B/R Boxing Pound-for-Pound Boxing Rankings for February 2024

The vacation season has near and long past. And with its exit comes boxing’s awakening from an early-iciness nap into a particularly well-known 2d month on the 2024 calendar.

9 world title fights with varying phases of legitimacy are on the February docket, nonetheless none more well-known than an even twenty first century novelty in Saudi Arabia.

Dueling heavyweight claimants Tyson Fury (WBC) and Oleksandr Usyk (IBF/WBA/WBO) will occasion on February 17 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, where the winner frequently is the undisputed champ of the four-belt generation and the principle universally identified kingpin in the sizable-boy division since Lennox Lewis held the IBF, WBA and WBC straps in 1999.

That is the total reason the B/R fight workers wished to convene and discuss the higher of the correct in the sport, which we now enjoy completed by applying our dangle peer check and gauging the opinions of respected sources comparable to The Ring and Boxing Scene, among others.

Click on via to ogle who made our top 10 and let us know the manner you’d enjoy completed it with a line or two in the feedback share.

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Fundamental Titles Held: WBC

What higher put to launch than with the man who occupies one aspect of the marquee in the sport’s most notable fight?

An undisputed heavyweight title fight is a guaranteed lead item genuine via every form of in style sports media, and or no longer it is a long way a supreme time for Fury to show his desultory effort against ragged UFC menace Francis Ngannou in October became a one-off in consequence of half of-hearted coaching.

It could per chance well well presumably be the fifth fight and fourth authentic title protection for the 35-year-broken-down Brit since he vaporized Deontay Wilder to get the WBC title four years ago. He’d no longer heard a final bell since that bout until Ngannou pushed him to the brink earlier than dropping a 10-round split risk.

Weight Class: 140 pounds

Fundamental Titles Held: WBC

Teofimo Lopez, by any story, had a reasonably correct 2023.

He fought genuine as soon as, nonetheless the magnitude of that fight—a one-sided 12-round thrashing of previously unbeaten (and heavily preferred) Josh Taylor—netted him the Scot’s 140-pound title belt and a lower-half of put in quite a bit of pound-for-pound lists.

Simply how long he holds this could per chance well well rely on how he fares when he returns to the ring to protect against tenth-ranked contender Jamaine Ortiz, who’s 17-1-1 as a authentic nonetheless surely splendid identified for giving ragged three-division champion and Lopez victim Vasiliy Lomachenko moderately a competitive terror earlier than dropping a slim 12-round nod 15 months ago in Recent York.

Weight Class: 135 pounds

Fundamental Titles Held: WBA

Gervonta Davis has been a champion on one level or one more for the final seven years, transferring from his preliminary occasion at 130 pounds to a dubious claim at 140 in 2021 to the lightweight laurels he for the time being holds after Devin Haney vacated the division.

And on condition that success, his subsequent fight is scamper to be an match, no topic foe.

Joseph Holy of The Ring reported final week that the 29-year-broken-down could well well injurious the Atlantic seeking a venue for his first appearance since KO’ing Ryan Garcia final April in Las Vegas.

That fight generated bigger than a million pay-per-seek for buys, cementing Davis’ living as one amongst the sport’s premier drawing playing cards.

Weight Class: 175 pounds

Fundamental Titles Held: IBF/WBA/WBO

Welcome to the latest member of the pound-for-pound elite.

Artur Beterbiev had been an occasional inclusion on the lower half of of lists throughout 2023 by advantage of a delicate heavyweight title reign stretching help to unhurried 2017, nonetheless he is well-known name now that he is get dangle of early 2024’s most spectacular championship protection.

The Canada-basically basically based Russian dealt with as soon as-beaten ragged 168-pound champ Callum Smith with alarming ease when they met on January 13 in Quebec City, defeating the long, lanky Englishman into a nook resign internal of seven corpulent rounds.

Now 20-0, he is the correct fundamental champion with a 100 percent KO fee.

The get straight away elevated the requires a unification with long-term WBA claimant Dmitry Bivol, who first wrapped a 2d-tier belt around his waist one week earlier than Beterbiev’s reign started.

Beterbiev’s promoter, Bob Arum, told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna (h/t Sean Nam of Boxing Scene) that he is optimistic a showdown will occur later this year in Saudi Arabia.

Weight Class: 140 pounds

Fundamental Titles Held: WBC

If Devin Haney wasn’t high to your list for 2023’s fighter of the year, there is an famed probability that you do no longer know what you’re taking a look at.

Restful genuine 25 years broken-down, the Californian opened with a shut nonetheless lovely risk over Vasily Lomachenko in protection of his four-belt lightweight title claim in Would possibly per chance well, earlier than vacating the division to thrash champion Regis Prograis to get the WBC title at 140 in December.

The lofty put makes him a frequent callout of every valorous fighter in the sport’s most appealing corridor, nonetheless the most latest tea leaves imply he’ll be pondering a probability to lock horns with a vital-talking Ryan Garcia.

“Of us shall be enormously surprised nonetheless I have to no longer enormously surprised after which Devin shall be destroyed,” Garcia told Fight Hype. “His daddy’s gonna have to abet him up.”

Weight Class: 175 pounds

Fundamental Titles Held: WBA

Where the aforementioned Beterbiev story ends, Bivol’s story begins.

The Russian is basically basically based in California this day and has been pristine in puny roam since arriving to the sizable stage with a sexy risk over Canelo Alvarez in 2022.

The one-sided nature of the fight with boxing’s perfect-profile megastar perceived to be sure immediate stardom for the 33-year-broken-down, nonetheless he is fought genuine twice since—pitching a near-shutout against unbeaten ragged 168-pound champ Gilberto Ramirez six months after the Alvarez get and returning to whitewash Lyndon Arthur over 12 rounds in December.

