Dereck Chisora & the Top 14 Heavyweights in the World Under the Age of 30

Looking for a top heavyweight under the age of 30? There a few good ones to speak of.

Looking for an American in that bunch? Well that is a little more difficult.

As we all know, The Brothers Klitschko are the dual kings of the Heavyweight division, they will never to do their best Mike and Jerry Quarry impersonations and battle it out in a pay-per-view sibling rivalry.

So, if they are to be separated from their thrones, it will have to be done separately by one or two men.

Boxing as a sport suffers when the Heavyweight division is not credible or compelling. Such is the state of the division currently.

With Wladimir Klitschko recently dismantling David Haye, the next fight for die-hards and casuals alike is not even in the foreseeable future. The next time we do hear of a fight in the division that grabs our attention, I'm pretty positive one of these 10 men will be involved.

There may not be a fighter with the presence of Mike Tyson or the talent of Riddick Bowe, but at least they're young.

14. Sam Sexton

Sam Sexton - United Kingdom

Age: 26

Height: 6'2"

Reach: 71"

13-2 6 KO

A good boxer with a good jab. His only two losses are to Dereck Chisora, both by TKO. He has shown a stamina issue and has not appeared fit in either of the Chisora fights or the other fights I've watched.

If Sexton could come in to a bout at 230 or 235 lbs, you might see him reach his potential, as he is talented. While it may not be enough to make him a top-10 heavyweight it should help with tiring in the middle rounds.

13. "Diamond Boy" Manuel Charr

"Diamond Boy" Manuel Charr - Syria

Age: 26

Height: 6'3"

Reach: N/A

18-0 10 KO

Charr is a plodding heavy handed undefeated heavyweight.  He has good but not great punching power. To date, his most notable win is over journeyman gatekeeper Danny Williams.

Charr seems a bit fleshy in every bout I've seen of him, but he does have very good defense.  It doesn't manifest itself in the form of head movement. It's his massive arms that supply cover during attacks.

That said, I can easily see him being target practice for the Klitschko brothers with a lack of movement and hand speed.

12. Denis Boytsov

Denis Boytsov - Russia

Age 25

Height: 6'1"

Reach: N/A

28-0 23 KO

Boytsov has compiled an impressive record and some impressive KOs. The only problem is that he has yet to face a top-20 opponent. He is also only about 6'1", so his height presents an obstacle for him paired against this era of large heavyweights.

Boytsov does not fight low or squatted, he stands very tall, which doesn't allow him to use his opponents height against them.

Though he does have some tools, it's hard to place him in the highest regard with such hand picked opposition on his resume.

11. Edmund Gerber

Edmund Gerber - Germany

Age: 22

Height: 6'3"

Reach: N/A

16-0 10 KO

Gerber is one of the most talented young heavyweights in the world in my opinion.  He has already fought and won three times this year.  He has shown good one punch KO power, he is pretty athletic and better conditioned than many other young heavyweight contenders.

One issue I see with Gerber is that he tends to frame and telegraph that big right hand.  It is his biggest weapon, and he may not be able to get away with this tendency against better competition.

He definitely needs to step up his level of opponent, but he is only 22 years old and has had only 16 fights. In a year or two, a test against Tony Thompson or Eddie Chambers would be a great barometer for him.

10. Francesco Pianeta

Francesco Pianeta - Italy

Age: 26

Height: 6'5"

Reach: N/A

23-0 14 KO

This big young Italian heavyweight is gaining experience. He is a southpaw and is more of a pure boxer than puncher. He shows a good jab with decent athleticism.

His lack of power may make it difficult to sustain success against top competition in the heavyweight division, but he is a true heavyweight in size and in ring presence.

At 26, with the right trainer he could become a better puncher and a top-10 contender.

9. Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell

Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell - USA

Age: 29

Height: 6'2"

Reach: N/A

22-0 16 KO

Former Michigan St Linebacker Seth Mitchell has put together a strong early career run of KOs. Most recently he dispatched of a disinterested Evans Quinn in the first round.

Mitchell is a great athlete in the scope of the sport, he shows good hand speed and a surprising jab. Generally, the transition from football to boxing is not a smooth one, but so far Mitchell has looked good.

Some may think this is high for Mitchell, but he has a few traits that if cultivated can make him a formidable player in the division.

