July will be the most significant month for the pound-for-pound rankings we have seen in years. Maybe ever.
On July 25, Stephen Fulton, the unified 122-pound champion, will travel to Japan to take on Naoya Inoue, the former undisputed 118-pound kingpin. It’s a dare-to-be-great moment for both: Fulton, the undefeated boxer-puncher who had one foot out of the super bantamweight division, will travel to foreign territory to defend his titles. Inoue, one of boxing’s hardest hitters, will jump up in weight to face the best fighter in the division.
A few days later, in Las Vegas, the big one: Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford, two pound-for-pound stalwarts who will square off for the undisputed 147-pound championship. How big is Spence-Crawford? It’s arguably boxing’s biggest fight since Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao—and in the ring will likely turn out significantly better.
Come August there could a major shakeup on the pound-for-pound list. Does an Inoue win over Fulton propel him to the top spot? Does a Crawford win solidify his hold on it? What about Spence, who has one of boxing’s best résumés? Does a win over his longtime rival move him to No. 1?
Get ready for a big month.
On to Sports Illustrated’s latest pound-for-pound rankings, which were last published in April.
Sarah Stier/USA TODAY Sports
1. Terence Crawford
Record: 39–0
Last Rank: 1
Last Fight: KO win vs. David Avanesyan
Next Fight: 7/29 vs. Errol Spence Jr.
Crawford ended a 13-month layoff last December, successfully defending his 147-pound title with a spectacular sixth-round knockout of Avanesyan. It was the 10th straight stoppage win for Crawford that reestablished the three-division champion—at least in these rankings—as boxing’s pound-for-pound king. A chance to solidify and perhaps cement Crawford’s spot at the top is right around the corner: On July 29, Crawford will—finally—face Spence in a long anticipated welterweight unification fight.
2. Oleksandr Usyk
Record: 20–0
Last Rank: 2
Last Fight: SD win vs. Anthony Joshua
Next Fight: 8/26 vs. Daniel Dubois
Only Canelo Alvarez can claim a better résumé than Usyk, whose accomplishments include 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. Efforts to make a unification fight with Tyson Fury failed, so Usyk will defend his three heavyweight belts in Poland against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois next month.
3. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
Record: 59-2-2
Last Rank: 3
Last Fight: UD win vs. Gennadiy Golovkin
Next Fight: 9/30 vs. Jermell Charlo
In May, Alvarez returned home to Guadalajara, Mexico, successfully defending his 168-pound titles against John Ryder. While Alvarez is not the fearsome predator he was between 2018 and ’21, he remains near the top of his game, evidenced by the one-side battering of Ryder, who was coming off two career-best wins. After marching through most of Eddie Hearn’s stable, Alvarez has shifted allegiances to PBC, signing a three-fight deal with Al Haymon’s company last month. First up: Jermell Charlo, the undisputed 154-pound champion in men’s boxing’s first-ever matchup of undisputed titleholders in the four-belt era.
4. Naoya Inoue
Record: 24–0
Last Rank: 4
Last Fight: KO win vs. Paul Butler
Next Fight: 7/25 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 crowned Inoue the undisputed champion of the division. Inoue didn’t waste any time going after another undisputed crown, quickly closing a deal to face unified 122-pound titleholder Stephen Fulton.. A win by Inoue would give him a strong case to move up the rankings—possibly to No. 1.
5. Errol Spence Jr.
Record: 28–0
Last Rank: 5
Last Fight: TKO win vs. Yordenis Ugas
Next Fight: 7/29 vs. Terence Crawford
Spence, 33, continued his assault on the top names in the welterweight division in April 2022, 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. Up next, Crawford, in a matchup that will settle a years-long debate over who is boxing’s top welterweight.
6. Tyson Fury
Record: 32-0-1
Last Rank: 6
Last Fight: KO win vs. 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, 34, is unquestionably the class of the heavyweight division, with a deep résumé 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 left Fury without an opponent. Fury is now closing in on a fight with Francis Ngannou, the ex-UFC heavyweight champion, with an eye on rekindling talks with Usyk later in the year.
7. Dmitry Bivol
Record: 21–0
Last Rank: 7
Last Fight: UD win vs. Gilberto Ramirez
Next Fight: TBD
Bivol, 32, locked up the 2022 Fighter of the Year with an impressive performance against the undefeated Ramirez last November. After outmuscling the smaller Canelo Alvarez last May, Bivol did the same to Ramirez, a physically bigger fighter, backing up Ramirez with the jab and battering him with combinations. Talks of a rematch with Canelo ultimately fizzled, leaving Bivol without a clear option. Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, says Bivol could return in a stay-busy fight this summer.
8. Devin Haney
Record: 30–0
Last Rank: 9
Last Fight: UD win vs. Vasyl Lomachenko.
Next Fight: TBD
Haney, 24, continues to build an impressive résumé, following up back-to-back wins over George Kambosos with a narrow decision win over Lomachenko in May. A promotional free agent, Haney has some decisions to make. Hearn has offered him a fight with Regis Prograis, a 140-pound titleholder. Or Haney, a career-long lightweight, can stay at 135 pounds and pursue fights with Gervonta Davis or Shakur Stevenson. Either way, Haney stands to make a lot of money.
9. Shakur Stevenson
Record: 20–0
Last Rank: 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 publicly campaigning for a crack at Haney, who may move up to 140 pounds. If he does, expect Stevenson to get an opportunity to fight for a vacant title later this year.
10. Gervonta Davis
Record: 29–0
Last Rank: 10
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 sport’s top finishers. Haney has called for a fight with Davis, which would match the division’s top fighter against its biggest star.
