Oleksandr Usyk solidified his No. 1 spot within the ESPN pound-for-pound males’s boxing rankings with a unanimous determination victory over Tyson Fury on Dec. 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a rematch of Usyk’s split decision win in May. This time, all three judges agreed and scored the combat 116-112.
Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) climbed to the No. 1 spot after his first victory over Fury, making him the primary undisputed heavyweight champion within the four-belt period. And with the win within the rematch, Usyk has proven he is additionally the best heavyweight of his generation. He has two victories apiece in opposition to Fury and Anthony Joshua and one in opposition to Daniel Dubois in his previous 5 fights.
Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) nonetheless has rather a lot left in his tank and will beat many different heavyweights in a troublesome division. However, he stays exterior the pound-for-pound prime 10.
After the combat, Fury, 36, mentioned he felt confident he had won. However, all three judges gave the nod to Usyk in six of the final seven rounds.
“I assumed I gained that combat once more. … I assumed I’ve gained each fights,” Fury mentioned through the postfight information convention. “But then once more, I’ve gone dwelling with two losses on my report now, so there’s not a lot I can do about it.
“It is what it’s. I’m not going to cry over spilled milk, it is occurred now. I do know boxing, I’ve been in all of it my life. You cannot change no selections, however I’ll simply all the time really feel a bit of bit arduous completed by. Not a bit of bit, really — rather a lot.”
Usyk, 37, has many choices to take care of his No. 1 spot. He might rematch Dubois — who now owns the IBF belt Usyk vacated earlier than the Fury rematch — to have an opportunity of regaining his standing as an undisputed champion, or he might combat Fury in a trilogy combat. Usyk has hinted at the potential for even transferring right down to cruiserweight, the place he reigned as undisputed champion in 2018.
No. 2-ranked Terence Crawford has no combat scheduled, however he is hoping to face Canelo Alvarez in 2025. Naoya Inoue, No. 3 on the listing, will likely be again within the ring Jan. 24 against Sam Goodman. Crawford and Inoue have an opportunity to make a case for the highest spot, however they want spectacular victories in opposition to prime opponents.
Here’s the remainder of the highest 10 and the way our panelists voted.
Our panel of Mike Coppinger, Timothy Bradley, Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, Eric Raskin, Michelle Joy Phelps, Claudia Trejos, Bernardo Osuna, Crystina Poncher, Eric Woodyard, Bernardo Pilatti, Charles Moynihan, Salvador Rodriguez, Jim Zirolli, Michael Mascaro, Aladdin Freeman, Victor Lopez and Damian Delgado Averhoff shares its votes.
More ESPN rankings: divisional rankings and women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Note: Results are by Dec. 27.
1. OLEKSANDR USYK Previous rating: No. 1
RECORD: 23-0, 14 KOs
DIVISION: Heavyweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Tyson Fury, Dec. 21
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
2. TERENCE CRAWFORD 
Previous rating: No. 2
Previous rating: No. 2RECORD: 40-0, 31 KOs
DIVISION: Junior middleweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Israil Madrimov, Aug. 3
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
3. NAOYA INOUE Previous rating: Tied for No. 3
RECORD: 28-0, 25 KOs
DIVISION: Junior featherweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO7) Luis TJ Doheny, Sept. 3
NEXT FIGHT: Jan. 24 vs. Sam Goodman
4. ARTUR BETERBIEV Previous rating: No. 4
RECORD: 21-0, 20 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (MD12) Dmitry Bivol, Oct. 12
NEXT FIGHT: Feb. 22 vs. Dmitry Bivol
5. CANELO ALVAREZ Previous rating: No. 5
RECORD: 62-2-2, 39 KOs
DIVISION: Super middleweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Edgar Berlanga, Sept. 14
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
6. DMITRY BIVOL Previous rating: No. 6
RECORD: 23-1, 12 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight
LAST FIGHT: L (MD12) Artur Beterbiev, Oct. 12
NEXT FIGHT: Feb. 22 vs. Artur Beterbiev
7. JESSE “BAM” RODRIGUEZ Previous rating: No. 7
RECORD: 21-0, 14 KOs
DIVISION: Junior bantamweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO3) Pedro Guevara, Nov. 9
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
8. GERVONTA DAVIS Previous rating: No. 8
RECORD: 30-0, 28 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO8) Frank Martin, June 15
NEXT FIGHT: March 1 vs. Lamont Roach
9. SHAKUR STEVENSON Previous rating: No. 9
RECORD: 22-0, 10 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Artem Harutyunyan, July 6
NEXT FIGHT: Feb. 22 vs. Floyd Schofield
10. JUNTO NAKATANI Previous rating: No. 10
RECORD: 29-0, 22 KOs
DIVISION: Bantamweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO6) Tasana Salapat, Oct. 14
NEXT FIGHT: Feb. 24 vs. David Cuellar
The method
The rankings are primarily based on a descending factors system, with a first-place vote awarding 10 factors, a second-place vote awarding 9 factors and so forth. A tie goes to the fighter with the best rating, then the one with probably the most votes at that rating.
