A few takeaways from an incredible week in boxing …
- What was most impressive about Terence “Bud” Crawford’s one-sided win over Errol Spence Jr. was how easy Crawford made it look. For years the boxing world has been waiting for Crawford to square off against a peer. When he did, he made it obvious he doesn’t have one, at least not at welterweight, where Crawford dispatched Spence by landing 50% of his total punches, per CompuBox and a whopping 60% of his power shots.
- It took 15 years, but Crawford is now in that sweet spot where his skill will meet opportunity. Spence has the right to a rematch, and he said after the fight he intends to exercise it, preferably at 154 pounds. Crawford said he had no problem doing a second fight at junior middleweight, which could set Crawford up for some lucrative matchups. Another win over Spence could lead to a fight with Jermell Charlo, the undisputed 154-pound champion who will climb up in weight next month to take on Canelo Álvarez. It would also present Crawford with the chance to become an undisputed titleholder in a third weight class, an unprecedented accomplishment in the four-belt era.
- If I’m Spence, I think long and hard about whether I want that rematch. Spence clearly has outgrown 147 pounds, and the weight drain may have contributed to his timing issues, as he suggested. But at 147 or 154, Crawford will be a huge favorite in a rematch. I’ve said it before: Spence has not looked like the same fighter since returning from a near-tragic car accident in 2019. An immediate rematch with Crawford may not be in his best interest. A safer option could be Keith Thurman, a longtime rival who has been calling for a fight with Spence at 154 pounds.
- Naoya Inoue’s knockout win over Stephen Fulton—which feels like a lifetime ago given the electricity of Crawford-Spence—was simply dominant. Fulton came into the fight the undefeated, unquestioned top man at 122 pounds. And in his debut at super bantamweight, Inoue wiped him out. All the power, speed and accuracy advantages Inoue possessed between 108 and 118 pounds stayed with him at his new weight; against the defensive minded Fulton, Inoue landed 38.9% of his power shots, per CompuBox, a strong number.
- There were some social media suggestions that Inoue could move up all the way up to 135 pounds to face Gervonta Davis in what would be a massive global event. I’m not seeing it. Inoue began his career at 108 pounds and suggested this week he might spend a few years at 122. He’ll most certainly climb to 126 pounds eventually and could reach 130. But the idea that he could go up to 135 to face one of boxing’s biggest punchers feels far-fetched.
On to Sports Illustrated’s latest pound-for-pound rankings.
IMAGO/AFLOSPORT (Inoue); John Locher/AP (Crawford)
1. Terence Crawford
Record: 40–0
Last Month: 1
Last Fight: TKO win vs. Errol Spence Jr.
Next Fight: TBD
Perhaps the only way for Crawford to beat back Inoue for the top spot was to look dominant. And he was, battering Spence over eight-plus rounds, dropping the unified champion three times before the referee waved it off. Crawford has knocked out every opponent he has faced since moving up to 147 pounds—eight in total—and at 35 established himself as the unquestioned welterweight king. A rematch with Spence could be next. If it doesn’t, there will be calls for Crawford to defend his titles against Jaron “Boots” Ennis, an undefeated interim titleholder whom many see as the heir apparent at 147.
2. Naoya Inoue
Record: 25–0
Last Month: 4
Last Fight: TKO win vs. Stephen Fulton
Next Fight: TBD
Inoue made his debut at 122 pounds in style, knocking out the No. 1 fighter in the division and claiming two belts in the process. Inoue bullied the bigger Fulton from the opening bell, slashing Fulton with hard jabs to the head and body while rocking him with blistering combinations. By the second round the only question was whether Fulton would see the final bell. Marlon Tapales, super bantamweight’s other 122-pound titleholder, climbed into the ring for a photo op after the fight. An Inoue-Tapales matchup is tentatively ticketed for the fall, which would give Inoue a chance to match Crawford as an undisputed titleholder in a second weight class.
3. Oleksandr Usyk
Record: 20–0
Last Month: 2
Last Fight: SD win vs. Anthony Joshua
Next Fight: Aug. 26 vs. Daniel Dubois
Only Canelo Álvarez can claim a better résumé than Usyk, whose accomplishments include wins over Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis and Tony Bellew at cruiserweight and 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 in August.
4. Saul “Canelo” Álvarez
Record: 59-2-2
Last Month: 3
Last Fight: UD win vs. Gennadiy Golovkin
Next Fight: Sept. 30 vs. Jermell Charlo
In May, Álvarez returned home to Guadalajara, Mexico, successfully defending his 168-pound titles against John Ryder. While Álvarez is not the fearsome predator he was between 2018 and ’21 he remains near the top of his game, evidenced by the one-sided battering of Ryder, who was coming off two career-best wins. After marching through most of Eddie Hearn’s stable, Álvarez 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 matchup of undisputed titleholders in the four-belt era.
5. Tyson Fury
Record: 32-0-1
Last Month: 6
Last Fight: KO win vs. Derek Chisora
Next Fight: Oct. 28 vs. Francis Ngannou
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. So Fury will travel to Saudi Arabia to take on Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion who will attempt to beat Fury in his boxing debut.
6. Dmitry Bivol
Record: 21–0
Last Month: 7
Last Fight: UD win vs. Gilberto Ramírez
Next Fight: TBD
Bivol, 32, locked up 2022 Fighter of the Year with an impressive performance against the undefeated Ramírez last November. After outmuscling the smaller Álvarez last May, Bivol did the same to Ramírez, a physically bigger fighter, backing Ramírez up 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. More likely, Bivol will return in the fall.
7. Devin Haney
Record: 30–0
Last Month: 8
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 Vasyl Lomachenko. He will continue to build that résumé in his next fight: Haney is closing in on a deal to face 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis. It would give Haney an opportunity to win a title in a second weight class—and beat arguably the top man in the division to do it.
8. Shakur Stevenson
Record: 20–0
Last Month: 9
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 has publicly campaigned for a crack at Haney, who appears headed for 140 pounds. That will likely leave Stevenson to fight for a vacant title, possibly against Lomachenko, which would match two former Olympic medalists and two of the most skilled fighters in the 135-pound division.
9. Gervonta Davis
Record: 29–0
Last Month: 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. Davis will likely fight once more in 2023, with Isaac Cruz and Chris Colbert among the candidates to face him.
10. Errol Spence Jr.
Record: 28–1
Last Month: 5
Last Fight: TKO loss vs. Terence Crawford
Next Fight: TBD
Spence came up short in his highly anticipated showdown against Crawford, getting dropped three times before the fight was stopped in the ninth round. A career-long welterweight, Spence, 33, will head north to 154 pounds for his next fight. Will it be against Crawford? Spence has the contractual right to a rematch, but it may be wiser to take a fight (or two) at junior middleweight before getting back in with Bud.
