It is spring. A time when the enthusiasm of martial arts fans turns into competitive violence.
And when it comes to boxing, it's that time of year when some of the sport's best fighters show off their skills in rings as far away as Copenhagen to San Diego to Riyadh. Thirteen will be held as part of a two-month period leading up to Memorial Day. A world title match is scheduled.
The heavyweight unification fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk remains at the top of the short-term agenda thanks to a headline cut that has moved the pair's get-together from February to May 18th.
If that actually happens, the winner will be the undisputed champion of the four-belt era and the first widely recognized big boy division since Lennox Lewis held the IBF, WBA and WBC straps in 1999. Becomes the first Kingpin.
This prompted the B/R combat staff to reunite and label the best in the sport. This was done by applying a unique eye test and evaluating the opinions of respected sources such as: ring boxing scene etc..
Click through to see who made it to the top 10 and let us know what you think with a line or two in the comments section.
Weight class: heavyweight
Main titles held: W.B.C.
It would be hard to imagine a pound-for-pound list without the longest-reigning heavyweight champion, who last appeared in the ring in a narrow loss to Francis Ngannou last October. This is mostly true regarding Fury. Not particularly old.
Good news? If Fury manages to get past Usyk and claim an undisputed place in the glamor division, he could trigger an all-England showdown with Anthony Joshua, who defeated Ngannou in two rounds last month. Through the fights in 2021 and 2022, people will forget about the fight with Usyk.
Weight class: 140 pounds
Main titles held: W.B.O.
Want to ride a competitive roller coaster? Come cheer on Teofimo Lopez.
The former lightweight champion looks set to make a comeback in 2023 thanks to a shocking (to most) weight gain to 140 pounds and defeating long-time champion Josh Taylor at Madison Square Garden last June. It became one of the stories.
With this win, Lopez et al.'s hyperbolic engine appears doomed from the moment their next opponent, Jamaine Ortiz, climbed the ring steps at Las Vegas' Michelob Ultra Arena two months ago. It accelerated accordingly.
Rather, the once-defeated contender gave the new champion everything he wanted and may (for some) deserve a better fate than the unanimous decision given to Lopez.
Given his penchant for sharp peaks and troughs, this could mean “The Takeover” has the upper hand in his next bout, rumored to take place in late June, against Canadian front-runner Steve Clagett. It just means.
Please wait…make sure the safety harness is lowered and locked.
Weight class: 135 pounds
Main titles held: W.B.A.
If you feel like it's been a while since you've seen Gervonta Davis in the ring, you'd be right. it has been.
The Baltimore-based “Tank” has been out of action for nearly a full year since defeating then-undefeated rival Ryan Garcia into submission in the biggest fight of the first half of 2023.
Word on the street is that Davis will headline a PBC Prime Video pay-per-view show in the summer, but his opponent will be undefeated Frank Martin, who Davis will hold at lightweight since Devin. He is the second candidate for the top WBA belt. Haney left.
Weight class: 175 pounds
Main titles held: IBF, WBC, WBO
Finally, almost everyone in boxing can agree on something.
The first three fighters on our list are included in respected pound-for-pound collections all over the place, but Artur Beterbiev is considered one of the world's best fighters by almost everyone with a valid opinion. Begins a run of seven fighters who are considered to be one of the 10 best.
He is rated highly by some and lowly by others, but he dominated former super middleweight champion Callum Smith in seven rounds in January, improving his record to 20-0. I feel that this last 7th place is suitable for him as he maintained this. His KO rate is a genuine 100.
The only fight that matters anymore for him comes just two months later in the form of fellow 175-pound elite Dmitry Bivol, who holds the only title belt (WBA) that Beterbiev was unable to win.
Weight class: 140 pounds
Main titles held: W.B.C.
Devin Haney's list of accomplishments is long and distinguished.
But he is undefeated in 31 fights, is the undisputed champion in the competitive weight class, and has climbed the ladder from a respected fighter who won the title twice to convincingly snatching another belt. However, he has been demoted to a middle-ranking position.
He is almost always ranked fourth, fifth, or sixth on popular pound-for-pound lists, and is the WBC champion at 140 pounds, competing against more high-profile but less accomplished challengers. That hasn't changed even now as he lines up for the defense on April 20th. Ryan Garcia.
