A new pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter has emerged, and it's no surprise. Oleksandr Usyk's win over Tyson Fury made him the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era, beating Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford to the top spot for the first time since Lennox Lewis held three belts in 2000.
Usyk's performance was so impressive that even Crawford admitted after the fight that Usyk deserves consideration as the best fighter in the world.
“Well, you should be a little more respectful.” [Usyk] Man,” Crawford wrote in X after the game. “He's definitely a contender for the number one P4P fighter in the world. I don't hate him. He defeated a guy who beat that guy in a bigger division and accomplished what he's already accomplished. Salute bro!”
Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs), a former undefeated cruiserweight champion, joined Crawford, Inoue, Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields as the only boxers to win championships in two weight classes while remaining undefeated in the four-weight era.
“Usyk is the very definition of pound-for-pound,” boxing commentator Timothy Bradley Jr. said of his reasoning for placing Usyk at the top of his list. “He's nearly 40 pounds lighter than Fury, has a seven-inch reach advantage and is six inches taller than Fury, yet he knocked him down. And let's not forget he's also beaten another giant of a man, Anthony Joshua, not once but twice. What he did on Saturday night is truly remarkable.”
Boxing writer Mike Coppinger agreed, moving Usyk from No. 3 to the top of his list.
“You can put anyone in the top spot between Usyk, Crawford and Inoue, but the Ukrainian is at the top of his game pound-for-pound with another win over a much bigger elite heavyweight. What's more, Usyk came close to stopping Fury and then Joshua, and he did this after winning the cruiserweight division.
The loss moves Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) out of the top 10 and clears the way for Teofimo Lopez Jr. to return.
Coppinger, Bradley, Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, Eric Raskin, Michelle Joy Phelps, Claudia Trejos, Bernardo Osuna, Christina Poncher, Eric Woodyard, Bernardo Pilati, Charles – Moynihan, Salvador Rodriguez, Jim Giroli, Michael Mascaro, Aladdin Freeman, Victor Lopez and Damian Delgado Aberhoff will share the same vote.
More on ESPN rankings: division rankings and women's pound-for-pound rankings.
Note: Results are due by May 22nd.
1. Oleksandr Usyk
Previous ranking: 3rd place
record: 22 wins, 0 losses, 14 KOs
Split: Heavyweight (Undisputed Champion)
The final battle: W (SD12) Tyson Fury, May 18th
Next battle: October 12 vs. Tyson Fury
2. Terrence Crawford
Previous ranking: 1st place
record: 40 wins, 0 losses, 31 KOs
Split: Welterweight (unified champion)
The final battle: W (TKO9) Errol Spence Jr., July 29th
Next battle: August 3 vs. Israil Madrimov
3. Naoya InouePrevious ranking: 2nd place
record: 27 wins, 0 losses, 24 KOs
Split: Junior Featherweight (Undisputed Champion)
The final battle: W (KO6) Lewis Nelly, May 6th
Next battle: to be decided
4. Dimitri BivolPrevious ranking: 5th place
record: 22 wins, 0 losses, 11 KOs
Split: Light heavyweight (champion)
The final battle: W (UD12) Lyndon Arthur, December 23
Next battle: June 1st vs. Malik Jinad
5. Canelo AlvarezPrevious ranking: 4th place
record: 61 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws, 39 KOs
Split: Super middleweight (undisputed champion)
The final battle: W (UD12) Jaime Munguia, May 4th
Next battle: to be decided
6. Artur Beterbiev
Previous ranking: 6th place
record: 20 wins, 0 losses, 20 KOs
Split: Light heavyweight (unified champion)
The final battle: W (TKO7) Callum Smith, January 13th
Next battle: to be decided
7. Gervonta DavisPrevious ranking: 7th place
record: 29 wins, 0 losses, 27 KOs
Split: Lightweight (Champion)
The final battle: W (KO7) Ryan Garcia, April 22nd
Next battle: June 15 vs. Frank Martin
8. Shakur StevensonPrevious ranking: 8th
record: 21-0, 10KOs
Split: Lightweight (Champion)
Final Battle: W (UD12) Edwin de los Santos, November 16th
Next battle: July 6 vs. Artem Harutyunyan
9. Jesse “Bam” RodriguezPrevious ranking: 9th place
record: 19 wins, 0 losses, 12 KOs
Split: Flyweight (Champion)
The final battle: W (TKO9) Sunny Edwards, December 16th
Next battle: June 29 vs. Juan Francisco Estrada
10. Teofimo LopezPrevious ranking: N/R
record: 20-1, 13KOs
Split: Junior Welterweight (Champion)
The final battle: W (UD12) Jamaine Ortiz, February 8th
Next battle: June 29 vs. Steve Claggett
formula
Rankings are based on a descending point system, with 10 points awarded for a first place vote and 9 points awarded for a second place vote. Ties are awarded to the fighter with the highest ranking, then the fighter with the most votes in that ranking.
Other voters: Vasily Lomachenko (16), Tyson Fury (12), David Benavidez (12), Errol Spence Jr. (3), Junto Nakatani (3), Devin Haney (1).
