Ahead of his undisputed lightweight title defence against Vasiliy Lomachenko, Devin Haney has named his top five boxers active in the sport today.
Speaking on Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk, the 24-year-old put himself at the top of the list, followed by four fellow undefeated fighters…
Devin Haney, “of course”
What undisputed champion wouldn’t pick themselves in their own top five? Haney is undefeated in 29, and rubbished any talk of him being a ‘paper champion’ by travelling to Australia to become the lightweight king against George Kambosos Jr.
He returned to do it for a second time, and is set to make his next defence against one of the most decorated amateurs the sport has ever seen in Lomachenko. Should he win, it won’t only be his top five he’s appearing in.
Errol Spence Jr
Unified welterweight world champion, Spence, has 22 knockouts from his 28 victories. Like every other man on this list, he’s yet to taste defeat.
Despite a hiatus from the sport due to a severe car accident, Spence has beaten the likes of Kell Brook, Shawn Porter and Yordenis Ugás. His punishing performances show true greatness, but fans would be more convinced if he stepped in with the next man on the list.
Terence Crawford
Crawford is the other 147lb champion. Despite having two belts less than Spence, he’s done it in two other divisions. He shares opponents with his rival in Brook and Porter, and also has Amir Khan and, most recently, David Avanesyan on his list.
The southpaw from Omaha is 39-0, and fans want nothing more than for Spence to be opponent number 40.
Tyson Fury
Two-time world heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, is deep into his second reign. ‘The Gypsy King’ has, as the away fighter, beaten both Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder to get where he is. One man – Oleksandr Usyk – stands in the way of making history as a four-belt champ.
After making a name for himself in the early days as a tricky switch hitter who was happy to frustrate opponents over the distance, Fury’s link up with trainer SugarHill Steward has seen him score four stoppages in four, and added a whole new level of excitement to his game.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis
Personally branded as ‘the face of boxing’, ‘Tank’ Davis is coming off a career best win over Ryan Garcia. The boxer from Baltimore is known as one of the most ferocious punchers in the sport, often leaping forward to finish his opponents.
With slick defence and a seemingly unbreakable resolve, ‘Tank’ is undoubtedly at the top – fans only hope that his bout against Garcia will see him continue to step in the ring with tough opposition.
Haney faces Lomachenko on May 20, and, should he come through, many would like to see him in with Davis.