A few takeaways from Devin Haney’s decisive decision win over Regis Prograis on Saturday …
This was a boxing clinic
Haney, a 4-to-1 favorite coming in, was expected to win. But he certainly wasn’t expected to dominate. As good as Haney looked winning two fights against George Kambosos Jr. and as impressive as a narrow decision win over Vasyl Lomachenko was, this performance against Prograis—a rare 120–107 decision on all three judges scorecards—was his finest. Combining his usual tight defense with increased power in the 140-pound division, Haney battered Prograis, who had reigned at or near the top of the weight class for the better part of a decade.
Haney is on a Mayweather-ian path
No one is ready to say Haney is Floyd Mayweather Jr. But at age 25 he has more wins (31) than Mayweather (28) at that age, been in one fewer title fight (10) and headlined two pay-per-views. A sellout crowd of more than 16,000 at the Chase Center on Saturday—which followed the 14,400 fans that saw Haney-Lomachenko in Las Vegas last spring—is evidence that Haney, like Mayweather, is becoming a draw. With elite skills, a sharp jab and fast developing power, Haney is going to be difficult for anyone to beat.
Haney backs up the talk
A lot of guys talk. Haney backs it up. He beat a still dangerous Jorge Linares, went to Australia to face Kambosos Jr. (twice) and defended his 135-pound titles against Lomachenko in his first fight back. In his debut at 140 pounds, Haney outclassed one of the best in the division. Haney takes a lot of flak from his peers. But his résumé is as good or better than all of them.
Prograis has some decisions to make
There’s no shame in losing to Haney. And Progais insists that he will fight on. But at 34, he’s reached a career crossroads. His win over Danielito Zorrilla was disappointing and he couldn’t do anything with Haney. There’s depth at 140 pounds, but to put himself back in the title mix, Prograis will have to beat younger, skilled contenders like Richardson Hitchins, Liam Paro or Jack Catterall. It will be difficult.
On to Sports Illustrated’s latest pound-for-pound rankings.
1. Terence Crawford
Record: 40–0
Last Month: 1
Last Fight: TKO win Errol Spence Jr.
Next Fight: TBD
Crawford’s anticipated showdown with Errol Spence Jr. in July proved anticlimactic, with the three-division champion battering Spence over eight-plus rounds, dropping the unified titleholder 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 36, established himself as the unquestioned welterweight king. Spence activated an immediate rematch clause, but Crawford’s ability to control the weight—Spence is unlikely to run it back at 147—makes the future of that fight murky. Crawford prefers to move up—way up—to super middleweight to challenge Canelo Álvarez.
2. Naoya Inoue
Record: 25–0
Last Month: 2
Last Fight: TKO win vs. Stephen Fulton
Next Fight: 12/26 vs. Marlon Tapales
Inoue made his debut at 122 pounds in style, knocking out Fulton, the No. 1 fighter in the division, and claiming two belts in the process. Inoue bullied the bigger Fulton from the opening bell, slashing him with hard jabs to the head and body while rocking Fulton with blistering combinations. By the second round, the only question was if Fulton would see the final bell. On Dec. 26th, Inoue will attempt to become a two-time undisputed champion when he takes on Tapales, a former bantamweight titleholder who holds the other two belts at 122 pounds.
3. Oleksandr Usyk
Record: 21–0
Last Month: 3
Last Fight: TKO win vs. Daniel Dubois
Next Fight: 2/17 vs. Tyson Fury
Only Álvarez can claim a better resume 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. Last August, Usyk, 36, stopped Daniel Dubois in the ninth round to retain his three versions of the heavyweight title. In February, Usyk will get the chance to add the final piece when he takes on Tyson Fury, the lineal heavyweight champion.
4. Saul “Canelo” Álvarez
Record: 60-2-2
Last Month: 4
Last Fight: UD win Jermell Charlo
Next Fight: TBD
Against Jermell Charlo, Álvarez silenced the skeptics who suggested the Mexican star has lost a step, dominating Charlo en route to a lopsided decision. Álvarez no longer overwhelms opponents with combination punching and his defense has evolved to be more about parrying than slipping shots, but he remains a force in the super middleweight division. Álvarez, 33, told reporters last week that he has not made any decisions on his next opponent but sources told Sports Illustrated that middleweight champion Jermall Charlo, who picked up a wide decision win over José Benavidez Jr. last month, is a frontrunner to face Álvarez in May.
Jeff Chiu/AP
5. Devin Haney
Record: 31–0
Last Month: 7
Last Fight: UD win vs Regis Prograis.
Next Fight: TBD
Against Prograis, Haney flashed a little bit of everything: skill (Haney landed 47% of his punches, per CompuBox), power (Haney dropped Prograis in the third round and connected on 46.5% of his power shots) and defense (Prograis’s 36 punches landed set a CompuBox record for fewest punches landed in a 12-round fight). Haney continues to flirt with a move to 147 pounds, but the money fights (Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis, Teofimo Lopez) are at 140, where Haney looks stronger than ever.
6. Dmitry Bivol
Record: 21–0
Last Month: 6
Last Fight: UD win Gilberto Ramírez
Next Fight: 12/23 vs. Lyndon Arthur
Bivol, SI’s 2022 Fighter of the Year, has had a quiet 2023. A rematch against Álvarez failed to materialize and a unification fight against Artur Beterbiev remains elusive. Bivol will attempt to salvage ’23 when he takes on the once-beaten Arthur in Saudi Arabia.
7. Shakur Stevenson
Record: 21–0
Last Month: 8
Last Fight: UD win vs. Edwin De Los Santos
Next Fight: TBD
Stevenson, 26, earned a third division title with a win over De Los Santos last month. The fight itself was a stinker—Stevenson reportedly entered that fight with a hand injury—but Stevenson’s elite defense carried him through. Stevenson wants unification fights and the winner of a planned showdown between Lomachenko and Kambosos Jr.—a fight that will likely be for a vacant title—is a natural matchup.
8. Gervonta Davis
Record: 29–0
Last Month: 9
Last Fight: KO win vs. Ryan Garcia
Next Fight: TBD
For years, Davis, 29, 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. Davis will not fight again in ’23 with a rematch against Isaac Cruz amongst the potential fights Davis is rumored to be considering next year.
9. David Benavidez
Record: 28–0
Last month: NR
Last fight: RTD win vs. Demetrius Andrade
Next fight: TBD
Benavidez is scary. After battering Caleb Plant over 12 rounds last March, Benavidez needed just six to pound Andrade into submission. Benavidez is a predator, a six-foot-two super middleweight who uses superior hand speed, relentless pressure and leg wobbling power to overwhelm opponents. Benavidez wants a shot at Álvarez—he’s clearly Álvarez’s most worthy challenger—but he’s not willing to wait. Benavidez has called for a fight with Jermall Charlo and has even expressed a willingness to move up to 175 pounds to challenge Bivol for his belt.
10. Teofimo Lopez
Record: 19–1
Last Month: NR
Last Fight: UD win over Josh Taylor
Lopez, 26, revived his career with a dominant win over Taylor last June. In his best performance since defeating Lomachenko, Lopez, the former unified 135-pound champion, battered Taylor en route to a lopsided decision. The win earned Lopez a piece of the 140-pound title and he is hunting for more: There have been substantive discussions about a unification fight between Lopez and Subrial Matías, sources told SI, with a June fight in New York a possibility.
