Pound for Pound 2024

Pound for Pound December 2024

By Uppercut Magazine

Terence Crawford continues to reign as the top fighter pound for pound in the world. Though his win over Israil Madrimov was a closely fought contest, the Nebraska fighter out-maneuvered the super welterweight champion for the win in Los Angeles.

Others on the lost are Japan’s Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, plus Saul “Canelo” Alvarez remains a steadfast member of the club.

American fighters such as Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and David Benavidez are new editions along with Russian light heavyweights such as Dmitrii Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.

Here is this year’s list:

1.    Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 Kos) 37 – the pride of Omaha. Nebraska moved up in weight and defeated little-known but extremely strong super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov by decision. Most expected a knockout win, but his skillful and tactical victory showcased what Crawford is all about. It was a masterful performance.

2.    Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25 Kos) 31 – he represents the best of Japan in that country’s golden era. Inoue has won world titles in multiple divisions and dominates each one. His knockout win over TJ Doheny in September increased his knockout streak to nine. He is an all-time great.

3.    Saul Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 Kos) 34 – the fighter known as “Canelo” continues to be a marvel. Fans forget that he is only 5’8 inches in height and he is slaying opponents that are bigger, taller and in their weight classes. Alvarez is the face of boxing and continues to be the sport’s biggest draw. He is already a legend and in our opinion Mexico’s greatest boxer.

4.    Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 Kos) 37 – the Ukrainian fighter is a wizard in the boxing ring. He is smart, fast and just knows how to win. His masterpiece took place in his win over former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury as he dominated. Can he do it again?

5.    Jesse Rodriguez (21-0, 14 Kos) 24 – the fighter known as “Bam” brings an incredible array of fighting weapons whenever he performs. He is the youngest fighter on this list and already a two-division champion with wins over legends such as Juan Francisco Estrada and Sor Rungvisai.

6.    Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 Kos) 39 – the light heavyweight champion continues to dominate with a style likened to a Sherman tank running over opposition like so much debris. He never seems rattled or surprised. His win over Dmitrii Bivol was close but he never waivered.

7.    Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 Kos) 30 – known as “Tank” the lightweight champion can fight multiple styles but prefers to win by knockout. The Baltimore fighter has speed, skill and tremendous power as a southpaw. He is rather small for a lightweight but size doesn’t matter for Davis who can pick and choose who he fights. He is a tremendous draw.

8.    Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 Kos) 27 – the “Take Over” continues to display various ways to win a fight. Though most fans want a knockout win every time he steps in the boxing ring, that’s just not possible. Lopez entertains while he fights because he realizes it draws fans. He is a showman with incredible weapons.

9.    Junto Nakatani (29-0, 22 Kos) 26 – if Nakatani fought in any other era he would be a national hero in Japan. Still, he is incredibly gifted with speed and power and has that hunger to achieve even more. Don’t miss his fights because he is one of the most exciting fighters around.

10. Dmitrii Bivol (23-1, 12 Kos) 33 – though he suffered his first loss as a professional, Bivol remains one of the top dozen fighters on the planet. He will be fighting Artur Beterbiev in a rematch this coming February. It should be another extremely close match.

11. David Benavidez (29-0, 24 Kos) 27 – the fighter known as the “Mexican Monster” continues to gather skill in each fight. His win last year over Demetrius Andrade and Oleksandr Gvozdyk this year were perfect examples of his ability to win fights in various ways.

12. Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 Kos) 36 – though the “Gypsy King” lost his heavyweight crown to Oleksandr Usyk, he still remains one of the best heavyweights today. Fury has height, speed, power and remarkable staying power. He can never be under-estimated. He is always dangerous.

Honorable Mention

Vergil Ortiz, Shakur Stevenson, Vasyl Lomachenko, Jaron Ennis, Erislandy Lara, Ryan Garcia, Emanuel Navarrete, Daniel Dubois, Jack Catterall, Gilberto Ramirez, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Richardson Hitchins, Jaime Munguia