Before late last year, when Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko to pull off what is widely regarded to be one of the biggest boxing upsets in recent memory, it was considered that the heavyweight division had lost its previous glamour.
Up until Fury's stunning victory in Dusseldorf, Wladimir had held at least one version of the world title for over a decade, while brother Vitali had possession of the WBC belt between 2004 and 2012 before he switched his attention to politics. However, with Deontay Wilder now holding the WBC title for over a year and Charles Martin claiming the vacant IBF crown on Saturday night, there has never been a more exciting time for heavyweight boxing.
With the division opening up, a number of permutations have emerged in each of the four governing bodies as many of the top contenders look for a route towards being recognised as a world champion.
Below, Sports Mole takes a look at the current situation in each organisation, and what it may mean for the likes of leading British heavyweights Fury, Anthony Joshua and David Haye.
WBA
On Tuesday, the WBA announced that a seven-man tournament would be held in order to crown one world champion. As it stands, Fury is recognised as the "super" champion, Ruslan Chagaev is seen as the "regular" title holder, while Luis Ortiz holds the interim belt.
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On the left-hand side of the bracket, the winner of Fury and Klitschko will face the victor of the match between Ortiz and Alexander Ustinov, a bout which has been ordered for June. In theory, that would mean that a clash, which would effectively be considered a semi-final, between the two winners would take place towards the end of 2016, but with Fury or Klitschko likely to favour a unification showdown with another world champion, it remains to be seen when that would take place.
On the right-hand side, Chagaev will defend his belt against Lucas Browne in March, with the winner already scheduled to meet Fres Oquendo, who is legally entitled to a WBA "regular" title contest at the first opportunity.
The decision by the WBA to have just one world champion has been generally praised, but the logistics with the fights involved in the bracket, especially on the left-hand side of the draw, could result in the tournament taking as long as 18 months should Fury or Klitschko opt to try to unify the division.
WBC
Last year, Wilder was mandated to face Russian Alexander Povetkin, but the knockout specialist was allowed to meet Artur Szpilka in New York on Saturday night, a fight which he won via a devastating right hand in the ninth round.
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With Szpilka out of the way, negotiations can now proceed between the representatives of Wilder and Povetkin, with that fight expected to take place late spring or early summer. Wilder also has the option of a unification clash with Martin, who featured on the same card at the Brooklyn Center last weekend, but with Povetkin having waited for Wilder to fight Szpilka, the WBC will be keen for their current champion to face the mandatory challenger.
Saturday night also witnessed an in-ring confrontation between Wilder and Fury, with the indication that a highly-anticipated unification fight will take place in the autumn should they overcome their next opponents.
IBF
Before Saturday night, Charles Martin was relatively unknown at the top end of the heavyweight division having not fought anyone of note, and his opportunity to fight for the IBF title had been secured after Fury was stripped of the belt for failing to complete mandatory obligations with Vyacheslav Glazkov.
A few days later, however, after benefiting from Glazkov having to withdraw during the third round with a serious knee injury, Martin has arguably become the most wanted man in heavyweight boxing. With the announcement of the WBA tournament and Wilder only having Povetkin and the winner of Fury and Klitschko in his sights, every other main contender will be looking to Martin, who has no mandatory obligations, for an opportunity in the summer.
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Based on their ratings, which were last updated on January 4, the top-four positions are currently vacant. Glazkov is sidelined for the foreseeable future, the second spot has no occupant, third-placed Martin is now champion and Erkan Teper faces a prolonged period out of the sport because of a drugs ban.
The main beneficiaries of the latest developments look like being Joshua, Carlos Takam, Joseph Parker and Steve Cunningham, but other names such as Haye and Robert Helenius, who has vacated the European title, could target this route.
WBO
As far as the WBO belt is concerned, it appears to be tied up with Fury and Klitschko. If Fury beats Klitschko for a second time, it seems unlikely that his next fight will be based on the WBO rankings. If Klitschko prevails, it is not impossible that he will face the next available contender in the governing body, but he is also likely to favour a unification clash.
The WBO ratings have not been updated since December, but with current number one Martin now holding the IBF belt, Joshua, who is number two, looks in line to be granted mandatory status, or potentially see his European title clash with Dereck Chisora combine as a final eliminator.
British contenders
The developments of the past few days have left Joshua in an extremely strong position. As already stated, Joshua is well-placed with the IBF and appears in pole position to, in a worst-case scenario, be granted a final eliminator for the WBO title. The 2012 Olympic gold medallist also sits in second place in the WBC rankings, behind mandatory challenger Povetkin, but it is unlikely that another mandatory will be called until late in 2016.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has also attempted to cool expectations of a mammoth showdown with David Haye, a move which makes a lot of sense given his fighter's current position as far as a future world title chance is concerned. Haye's demolition of Mark de Mori on Saturday night has secured him ninth position with the WBA, but he has little to no hope to competing for the title that he held between 2009 and 2011 within the next 18 months.
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Haye has suggested that he will look for the quickest route towards a world title so the WBA seems a non-starter, despite that being the only governing body to have Haye in their rankings at this time. Fury's possession of the WBO belt would seem to rule out that option too, so on paper, Haye should look at potential opportunities with the IBF or WBC.
If Chisora can claim the European title - either against Joshua or another opponent - he will move up the world rankings, but unless he can regain that belt, he looks some distance away from a second crack at a world title.
Darren Plant
