The debate over boxing’s pound-for-pound king has been reignited following Terence Crawford’s retirement in December. The American, who retired unbeaten, had been widely regarded as the world’s best after a historic win over Canelo Alvarez in September. That victory made Crawford the only three-weight undisputed champion of the four-belt era, having won world titles in five divisions.
Among the contenders vying for the top spot is Japan’s Junto Nakatani, a 28-year-old three-weight champion. He recently moved up to bantamweight, where he stopped Ryosuke Nishida in June to collect a second belt. In December, he shared a card with Naoya Inoue, setting up a super-fight in May. The closely contested bout saw Nakatani lose his first fight, as Inoue remained undisputed.
Canelo Alvarez, once the face of boxing, has wins over Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto, Gennadiy Golovkin and many more. The 35-year-old Mexican is a four-weight champion and two-time undisputed super-middleweight king. However, he was thoroughly outclassed by Crawford in September, a defeat that has dented his standing.
David Benavidez, 29, entered the rankings after crushing Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in May to become a three-weight champion. The Mexican-American, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight belts, previously reigned at super-middleweight and light-heavyweight. His combination of bullying power and blitzing speed makes him a fan favourite.
Devin Haney, 27, is a technical master with elite range management and footwork. He became undisputed lightweight champion at 23 after back-to-back wins over George Kambosos in Australia. The American has since added world titles at super-lightweight and welterweight.
Artur Beterbiev, 39, remains a dominant light-heavyweight champion with a perfect 20-0 record, all by knockout. He dismantled Callum Smith in January 2024 and later defeated Dmitry Bivol in October to become undisputed champion. An honourable mention goes to Jai Opetaia.
