Boxing News Now reveal their pound for pound list of the best boxers in the world
BNN unveil their P4P list of the best boxers in the world as of January 2020.
1. Saul Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35KO)
Four-weight world champion & Ring Magazine middleweight champion
By far the sport’s biggest superstar right now, that cannot be argued. The four-weight world champion has emblazoned his name into boxing history books, alongside fellow Mexican Erik Morales, and all eyes are on his next move.
The new WBO light-heavyweight champ and current middleweight Ring Magazine titleholder has defeated some of the biggest names in boxing today – Sergey Kovalev; Gennadiy Golovkin; Daniel Jacobs; Amir Khan; Miguel Cotto; James Kirkland; Erislandy Lara; Austin Trout; Josesito Lopez; Shane Mosley.
He is No.1 on a lot of people’s list, not everyone’s, but he’s definitely the top of our list for January 2020.
2. Vasyl Lomachenko (14-1, 10KO)
Quickest three-weight world champion in history
Leaving aside his incredible amateur record of 396-1 – the single loss to Albert Selimov in the 2007 World Championships finals in Chicago was later avenged – Loma has made history again in the pro ranks as the sport’s quickest three-weight world champion in history.
In just 14 fights, the Ukrainian wizard has won four world titles and made elite fighters like Guillermo Rigondeaux and Jorge Linares look ordinary.
His single pro defeat was at the hands of a far heavier Orlando Salido in just his second fight, as he attempted to become the fastest world champion in history, but instead he equaled the feat in his next fight. Salido entered the ring rehydrated to welterweight for their WBO World featherweight title contest.
3. Terence Crawford (35-0, 26KO)
Three-weight world champion and undisputed at super-lightweight
Not only is ‘Bud’ a triple champion – lightweight, super-lightweight, welterweight – but he was also undisputed at 140lbs with all four belts wrapped around his waist after defeating Julius Indongo in 2007, the first fighter in over a decade to become undisputed champion – Bernard Hopkins was the last to achieve that status in 2005.
Amir Khan, Viktor Postol and Yuriorkis Gamboa are amongst the scalped, but despite his incredible achievements, he’s yet to add a big name to his resume. Hopefully, an impending fight with fellow P4P-lister Errol Spence Jr can change that.
4. Naoya Inoue (18-0, 16KO)
Three-weight world champion & Lineal bantamweight champ
The Japanese ‘Monster’ is a freak of nature! In the nicest possible way, of course. His punching ability is freakish and a little scary, which explains the alias perfectly.
The 26-year-old began his career at 108lbs and won titles at light-flyweight, super-flyweight and bantamweight. He won his first belt in his fourth fight and became a world champion in his sixth. He is now a three-weight world champion and the Lineal champ at bantamweight.
He aims to add the WBA bauble to his hoard in the WBSS final against Nonito Donaire this month.
5. Oleksandr Usyk (17-0, 13KO)
Undisputed cruiserweight champion
The crazy Ukrainian’s complete dominance at cruiserweight, collecting all four belts to become the undisputed 200lbs champion in the WBSS final was a truly remarkable feat, especially when you consider his journey to get there – Marco Huck, Mairis Breidis and Murat Gassiev.
He then made short work of David Haye’s two-time conqueror Tony Bellew in his own backyard before moving up to heavyweight, where he just completed his divisional debut with a seventh-round victory over Chazz Witherspoon.
6. Errol Spence Jr (26-0, 21KO)
Unified welterweight champion
‘The Truth’ is the unified welterweight champion having beaten Shawn Porter in December, to hold both the IBF and WBC 147lbs straps.
His previous win over Mikey Garcia was the moment the world really sat up and took notice, despite his 22-month reign as IBF champ after dethroning Kell Brook in 2017 in his hometown of Sheffield.
7. Josh Taylor (16-0, 12KO)
Unified & Lineal super-lightweight champion
Unbeaten Scot Josh Taylor’s WBSS final win against unbeaten Regis Prograis to retain the IBF world super-lightweight title and add the WBA and The Ring Magazine belts has propelled the Prestonpans puncher up the pound-for-pound list to spot No.7.
British Boxing News had Taylor as their No.1 Best British Boxer of 2019 and we have to agree with that. He’s definitely the best of the British bunch right now.
8. Gennadiy Golovkin (40-1-1, 35KO)
Two-time middleweight world champion
The fearsome Kazakh was arguably the most devastating puncher in the sport, but his defeat and draw to rival Canelo has seen him drop down the P4P list ever so slightly that he has occupied for some years now.
