Who will take over from Klitschko and Joshua? In 41 years, only four Olympic heavyweight medalists have become professional world champions

Since 2012, none of them have received a belt.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Anthony Joshua, Getty Images

At the moment, the champion belts in the four most prestigious versions in the heavyweight division are held by two boxers – Oleksandr Usyk (WBA, WBC, WBO) and Daniel Dubois (IBF). And while Usyk won the Olympics, albeit in the heavyweight division, Dubois only boxed at the Youth Olympic Games. And in general, in the 41 years that the heavyweight division has existed in the boxing program of the Games, only four Olympic medalists have become world champions in the pros. And since 2012, none of them have received the belt.

So far, the last medalist of the Games in the Royal Division, even the champion who held a full title in the pros, remains Anthony Joshua, who won the home Olympics in 2012. Joe Joyce, who rose to the bronze step of the podium four years later, as well as the bronze medalist of the 2008 Games Zhang Zhilei held interim titles. Russian Povetkin, who won the 2024 Games, held the belt of the regular champion.

It is noteworthy that before Joshua, the last medalist (Olympic champion) to become the holder of full belts was Vladimir Klitschko, who won the Olympics in 1996. Before him, the world champions in the professional category were the winners of the gold and silver medals of the 1988 Games, Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe, respectively.

Olympic medalists in super heavyweight