The 10-round heavyweight showdown Saturday night between Efe Ajagba and Stephan Shaw seems like a fight of little importance between the two. In actuality, it’s not as insignificant as it may seem.
The winner will join the new era of heavyweight contenders brewing in the shadows. It’s a collection of fighters who are broader in size, skill, punching power and will. They are diverse, come from all over the world, and are all after the same thing: a title opportunity.
Forget about champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for a second. Put aside the next tier of contenders such as Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. Who will emerge as one of the new faces in this developing era of heavyweight boxing?
Let’s dive deep into some next-generational heavyweights who should be on everyone’s radar. That group includes Jared Anderson, Joe Joyce, Frank Sanchez, Filip Hrgovic, Martin Bakole, Fabio Wardley, Zhan Kossobutskiy and Arslanbek Makhmudov. The winner Saturday night will join this list of fighters looking to jump into the next level.
