Two returning veterans, two important fights, two very different outcomes.
Let’s begin with Keith Thurman, the former unified welterweight champion who returned on February 5th. In his first fight since July 2019, Thurman looked solid, defeating Mario Barrios, an ex-secondary titleholder at 140-pounds, by wide decision. The crushing power that Thurman flashed early in his career wasn’t there—Thurman, in fact, has not scored a knockout since 2015—but Thurman looked sharp, wobbling Barrios early before cruising to the end. The win catapults Thurman back in the 147-pound title mix. Can he secure the winner of the welterweight unification fight between Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugás? Perhaps. A better option could be Terence Crawford, a promotional free agent who is looking for a pay per view quality opponent.
Move ahead to last Saturday, when Daniel Jacobs ended a 15-month layoff by traveling to the U.K. to take on John Ryder. Jacobs, 35, looked good early, using his size advantage to keep Ryder from getting on the inside. Ryder, though, surged in the second half of the fight, taking advantage of Jacobs’ inactivity—and bizarre decision to switch to southpaw—to climb back in it. The result: A narrow, somewhat controversial, decision win for Ryder, a veteran super middleweight who knows a thing or two about being on the wrong end of close decisions.
Jacobs has no plans to retire, though at 35 the clock is working against him. His team could pursue a matchup with Jermall Charlo—that’s a fight that’s been discussed for years. Jacobs could also consider a return to middleweight. His three fights above 160 pounds have been uninspiring, and if he can make the weight, he should consider it.
On to February’s pound-for-pound rankings …
1. Saul “Canelo” Álvarez
Record: 57-1-2
Last Month: 1
Last Fight: TKO 11 Caleb Plant
Next Fight: TBD
In stopping Caleb Plant in November, Álvarez completed an astonishing 11-month stretch that featured three wins over undefeated fighters (Plant, Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders) and collecting all four super middleweight titles, becoming the first undisputed 168-pound champion in the four-belt era. Up next: Álvarez is reportedly leaning towards a two-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing that would see him jump up to light heavyweight to challenge Dmitry Bivol for a 175-pound title. If successful, he will drop down for a highly anticipated third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin.
2. Terence Crawford
Record: 38–0
Last Month: 2
Last Fight: TKO win over Shawn Porter
Next Fight: TBD
If there was a criticism of Crawford it was that his resume at 147-pounds was relatively weak. That criticism faded after Crawford became the first fighter to stop Porter, dropping him twice in the tenth round before Porter’s corner threw in the towel. The 34-year-old is now a promotional free agent, though there has been an eery silence about his future. Thurman’s win could present Crawford with an appealing opponent—if PBC can make the money work
3. Oleksandr Usyk
Record: 19–0
Last Month: 3
Last Fight: UD win over Anthony Joshua
Next Fight: TBD
Three years removed from winning the undisputed cruiserweight, Usyk picked up three pieces of the heavyweight title, stunning Anthony Joshua last October. Usyk looked like an elite heavyweight in his third fight in the division, blending high level skills—Usyk won gold in the 2012 Olympics at heavyweight—with a filled out frame. Usyk is tentatively scheduled to face Joshua in a rematch in the spring, with the winner headed towards a showdown with Tyson Fury before the end of the year.
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4. Naoya Inoue
Record: 22–0
Last Month: 4
Last Fight: TKO win vs. Aran Dipaen
Next Fight: TBD
The unified bantamweight title holder is the most devastating puncher in the lighter weight classes, with all but three of his wins coming by knockout. He picked up and eighth round TKO win over Aran Dipaen in December and could be headed towards a rematch with Nonito Donaire—the biggest fight the bantamweight division has to offer.
5. Errol Spence Jr.
Record: 27-0
Last Month: 5
Last Fight: UD win over Danny Garcia
Next Fight: April 16 vs. Yordenis Ugás
Spence, 31, is the most accomplished fighter in the 147-pound division, with wins over Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia and Kell Brook. An eye injury forced Spence to withdraw from a high profile fight against Manny Pacquiao, but he is back in April in a recently announced title unification fight against Yordenis Ugás. A win over Ugás would further solidify Spence’s place atop the weight class. But will it lead to a showdown with Terence Crawford?
6. Tyson Fury
Record: 31-0-1
Last Month: 6
Last Fight: KO win Deontay Wilder
Next Fight: TBD
Rarely do heavyweights appear on pound-for-pound lists, but Fury, 33, blends impressive boxing skills with a strong resume. Early career wins over Dereck Chisora and Wladimir Klitschko have been eclipsed by back-to-back knockouts of Deontay Wilder. While awaiting the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua rematch, Fury is expected to face Dillian Whyte—that fight is reportedly just waiting for Whyte’s signature—in April in what would be a huge showdown between two top British fighters.
7. Josh Taylor
Record: 18–0
Last Month: 7
Last Fight: UD win José Ramírez
Next Fight: Feb. 26 vs. Jack Catterall
Taylor, 30, followed up a clean sweep of the World Boxing Super Series 140-pound tournament—which included wins over then unbeaten Ryan Martin, Ivan Baranchyk and Regis Prograis—with a title unifying win over José Ramírez this year. Taylor will face Catterall, a mandatory challenger, later this month, before potentially deciding between staying at 140 or moving up to 147 for a shot at Terence Crawford—the last undisputed junior welterweight champion.
8. Vasyl Lomachenko
Record: 16–2
Last Month: 8
Last Fight: UD win over Richard Commey
Next Fight: TBD
No titles, no problem for Lomachenko, who even belt-less is the most talented fighter in the 135-pound division. A dominant decision win over Richard Commey on December 11th was Loma’s second straight since an upset loss to Teófimo López last year. The question now: What will Lomachenko do next? I’m told negotiations for a showdown against recently crowned lightweight kingpin George Kambosos are progressing—Lomachenko is willing to face Kambosos not once, but twice in Australia—with Loma eager to be crowned a four-belt champion in the lightweight division.
9. Román González
Record: 50–3
Last Month: 9
Last Fight: SD loss Juan Francisco Estrada
Next Fight: 3/5 vs. Julio Cesar Martinez
Officially, González lost his Fight of the Year caliber rematch with Estrada last spring. But most ringside observers—including this one—had Chocolatito winning, so he benefits from that in these rankings. González, 34, has enjoyed a resurgence since absorbing back-to-back knockout losses to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017, with wins over Khalid Yafai and Israel González, before getting robbed by the judges against Estrada. Next up, González will face Martinez in what will be a banger—for as long as it lasts.
10. Nonito Donaire
Record: 42–6
Last Month: 10
Last Fight: KO over Reymart Gaballo
Next Fight: TBD
Rarely do you see fighters in their late 30’s surge in the pound-for-pound rankings. But there are not many fighter like Donaire, who at 39 picked up his second straight win since a decision defeat to Naoya Inoue in 2020, stopping Gaballo, a fellow Filippino, in the fourth round. Since returning to bantamweight in 2018, Donaire has won four of his last five, showcasing devastating power along the way. This year could be even bigger: Donaire has called for a rematch with Inoue. He also told Sports Illustrated he is willing to drop to 115-pounds—if it means he can get a crack at Román González. In the smaller weight classes, there are few fights bigger than that.