How writers vote
Atlas: 1. Usyk, 2. crawford 3. Mr. Inoue Four. Bivol, Five. Davis, 6. lomachenko 7. Fury, 8. Beterbiev 9. alvarez Ten. Benavidez
Bradley: 1. Usyk, 2. crawford 3: Inoue: Four. Bivol, Five. Alvarez, 6. Beterbiev 7. stevenson 8. Davis 9. Rodriguez Ten. Lopez Jr.
Coppinger: 1. Usyk, 2. crawford, 3. Inoue: Four. alvarez Five. Bivol, 6. Beterbiev 7. davis 8. Rodriguez, 9. Mr. Nakatani Ten. Benavidez
Tessitore: 1. Usyk, 2. crawford 3. Mr. Inoue Four. Beterbiev Five. Biborg, 6. stevenson 7. Alvarez 8. Rodriguez, 9. Lopez, Ten. davis
Parkinson's disease: 1. Usyk, 2. Mr. Inoue 3. crawford, Four. alvarez Five. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. lomachenko 8. davis 9. Rodriguez, Ten. Nakatani
Ruskin: 1. Usyk, 2. crawford, 3. Inoue: Four. Bivol, Five. Alvarez 6. stevenson, 7. davis 8. Benavidez 9. Beterbiev Ten. lomachenko
Trejos: 1. Usyk, 2. Mr. Inoue 3. Biborg, Four. alvarez Five. Beterbiev 6. crawford 7. davis 8. Stevenson 9. Rodriguez, Ten. lomachenko
Phelps: 1. Usyk, 2. alvarez 3. Mr. Inoue Four. Crawford Five. Beterbiev 6. Bivol, 7. Fury, 8. lopez 9. davis Ten. Haney
Poncher: 1. Crawford 2. Mr. Inoue 3. Usyk, Four. alvarez Five. Bivol, 6. Beterbiev 7. Stevenson 8. davis 9. Rodriguez Ten. lopez
Osuna: 1. Usyk, 2. Mr. Inoue 3. crawford Four. Biborg, Five. alvarez 6. Beterbiev, 7. Rodriguez 8. stevenson 9. Lopez Ten. davis
Rodriguez: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue 3. crawford Four. Alvarez Five. Bivol, 6. davis 7. Beterbiev 8. Rodriguez 9. stevenson Ten. lomachenko
Woodyard: 1. crawford 2. Mr. Inoue 3. Usyk, Four. Alvarez, Five. Davis, 6. lopez 7. stevenson 8. Biborg, 9. Beterbiev, Ten. fury
Moynihan: 1. crawford, 2. Mr. Inoue 3. Usyk, Four. Alvarez, Five. Beterbiev 6. Bivol, 7. davis 8. Spence 9. stevenson Ten. Benavidez
Pilati: 1. Usyk, 2. Mr. Inoue 3. crawford Four. Bivol, Five. Beterbiev 6. davis 7. Benavidez 8. Rodriguez 9. lomachenko Ten. fury
Giroli: 1. Usyk, 2. crawford 3. Inoue Four. Stevenson, Five. alvarez 6. Beterbiev 7. Bivol, 8. Lopez, 9. Benavidez Ten. Rodriguez
Mascaro: 1. crawford 2. Mr. Inoue 3. Usyk, Four. Beterbiev Five. Bivol, 6. alvarez 7. Rodriguez 8. lopez 9. stevenson Ten. lomachenko
Freeman: 1. crawford 2. Mr. Inoue 3. Usyk, Four. Beterbiev, Five. Bivol, 6. alvarez 7. stevenson 8. Rodriguez, 9. davis Ten. Lomachenko
Lopez: 1. Crawford 2. Usyk, 3. Mr. Inoue Four. alvarez Five. Biborg, 6. Beterbiev, 7. davis 8. Rodriguez 9. stevenson Ten. lopez
Delgado Apferhoff: 1. Mr. Inoue 2. Usyk, 3. crawford Four. Bivol, Five. Alvarez 6. Beterbiev 7. davis 8. Rodriguez 9. Fury, Ten. Stevenson
ESPN Expert Poll
First place: Usyk (12) Crawford (6), Inoue (1)
Second place: Inoue (10), Crawford (6), Inoue (2), Alvarez (1)
Third place: Inoue (8), Usyk (5), Crawford (5), Bivol (1)
4th: Alvarez (8), Bivol (6), Beterbiev (3), Crawford (1), Stevenson (1)
5th place: Bivol (7), Alvarez (5), Beterbiev (5), Davis (2)
6th place: Beterbiev (7), Bivol (3), Alvarez (2), Davis (2), Stevenson (2), Crawford (1), Lopez (1), Lomachenko (1)
7th place: Davis (6), Stevenson (4), Rodriguez (2), Fury (2), Bivol (1), Alvarez (1), Beterbiev (1), Lomachenko (1), Benavidez (1)
8th place: Rodriguez (7), Davis (3), Lopez (3), Stevenson (2), Bivol (1), Beterbiev (1), Benavidez (1), Spence (1)
9th place: Stevenson (4), Rodriguez (4), Beterbiev (2), Davis (2), Lopez (2), Alvarez (1), Lomachenko (1), Fury (1), Benavidez (1), Nakatani (1)
10th: Lomachenko (5), Lopez (3), Benavidez (3), Davis (2), Fury (2), Stevenson (1), Rodriguez (1), Nakatani (1), Haney (1)
