Boxing
Just how many Olympic super-heavyweights medalists have won world titles?
Miller vs. Pero: Subscribe to watch - Saturday
Tony Yoka was set to launch his latest bid for a place among the heavyweight rankings this week before his hopes collapsed.
The Rio 2016 super-heavyweight gold-medal champion was due to face Lawrence Okolie at Paris' Adidas Arena on Saturday.
Instead, after his opponent returned an adverse VADA finding, the Frenchman will be forced to wait for his first bout of 2026.
It is a bitter blow for a fighter who has never quite recaptured the giddy heights of his amateur days on the professional stage.
DAZN FACE OFF: Wardley vs. Dubois
Watch explosive encounter here
But for all the glory enjoyed by several Olympic Games athletes at world level afterwards, only a handful will make it to the top.
Here, DAZN News names the super-heavyweight medalists who have gone on to world title success - and just what they achieved.
Francesco Damiani (Silver, Los Angeles 1984)
The hard-hitting Italian came up short at the 1984 games against Team USA's Tyrell Biggs, but would trump his rival at the pro level.
Having scored a fifth-round knockout over the latter in 1988, Damiani became the inaugural WBO heavyweight champion a year later.
His quick win over Johnny du Plooy teed up a further successful defence, before he lost his strap in 1991 against Ray Mercer.
Lennox Lewis (Gold, Seoul 1988)
Representing Canada in South Korea, the London-born superstar did not need to wait long to repeat his amateur heroics afterwards.
Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Elevated to the WBC belt in 1992, Lewis would go on to conquer the heavyweight scene, adding the WBA and IBF straps along the way.
His 41-2-1 record remains one of the best in the business, with his undisputed title win over Evander Holyfield still spoken about today.
Riddick Bowe (Silver, Seoul 1988)
Having come up short against Lewis, Bowe swiftly turned pro and became undisputed champion when he beat Holyfield in 1992.
He relinquished the WBC strap rather than face the Briton again, and subsequently lost the rest in a rematch with the latter a year later.
Bowe would go on to add the WBO strap against Herbie Hide in 1995, before retiring after a 2008 farewell victory over Gene Pukall.
Wladimir Klitschko (Gold, Atlanta 1996)
One of the glamour division's greatest warriors, the Ukrainian giant topped the podium during his amateur days in the United States.
Klitschko would go on to reign as WBA, IBF and WBO champion, alongside the success of his brother Vitali, in multiple reigns.
Losses against both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua sent him into retirement in 2017, but his impact and legacy is still felt today.
Anthony Joshua (Gold, London 2012)
The only active super-heavyweight gold-medalist to have become world champion, 'AJ' was a breakout from the British-based games.
Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Since then, his two reigns as world champion have thrilled fans across the intervening decade and a half, with WBA, IBF and WBO success.
A long-awaited bout with Tyson Fury appears closer to fruition than ever before right now, teeing up a new chapter for the superstar.
Honourable mentions
In addition, several other super-heavyweight medalists have held either junior or interim heavyweight world titles. They include:
- Alexander Povetikin (Gold, Athens 2004) - WBA Regular 2011-2013, WBC Interim 2020-2021
- Zhilei Zhang (Silver, Beijing 2008) - WBO Interim 2023-2024
- Joe Joyce (Silver, Rio 2016) - WBO Interim 2022-2023
Watch Wardley vs. Dubois only on DAZN
The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
