Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue has topped the inaugural Boxing Social writers’ pound-for-pound poll, edging out second-placed Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Six of our ten-strong panel ranked the Japanese bantamweight as their number one, with a further three voters placing him second. Alvarez finished second, with four writers placing him first. Former undisputed cruiserweight champion turned heavyweight contender Oleksandr Usyk is third, a comfortable margin ahead of welterweight Terence Crawford. Teofimo Lopez is fifth, with Vasiliy Lomachenko, who he deposed as lightweight ruler, sixth.
Super-flyweight world champions Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez are seventh and eighth, while Kosei Tanaka and Josh Taylor round out the top ten.
The full Boxing Social P4P top ten:
1. Naoya Inoue
Age: 27
Record: 20-0 (17 KOs)
Comments: A true sensation, ‘The Monster’ has competed in 15 world title fights as a pro, winning 13 of these contests via stoppage while annexing title belts across three divisions. Before moving to bantamweight, Inoue could have been criticised for a failure to unify, but besting Juan Carlos Payano, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Nonito Donaire to win the World Boxing Super Series has established him beyond doubt as the man at 118lbs. Inoue’s stated intention for next year is to take on belt holders Nordine Oubaali (should he defeat Nonito Donaire) and John Riel Casimero – win those bouts and his position as P4P king would be further reinforced. At present six of our panel rate Inoue as the best fighter in the world. “Inoue is top dog for me,” said panel member Luke G. Williams. “He has won titles across weight classes, is the number one at bantamweight after his WBSS win and is consistently wiping out classy opposition. Truly a Monster talent.” Fellow panel member James Oddy concurred: “Inoue is the clear number one now. He’s been destructive across weight divisions and he can do everything.” Phil Rogers added: “Inoue has to be top right now. Dismantling 108lbs champ Adrian Hernandez in just his sixth pro fight before jumping up two divisions to take out long-reigning super-fly champ Omar Andres Narvaez are elite level wins that remain extremely underrated, but it was his destruction of Rodriguez at bantamweight that seemed to mark his arrival on the world stage. It isn’t just the level of opposition, or the multi-weight belts, that make him the best fighter in the world, but the manner in which he’s wiping out his opposition.”
Total points from panel: 93
2. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez
Age: 30
Record: 53-1-2
Comments: ‘Canelo’ tops many people’s pound for pound rankings, and although four of our panel placed him first Inoue edged him out by just one point. “Canelo’s technical skill and improvement, coupled with his consistently high level of achievement across weight classes, is impressive, but he has been inactive for over a year now, which partly swung me in Inoue’s favour,” commented Luke G. Williams. Unfortunately, given his disputes with DAZN and Golden Boy promotions, the prospects of Canelo returning to the ring any time soon look slim. To make his case to be P4P king the Mexican will need to come back with a bang against a high-level opponent. Trainer Eddy Reynoso seems keen on a Canelo vs Jermall Charlo showdown – a fight which would fit the bill nicely and provide an opportunity for Canelo to state his case to be rated ahead of Inoue.
Total points from panel: 92
3. Oleksandr Usyk
Age: 33
Record: 18-0 (13 KOs)
Comments: Prior to last weekend, Usyk had fought just twice in two years and was in danger of slipping out of the P4P conversation, but the former undisputed cruiserweight king has now re-established his credentials by out-boxing Dereck Chisora, albeit in a performance that won mixed notices. Panel member Luke G, Williams commented: “Beating a man three stones heavier than him is the very definition of a pound for pound feat. Usyk’s technical brilliance, as well as his promising progress at heavyweight and his amazing run at cruiserweight – which is arguably the best ever in that weight class – puts him up there with the very best fighters in the world.” Who Usyk faces next will be fascinating – as WBO mandatory he is in line for a shot at Anthony Joshua – will he land that fight prior to the planned Fury-AJ unification extravaganza next year? Will he step aside? Or will he contest for a vacant belt? We can’t wait to find out.
Total points from panel: 77
4. Terence Crawford
Age: 33
Record: 36-0 (27 KOs)
Comments: Floyd Mayweather, among others, rates Crawford as the best fighter in the world. However, for many of the panel, Bud’s current run of opponents at 147lbs has damaged his reputation. “Technically, Crawford might be the best fighter in the world, but for me the pound for pound rankings are also about resume and Bud’s opposition at 147lbs isn’t good enough for top spot consideration,” argued Luke G. Williams. “His best wins are probably his victories against Gamboa and Postol and they were a while ago now. He needs to fight some of the top welters to be considered P4P best.” Next up for Bud is a showdown with Kell Brook, a fight unlikely to see him advance into the P4P top three.
