Well, it was a great spring, wasn't it?
An eventful season for B/R's pound-for-pound boxing rankings came to a close over the weekend in Saudi Arabia, as another fighter who was firmly on the May list found his status in jeopardy.
Russian light heavyweight boxing prospect Dmitry Bivol earned his first stoppage victory in more than six years on Saturday, maintaining his place in this month's elite Top 10 rankings, which includes a heavyweight replacement at the top and a 115-pound newcomer at the bottom.
Our Fighting Staff has racked their brains to talk fighter jets and compile the latest installment in our monthly series, consulting trusted sources such as: ring And others have put together definitive collections.
See what we came up with and share your own thoughts in the comments section.
Weight class: 115 pounds
Main titles: none
Welcome to the party, Mr. Rodriguez.
The 24-year-old fighter known as “Bam” is from San Antonio, Texas, and has made his mark at 112 and 115 pound weight classes, winning title belts in each division and compiling a 19-0 record with 12 knockouts.
He will return to the super flyweight/junior bantamweight division later this month in Phoenix before facing respected veteran and fellow two-division champion Juan Francisco Estrada for the WBC title on June 29.
“The big fights are coming,” Rodriguez said. “I'm here to give the fans the fights they want to see. The fans want entertaining fights, they want fireworks. That's what I'm all about and that's what I'm here for.”
Weight class: 135 pounds
Main titles: White blood cell count
The shakeup elsewhere on the list has seen WBC 135-pound contender Stevenson move up one spot and step into the ring in July.
He'll face No. 6 contender Artem Harutyunyan at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The bout isn't likely to change much in terms of intrigue, but it does give Stevenson a chance to maintain his presence in upcoming bouts against a myriad of opponents from 130 to 147 pounds.
Leading the list of contenders is IBF champion and fellow Top Rank promotional client Vasiliy Lomachenko, who returned to the belt with a win over George Kambosos Jr. on May 12.
Stevenson is pretty sure how this fight will go.
“I think there's a chance I can stop him,” he said, “and if I can't, I'm going to punch him in the face.”
Weight class: 140 pounds
Main titles: WBO
The fighter known as “The Takeover” pulled off one of the biggest surprises of 2023 with his win over Josh Taylor at 140 pounds, but his first title defense, a boring unanimous decision victory over Jermaine Ortiz in February, was nothing short of extraordinary.
So Lopez made a quick comeback and entered the ring for a second title defense against No. 10 contender Steve Clagett on June 29 in Miami Beach.
Claggett, a 34-year-old Canadian, has stopped seven of nine relatively unknown opponents in a winning streak that dates back to 2021.
“I'm excited to see what kind of style the fighter will have,” Lopez said. “No other fighter was interested in fighting me, and I felt like he would put on a great fight, not only for me but for the fans.”
Weight class: 135 pounds
Main titles: WBA
Rematch, schmech match.
The prospect of a much-talked-about second bout between Davis and Ryan Garcia was dealt a blow when Garcia returned a positive drug test prior to his upset win over Devin Haney.
But even if “Tank” doesn't have a chance to challenge “King Rai” anytime soon, that doesn't mean he won't be busy. In fact, Davis is scheduled to defend his WBA lightweight belt against No. 2 ranked fighter Frank Martin on June 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
And he already has a big-event replacement for Garcia: Shakur Stevenson.
“I want Shakur. [Stevenson]”He talks too much,” Davis said. “I stop him. He just runs away.”
Weight class: 175 pounds
Main titles: WBA
Bivol had recorded 11 knockouts in his first 13 bouts and it seemed unlikely he would add to his casualties, but the highly skilled light heavyweight boxer once again looked threatening.
Malik Zinad, who stepped in as a last-minute replacement, suffered a crushing sixth-round defeat in Saudi Arabia on June 1. Bivol was scheduled to face fellow champion Artur Beterbiev in a unification bout, but the bout was called off when Beterbiev injured his knee.
The duel was rescheduled for October 12th.
