Greatest British heavyweight boxing fights ever including Anthony Joshua v Dillian Whyte and David Haye v Derek Chisora

Boxing has many recipes for success and one which can produce mixed results is a fight between two British heavyweights.

Slow, ponderous and gruelling or volatile, powerful and jaw-dropping are two concoctions which fans have become used to over the years when the big men collide.

Boxing in Blighty this century has produced some memorable and thrilling heavyweight clashes that you would happily watch again and again.

Lennox Lewis v Frank Bruno

1st October 1993 - National Stadium, Cardiff

Everyone loves a pantomime villain and Frank Bruno starred alongside a few during his time on stage, and when Lennox Lewis began to badmouth “Our Frank”, he became the bad guy before defending his WBC heavyweight title in Wales.

Bruno was loved, cherished, and the nearly man. Lewis was the Olympian, lacking personality and spoke with a north American accent despite being born in the UK and spending his early years here.

Lewis was on a journey to becoming undisputed champion while Bruno was trying to win a world title at the third attempt.

Bruno rarely lost his cool but Lewis ruffled his feathers and in doing so brought out the best in Bruno who unsettled the champ and hurt him during their encounter.

In the end, the class and power of Lewis proved too much for Bruno, who was stopped in round seven.

David Haye v Derek Chisora

14th July 2012 - Upton Park, West Ham

Every big fight has a storyline and this particular one began in Germany and ended in a Premier League football stadium.

After some fisticuffs at a press conference, Haye and Chisora brought their animosity and vitriol back to England to settle their rivalry at the home of West Ham United.

In their previous fights they were both found wanting against the Klitschko brothers and while Haye v Chisora was nothing more than a grudge match, it was big business in British boxing.

The build-up was unsavoury but the fight was memorable thanks to the finish as Haye proved once again he was one of the world’s most dangerous punchers, stopping Chisora in five rounds.

The two squashed their beef, embraced and became friends years later. Only in boxing.

Anthony Joshua v Dillian Whyte

12th December 2015 - O2 Arena, London

Joshua was the 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist, Whyte was an unknown character with a street talking tough personality.

This rivalry, however, began in the amateurs when Whyte got the win in 2009. It gnawed at Joshua, so when the chance came to face his inexperienced rival once again he jumped at it.

The British and Commonwealth titles were at stake but those were secondary to something that was personal and mattered more to the fighters and the areas they came from. Joshua and Whyte would have settled matters on the streets if they had been allowed and it showed when the two locked horns in the ring.

Things boiled over early on when shots were landed after the bell enraging Whyte who went after Joshua. Both teams then entered the ring but thankfully the situation was calmed before it turned any uglier.

Watch the fight back and you’ll see Joshua licking his lips each time he had Whyte hurt. This fight mattered. Whyte’s lack of professional fights was perhaps his undoing in the end, with Joshua eventually breaking him down and ending the fight in round seven.

Fabio Wardley v Frazer Clarke

31st March 2024 - O2 Arena, London

It will have to take something special to beat Fabio Wardley v Frazer Clarke to the British Fight of the Year accolade.

The two had been linked to a fight several months before. Much jawing online ensued but eventually Clarke was pulled from a fight against Wardley, causing him embarrassment and damage to his reputation.

Clarke was able to prove his mettle when the pair eventually met in the ring, however, pushing British champion Wardley to levels not seen previously.

This fight wasn’t for the faint-hearted or fans of the sweet science. This was a war of attrition and produced the type of brutality that only a boxing fan could love. However, it was also a fight that saw both men leave a part of themselves in the ring.

Swings in momentum, knockdowns, survival, edge of the seat entertainment and one of the greatest British fights ever seen.

Both Wardley and Clarke will commence rounds 13 to 24 in their rematch next month in Riyadh. Don’t be surprised if it’s another fight of the year contender.