It's a fight where Haney has everything to lose.
An impressive win might move him up a spot or two in the rankings, but a loss in a high-profile event like this could make it difficult for him to even re-enter that position in the near future. Dew.
Weight class: 175 pounds
Main titles held: W.B.A.
Dmitry Bivol, the other half of the aforementioned light heavyweight showdown scheduled for June 1st in Saudi Arabia, is in the mix thanks to an equally stellar record that includes a win over one of the sport's biggest names, Canelo Alvarez. So, he is ranked several ranks higher than his opponent.
The technically sublime and athletic Russian put on a clinic against the cinnamon-haired challenger when they met two years ago. And while Bivol has only played two games in that time, he hasn't done much to dull the brilliance of his signature upset in 2022.
The duel with Beterbiev is fascinating because of their contrasting styles, and the winner is almost guaranteed a mid- to high-ranking spot in any subsequent ranking list.
Weight class: 168 pounds
Main titles held: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO
Little Canelo Alvarez should be on every pound-for-pound list.
The Mexican superstar has been one of the sport's most high-profile fighters since meeting Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013, and his belt weighs between 154 and 175 pounds. Every point in between is generating millions of pay-per-view purchases per year.
He is scheduled to make his annual Cinco de Mayo appearance in Las Vegas on May 4th, where he will face former 154-pound champion Jaime Munguia, a match that is also interesting in terms of its build-up. 's promoter Oscar De La Hoya and his former client will face off against each other. And protege as entertainment.
Unsurprisingly, “Golden Boy” hints that a changing of the guard is imminent, but that's a pretty big surprise for DraftKings officials, who acquired Alvarez with a -600 pick. It will be.
Weight class: 147 pounds
Main titles held: WBA, WBC, WBO
Conversely, call this recency bias.
Terrence Crawford hasn't done anything in the ring to suggest he's not the best fighter in the world yet, but the fact that he hasn't done much in the ring lately hurts his case.
“Bud,” a native of Nebraska, defeated Errol Spence Jr. in a highly anticipated welterweight unification bout last summer, earning him an undisputed spot in the second division, but in the nine months since, he has fought in rematches and against other fighters. It was natural for him to be demoted from the second class because he did not have a defense match against him.It was a slot that took into account the activities of those currently above him.
That said, Crawford is currently challenging new champion Sebastián Fundora for the WBO title at 154 pounds after exercising his rights as WBO champion at 147 pounds and his status as a mandatory challenger in another weight class. They are on the line to fight.
However, if Fandora chooses to retreat to fight Spence, there could be another long wait.
Weight class: heavyweight
Main titles held: IBF, WBA, WBO
Need proof of how good Oleksandr Usyk is?
Look no further than DraftKings. There, in a fight against a guy (Fury) who has never lost a professional fight, is half a foot taller, and probably weighs at least 30 or 30 bucks, the linemaker actually beat the Ukrainian at -110. Pick up. When we met in May, I was 40 pounds (or more) heavier.
It would have been hard to believe just 29 months ago when Usyk was closing in on his first title challenge against then-champion Anthony Joshua, but two blowout losses to 'A.J.' and one defeated challenger. Daniel Dubois' nine-round finish greatly improved his standing. His profile since then.
However, the gulf between Dubois and Fury is wide, meaning a unification victory would almost guarantee Usyk to maintain his place or move to the top with one rung to go.
Weight class: 122 pounds
Main titles held: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO
There are some certainties in life.
The sun rises in the east. The sun sets in the west.
And Naoya Inoue fights well.
While his colleagues tend to haggle and feel helpless, Japan's “monsters” simply step into the ring, defeating their opponents senselessly, and collecting title belts like energized children snatching Easter eggs. To go.
He went from zero belts to four in five months in the second half of 2023 alone, moving up to 122 pounds in July to take the title from WBC/WBO champion Stephen Fulton (eighth TKO). He reappeared the day after Christmas and won his 10th belt. Round KO of IBF/WBA champion Marlon Tapares.
And he'll be back in just over a month, returning to the Tokyo Dome on May 6th to take on former WBC champion Louis Nery, to whom he once lost, in what is sure to be a near-thriller fight.
At 26-0, 23 KOs, four weight division titles under his belt, the soon-to-be 31-year-old (his birthday is April 10th) is unparalleled, at least for now.
