Ranking Britain's Top 10 Current Heavyweights

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Tyson Fury and David Haye came close to fighting twice before.

The British heavyweight scene is booming.

David Haye's comeback, Anthony Joshua's emergence and Tyson Fury's world titles have given the once-great division a much-needed shot in the arm.

Even the coveted Lonsdale belt has a queue forming to fight for it, as a fresh batch of hungry boxers have made the domestic scene interesting again.

The depth of talent offers up plenty of possibilities, both in 2016 and beyond.

Here, Bleacher Report has ranked the top 10 heavies from Great Britain. As ever, we welcome your opinions on the list—as well as the boxers on it—via the comments section.

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Richard Towers has sparred with both Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury.

As with any set short list, there are always an unfortunate few who fail to make the final cut.

Richard Towers boasts a 15-1 (12 KOs) record and is one more win away from earning a shot at the British belt.

Michael Sprott (42-25, 17 KOs) is still fighting but definitely on the downside of his career. In addition, a number of others haven't yet achieved enough to merit a spot.

Kash Ali (9-0, 2 KOs), Dominic Akinlade (5-0-1, 3 KOs) and Nick Webb (3-0, 3 KOs) are all unbeaten but need to come through tougher tests before moving into the top 10.

There is also another Fury on the scene. Young Fury (6-1, 3 KOs) is a 19-year-old who will hope to follow in the footsteps of his big brother, Tyson.

Unbeaten prospect David Allen opens up the top 10 of the heavyweight rankings.

The 23-year-old from Doncaster, England, is 8-0-1 (5 KOs) as a professional. The White Rhino is on a charge and in his sights is the British title.

Allen will next face Richard Towers, a fighter he knows all about from their sparring sessions together.

However, they will be the best of enemies in Sheffield, England, on March 26.

He told Michael J Jones ^[3] of LiveFight.com: "Listen, my dream has always been to win the British title and to get that I'd fight my own Grandma. Richard Towers is my friend but it's a terrific opportunity for the both of us and from when that first bell rings the friendship will stop until the fight is finished."

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Sam Sexton has won six straight fights since losing to David Price.

Sam Sexton (21-3, 7 KOs) is on the comeback trail after 18 months out of the ring with a serious back injury.

He has fought twice since recovering from a cracked disc and dislocated spine, as he explained to Chris Lakey ^[4] of the Eastern Daily Press after beating Tomas Mrazek in November 2015.

A former Commonwealth champion, Sexton's three career defeats came against Dereck Chisora (twice) and David Price.

The 31-year-old still has time on his side to get involved in a crowded domestic scene, fitness permitting.

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Gary Cornish failed to make it out of Round 1 against Anthony Joshua.

Gary Cornish is yet to return to action since being stopped in a hurry by Anthony Joshua in September 2015.

The Scotsman—nicknamed The Highlander—saw his unbeaten pro record come to a shuddering halt at the O2 Arena in London.

Now, Cornish (21-1, 12 KOs) has to rebuild his confidence and get back to challenging for honours at the domestic level.

Manager Tommy Gilmour told Jamie Durent ^[5] of the Inverness Courier: "One swallow does not make a summer. Losing to Anthony does not make him [Cornish] a bad fighter. He still has plenty to offer but with a number of young heavyweights about at the moment, it's a process that could take the best part of a year."

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David Price has not appeared in a ring since losing to Erkan Teper.

It was tough to see where David Price's career was going after Erkan Teper knocked him out in a fight for the vacant European title in July 2015.

A third stoppage loss (the other two came against veteran American Tony Thompson in 2013) led to doubts about whether the giant Liverpudlian—who had made such a bright start to his pro career—would box on.

However, both the German Boxing Federation and the European Boxing Union suspended Teper after he failed a drug test.

According to Jake Donovan ^[6] of BoxingScene.com, Price's loss to the German was changed to a no-contest.

After a break, the former British and Commonwealth champion is ready to make a return to the ring.

Price revealed to Jeff Powell ^[7] of the Daily Mail that he has worked himself back into shape at Joe Gallagher's gym in Manchester, England, with the intention of fighting in his home city on April 2.

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Dereck Chisora has been in the ring with some of the biggest names.

Dereck Chisora dipped underneath the heavyweight radar following his loss to Tyson Fury in November 2014.

However, after a run of five successive wins, Del Boy has emerged from the shadows. There was talk of a fight against either Anthony Joshua or Dillian Whyte, but now he has his sights trained on European glory.

The 32-year-old is scheduled to face Kubrat Pulev for the vacant EBU title, per Isaac Robinson ^[8] of Sky Sports.

