Boxing Pound-for-Pound rankings as Terence Crawford could jump to #1 with a win over Canelo Alvarez

The Pound-for-Pound rankings determine who is the best in the world, regardless of weight class.

The term was originally popularized by journalists to rank the greatness of Sugar Ray Robinson, but it has since taken on a life of its own in the decades following.

Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford are both ranked on the list, and their upcoming fight on September 13 will have a huge impact on their place in the standings.

Here are the top 10 Pound-for-Pound boxers in the world today.

Terence Crawford after KO'ing Jeff Horn.
Terence Crawford after KO’ing Jeff Horn | IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

10. David Benavidez

Coming in at #10 on the boxing Pound-for-Pound ranking is former WBC Super Middleweight champion David Benavidez.

“The Mexican Monster” boasts a 30-0 record, most recently besting David Morrell to become WBA Light Heavyweight champion in February this year.

He hopes to move up this list by beating Anthony Yarde in October, as part of the Ring IV card in Saudi Arabia.

9. Shakur Stevenson

Four consecutive WBC Lightweight title wins in a row have propelled Shakur Stevenson into the Pound-for-Pound rankings, and he is considered the ninth-best fighter in the world today.

The Olympic silver medalist has excelled since turning professional after the Brazil Olympics, going 24-0 in an eight-year period.

His win over William Zepeda in July 2025 was his latest victory, and there are sure to be many more in Stevenson’s future.

8. Canelo Alvarez

Despite a 2022 loss to Dmitry Bivol at Light Heavyweight, Canelo retains his strong position as one of the top Pound-for-Pound boxers in the world today with a series of victories.

After dropping back down to Super Middleweight, Canelo retained his undisputed title against Gennady Golovkin before five more victories in a row.

The last of these was against William Scull, with the Mexican great now preparing to defend his belt against Terence Crawford.

A win here could catapult him up the rankings, although the stark weight difference between the two could have some effect on how far.

7. Junto Nakatani

Japanese boxer Junto Nakatani is a three-weight world champion who has more than earned his Pound-for-Pound ranking spot, coming in at #7.

He transitioned from karate to boxing as a child and quickly excelled when turning professional in 2015.

Despite only fighting outside Japan twice, Nakatani has risen to the top of the Bantamweight division, winning the WBC belt in 2023 before becoming a unified champion in 2025, cementing his spot in these rankings.

6. Jesse Rodriguez

Jesse Rodriguez has bulldozed his way through two weight divisions as the American prodigy looks to be one of the top young fighters in the world.

The 25-year-old Texan unified three title belts in July this year by knocking out Phumelele Cafu, racking up his 22nd win in a row without defeat.

Including in the Flyweight division, “Bam” has won eight title fights in a row and looks unlikely to be beaten any time soon.

5. Artur Beterbiev

40-year-old Russian-Canadian Artur Beterbiev went undisputed at Light Heavyweight in 2024, becoming the first man to hold all the gold since Roy Jones Jr.

His journey to that point helped him climb the Pound-for-Pound rankings, going 21-0 with only one of those bouts going to a decision.

That was his victory over Dmitry Bivol, who avenged the loss a year later to rise above his fellow Russian in the rankings.

4. Dmitry Bivol

Bivol managed to bounce back from a loss to Beterbiev to pick up a win to secure his spot on this list.

The Light-Heavyweight champion, who beat Canelo in his sole fight at 175 lbs, fell to Beterbiev back in October 2024, but managed to come back and avenge the loss with a win in Saudi Arabia in 2025.

They are targeting a trilogy fight in the future, but a back injury means that Bivol will be out of action until 2026.

3. Terence Crawford

Crawford could jump up to #1 in the Pound-for-Pound rankings if he does the unlikely and beats Canelo on September 13.

The American boxer won his debut at Light Welterweight, stepping up to win the WBA and WBO belts in preparation for the Canelo bout.

He is packing on muscle to reach the 168 lb weight limit, with a win surely being enough to launch him from third to first in the list of the best fighters in the world today.

2. Naoya Inoue

The Japanese knockout artist, Naoya Inoue, has already proved why he is one of the best fighters in the world, and is unlucky only to be second in the Pound-for-Pound rankings.

“The Monster” is already a two-weight undisputed champion and a four-weight world champion, with 27 knockouts in his 30 wins so far in his career.

The 32-year-old is coming off the back of a win over Ramon Cardenas back in May, where he knocked out the American fighter to secure his spot on the rankings.

1. Oleksandr Usyk

Still ranked as the top fighter in the world today, it will be tough to knock Oleksandr Usyk off his perch.

The Ukrainian is one of the top fighters of the 21st century, rising to the top of the Pound-for-Pound rankings by beating the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois in blockbuster bouts.

Usyk is currently undefeated and won’t fight again until 2026, where both Joseph Parker and Fury have been touted as future opponents for the #1-ranked Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world.



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