It will be interesting to see how he handles the next upgrade in competition. He has a bout scheduled for Aug. 27th, though his opponent has not yet been announced.

8. David Price

David Price - UK

Age: 28

Height: 6'8"

Reach: N/A

11-0 9 KO

David Price is another interesting prospect. At 6'8", he has the size to match up with either Klitschko brother. He has shown explosive power in his short career, with 9 KOs in 11 fights.

He moves extremely well and has fought in tremendous shape in his fights. His straight right has an impressive snap as does his jab.

He is a former amateur star who overcame a hand injury and is now making a steady rise up the heavyweight ranks. Price is truly one to watch.

7. Mike "The Rebel" Perez

Mike "The Rebel" Perez - Cuba

Age: 25

Height: 6'0"

16-0 12 KO

A KO sensation and Prizefighter elimination tournament winner.  Mike Perez has drawn comparisons to Mike Tyson due to height, build and punching power.

Though these comparisons are a bit premature, Perez has an intimidation factor with his presence and the power to back it up.

What is most intriguing is that he is a south paw, and he uses his height as an advantage, staying low and exploding up into his punches.

He seems to have the right mental makeup, and this could be one of the division's next stars.

6. Alexander "Sascha" Dimitrenko

Alexander "Sascha" Dimtrenko - Germany

Age: 29

Height: 6'7"

31-1 21 KO

Vaulting himself back into heavyweight relevance after being taught a boxing lesson by Eddie Chambers. Dimitrenko scored what may be the KO of the year over Albert Sosnowski.

Don't get get too overly excited about this spectacular punch and KO. There are still holes in his defense and overall mental makeup. He is still very young and has the physical tools to contend.

5. Johnathon Banks

Johnathon Banks - USA

Age: 29

Height: 6'3"

26-1 17 KO

Banks is an exciting heavyweight whose only loss was to Tomasz Adamek at the cruiser-weight level. He seemed to tire in this bout and stamina has been an issue in other fights.

He has some impressive KOs on his record, and he is trained by Emanuel Steward. It seems that most of Steward's attention is tied up with Wladimir Klitschko.

If he devoted a little more time into developing Banks tools and conditioning, Banks has the makeup of a fighter capable of success in this era of heavyweights.

4. Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury - Ireland

Age: 23

Height: 6'9"

14-0 10 KO

Tyson Fury is a intriguing prospect because of his size. He is 6'9" and uses his height very well. He has a sharp jab, but his movement and overall athleticism may be an issue.

He has an important fight coming up on July 23rd that will go along way in telling how serious a contender Fury really is, when he faces Dereck Chisora.

He is one of the few young heavyweights who have the height and reach to potentially nullify the huge advantage the Klitschko's usually have in size.

3. "Fast" Eddie Chambers

"Fast" Eddie Chambers - USA

Age: 29

Height: 6'1"

36-2 18 KO

Possibly the most skilled of all of the heavyweights in the world, but the size differential was too much for him in his bout with Wladimir Klitschko.

The same would likely be the case against Vitali. He has the boxing ability to outclass just about every heavyweight in the division, except for the two at the top.

His future may be at Cruiserweight.

2. Dereck "Del Boy" Chisora

Dereck "Del Boy" Chisora - UK

Age: 27

Height: 6'2"

14-0 9 KO

The best bet for a polarizing personality, Chisora is controversial and talented. He is the most talented of all the young heavyweights. He has good power, with fast hands and great head movement.

His endurance level doesn't seem to be a major, yet he lacks an abundance of professional experience. He has two fights cancelled with Wladimir Klitschko. One due to injury, the other to make room for David Haye.

Assuming he wins his upcoming fight with Tyson Fury, I think he is an interesting opponent for both Klitschkos.

1. "The Nordic Nightmare" Robert Helenius

"The Nordic Nightmare" Robert Helenius

Age: 27

Height: 6'7"

15-0 10 KO

Tremendous power, good size and reach, but he stands very still with little to no lateral movement. It will be interesting to see him fight against an opponent with good offensive skills and power, like Wladimir Klitschko.

He showed off his power, flattening the granite chinned Samuel Peter with one shot.

I expect Helenius vs Wladimir Klitschko to be the next big heavyweight bout after Vitali Klitschko battles Tomasz Adamek.