Bivol's light striking, meanwhile, began with a knockdown in the first round, followed by four rounds of one-sided attacks before a decisive onslaught earned him a TKO at 2 minutes and 6 seconds into the sixth round.
“I believe that my power is always within myself,” Bivol said. “I never doubted it. Of course my power is within myself.”
Weight class: 175 pounds
Main titles: IBF, WBC, WBO
Let's just say that Tyson Fury models are not welcome here.
The former heavyweight titleholder had his unification fight with Oleksandr Usyk postponed due to injury, before recovering and the bout took place, which he ultimately lost.
Beterbiev was scheduled to face Bivol in a unification bout, also in Saudi Arabia, but he withdrew with a knee injury and the bout was rescheduled for October 12.
He'll have better luck with the reboot.
“Unfortunately, injuries in professional sports are not uncommon and anyone can get injured,” Beterbiev said. “I sincerely did not want my next fight to be postponed, but the doctors insisted. This fight will definitely take place, but there will be a slight delay. I thank everyone for their support.”
Weight class: 168 pounds
Main titles: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO
It's official: Canelo is still Canelo.
The cinnamon-haired Mexican superstar made his annual Cinco de Mayo appearance a success on May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, defeating previously unbeaten compatriot Jaime Munguia in a stunning 12-round bout.
It was his fourth undefeated title defense at 168 pounds and keeps him in top spot for big matchups later this year and into 2025.
It could be David Benavidez next. Or it could be someone else. If he knows, Alvarez won't say.
“I don't know right now. I'm going to take a break. I'm going to enjoy some time with my family,” he said. “But if the money is right, I could fight right now.”
Weight class: 147 pounds
Main titles: WBA, WBC, WBO
Now, 11 months after Crawford secured undisputed status in the second weight class with a career-defining win over Errol Spence Jr., it's time to climb a new mountain.
“Bad” will move up to 154 pounds and face unbeaten WBA champion Israil Madrimov on August 3 in Los Angeles. If he wins the bout, he will not only secure his fourth consecutive decision title belt, but he will also keep his hopes of bigger events alive in the future.
The 36-year-old Nebraska boxer has his sights set on 168-pound boxer Canelo Alvarez in a showdown between two superstars with eight titles to their name in the weight classes from 135 to 175 pounds.
“Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez is the biggest fight in boxing right now,” Crawford said. Said X (formerly Twitter): “Whether you like it or not, this is just a fact.”
Weight class: 122 pounds
Main titles: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO
What do you think? Maybe the “monsters” are human after all.
Inoue was knocked down and faced considerable resistance but emerged victorious in his first defense of his undefeated 122-pound title, eventually defeating Luis Nery in the sixth round in a hard-fought bout at the Tokyo Dome on May 6.
It was the 31-year-old boxer's 24th knockout in a 27-fight winning streak since turning pro in 2012, and the latest entry in a Hall of Fame resume that already includes title wins in four weight classes, dominance in two and mostly competitive bouts.
“Inoue is the best fighter I've ever seen,” promoter Bob Arum said. “The best fighter I've ever seen. In my nearly 60 years of boxing, at any weight class or anything, I've never seen a fighter like Inoue.”
Weight class: Heavyweight
Main titles: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO
Considering Inoue’s prowess at 122 pounds, it’s going to take something pretty big to get him moving.
Well, Tyson Fury is pretty big.
So when Usyk left the 260-pound-plus Briton shaking, rattling and tumbling in the ninth round of their unification bout in Saudi Arabia on May 18, it qualified.
Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999 and the first in the sport's four-belt era.
The back-and-forth classic also set the stage for a fascinating rematch on December 21. He also named Anthony Joshua, whom he has already beaten twice, and former champion Andy Ruiz as future opponents.
“If you want to be the best, you have to fight the best,” Usyk said. “The fighters right now are the best and I wanted to fight the best. So yeah, I'll do it. I'll fight regular guys, I'll fight with regular guys. I want to be at the top.”
