The best British heavyweights in history

There was a time when the phrase “British heavyweight” was universally accompanied, at least on the western side of the Atlantic, with the adjective “horizontal”: a barbed reference to British boxers’ repeated failures for almost a century to come close to the biggest prize in sports.

Since 1992, however, five Britons have held at least a share of the heavyweight crown (eight if the brief periods in which Michael Bentt, Henry Akinwande and Herbie Hide held the-then generally disregarded WBO belt are included). When Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois meet at Wembley Stadium this Saturday, September 21st, it will be the latest chapter in a period in which British boxers have, alongside those from Ukraine, largely dominated the heavyweight scene.

Unsurprisingly, then, any list of the Top 10 British heavyweights of all time includes multiple representatives of this golden age, alongside others who flew the flag with varying degrees of success in the decades before British heavyweights forced the world to take them seriously. 

With apologies to Akinwande, Bentt and Hide (and to Dubois, Joe Joyce, Brian London, Gary Mason, Dillian Whyte, and others who don’t make the cut), here is one man’s list of the Top 10 heavyweights from the sceptered isle.

10. Don Cockell (66-14-1, 38 KOs)

After losing to Randolph Turpin, conqueror and victim of Sugar Ray Robinson, in a fight for the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles in 1952, Cockell moved up to heavyweight and soon ascended the rankings. Victories over Roland LaStarza and Harry “Kid” Matthews put him in line for a world title shot against Rocky Marciano, which took place in San Francisco on May 16, 1955. Cockell lost via ninth-round knockout; he would fight twice more – both times losing by knockout – before retiring. 

9. Tommy Farr (88-34-19, 25 KOs)

After a slow start to his career, with losses almost as frequent as wins, the “Tonypandy Terror” eventually found his feet; a spell of 17-0-2 between May 1935 and June 1937 included wins over Tommy Loughran and Max Baer and earned him a shot at champion Joe Louis. Prior to facing Farr on August 30 1937, Louis had knocked out eight of nine; subsequently, he would stop seven in a row. Farr, however, went the distance, and although referee Arthur Donovan awarded the champion 13 rounds, the other two judges saw it as a much closer contest.

8. David Haye (28-4, 26 KOs)

While Haye’s heavyweight career couldn’t match his excellence at cruiserweight, and the injury-riddled denouement to his time in the ring was disappointing, Haye’s best performances – including wins over Nicolay Valuev, Derek Chisora, John Ruiz, and Audley Harrison – were notable and frequently electric and earned him a share of the world title.

7. Henry Cooper (40-14-1, 25 KOs)

Cooper’s finest and most famous moment came when he decked and badly hurt a young Cassius Clay, only to lose on cuts. (His paper-thin skin also let him down in a rematch.) He was twice European champion and held the British and Commonwealth titles from 1959 to 1971, losing them controversially by a quarter of a point to Joe Bugner in what would be the final bout of Cooper’s career.

6. Frank Bruno (40-5, 38 KOs)

Along with Cooper and Ricky Hatton, probably the most beloved British boxer in modern history. Fell short in his first two attempts at a world title, falling to Tim Witherspoon and Mike Tyson, before outpointing Oliver McCall to win the WBC belt that McCall had ripped away from Lennox Lewis. Lost the belt in his first defense against a comebacking Tyson and retired.

5. Joe Bugner (69-13-1, 43 KOs)

Bugner’s relatively cautious style, combined with the controversy of his win over the popular Cooper, meant the Hungary-born boxer was never really embraced by the British public. But he was consistently ranked in the Top 10 in the 1970s Golden Era of Heavyweight Boxing, going the distance (twice) with Muhammad Ali and, in an atypically exciting bout, Joe Frazier. Retired and un-retired multiple times before hanging up the gloves for the final tine in 1999, aged 49.

4. Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs, still active)

After a relatively brief amateur career, Joshua took gold at the 2012 London Olympics and immediately became one of the faces of British boxing.  Won the IBF belt in February 2016 and unified it with a thrilling 11th round TKO of Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium in November of that year. A shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2018, although avenged, appeared to knock the confidence out of him, and two losses to Oleksander Usyk cast doubt on his future as a top contender. But, since joining forces with trainer Ben Davison, he looks to have returned to his best form, which he will be aiming to continue against Dubois.

3. Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs, still active)

Like Joshua, Fury is still writing his colorful and controversial story and it is anyone’s guess where on this list he may reside when it is finally complete. Shocked the world with a win over Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 to become lineal heavyweight champion, but did not fight again for two and a half years in the midst of mental health struggles, massive weight gain, and a pair of failed drug tests. Returned in 2018 and, later that year, climbed off the canvas to draw with Deontay Wilder, whom he subsequently defeated by stoppage twice.  Along with Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali, one of only three boxers to twice be recognized as heavyweight champion by The Ring. Lost his crown to Oleksander Usyk earlier this year and will be aiming to retrieve it in December.

2. Bob Fitzsimmons (74-8-3, 30 NDs, 67 KOs)

The lightest man ever to be heavyweight champion, “Ruby Robert” weighed just 167 pounds when he knocked out Jim Corbett in March 1897 to become the man who beat the man who beat the man and claim the nascent heavyweight championship of the world. He lost the crown to James Jeffries two years later and then picked up the light-heavyweight belt to go with the middleweight and heavyweight titles he had already claimed. Regarded as one of the hardest punchers pound-for-pound in history and famed for his patented “solar plexus” punch.

1. Lennox Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs)

Arguably not just Britain’s greatest ever heavyweight but its best fighter, period, Lewis was born in London, moving at age 12 to Canada, for whom he won gold at the 1988 Olympics. Returning to the UK to turn professional, he was retroactively awarded the WBC belt after knocking out Razor Ruddock in October 1992, when title holder Riddick Bowe refused to defend against him. Shockingly lost to McCall in 1994, but regained his belt from his conqueror three years later when McCall suffered an emotional breakdown in the ring. Became undisputed champion with a win over Evander Holyfield in 1999, lost the title to and regained it from Hasim Rahman in 2002, and concluded his career with stoppages of Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko before retiring in February 2004 having beaten every opponent he ever faced.

Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcasted about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.