With many of the top pound-for-pound boxers having fights scheduled, fans are wondering who the Number One boxer in the world is at the moment. With the rankings changing seemingly after every big card, it can be difficult to tell who the true pound-for-pound king is. Let's see who makes the best case.
Oleksandr Usyk is currently at the top of the rankings, and for good reason. The undefeated Heavyweight champion has walked through both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions capturing all four titles to become undisputed in both weight classes. Having won over fighters such as Derek Chisora, Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua, and most notably Tyson Fury created an imposing resume for Usyk leading many to believe he is the best boxer on the planet. The records of his opponents and their success after fighting Usyk, also demonstrate his greatness. Dubois and Joshua had only one loss each at the time of fighting Usyk and they have not lost to anyone else since. Tyson Fury was undefeated and a long-time reigning champion when he and Usyk fought which was a major factor in the build-up to their fight. Usyk’s resume cannot be questioned, especially if he beats Fury again in December.
Terence Crawford also makes a great case for pound-for-pound best fighter considering he was ranked at number one only a few months ago. Crawford is also undefeated, yet he has almost double the amount of wins as Usyk and more than double the amount of knockouts. However, Crawford lacks high-profile wins considering his only win over a former pound-for-pound fighter is his defeat of Errol Spence. His most recent fight with Israil Madrimov was not as exciting as boxing fans had hoped for and it was apparent that Crawford struggled with bigger fighters. Before the Madrimov fight, boxing fans had been calling for a fight with Canelo, so if that fight can materialize and Crawford wins it, he would make a far better case for that top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Naoya Inoue is yet another undefeated fighter and a knockout artist hailing from Japan. He has title wins in four weight classes and became undisputed in two of them. Without a doubt, Inoue is the most dominant champion right now, but there is a major issue with his legacy. Inoue fights in the lower weight classes where competition is far less than in the heavier weight divisions most top boxers compete in. Inoue is head and shoulders above everyone else in his weight class, but his weight class does not exactly have the level of talent he would need to be considered the best pound-for-pound.
Another major wild card in the rankings could be the upcoming fight between the number 4-ranked Dmitry Bivol and number 6-ranked Artur Beterbiev in October. The winner of this fight would likely rise to the top three or maybe even challenge for that top spot. If Bivol wins, he would then have wins over Beterbiev and the number 5-ranked Canelo Alvarez which could be a major factor in determining the pound-for-pound number one. Overall, all of these elite fighters are in the conversation, and having debates like this places even more excitement around the sport.
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