The Best of the Big Men: Recalling Britain's 8 Heavyweight World Champions
Heavyweight boxing is big in Britain right now—and not just because of the fighters' size.
Tyson Fury is the reigning WBA and WBO world champion, having sensationally beaten Wladimir Klitschko.
David Haye's return to action has also increased interest in the division, while Anthony Joshua has become a huge hit with fans since turning pro after his gold-medal success at the 2012 Olympics.
While both Fury and Haye—a former WBA champion himself—have won major belts, Joshua is preparing for his opportunity to join a select band of British heavyweights who have won a world title.
The Londoner takes on IBF holder Charles Martin on April 9 in just his 16th professional bout.
Ahead of the showdown, Bleacher Report has looked back at the eight previous British heavyweights who ruled the world (or at least one governing body's version of it).
Bob Fitzsimmons
1 of 8
Record: 63-8-4 (59 KOs)
Bob Fitzsimmons is one of only two British fighters to win world titles at three different weights (the other being Duke McKenzie, in case you didn't know).
Born in Cornwall, England, Ruby Robert emigrated to New Zealand with his family at the age of nine and began his boxing career in Australia.
Having already reigned at middleweight, he officially became heavyweight world champion in 1897, knocking out James J. Corbett with a body punch in Round 14.
Fitzsimmons' reign came to an end against James J. Jeffries in 1899, as he was stopped by the heavier man.
A rematch in 1902 produced the same outcome, although Jeffries said of his rival, according to Matt Christie of Boxing News: "You’re the most dangerous man alive.”
Fitzsimmons would drop down to light heavyweight, beating George Gardner on points to become a world champion again.
He retired in 1914 and died three years later at the age of 54.
Lennox Lewis
2 of 8
Professional record: 41-2-1 (32 KOs)
Born in London, Lennox Lewis won a gold medal boxing for Canada at the 1988 Olympic Games—he defeated future world champion Riddick Bowe in the final.
However, in the paid ranks, WBC champion Bowe opted against a rematch. After the American dumped the belt in a bin, Lewis defeated Tony Tucker on points to claim the vacant title in 1993.
Lewis suffered a shock loss to Oliver McCall just over a year later, only to gain revenge—and claim the belt back—in a rematch, although the result was overshadowed by the American's odd behaviour in the ring.
He added the IBF, IBO and WBA titles by beating Evander Holyfield at the second attempt in 1999, albeit he was stripped of the WBA version after choosing to face Michael Grant instead of John Ruiz.
Hasim Rahman dethroned the undisputed heavyweight champion in 2001 with a stunning knockout in South Africa.
Lewis won their second meeting, then rounded out his career with victories over Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko.
After roaring one last time, The Lion retired as holder of the IBO and WBC belts. He said, per BBC Sport: "It's not easy being heavyweight champion, even harder to keep it and stay at the top."
Michael Bentt
3 of 8
Record: 11-2 (6 KOs)
Michael Bentt became world champion in just his 12th professional fight, sensationally knocking out Tommy Morrison in Oklahoma to pick up the WBO title.
The heavyweight was hardly a novice, however. Born in London but raised in New York, Bentt won the United States Amateur Boxing Championship five times.
He missed out on competing at the 1988 Olympics, with rival Ray Mercer going on to win a gold medal, and instead turned pro in 1989.
Morrison had plans to fight Lennox Lewis, per BoxRec, and the bout with Bentt was seen as good preparation. Instead, the challenger knocked his rival down three times to win in 93 seconds.
However, his reign, as well as his career, proved to be short-lived.
Bentt lost in his first defence, a bad-tempered clash with Britain's Herbie Hide. He also nearly lost his life, as he collapsed after being knocked out in Round 7.
He spent the next four days in a coma with brain injuries but made a full recovery.
With his boxing career over, Bentt moved into acting. He did return to the ring again, though, as he played the role of Sonny Liston in the film Ali directed by Michael Mann.
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Herbie Hide
4 of 8
Record: 49-4 (43 KOs)
Herbie Hide—whose full name is Herbert Okechukwu Maduagwu—was born in Nigeria but raised in Britain.
He was WBO champion not once but twice, beating Michael Bentt to claim the belt for the first time in 1994. It wasn't the first fight between the pair—they had also scuffled in the street after a press conference.
Hide's initial reign was brief, with Riddick Bowe knocking him out in Round 6 of his maiden defence.
However, Hide had the chance to regain the belt when it became vacant in 1997. He duly stopped Tony Tucker in a hurry in his adopted home of Norwich, England.
