The five best heavyweights on the planet – in order

The heavyweight division is still coming into focus. Here are my five best in the division, in order.

  1. ANTHONY JOSHUA
Anthony Joshua had reason to be pleased with himself after embarrassing Andy Ruiz Jr. in their rematch.  Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

I still think Joshua is vulnerable after what happened in his first fight with Ruiz, when he was knocked down four times and stopped in the seventh round. And I wish he would’ve taken a Lennox Lewis approach to rematches, which is to do to your conqueror what your conqueror did to you. I have to hand it to him, though. He and trainer Rob McCracken devised an excellent game plan, he executed it well and he walked away with both the clout that goes with being heavyweight champ and three major belts. In the process, he proved to those who wondered whether he could overcome the psychological damage of the first Ruiz fight – if there was any – that he is also mentally tough. Question, though: Is this the new Joshua? A safety-first boxer? Or did he employ that strategy simply to beat Ruiz and regain his position of dominance? I’m not sure that version of Joshua could beat either Wilder or Fury.