to face the sport’s pound-for-pound number one, Floyd Mayweather Jr, in 2007. He gave the American a good fight but sadly was stopped in the 10th round. That loss did no damage to his reputation as he had a glittering career in the ring. It has also inspired many British boxers to following in his footsteps as Joshua claimed to Britishboxingnews.co.uk.
Naseem Hamed
Prince Naseem Hamed must have been a promoter’s dream in the 90s and 00s. Not only was he exceptionally good in the ring, he knew how to sell himself. Hamed had that swagger about him that came across in his pre-fight interviews and when he was on the way to the ring.
Naz was introduced to be the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015. He was a huge global star throughout his professional career, which stretched from 1992 to 2002. The majority of his success came in the featherweight division.
Hamed’s sole defeat came against the Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in what was an unforgettable fight in Vegas. He was more than just a showman, as his record suggests. He has to go down as one of Britain’s best since the turn of the millennium.
Who knows what the next 10 years will bring in the sport. Hopefully, the above list will be updated with some new British superstars.