Total points from panel: 69
5. Teofimo Lopez
Age: 23
Record: 16-0 (12 KOs)
Comments: In beating Vasiliy Lomachenko last month, Lopez not only became king of the lightweight division, but also knocked the Ukrainian maestro off the top of many people’s P4P rankings. Easily the youngest fighter in our top ten, Lopez’s nickname of ‘The Takeover’ has proved as prophetic as he always claimed it would. “A skilled technician who also punches extremely hard, Lopez appears dedicated to his craft and could be a P4P staple for years to come,” noted Luke G. Williams. The boxing world now awaits Lopez’s next move – he certainly has options: a rematch with Loma at 135lbs, a showdown with Gervonta Davis or a move to face one of the top 140lb-ers would all be career enhancing fights should he win them.
Total points from panel: 58
6. Vasiliy Lomachenko
Age: 32
Record: 14-2 (10 KOs)
Comments: After defeat against Lopez and shoulder surgery (again) is the magnificent career of Lomachenko winding down? He did enough in the second half of his defeat against Lopez to suggest he can still be a world-level force, and makes our top ten by virtue of his past accomplishments, but the way forward – right now –appears unclear. Many would like to see him return to 130lbs, where there are plenty of potentially interesting fights. This may well happen if – as seems likely – Loma fails to land a rematch with Lopez.
Total points from panel: 55
7. Juan Francisco Estrada
Age: 30
Record: 41-3 (28 KOs)
Comments: “Estrada and the other super flyweights have been fighting each other consistently for years now,” commented Shane Dyer, and it is this high level of opposition over many years that has earned Estrada a top ten placing. In the last nine years, Estrada has fought 25 times, losing just twice – against a peak Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Many thought he deserved the nod against the Thai boxer in 2018, and he avenged that defeat in 2019. A former unified titlist at flyweight and now the WBC super-fly champion, Estrada demonstrated his grit, skill and warrior credentials in his recent battle with Carlos Cuadras. Next up he seems likely to get a chance to avenge that 2012 reverse against ‘Chocolatito’.
Total points from panel: 36
8. Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez
Age: 33
Record: 50-2 (41 KOs)
Comments: Already a Hall of Fame shoo-in, many were preparing the career obituaries for ‘Chocolatito’ after he was stopped by Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in March 2017 and injuries ensured he fought just once apiece in 2018 and 2019. However Gonzalez was mightily impressive in schooling Britain’s Kal Yafai in February to win the WBA super-fly title and successfully defended the belt with a wide points victory against Israel Gonzalez last month. An eagerly awaited rematch with Estrada looks set to be brokered for next year. ‘Chocolatito’’s stirring comeback and superb resume – including world titles at four weights – certainly impressed our panel. “Chocolatito’s comeback adds a little romance to the list,” noted Phil Rogers.
Total points from panel: 17
9. Kosei Tanaka
Age: 25
Record: 15-0 (9 KOs)
Comments: The joint fastest ever male boxer to win world titles in three weight classes, Tanaka’s run at minimumweight, light-fly and flyweight impressed our panel and has won him a top ten slot. The ‘Monster of Chukyo’ is now campaigning in the stacked 115lbs class, where there are plenty of opportunities for showdowns that could propel him further up the list, starting with a Japanese super-fight against Kazuto Ioka, the WBO super-fly titlist, tentatively scheduled for New Year’s Eve. Phil Rogers was one of several on the panel making the case for Tanaka: “The little guys competing exclusively in the small halls of Japan are often ignored by fight fans. They might not be the most glamorous names but his wins over the likes of Victorio Saludar, Moises Fuentes, Angel Acosta, Sho Kimura (in the 2018 Fight Of The Year), and Ryoichi Taguchi are all elite level victories that few other pound-for-pounders can match.”
Total points from panel: 14
10. Josh Taylor
Age: 29
Record: 17-0 (13 KOs)
‘The Tartan Tornado’’s victory in the World Boxing Super Series final against Regis Prograis demonstrated his admirable blend of grit and skill and the talented Scot is undoubtedly the man right now at 140lbs. “Taylor’s win over Prograis has aged like fine wine,” noted Phil Rogers. “Were he to unify against Jose Ramirez then British fight fans could be looking at one of our finest ever fighters.” With both men on the books of Top Rank, a Taylor-Ramirez showdown looks likely for next year.
Total points from panel: 14
Other fighters receiving points were as follows: Errol Spence (13); Tyson Fury (5), Artur Beterbiev (4), Dmitri Bivol (1), Mairis Briedis (1)
NB: Voting panel for the Boxing Social P4P rankings are: Rob Tebbutt, Mark Butcher, Luke G. Williams, Phil Rogers, Craig Scott, Shane Dyer, John Angus MacDonald, Shaun Brown, Matt Bevan, James Oddy,
Each panellist ranked their top ten in order, with the boxer placed first receiving ten points, second nine points, third eight points and so on. Boxers were then ranked by the overall number of points accrued. If scores are equal then the boxer with the highest individual rating from a judge is ranked higher (as is the case above when Kosei Tanaka and Josh Taylor tied on 14 points. Tanaka was ranked ninth and Taylor tenth as Tanaka’s highest individual ranking from a judge was fourth and Taylor’s eighth). If boxers are still equal they are then ranked equal. If there is a tie for first place then the boxer with the most first-place votes is given preference. If boxers are still equal they are then ranked equal.