Boxing’s Top 10 Pound for Pound Rankings: Canelo Is King

The Top Ten

Canelo Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs)
Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs)
Naoya Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs)
Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs)
Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs)
Tyson Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs)
Artur Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs)
Vasyl Lomachenko (15-2, 11 KOs)
Gervonta Davis (25-0, 24 KOs)
Josh Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs)

1. Canelo Alvarez

(57-1-2, 39 KOs)

He’s the face of boxing, and for good reason. He’s the most seasoned fighter on the list with 60 career fights, yet he’s still young and in his prime at 31. He turned pro in 2005 when he was just 15 years old. His only career loss is to the greatest boxer of the last 30 years. He’s a 4-division world champion, and just beat 3 different undefeated champions in under a year to become the first ever undisputed super middleweight world champion in the four belt era.

2. Terence Crawford

(38-0, 29 KOs)

*photo via Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images*

He has arguably the best record in boxing, although he hasn’t faced many great opponents. He did however, just earn a stoppage victory over a very tough and highly respected former world champion in Shawn Porter. He’s perhaps the most versatile fighter in the sport, and one of the all-time great finishers in boxing history. He is the WBO welterweight champion, and former undisputed light welterweight world champion, when he became just the 3rd man in any weight class to reach undisputed status in the 4 belt era.

3. Naoya Inuoe

(21-0, 18 KOs)

The tiny Japanese phenom is still under-appreciated in the US, but he’s one of the most technically sound craftsmen in the sport today. He has great speed and impressive power for his weight, but his command of distance and range is uncanny. His ring IQ is that of a far more experienced pro.

4. Errol Spence Jr.

(27-0, 21 KOs)

A severe car accident knocked Spence down the rankings a bit. He holds 2 belts in arguably boxing’s most talent rich division. He has multiple big wins on his perfect record. He’s a big bodied welterweight with size and power, along with great technique and movement. He can win almost any kind of fight his opponent can throw at him, but his excellent ring generalship means that he’s usually the one dictating the style of the fight.

5. Oleksandr Usyk

(19-0, 13 KOs)

A member of the small but highly successful generation of Ukrainian fighters, Usyk started in the underwhelming cruiserweight division. He unified the division, becoming the 4th male undisputed champion of any weight class in the 4 belt era. He then moved up to heavyweight, where he defeated global superstar Anthony Joshua for the WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO belts, making him a 2 division world champion.

6. Tyson Fury

(31-0-1, 22 KOs)

Generally considered the best active heavyweight, the undefeated champion hasn’t beaten many big name opponents, other than former champion Deontay Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) and a past prime Wladimir Klitschko (64-5, 53 KOs). His chubby body type hides his surprisingly good upper body movement. His lanky arms are usually enough to keep opponents out of range, but he’s displayed power when he sits down on his punches.

7. Artur Beterbiev

(16-0, 16 KOs)

Not only has the light heavyweight champion beaten everyone he’s ever faced professionally, no one has even managed to go the distance against him. After his fight against WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-1, 14 KOs), in which he sent the highly respected and previously unbeaten Ukrainian into retirement, he’s been considered the best of the division. His unconventional training methods make him one of the most feared and avoided fighters in the sport.

8. Vasyl Lomachenko

(15-2, 11 KOs)

The former pound for pound king has had an unconventional career. His 396-1 amateur record, which included 2 Olympic gold medals and twice avenging the only loss, is generally considered the greatest amateur career ever. Professionally, he may well have the best technique and footwork the sport has ever seen. He set the record for fewest fights needed to become a 2 and 3 division world champion. His biggest flaw is his pacing, as he’s twice started too slow, given up early rounds, and lost decisions as a result. He turned pro very late, but he’s consistently fought very high level opposition.

9. Gervonta Davis

(25-0, 24 KOs)

*photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images*

One of the most ducked fighters in boxing, Davis boasts tremendous knockout power for his weight class. He has a short stature and often utilizes a loose guard, which opens him up for counter attacks, but this allows him to wind up on his punches for maximum power. Many casual fans tune out the lower weight classes, which is a shame, because Davis is among the most entertaining, consistent finishers in the sport. Most of the top fights have eluded him, but he’s still knocked out plenty of respected opponents.

10. Josh Taylor

(18-0, 13 KOs)

He’s in one of the weaker divisions and doesn’t have many fights under his belt, but he is the 5th of 6 undisputed champions of any weight class in the 4 belt era. He has a durable chin which has allowed him to win every fight of his career so far. He could still use some fine tuning, but he’s an intelligent fighter that takes calculated risks.

BUFFALO SPORTS NEVER STOP. THIS TRAIN NEVER STOPS.