For him, or no longer it is unification or bust.

“It’s easy, to be genuine,” he told The Matchroom Boxing Podcast (h/t Keith Idec of Boxing Scene). “We don’t have to deem too vital. Simply make your work, and I even have to make my work. And I do know I could well well get if I make my work effectively.”

Weight Class: 168 pounds

Fundamental Titles Held: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO

Being Canelo Alvarez capacity surely no longer having to make what you do no longer are looking out to make.

The Mexican megastar has reigned over four weight classes and is the most modern four-belt champion of the wide middleweights this day, and, love others in different locations on this list, is surely no longer lacking for foes eager to fragment a hoop with him.

The cinnamon-haired worn fought twice in 2023 and scored huge choices over Jermell Charlo and John Ryder. He’s rumored to enjoy Charlo’s twin brother, Jermall, on a transient list of would-be foils for a return in Would possibly per chance well and can enjoy the man who in consequence of this reality beat Ryder final weekend, Jaime Munguia, on the radar for Mexican Independence Day in September.

Oscar De La Hoya, who venerable to advertise Alvarez and now works with Munguia, suggests a showdown between the two could well well destroy the bank near unhurried summer season.

“Canelo’s gonna depart genuine via (Charlo) and expectantly it could put up an all-Mexican showdown for September,” De La Hoya said, per Keith Idec of Boxing Scene.

“We now enjoy no longer considered an all-Mexican showdown at an elite level since Erik Morales-(Marco Antonio) Barrera, (Juan Manuel) Marquez, you admire? I’m a gringo. I’m a gringo. (Julio Cesar) Chavez-De La Hoya wasn’t idea about all-Mexican.”

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Fundamental Titles Held: IBF, WBA, WBO

What’s an correct heavyweight fight with out a dwell underdog?

Oleksandr Usyk fits that invoice and more in the case of his forthcoming showdown with Tyson Fury, whom DraftKings has put in as a -140 authorized in contrast with Usyk’s line at +110.

The Ukrainian doesn’t rival the stature of his 6’9″ rival, nonetheless he is unbeaten in 21 authentic fights, has long past 5-0 with two KOs since transferring to heavyweight in 2019 and simply had the measure of Fury’s 6’6″ countryman, Anthony Joshua, over consecutive fights in 2021 and 2022.

And if he is no longer supposed to be assured coming into into, no one’s told him.

“I are looking out to bid one story that appears to be like very linked to my story with Tyson,” Usyk told journalists in November. “It’s known as David and Goliath. When the Lord offers me Tyson in my hands, I will [do] my job.”

Weight Class: 122 pounds

Fundamental Titles Held: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO

It’s likely you’ll well well need nearly obtained to in actuality feel sorry for Naoya Inoue.

The Jap “Monster” has completed each thing requested of him since turning authentic in 2012, including a global title at 108 pounds in barely his sixth fight and subsequent belts at 115, 118 and 122, where he is changed into the 2d appealing fighter to get four belts in two weight classes.

So, if no longer for the different man to make it, Terence Crawford, the No. 1 put would be his.

But as No. 2s move, he is set as correct because it gets.

Most efficient three of 26 foes enjoy heard a final bell and the correct one to make so since 2016, Nonito Donaire, became smashed to bits internal two rounds in a 2022 rematch. Inoue’s most latest get, in 10 rounds over Marlon Tapales of their 122-pound unification on the day after Christmas, added the IBF and WBA belts to the WBC and WBO straps with which he’d arrived.

Observe on the avenue no longer too long ago is that he’ll return to the ring in Would possibly per chance well to fight as soon as-beaten Mexican southpaw Luis Nery, a ragged WBC champ at each and each 118 and 122 pounds, per chance on the Tokyo Dome.

“As a boxer, being ready to fight in the principle match of any given day at Tokyo Dome would provide extra motivation,” Inoue told journalists.

Weight Class: 147 pounds

Fundamental Titles Held: WBA, WBC, WBO

Sure, they’ve stripped him. But no, they haven’t beaten him.

Which is why Crawford, who, love Inoue, remains unbeaten at 40-0 with 31 KOs and titles in three weight classes, remains sooner than his equally prolific Jap rival.

The Nebraskan became a four-belt champ at welterweight after an extremely one-sided beatdown of Errol Spence Jr. final summer season, nonetheless he is no longer fought since and fell victim to sanctioning body silliness when the IBF rewarded his belt to top contender Jaron Ennis.

Crawford became contractually obligated to rob a rematch with Spence, which it sounds as if pressured the hand of the Recent Jersey-basically basically based group, which doesn’t consist of him in its rankings because he restful possesses the WBA, WBC and WBO titles.

Where he’ll move along with them now remains a quiz.

He could well well observe via and fight Spence. He could well well replace direction and fight Ennis. Or he could well well repay months of rumors and skip two rungs on the ladder to situation 168-pound king Canelo Alvarez.

Tim Bradley, a latest World Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, says the latter is no longer unreasonable thanks to Crawford’s all-time preeminence.

“I don’t deem we now enjoy considered anything else love Terence Crawford. I make seek for historical past. I surely no longer considered anybody that has every little thing,” he told Fight Hub TV (h/t Boxing Scene).

“Handsome tempo, strength, timing, can switch the manner he switches. That has the toughest, the meanness that he has, the manner he finishes guys, the manner he breaks down guys. He’s one amongst the neatest guys that I’ve ever considered in the ring, genuine up there with Floyd Mayweather.”