Tony Yoka

Bio

Right then — Tony Yoka is the Rio 2016 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist, six foot seven, French-Congolese, and the man who was supposed to be the heir to the heavyweight throne when he turned over in 2017. A horrendous patch from 2022 to 2024 nearly derailed all of it — three losses in four fights against Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam and Ryad Merhy.

Make no mistake — what Don Charles has done with this man since taking over the training in late 2024 is one of the best rebuild jobs in the sport. The jab is sharper, the defence is tighter, the body attack is back. Yoka has won three straight on the way to this title shot — including a brutal third-round stoppage of Carlos Takam in their rematch that flipped the result of the 2022 loss.

His July 11 fight in Moscow against Murat Gassiev is the biggest test of his career. The Russian WBA champion is one of the heaviest punchers in the division, but Yoka has the height, reach and Olympic-level fundamentals to give him problems if he boxes patient and stays off the back foot. This is the chance to put the Bakole disaster firmly in the rear-view mirror.