The top Eastern Euro Heavyweight prospects

The heavyweight division is a mess and in transition. Wlad and Fury have retired. Povektin and Ortiz are 38 can't seem to pass a drug test. Parker once a hot prospect has regressed a bit. Wilder is a joke who won't fight anyone ranked by Ring Magazine's top 10, and the rest of the top ten is only ranked there due to the lack of talent and depth.

The good news is there is a tidal wave of talent on the way up. The entire top ten will have new names within 3 to 4 years, and many of the names will come from fighters on the below list.

The updated 2017 Eastern European prospect rankings.

Rules:
1 ) The rating here is strictly based on professional potential, so a professional with limited experience can rater higher than a slightly more accomplished professional who has beaten better competition.

2 ) Fighters must be under 32 years of age and have less than 25 fights.

3 ) They need to be of Eastern European origin from a roots perspective but can be based anywhere.

#1 Hrgovic. Age 25. 1-0, 1 KO. Robed in the Rio Olympics vs. Yoka who won gold, Hrgovic absolutely dominated a very pro like World Series of Boxing. Hrgovic is about 6'6" tall, has a rock for a chin, power in both fists, and is proficient with the jab, hook or uppercut. He comes to fight and welcomes exchanges. Fans should love him. I think he's the best pro prospect since Klitschko in my opinion and I would be surprised if he does not win a world title belt as a professional. Hrgovic will be fast-tracked as a professional.

Who would I compare him to? Andrew Golota, but with a much better chin and mental toughness.

#2 Dychko. Age 27. 2-0, 2 KO's. Dychko was likely the 3rd or 4th best amateur super heavyweight in the world. He's 6'9" tall with very long arms. He's also very mobile and has quick hands. A tough match-up Dychko is too fast for most bigger guys, and too big for most smaller guys. Dychko is quick to spot openings and can counter. And he can land at awkward angles and bend at the waist to deliver a quick shot. He looks like he added some much-needed muscle to his frame.
Who would I compare him to? Tyson Fury, but he hits a bit harder and has none of Fury's mental instabilities.

3 ) Teslenko. Age 25. Teslenko has fast hands ( Maybe the fastest on the list ) and very good power. These traits quickly stand out on film. He fights out of Canada and needs better competition soon. At only 6'4" tall 225 pounds, he's one of the smallest on the list, but I think he would be making a mistake to add more weight as it could cost him some speed.

Who would I compare him to? Sergei Liakhovich, with a bit more speed and power than Liakhovich had.

4 ) Kuzman. Age 30. 11-0, 8 Ko's. Kuzman is a bear-like man with solid boxing skills, good durability, and good power. I think he is probably better than some in the top ten right now, and better than anyone Wilder fought or Joshua fought minus Wlad. Kuzman is good enough to crack Ring Magazine's top ten by 2018. On the downside, he's not that fast, has a shorter than average reach and could lose about 10 pounds. With the right break and management, he could be fighting for a belt in the future.

Who would I compare him to? A poor man's Oleg Maskeav with a bit less power, but a bit more durability.

5 ) Plechko. Age 28 12-0, 12 KO's Quite possibly the best and most violent puncher on the list. In 12 total fights, he has boxed just 13 rounds. Amazing. Plechko's power looks scary at times. He turned pro in 2016 and has recently moved up a notch in competition. He's very much a brawler type and a modestly skilled boxer. At 6'2" 1/2 an estimated 225 pounds he's the smallest man on the list and won't win on points vs. the best, but he's also got a puncher's chance vs. anybody. The defense could be a bit suspect.

Who would I compare him to? Not sure, this guy looks like an assassin type. I'm not saying he'll be as good or famous, but in terms of his attacking style and power, Jack Dempsey.

6 ) Adam Kownacki. Age 28. 16-0 13 Ko's. Kownacki looks a little soft but he's arguably beaten the best competition on the list. The KO over Szpilka in 4 was noteworthy as Szpilka gave Wilder all he could handle at times. Depending on who goes professional, he could rate much lower at the end of the year.

7 ) Schwartz Age 23. 19-0 12 Ko's. A big man, currently ranked in the top 50 in the world. He'll have to be durable to go further because he's just moderately skilled.

8 ) Dinu. Age 31. 17-0. 13 Ko's. The Big Romanian is active again. Could be a solid gatekeeper type. My hunch is he will quickly fade from the scene once he loses. Rated here for now...

9 ) Davtayev. Age 28. 13-0 13 Ko's I have not seen Davtayev on film yet, but on paper, his size and power stand out. Competition has been weak.

10 ) Gimbatov. Age 23 2-0 1 Ko Gimbatov has fast hands with a solid amateur background, but I think he's one of those good amateurs who's too small and not powerful enough to go far as a professional.


*** Rated #1 as soon as he moves ups up Cruiser Weight, Usyk ***


Amateur's who is they turned pro would rate anywhere from 2nd to 5th if they turned professional.

1 ) Majodov. Age 31. The 3-time world amateur champion with big-time power and good skills. Please turn professional.

2 ) Jarlov. Age 23. The 6'7" Uzbek throws powerful straight punches. He might be coming into his own soon!

3 ) Levit. Age 29. A pound for pound talent in the amateur heavyweights ( not super
heavyweight ) Levit might be best suited for cruiserweight as a professional. He could be a decent heavyweight capable of making the top 30-100 look very bad, but I don't see enough size and power as a pro heavyweight to break through to the top 10.

 

Yes. Maybe next week for the USA prospects.

 

He moved from South Africa. You could argue he is good enough to rate in the top ten here.

[url]https://ringside24.com/en/19540-sirenko-i-met-bashir-usyk-training-camp[/url]

 

Yes. That is the sound Dychko's second professional opponent was making.