There is no denying that boxing's heavyweight division is stacked with well-known fighters. In recent years, the weight class has had a resurgence which has seen even average contenders become household names.

Who, out of all these men, still has a long-term future at world championship level - and who, conversely, is on their way out of contention?

Now - via tiermaker.com - we have ranked 17 of the best fighters in the weight class according to their future prospects in the sport. Some rankings may seem harsh, but there really is quite a big gap between some of these heavyweights. 

Here is our tiered breakdown of the top contenders in boxing's glamour division.

'Trash': Charles Martin & Dominic Breazeale

Both these men have suffered comprehensive defeats when competing at the highest level. Martin was starched by Anthony Joshua inside two rounds in his sole defence of his IBF world championship. Breazeale, meanwhile, lasted less than a round against Deontay Wilder last year. It would be a major shock to see either troubling the top players in the division at this point.

'Bad': Joseph Parker & Andy Ruiz Jr.

This pair are more durable than Martin and Breazeale, but it would be just as hard to see them making an impact in a packed heavyweight scene. Yes, Ruiz did upset Joshua last June. However, his meagre efforts in the rematch say much about his long term prospects. 

'On The Way Out': Luis Ortiz, Dereck Chisora, Alexander Povetkin, Michael Hunter, Kubrat Pulev

In the cutthroat waters of heavyweight boxing, many fighters are only one defeat away from losing their relevance as a contender. This certainly applies to these men. All have tasted losses before - and another high-profile loss for any of them could end their aspirations of world title glory.

'Potential Challenger': Oleksandr Usyk, Daniel Dubois, Joe Joyce, Adam Kownacki

With barely a defeat between them (only Kownacki has lost a professional contest), each of these men are relatively early in their heavyweight campaigns. Each has the potential to mix it up with the biggest names in the division. Time will tell, but it would be no shock to see some future world champions emerge from this tier.

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'Challenger': Deontay Wilder & Dillian Whyte

Despite competing against some of the biggest names in the division for years, Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte still only have one loss each on their records - both to the men above them in this list. Former WBC champion Wilder is expected to rematch Tyson Fury next, while Whyte is the mandatory challenger for the winner. Both Wilder and Whyte will be world title challengers soon - and both can claim that honour.

'Champ': Anthony Joshua

If it were not for his shock defeat to Andy Ruiz last year, Anthony Joshua would surely be one step higher on this list. Joshua avenged his only loss by handily outpointing Ruiz in their rematch - and now has his sights set on becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion. Aside from that one blemish, the current WBA, WBO and IBF titleholder has looked fantastic throughout his career and could well dominate the division for years to come.

'King': Tyson Fury

An appropriate rank for the man who calls himself "The Gypsy King", Tyson Fury deserves his place at the head of this list. The current WBC heavyweight champion is unbeaten in 31 fights. Having battered Wilder to take that title earlier this year, Fury has made it clear that he wants a unification clash with Joshua as soon as possible. Having never tasted defeat, it is hard to place Fury anywhere other than at the top of the heavyweight tree. We will soon see if he has what it takes to stay there.