Others receiving votes: Teofimo Lopez Jr. (17), David Benavidez (7), Vasiliy Lomachenko (5), Tyson Fury (3).
How our writers voted
Bradley: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3: Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Alvarez, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Davis, 8. Bivol, 9. Lopez, 10. Stevenson
Coppinger: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Alvarez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Nakatani, 10. Fury
Atlas: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Davis, 7. Lomachenko, 8. Alvarez, 9. Rodriguez, 10. Nakatani
Tessitore: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Beterbiev, 4. Inoue, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Nakatani, 7. Bivol, 8. Alvarez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Davis
Parkinson: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Alvarez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Nakatani, 10. Lomachenko
Raskin: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Alvarez, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Benavidez
Poncher: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Alvarez, 6. Bivol, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Osuna: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Alvarez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Lopez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Davis
Phelps: 1. Usyk, 2. Alvarez, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Inoue, 6. Bivol, 7. Lopez, 8. Rodriguez, 9. Davis, 10. Fury
Rodriguez: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Alvarez, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Bivol, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Trejos: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Alvarez, 6. Bivol, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Woodyard: 1. Crawford, 2. Inoue, 3. Usyk, 4. Alvarez, 5. Davis, 6. Beterbiev, 7. Stevenson, 8. Lopez, 9. Benavidez, 10. Bivol
Moynihan: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Crawford, 4. Alvarez, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. Davis, 8. Stevenson, 9. Benavidez, 10. Rodriguez
Pilatti: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Davis, 8. Nakatani, 9. Benavidez, 10. Fury
Zirolli: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Stevenson, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. Alvarez, 8. Rodriguez, 9. Lopez, 10. Nakatani
Mascaro: 1. Crawford, 2. Inoue, 3. Usyk, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. Alvarez, 8. Davis, 9. Lopez, 10. Nakatani
Freeman: 1.Inoue, 2. Crawford, 3. Usyk, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Bivol, 7. Nakatani, 8. Alvarez, 9. Davis, 10. Stevenson
Lopez: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Alvarez, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Delgado Averhof: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Beterbiev, 4. Crawford, 5. Alvarez, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Davis, 8. Bivol, 9. Stevenson, 10. Lopez
ESPN consultants’ ballot
First place: Usyk (15), Crawford (2), Inoue (2)
Second place: Inoue (9), Crawford (8), Usyk (1), Alvarez (1)
Third place: Crawford (8), Inoue (6), Usyk (3), Beterbiev (2)
Fourth place: Beterbiev (11), Alvarez (3), Crawford (1), Inoue (1), Bivol (1), Rodriguez (1), Stevenson (1)
Fifth place: Beterbiev (5), Alvarez (5), Bivol (5), Rodriguez (2), Inoue (1), Davis (1)
Sixth place: Bivol (8), Rodriguez (5), Alvarez (3), Beterbiev (1), Davis (1), Nakatani (1)
Seventh place: Rodriguez (6), Davis (4), Alvarez (3), Bivol (2), Stevenson (1), Nakatani (1), Lopez (1), Lomachenko (1)
Eighth place: Davis (8), Alvarez (3), Bivol (2), Rodriguez (2), Lopez (2), Stevenson (1), Nakatani (1)
Ninth place: Stevenson (8), Lopez (3), Benavidez (3), Davis (2), Nakatani (2), Rodriguez (1)
tenth place: Nakatani (7), Fury (3), Davis (2), Stevenson (2), Bivol (1), Rodriguez (1), Lopez (1), Benavidez (1), Lomachenko (1)
