The lightweight division was on display over the last month, with the 135-pound top dogs—Vasyl Lomachenko, Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis—picking up wins and a new star, George Kambosos, emerging following a stunning upset over Teófimo López. Meanwhile Terence Crawford made his first statement at welterweight and an old lion reclaimed his place on the pound-for-pound list.
1. Saul “Canelo” Álvarez
Record: 57-1-2
Last Month: 1
Last Fight: TKO 11 Caleb Plant
Next Fight: TBD
In stopping Caleb Plant, 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. At 31, Álvarez is at the peak of his powers, a rare blend of speed, power and skill, coupled with the best résumé in boxing. For his next trick: Álvarez is eyeballing a move up to cruiserweight in an attempt to become a five-division world champion.
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2. Terence Crawford
Record: 38–0
Last Month: 3
Last Fight: TKO win over Shawn Porter
Next Fight: TBD
If there was a criticism of Crawford it was that his résumé at 147-pounds was relatively weak. That criticism faded after Crawford became the first fighter to stop Porter, dropping him twice in the 10th round before Porter’s corner threw in the towel. Crawford, 34, is now a promotional free agent, increasing the chances we see Crawford against other top welterweights in 2022—including his top rival, Errol Spence Jr.
3. Oleksandr Usyk
Record: 19–0
Last Month: 2
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 in 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 next year, though there have been discussions about Joshua stepping aside to allow Usyk to face Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
4. Naoya Inoue
Record: 21–0
Last Month: 4
Last Fight: KO win over Michael Dasmariñas
Next Fight: 12/14 vs. Aran Dipaen
The unified bantamweight titleholder is the most devastating puncher in the lighter weight classes, with all but three of his wins coming by knockout. Inoue will make a homecoming fight in Japan in December before targeting bigger fights—which could include a rematch against Nonito Donaire—in 2022.
5. Errol Spence Jr.
Record: 27–0
Last Month: 5
Last Fight: UD win over Danny Garcia
Next Fight: TBA
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 Spence is expected to return in 2022, potentially to face the winner of the WBA’s box-off to determine its full titleholder. After that, it’s either a showdown with Crawford or a move to 154 pounds.
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 résumé. 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 in what would be a huge showdown between two top British fighters.
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7. Josh Taylor
Record: 18–0
Last Month: 7
Last Fight: UD win José Ramirez
Next Fight: 2/26 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 Ramirez this year. Taylor will face Catterall, a mandatory challenger, early next year, 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: 9
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 Dec. 11 was Loma’s second straight since an upset loss to Teófimo López last year. The question now: What will Lomachenko do next? He wants a crack at George Kambosos, the new lightweight king who knocked off Lopez last month, but Kambosos may have more lucrative options. If Kambosos isn’t there, a drop down to 130-pounds—where Shakur Stevenson and Óscar Valdez wait—may be the best option.
9. Román González
Record: 50–3
Last Month: 10
Last Fight: SD loss Juan Francisco Estrada
Next Fight: TBD
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. González and Estrada are likely to run it back a third time early next year.
10. Nonito Donaire
Record: 42–6
Last Month: Not ranked
Last Fight: KO over Reymart Gaballo
Next Fight: TBD
Rarely do you see fighters in their late 30s surge in the pound-for-pound rankings. But there are not many fighters like Donaire, who at 39 picked up his second straight win since a decision defeat to Naoya Inoue last year, stopping Gaballo, a fellow Filipino, in the fourth round. Since returning to bantamweight in 2018, Donaire has won four of his last five, showcasing devastating power along the way. Next 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 the winner between Román González and Juan Francisco Estrada. In the smaller weight classes, there are few fights bigger than that.
