Following the retirement of Terence Crawford, who many considered to be the sport’s flagship champion, there has been a slight shake-up to the Boxing News pound-for-pound list.
Here, we look at the position of each fighter in the top 10, justifying our version of what the sport’s most debated list…
10. Teofimo Lopez
As a fighter who, while not always delivering fireworks, is known for turning up on the biggest occasions, Teofimo Lopez has etched his way onto the rankings.
Notable victories over Vasyl Lomachenko and Josh Taylor, as well as an impressive performance against Arnold Barboza Jr last time out, have earned ‘The Takeover’ a place here.
But, of course, a win over Shakur Stevenson on January 31 would only see him climb further.
9. David Benavidez
It is not necessarily one particular victory, but rather a comprehensive body of work across two weight divisions, that has secured David Benavidez a place on this list.
Now bidding to become a three-division world champion, the relentless WBC light-heavyweight ruler could quite easily elevate his position with a win over Gilberto Ramirez later this year.
8. Junto Nakatani
While facing elite opposition across three weight classes, Junto Nakatani practically breezed past every opponent before scraping a points win over Sebastian Hernandez last month.
Needless to say, a shock victory over Naoya Inoue, his super-bantamweight rival, in May would see ‘Big Bang’ fly straight into the top five of this list.
7. Artur Beterbiev
Coming off a points defeat to Dmitry Bivol – albeit by such a fine margin – in February 2025, and having not fought since, has made it difficult to place Artur Beterbiev any higher than seventh.
Nevertheless, the formidable Russian and former light-heavyweight king still deserves to be recognised for his stacked resume and remarkable longevity.
6. Shakur Stevenson
Much like Nakatani – until recently, that is – Shakur Stevenson has barely even broken a sweat in his journey to becoming a three-weight world champion.
Having followed in the footsteps of his friend Crawford by clinically beating each and every opponent, the only thing stopping the slick southpaw from breaking into the top five is the lack of a big-name victory.
But that, of course, could swiftly change with a win over Lopez.
5. Devin Haney
Another three-weight world champion, Devin Haney’s notable wins over Lomachenko, Regis Prograis and Brian Norman Jr – all of them making him the leading champion in each respective division – have largely allowed him to reign supreme.
The only bump in the road came against Ryan Garcia, whose majority decision victory in 2024 was later overturned to a no-contest due to his failed drugs test. An intriguing rematch edges closer, and will be close to inevitable if Garcia beats Mario Barrios for the WBC Welterweight World title next month.
4. Dmitry Bivol
As already mentioned, Bivol became the undisputed champion at 175lbs by dethroning Beterbiev, who had knocked out every one of his previous opponents, with a monumental points victory last year.
Prior to that, Bivol had done what Crawford recently managed by claiming a far more dominant win over Canelo Alvarez, which has only added to his credentials as an elite pound-for-pound star.
3. Jesse Rodriguez
The manner in which Jesse Rodriguez has dispatched each of his opponents – even those who were previously considered elite world champions – is why, for many, he deserves to be regarded as the third-best fighter on the planet.
From becoming a ‘legend slayer’ to defeating previously unbeaten fighters like Sunny Edwards, Fernando Martinez and Phumelela Cafu – all in or close to their prime – ‘Bam’ has firmly made his mark on the lower divisions.
2. Naoya Inoue
Narrowly missing out on the top spot, Inoue’s two-weight undisputed status nonetheless puts him in a desirable position as one of the sport’s most decorated champions.
Even with a typically destructive finish having eluded him in recent fights, ‘The Monster’ was able to emphatically triumph over Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso with his superior ring IQ to keep his name in the debate of the very best in the world.
1. Oleksandr Usyk
Especially when considering Crawford’s recent departure, it is hard to argue with Oleksandr Usyk being placed at the top of this list.
The two-weight undisputed king has, after all, cemented himself as the greatest heavyweight of his era with two wins over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, respectively.
With his accolades at cruiserweight, too, Usyk is often one of the first names that come to mind when discussing boxing’s modern greats.
