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Dillian Whyte Names Andy Ruiz Jr As World's Best Heavyweight

Dillian Whyte Names Andy Ruiz Jr As World's Best Heavyweight

Whyte fights Oscar Rivas for the WBC's interim title on July 20th and could book himself a meeting with Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Dillian Whyte doesn't think that Tyson Fury is above himself or Anthony Joshua in his own ranking of the boxing's heavyweight division, despite Joshua's recent loss.

Boxing's heavyweight division is an intriguing place following Anthony Joshua's loss to Andy Ruiz Jr, with the Mexican replacing the Brit in the 'big three,' with Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.

Dillian Whyte sits in the contenders just below them an feels Ruiz is number one right now. Whyte, talking to talkSPORT, ranked the the division:

1. Andy Ruiz Jr - 33-1, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO champion

Ruiz knocks down AJ. Image: PA Images
Ruiz knocks down AJ. Image: PA Images

2. Deontay Wilder - 41-0-1, WBC champion

3. Anthony Joshua - 22-1

4. Dillian Whyte - 25-1

Whyte and Dereck Chisora square up. Image: PA Images
Whyte and Dereck Chisora square up. Image: PA Images

5. Tyson Fury - 28-0-1, Lineal champion

6. Joseph Parker - 25-2

7. Luis Ortiz - 31-1

8. Oscar Rivas - 26-0

Rivas is Whyte's next opponent. Image: PA Images
Rivas is Whyte's next opponent. Image: PA Images

9. Alexander Povetkin - 34-2

10. Adam Kownacki - 19-0

On the radio show the 31-year-old explained his choice of Ruiz being number one, saying, "Andy Ruiz is number one. The reason I say he's number one is he's beaten Joshua and Joshua had four belts. He didn't just beat him, he knocked him out so he went from being not even in the rankings to number one, this is boxing. But saying that, he lost to Joseph Parker and I beat Parker. Strange isn't it?"

The Ring recently made Fury their number one, before he'd fought Tom Schwarz in his last fight, but Whyte put him fifth and explained, "Fury's gonna be number five. Don't get me wrong, Tyson Fury's a great fighter, won world titles, but it's a funny one because how do you go from Deontay Wilder to fighting Tom Schwarz? How do people justify him being number one heavyweight in the world?"

The Jamaican born heavyweight only has the one loss to AJ on his record and next faces Oscar Rivas later this month at the O2 Arena with the WBC interim title on the line.

Whoever wins is unlikely to see their shot at the main champion for sometime. Wilder is set to face Luis Ortiz later this year and should he win, and Fury win his next fight, the two men will have their rematch at the beginning of 2020.

Whyte should have already had his chance as he was due to face Dominic Breazeale to become mandatory challenger before the American was given the fight with Wilder.

Will Whyte become world champion?

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Heavyweight boxing, Tyson Fury, Boxing News, Andy Ruiz Jr, Dillian Whyte, Deontay Wilder

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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