For Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, the hours after Gervonta “Tank” Davis’s knockout win over Ryan Garcia amounted to a victory lap. For years Ellerbe had declared Davis one of boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighters. After a dominant performance against Garcia, Ellerbe had the receipts to back it up.
“You guys have not seen what a terrific boxer Tank is,” Ellerbe told a group of reporters. “He’s a complete fighter. That’s the makeup of a complete fighter.”
John Locher/AP
Asked if Davis was the best fighter in the world, Ellerbe smiled.
“Who’s been saying that all along?” Ellerbe asked. “He’s able to adapt to any style. He’s going to show each and every one of these fighters why he is the best.”
On to Sports Illustrated’s latest pound-for-pound rankings.
1. Terence Crawford
Record: 39–0
Last Month: 1
Last Fight: KO win David Avanesyan
Next Fight: TBD
Crawford ended a 13-month layoff in December, successfully defending his 147-pound title with a spectacular sixth round knockout of Avanesyan. It was the tenth straight stoppage win for Crawford that reestablished the three-division champion—at least in these rankings—as boxing’s pound-for-pound king. So what’s next? The buzz has picked up about talks for an anticipated showdown with Errol Spence Jr. and there is optimism from those involved that a summertime deal could get done.
2. Oleksandr Usyk
Record: 20–0
Last Month: 2
Last Fight: SD win Anthony Joshua
Next Fight: TBD
Only Canelo Álvarez can claim a better resumé than Usyk, whose accomplishments includes wins over Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis and Tony Bellew at cruiserweight and now a pair of wins over Anthony Joshua at heavyweight. Usyk has settled nicely into boxing’s glamour division, finding a comfortable weight (around 221 pounds) and fighting style that has made him tough to beat. At the time of the last rankings, Usyk and Tyson Fury were closing in on a deal that would crown an undisputed heavyweight champion. Those negotiations failed (over a rematch clause, no less) and Usyk will likely move on to one of his mandatory challengers, with Daniel Dubois the early frontrunner.
3. Saul “Canelo” Álvarez
Record: 58-2-2
Last Month: 3
Last Fight: UD win Gennadiy Golovkin
Next Fight: May 6 vs. John Ryder
The third fight between Álvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin in September didn’t match the intensity of the first two but it did establish the first clear winner in one of boxing’s better rivalries and it did put Álvarez, 32, back in the win column after last May’s upset loss to Dmitry Bivol. Álvarez is fully recovered from hand surgery and will face mandatory challenger John Ryder in May. A win could lead to a marketable fight with Benavidez or a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, a fight that Álvarez insists he wants next.
4. Naoya Inoue
Record: 24–0
Last Month: 4
Last Fight: KO win vs. Paul Butler
Next Fight: TBD vs. Stephen Fulton
Inoue cemented his status as the top 118-pound fighter in boxing—and one of the top fighters in the world—with a lopsided knockout win over Butler that made Inoue boxing’s fourth current undisputed champion. Inoue didn’t waste any time going after another undisputed crown, quickly closing a deal to face unified 122-pound titleholder Stephen Fulton. An injury to Inoue will delay that fight until the summer. A win would give him a strong case to move up the rankings—possibly to No. 1
5. Errol Spence Jr.
Record: 28–0
Last Month: 5
Last Fight: TKO win vs. Yordenis Ugas
Next Fight: TBD
Spence, 33, continued his assault on the top names in the welterweight division last April, stopping Yordenis Ugas to pick up a third piece of the 147-pound title. Despite a series of serious injuries—a car crash in 2019, an eye injury that forced him out of a scheduled fight with Manny Pacquiao in 2021, a December collision that left Spence with minor bumps and bruises—Spence continues to roll through the best fighters in his weight class. In the middle of a lengthy layoff, Spence has rekindled talks with Crawford for a showdown that would crown an undisputed welterweight champion. And potentially a new pound-for-pound No. 1.
6. Tyson Fury
Record: 32-0-1
Last Month: 6
Last Fight: KO win Derek Chisora
Next Fight: TBD
A December matchup against British rival Chisora went as expected, with Fury battering Chisora for the better part of 10 rounds before the referee mercifully stopped the fight. Fury is unquestionably the class of the heavyweight division, with a deep resumé that includes a win over Wladimir Klitschko and two over Deontay Wilder. The collapse of talks with Oleksandr Usyk was bizarre—both Fury and Usyk have well-earned reputations for finding a way to make fights—and leaves Fury without a clear next opponent. Andy Ruiz is reportedly in the running to face Fury this summer. Zhilei Zhang, who knocked out Joe Joyce this month, is also in the mix.
7. Dmitry Bivol
Record: 21–0
Last Month: 7
Last Fight: UD win Gilberto Ramirez
Next Fight: TBD
Bivol, 32, locked up the 2022 Fighter of the Year with an impressive performance against the undefeated Ramirez. After outmuscling the smaller Canelo Álvarez last May, Bivol did the same to Ramirez, a physically bigger fighter, backing up Ramirez with the jab and battering him with combinations. With a rematch with Canelo looming in the fall, Bivol won’t make any decisions until it’s clear what Álvarez plans for September.
8. Shakur Stevenson
Record: 20–0
Last Month: 8
Last Fight: TKO win vs. Shuichiro Yoshino
Next Fight: TBD
Stevenson, 25, began his journey to become a three-division world champion by dominating the unbeaten Yoshino in his 135-pound debut. While Stevenson’s defense continues to be near impregnable, he continues to show a willingness to stay in the pocket. He landed 50% of his punches against Yoshino, per CompuBox, including 104 power shots. Stevenson is targeting the winner of May’s showdown between Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko. If Lomachenko wins, Stevenson will likely get his shot. A Haney win could lead Stevenson to fight for a vacant title in his next fight.
9. Devin Haney
Record: 29–0
Last Month: 10
Last Fight: UD win George Kambosos
Next Fight: May 20 vs. Vasyl Lomachenko.
Haney, 24, joined the rankings in November after a second straight decisive win over former titleholder George Kambosos. Traveling to Australia (again), Haney, operating behind a smooth jab and stinging right hands, dominated Kambosos. The win caps a solid two-year run for Haney that includes wins over Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz Jr. and Kambosos. Haney should get a chance to burnish his credentials next year: Up next: A long anticipated showdown with Vasyl Lomachenko, ticketed for May 20.
10. Gervonta Davis
Record: 29-0
Last Month: NR
Last Fight: KO win vs. Ryan Garcia
Next Fight: TBD
For years, Davis, 28, has been one of boxing’s biggest draws. A win over Garcia has firmly established him as one of boxing’s top talents. Facing the heavy-handed Garcia, Davis was dominant. He dropped Garcia with a counter left in the second round and finished him with a body shot in the seventh. He showcased defense, skills and patience while reaffirming his status as one of the sports top finishers. If Haney defeats Lomachenko, a showdown between the two stars would be a major event.
