Who Is World’s Best Pound-for-Pound Boxer?
Several “Undisputed” Matchups Bless Boxing Fans in 2023
It’s the question both fans and pundits debate endlessly: who is the best boxer in the world, pound-for-pound? It depends on who you ask. Both ESPN and the BWAA rank Terence Crawford at the top, while the TBRB has Naoya Inoue. Meanwhile, BoxRec touts Saul “Canelo” Alvarez as the best. The good boxing news is that we will find out thanks to several matchups.
July 25, 29: Two Fights, One Week
Just a few weeks from now, two of the top-ranked P4P boxers will compete as Inoue takes on Stephen Fulton on July 25, followed by Crawford fighting Errol Spence Jr.
Inoue is moving up a weight division to challenge Fulton, the unified super bantamweight champion. And Crawford and Spence finally meet after years of build-up to decide the undisputed welterweight champion.
The boxing betting lines favor both Inoue and Crawford at varying degrees. The sportsbook opened Inoue at -270, but the public has bet him down to -315. Crawford opened at -150 and after several back-and-forth from bettors, is currently at -155.
All four boxers are undefeated and have won multiple world championships. Inoue and Crawford are three-division world champions, with Inoue going for his fourth. Nicknamed “The Monster,” 21 of his 24 victories have come via knockout.
With the total being relatively a pick’em (10½ rounds), another KO win from Inoue should cement his status as boxing’s P4P best.
But it may last just a few days as the winner of Crawford-Spence could be the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world. Spence is ranked in the top five by most pundits. However, it will have to be a decisive victory for either Crawford or Spence. And judging by the Las Vegas boxing odds, it may not be a clear-cut win for either.
2023 is the best year in boxing since ______ ? 🤔
(h/t @TerenceCrawford) pic.twitter.com/RCcUZovIY1
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) July 1, 2023
Alvarez-Charlo Could Be The One Above All
In an unexpected twist, Canelo got himself into a “superfight” of his own, as he takes on Jermell Charlo in the first “undisputed versus undisputed” fight in the four-belt era.
Alvarez’s stock as the P4P top boxer took a hit when he lost to Dmitry Bivol, the WBA light heavyweight champion. He rebounded with one-sided wins over John Ryder and Gennady Golovkin.
Charlo, on the other hand, is the undisputed light middleweight champion. He’s won four of his last five fights via knockout and is knocking on the door of being a pound-for-pound great. Early boxing picks and odds have him as a slight underdog against Alvarez, which is high praise for his abilities given Canelo’s dominance in the middleweight divisions.
But despite Canelo being the “bigger” boxer, it will be Charlo with the slight height and reach advantage. The underdog has never fought above 154 pounds, while Alvarez won a belt at 175 pounds.
Should Alvarez beat Charlo in impressive fashion, it may just restore his status as the best boxer on the planet. But an upset from Charlo should put him in the top three by most standards.
Heavyweights Left in Limbo
Discussing boxing’s pound-for-pound rankings can’t be done entirely without mentioning the top dogs at heavyweight and light heavyweight. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk could fight one day for all the heavyweight belts. But negotiations are few and far between.
Usyk is considered a top-three best P4P boxer. But he’ll be defending his belt against challengers while Fury does the same until their promoters can come to a deal.
The same case is happening with the 175-pounders in Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. They are both undefeated and beside each other in most rankings. Bivol owns a big win over Canelo, while Beterbiev has the three other belts and has knocked out all 19 of his opponents.
Boxing predictions are split in these hypothetical matchups though the odds lean on Fury and Bivol, respectively.
