Tony Bellew Names the Most Durable Heavyweight of All Time

The heavyweight division has long attracted the most eyes from die-hard sports fans and casual viewers. The power and durability on display from many in the division make it exciting viewing, with the real chance that the fight could be over with one big punch. Some of the biggest punchers in heavyweight history are George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Earnie Shavers and in more recent times, Deontay Wilder. Durability is also an important characteristic among the best heavyweights and Tony Bellew has spoken to Card Player, revealing who he sees as the most durable heavyweight of all time.

Tony Bellew Reveals Most Durable Heavyweight of All Time

Tony Bellew Praises Oliver McCall’s Durability While Talking Joe Joyce

When speaking to Card Player, Bellew spoke about the Filip Hrgovic vs Joe Joyce fight on April 5. Bellew discusses diminishing durability with Joe Joyce: “That was his asset. And I told anyone, listen, when that goes, he’s a danger in boxing. It’s not just downhill; it’s life-changing. And I think his life is already changing now from a physical perspective and from the outside looking in.

“He’s not the same person he was when he beat Daniel Dubois. When he beat Daniel Dubois and the manner he beat him in, he just absorbed everything. And everyone forgets this: he did the exact same to Joseph Parker. He absorbs everything that can be thrown and he just outmans you. It’s heartbreaking if you are a fighter and you’ve hit him with everything you’ve got, and he just keeps coming.”

Bellew then goes on to praise the durability that McCall showed during his career: “You do get freaks in the game. Oliver McCall, I was waiting for his punch resistance to go one day but it never did. He never lost it. He’s the most durable heavyweight ever, in my opinion.” 

Oliver McCall Career Recap

McCall (61-14, 40 KOs) is unbelievably still fighting today. His latest win came on February 4, 2025, defeating Gary Cobia.

He has recorded some memorable wins during his career against fighters such as Lennox Lewis, Oleg Maskaev and Henry Akinwande, among others.

His only career stoppage loss came in the rematch against Lennox Lewis, a bout where he was clearly troubled mentally. Anyone who watched McCall fight can vouch for his granite chin — a trait that made him a live threat in every fight he entered.