Usyk Retains No. 1 Spot as Joshua Drops Out of Heavyweight Top 10

Nigeria’s heavyweight boxing contender, Efe Ajagba, has maintained his 10th-place ranking in the latest Ring Magazine world heavyweight ratings, while former unified world champion Anthony Joshua has dropped out of the top 10.

Current world champion Oleksandr Usyk continues to hold the No. 1 position, with Tyson Fury ranked second. Joshua’s fall from the elite list follows his defeat to Daniel Dubois earlier this year, a loss that marked the latest setback in his bid to reclaim the heavyweight crown. Since then, rising stars such as Moses Itauma and Fabio Wardley have surged up the rankings, replacing older names in the division.

The major shake-up in the rankings comes after a thrilling bout between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley at London’s O2 Arena last week. Wardley stopped Parker in the 11th round of a dramatic contest, earning one of the most impressive wins of his career.

The victory propelled Wardley four places up to the No. 2 spot, positioning him as a leading contender for a title shot against Usyk in 2026. Parker, meanwhile, slipped to No. 4, while Agit Kabayel of Germany climbed to third.

The rest of the top 10 features Daniel Dubois in fifth, followed by Filip Hrgovic (Croatia), Zhilei Zhang (China), Martin Bakole (Congo), Moses Itauma, and Efe Ajagba rounding out the list at ninth and tenth respectively.

Ajagba, widely regarded as one of Africa’s brightest heavyweight prospects, continues to build momentum in his pursuit of a world title opportunity.