The Dancing Destroyer did manage to hold on to the WBO strap for a little longer second time around, beating Damon Reed and Willi Fischer in his next two bouts.
Hide did lose to Vitali Klitschko in 1999, but that wasn't quite the end of the road for him. He dropped down to cruiserweight as he carried on fighting until 2010.
Henry Akinwande
5 of 8
Record: 50-4-1 (30 KOs)
Henry Akinwande was born in Dulwich, London. He moved away to Nigeria at the age of four, only to return to England 17 years later.
He represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympics before turning pro the following year.
After becoming Commonwealth and European champion (beating Axel Schulz at the second attempt after their first contest was judged as a draw), his chance at a world title arrived in 1996.
Akinwande eased to victory over Jeremy Williams, knocking out the American in Round 3 to pick up the WBO strap that had been vacated by Riddick Bowe.
He made two successful defences before giving up the belt to fight WBC champion Lennox Lewis in 1997.
It should have been his big opportunity, but instead, Akinwande saw his unbeaten record come to a sorry end. Having shown little interest in fighting, referee Mills Lane disqualified him for persistent holding.
Glyn Leach wrote in the Independent: "Intimidated by the power and strength of the champion, Akinwande, 31, clung on for dear life wherever possible, ruining the contest as a spectacle."
Akinwande never received another opportunity to fight at the highest level, despite continuing his career for a further 11 years.
Frank Bruno
6 of 8
Record: 40-5 (38 KOs)
Franklin Roy Bruno has to be the most popular British boxer to ever win a heavyweight title.
The big man with the big smile won the hearts of the public with his ability to flatten opponents, as well as his post-fight interviews with respected commentator Harry Carpenter.
Yet Bruno struggled desperately to clear the final hurdle, as he lost three world-title challenges. His defeats made him the kind of lovable loser Brits adore.
However, the London-born boxer did eventually get his hands on a major belt, holding off a late rally from Oliver McCall to claim the WBC title with a points triumph at Wembley Stadium in the English capital in 1995.
The previous failures against Tim Witherspoon, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis were quickly forgotten, with Bruno even given an open-top bus ride around London to celebrate his success.
He did not hold the belt for too long—Tyson beat old foe Bruno in his first defence—but it did not really matter, as Big Frank was already a national treasure.
An eye injury forced him to hang up his gloves, with Bruno saying, per the Los Angeles Times: "I've had a good innings; I'm chilled."
David Haye
7 of 8
Record: 27-2 (25 KOs)
David Haye didn't hang around at heavyweight, winning the WBA belt in just his second outing after making the step up from cruiserweight.
The Londoner had become the dominant force at the 200-pound weight limit, knocking out Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli in 2008 to hold the WBA, WBC and WBO belts.
The following year he took on the monumental challenge of facing Nikolai Valuev.
The Russian—who stood 7'0"—had claimed the belt by beating John Ruiz and then successfully defended it against Evander Holyfield.
However, Haye had the perfect plan to deal with Valuev. By staying on the move, he made his plodding opponent look lost. He even wobbled him in Round 12, but settled for a majority-decision win on the cards.
After defending the title against Ruiz and Audley Harrison, Haye's reign ended at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko after a rather forgettable 12 rounds.
A shoulder injury seemed to have sent the Englishman into retirement in 2013, only for him to make a return to the ring in 2016.
Haye told Mike Walters of the Mirror: "George Foreman took 10 years out, came back and won the WBA world heavyweight title at 46 when he beat Michael Moorer, so I’m not going to put a deadline on it."
Tyson Fury
8 of 8
Record: 25-0 (18 KOs)
Tyson Fury can talk the talk (even when he turns up dressed as Batman to a press conference), but he also proved he can walk the walk by beating Wladimir Klitschko.
The Manchester-born fighter ended the Ukrainian's long, long, reign, as he handed Klitschko his first loss in 11 years.
In doing so, he claimed the IBF, WBA and WBO belts in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Fury flummoxed his rival with clever head movement and an unwillingness to stand still.
He had also unnerved the champion with his pre-fight antics, including demanding a layer of foam was taken off the ring and forcing Klitschko to have his hands wrapped twice, per David Anderson of the Mirror.
The challenger could even afford to have a point deducted in Round 11 as he recorded a unanimous-points win.
Klitschko announced on Instagram he would be taking up the clause in the contract for a rematch, although details of when and where the second fight will take place are yet to be confirmed.
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