Chisora failed in his previous attempt to claim the belt, as he came out on the wrong end of a debatable split-decision points verdict against Robert Helenius in 2011.

Having suffered defeats to David Haye, Fury (twice) and Vitali Klitschko, how much does Chisora have left in the tank? The fight against Pulev should go a long way toward answering that question.

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Hughie Fury hopes to follow in his relative's footsteps.

Hughie Fury has the chance in 2016 to become known as more than just Tyson's cousin.

Still only 21, Fury has quickly compiled an 18-0 (10 KOs) record in the paid ranks. He was last seen dispatching veteran Brit Larry Olubamiwo inside a round.

His next test will be in March against an as-yet unnamed opponent, per Matt Horan ^[9] of World Boxing News: "I can confirm that it will be a 12-round fight against a top-10 opponent and a major title will be on line. "

Fury certainly has the skills to be a success on the world stage.

He showed off his skills by winning a gold medal for England at the 2012 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships, a feat never achieved before by a British boxer in the super heavyweight division.

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Dillian Whyte impressed in defeat against Anthony Joshua.

Dillian Whyte (16-1, 13 KOs) saw his unbeaten record come to an end at the hands of his longtime rival, Anthony Joshua, at the end of 2015.

However, while he lost the WBC International Silver title, Whyte gained plenty of admirers for his display in defeat.

The 27-year-old—who was born in Jamaica but lives in London—tested Joshua's chin in a battle where the bad blood was genuine, stemming back from a meeting in the amateurs that Whyte had won.

The Body Snatcher suffered a shoulder injury in his last bout and has since had surgery ^[10] to correct the problem.

It is not yet known when he will be back in action, but it will be fascinating to see if he can build on his performance, both in and out of the ring, against Joshua.

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Anthony Joshua could be in line for a world title shot in the near future.

Anthony Joshua is the big boxing prospect in Britain.

The gold medallist at the 2012 Olympics has recorded 15 straight wins since turning pro, with all of them coming inside the distance.

The initial aim was to continue moving the 26-year-old steadily up through the levels following his victory over rival Dillian Whyte on Dec. 12, 2015.

However, Joshua could now be catapulted into a world-title challenge sooner than initially intended.

IBF champion Charles Martin made it clear he would like to face Joshua, per Phil D Jay ^[11] of World Boxing News. The British and Commonwealth champion seems ready to accept the challenge.

Promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports News HQ (h/t Isaac Robinson ^[12] of Sky Sports): "Anthony Joshua wants the challenges. Sometimes it's difficult to win a world heavyweight title. Now you have a guy who appears to be prepared to come to London on April 9 so we have to take it seriously."

If he continues his rise through the division, Joshua could expect to top these ranking by the beginning of 2017.

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David Haye's return has added extra spice to the heavyweight division.

David Haye (27-2, 25 KOs) may be a surprise to some at No. 2, particularly as he has only fought for 131 seconds in the past three-and-a-half years.

The Hayemaker dismantled the overmatched Mark de Mori in his comeback fight on Jan. 16. Still, a full house at the O2 Arena watched the two-weight world champion return with a quick TKO.

He is positioned so high in these rankings because of what he achieved in the first stage of his career.

Don't forget that Haye won the WBA heavyweight title with a victory over Nikolai Valuev. He defended it against John Ruiz and Audley Harrison, before losing in disappointing fashion to Wladimir Klitschko.

However, at 35 and now fully recovered from a shoulder problem that looked to have ended his career, the Londoner has plenty to offer.

His next outing will be on May 21, although his opponent is not yet known.

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Tyson Fury sits top of the pile after his win over Wladimir Klitschko.

A fighter who The Ring ^[13] magazine rates as the best heavyweight in the world has to top Bleacher Report's British rankings.

Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) sensationally defeated Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015. Life has been eventful for the free-speaking Mancunian since, but there has been no confirmation of when he will be back in the ring.

Klitschko took up the contractual option for a rematch—Tom Hopkinson of the Sunday People (h/t the Daily Mirror ^[14]) believes a venue and date will be announced by the middle of February.

Fury, though, has suggested he could quit the sport, telling BBC Radio 5 live (h/t BBC Sport ^[15]): "I could walk away. I could just sail into the sunset unbeaten with all the belts and live a normal life."

Fury is a quotes machine for the media, and journalists would miss him if he were to retire in the near future.

However, his retirement would be an even bigger blow for a division that he has helped revitalise by ending the long, dour Klitschko reign.