In the aftermath of Terence Crawford’s abrupt retirement, the question emerged: Who is No. 1? Crawford’s win over Canelo Álvarez last September solidified him—temporarily at least—as the top fighter in boxing with his retirement sparking debate over whether Oleksandr Usyk or Naoya Inoue deserved the top spot.
More interesting: Who’s No. 3? Usyk and Inoue (or Inoue and Usyk) are 1–2 in virtually every pound-for-pound ranking. After that, it’s debatable. Dmitry Bivol is well credentialed after his win over Artur Beterbiev last year, while Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has been rising the rankings as he has risen in weight.
