The Ring’s latest pound-for-pound rankings are out, and while they’ve nailed the top spot with Oleksandr Usyk, the rest of the list needs serious rethinking. It’s as if they lost the plot right after naming their number one.
Let’s dig into that. Coming in at second and third are Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford, but neither really earns their stripes for those positions. Frankly, they don’t have the track record of significant victories to justify being ranked so highly. So, I’m here to set things straight: Inoue and Crawford just don’t cut it for the top ten in my book.
Take Inoue, for instance. His most notable win was against an aging 36-year-old Nonito Donaire, and even then, it was a close call. The rest of his victories came against lesser-known fighters like TJ Doheny and Ye Joon Kim.
The Ring’s updated list includes:
1. Oleksandr Usyk
2. Naoya Inoue
3. Terence Crawford
4. Dmitry Bivol
5. Artur Beterbiev
6. Jesse Rodriguez
7. Canelo Alvarez
8. Gervonta Davis
9. Junto Nakatani
10. Devin Haney
In my opinion, Crawford, Inoue, Dmitry Bivol, and Devin Haney shouldn’t make the cut at all. Bivol, despite being the unified light heavyweight champ, isn’t exactly setting the world on fire with his performances. His recent win over Artur Beterbiev sparked debate, with many thinking it was a gift. And then there’s Haney, who hasn’t seen victory in two years and just lost to Ryan. His past win over Vasily Lomachenko remains controversial due to excessive holding against Jorge Linares when he was in trouble.
Here’s how I’d revamp the list:
1. Oleksandr Usyk
2. Canelo Alvarez
3. David Benavidez
4. Jesse Rodriguez
5. Jai Opetaia
6. Janibek Alimkhanuly
7. Gervonta Davis
8. Ryan Garcia
9. Rafael Espinoza
10. Jaron Ennis
Benavidez, for one, brings serious credentials, coming off a major victory over David Morrell. He’s far more deserving of a bout with Canelo than Crawford, who hasn’t even stepped into the ring at 168.