A streak of 23 knockouts that spanned from 2008 to 2017, holding the highest knockout-to-win ratio – 89.7% – in middleweight championship history, as well as the longest active unified championship reign, with five consecutive defenses, whilst ending four opponents’ undefeated records, is the reason he has been P4P top 10 for so long.
The record-breaker achieved his 17th title defense by knockout in 2016, which equaled the record set by Wilfredo Gómez in 1982.
His most recent win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko has further evinced that, at the age of 37 and a lifetime of fighting, he is slowing down. Despite the victory that saw him become a two-time middleweight world champion, fans witnessed the Ukrainian landing more punches on ‘GGG’ than any other opponent has ever managed – 230 hit the target.
Despite promoter Eddie Hearn offering that he had been ill all during fight week, resulting in a less energetic performance, Golovkin still withstood everything ‘The Technician’ managed to hit him with, proving he has one of the best chins in boxing history, having never been knocked down or knocked out in a total of 392 fights – 42 as a professional and 350 as an amateur.
Completing the trilogy with a win over Canelo is a must for Golovkin to retire with the best legacy in place, and the healthiest of bank balances, too.
9. Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KO)
Eight-weight world champion & five-weight Lineal champion
The Filipino legend continues to defy logic and rack up incredible accomplishments, as he defeated WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman in his latest fight.
The eight-weight world champion is still a world-beater and world champion with many tasty fights available to him, all at the age of 40!
The southpaw started his career in the last century! But he continues to win at the very highest level – Lucas Matthyse, Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman all scalped by the Pac-Man within a year of each other.
10. Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3-2, 27KO)
Two-weight world champion & Lineal super-flyweight champion
The Mexican WBC super-flyweight champion recovered from his light-flyweight title defeat in 2012 to ‘Chocalito’ Roman Gonzalez in fantastic fashion to go on to unify titles at flyweight for many years.
He then bounced back again from a defeat to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2018 to avenge that loss and become a two-weight world champion with the WBC world super-flyweight strap, which he has defended successfully once, just recently against Dewayne Beamon in August.
The 29-year-old is the current owner of the Ring Magazine at super-flyweight.
11. Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15KO)
Unified light-heavyweight champion
The Russian powerhouse cemented his place as the man at 175lbs after stopping unbeaten Oleksandr Gvozdyk to add the prestigious green and gold WBC belt to his IBF strap.
Now unified at light-heavyweight, the heavy-handed, Canadian-based 34-year-old has stormed his way up the P4P rankings with his latest win and kept his 100 per cent KO ration intact.
Although only 15 fights into his career, 10 of those have been championship contests, his first was a win over former IBF world champion Tavoris Cloud in his sixth contest, winning the NABA light-heavyweight title.
12. Callum Smith
Unified & Lineal super-middleweight champion
Liverpudlian hero Callum Smith, part of a quartet of boxing brothers that all won British titles, is clearly the most talented of the foursome.
His WBSS final win over George Groves saw him scoop up the Ring Magazine title at super-middleweight. Despite remaining unbeaten, he was handed a very dubious scorecard in his favour last month against a spirited mandatory challenger in Londoner John Ryder.
13. Deontay Wilder (41-0-1, 40KO)
Long-reigning WBC heavyweight champion
Love him or loathe him, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is one of the longest-reigning heavyweight world champions in history – closing in on five years.
He has kept that coveted green and gold belt close to him in America since winning it in 2015, which broke the longest spell ever – nine years – that America had been without a heavyweight world champion.
40 KOs from 42 contests is a staggering statistic. Stylistically, he is not easy on the eye, his technique is lacking, but his effectiveness and dominance cannot be questioned.
14. Chayaphon Moonsri (54-0, 18KO)
Long-reigning WBC light-flyweight champion
Wanheng Menayothin has held the WBC light-flyweight title since way back in 2014.
The unbeaten 34-year-old from Thailand has made 12 successful defences of his green and gold belt. He won a WBC belt in just his third fight – the WBC Youth light-flyweight strap, which he defended eight times.
15. Miguel Berchelt (37-1, 33KO)
WBC super-featherweight champion
The heavy-handed Mexican, known as ‘Alacran’, is the current WBC super-featherweight champ, which he won in January 2017 and defended six times since.
He is currently 6-0 in world title fights with 5 KOs!
