The heavyweight division in boxing always attracts a lot of attention, but 2022 might be an extra special year for the division, with some blockbuster fights made between the best fighters at the weight.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk currently share the four major belts in the division, but there is a big queue of men who are looking for an opportunity to snatch one of those titles for their own.
The first of the big heavyweight fights this year is confirmed for April. Fury will defend his WBC belt against interim champion Dillian Whyte. Fury is the odds-on favorite at -700 in the betting online to win this all-British showdown.
Whyte is having his first shot at a full world title. He comes off one of the best results of his career, after beating Alexander Povetkin in a fourth-round stoppage. The 33-year-old picked up the interim title with the WBC with that win.
The Body Snatcher caused Anthony Joshua problems in 2015 before being stopped by his rival in the seventh round of that fight. He will feel he is a much better boxer now than the one who stepped into that ring at the O2 Arena seven years ago.
Fury Has Aspirations of Being Undisputed Heavyweight Champion
For Fury, victory over Whyte will keep his hopes alive of unifying the heavyweight division in 2022. No boxer has held the major four heavyweight titles at the same time since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
A showdown with Anthony Joshua now looks to have been placed on hold as he lost his three belts to Usyk last year, going down on points to the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. Fury is likely to turn his attention to the WBA, IBF, and WBO champion if he defeats his fellow British compatriot next.
Other possible challengers to Fury in 2022 include former WBO champion Joseph Parker, Frank Sanchez, and Andy Ruiz Jr, the man who inflicted the first defeat on Joshua’s career in 2019.
Joshua Could Be Set to Face Wilder or Joyce
Joshua is unlikely to have an easy return to the ring on his comeback trail. He is being linked to a fight with Deontay Wilder and Joe Joyce. Both of those men would give him a stern test.
Wilder has not boxed since losing to Fury for a second time last October. The former WBC champion remains highly ranked in all the heavyweight rankings. Given what he has achieved in the ring so far, a clash with the Bronze Bomber would generate a lot of interest on both sides of the Atlantic.
In Joyce, Joshua would have an opponent who is on the rise in his career. The Commonwealth champion has a 13-0 record since he turned pro. His most notable success so far came against Daniel Dubois when he stopped the British boxer in the tenth round. He followed that up with another good win over Carlos Takam.
With so many great fights for boxing fans to look forward to in 2022, it looks set to be a great year in the sport.
