Men’s boxing pound-for-pound list: Fury excluded, fresh contender enters top 10

Tyson Fury has declared his retirement from boxing on five occasions — with some breaks being brief and others more extended — yet each comeback has concluded similarly: with a victory. This pattern persisted on Saturday in London, where Fury achieved a unanimous decision win over Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Fury (35-2-1, 24 KOs) has consistently been a presence on pound-for-pound lists during his active periods, but this recent return did not carry sufficient impact to reestablish him in the top 10. While the victory solidified his status as one of the division’s top fighters — he is ranked No. 2 heavyweight by ESPN — it did not provide the decisive statement required for him to rejoin the elite ranks.

To regain a position in the pound-for-pound discussions, Fury will likely need a more conclusive performance against a higher-tier opponent. He has already expressed interest in a bout against No. 7 heavyweight Anthony Joshua later this year, which would present an opportunity for Fury to make a return to the rankings.

Cruiserweight Jai Opetaia enters the pound-for-pound rankings at No. 10 following his unanimous decision victory over contender Brandon Glanton in his Zuffa Boxing debut in March.

Our panel, consisting of Andreas Hale, Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, Eric Raskin, James Regan, Bernardo Osuna, Eric Woodyard, Bernardo Pilatti, Charles Moynihan, Salvador Rodriguez, Jim Zirolli, Michael Mascaro, Aladdin Freeman, Victor Lopez, and Damian Delgado Averhoff, has cast their votes.

More ESPN rankings: Divisional rankings and women’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Note: Results are through April 15, 2026.

1. OLEKSANDR USYK

RECORD: 24-0, 15 KOs
DIVISION: Heavyweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO5) Daniel Dubois, July 19, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: May 23 vs. Rico Verhoeven

The retirement of Terence Crawford elevates Usyk to the top position in the pound-for-pound rankings. Despite nearing 39 years of age, he continues to perform at an elite level, as demonstrated by his dominant knockout victory in a rematch against Dubois last July. He has triumphed over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Dubois on two occasions each. It seemed that Usyk would next face former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. However, Wilder has secured a match with Derek Chisora, and Usyk announced on February 27 that he will defend the WBC heavyweight title against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. — Andreas Hale

2. NAOYA INOUE

RECORD: 32-0, 27 KOs
DIVISION: Junior featherweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) David Picasso, Dec. 27, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: May 2 vs. Junto Nakatani

Inoue concluded his four-fight year in 2025 with a comprehensive unanimous decision victory over Picasso. After maintaining an intense schedule not commonly seen among fighters of his caliber, Inoue will take a break before his highly anticipated match against fellow Japanese champion Junto Nakatani, scheduled for May 2 at Tokyo Dome. — Hale

3. JESSE RODRIGUEZ

RECORD: 23-0, 16 KOs
DIVISION: Junior bantamweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO10) Fernando Martinez, Nov. 22, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: TBA

“Bam” Rodriguez executed a dominant performance against Martinez to add the WBA title to his collection at junior bantamweight. It was not merely the victory, but the ease with which he achieved it. Martinez entered the fight undefeated, yet Rodriguez made him appear inexperienced before finishing him in the 10th round. At 25, Rodriguez is the youngest fighter on the pound-for-pound list and has ample time to aim for the top position. He is recognized as one of the finest fighters globally and one of the most captivating to watch. — Hale

4. SHAKUR STEVENSON

RECORD: 25-0, 11 KOs
DIVISION: Junior welterweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Teofimo Lopez Jr., Jan. 31
NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Stevenson rises significantly in the pound-for-pound rankings after delivering a near shutout against Teofimo Lopez Jr. to secure a major world title in a fourth weight class. However, it is not just his victories that stand out. At 28, Stevenson is competing at an exceptional level, dominating opponents and conceding very few rounds against fellow world champions. He has numerous options ahead, whether to unify at 140 pounds or 135, or to move up another weight class to 147 pounds. He is on the verge of reaching the top position. — Hale

5. DAVID BENAVIDEZ

RECORD: 31-0, 25 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO7) Anthony Yarde, Nov. 22, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: May 2 vs. Gilberto Ramirez

After defeating Yarde in November, Benavidez announced his intention to move up to cruiserweight to challenge “Zurdo” Ramirez, the unified champion. This bout is scheduled for Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, with Benavidez aiming to become a three-division champion. If victorious, he will have many options, including a potential return to light heavyweight for the right matchup (Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol). “The Mexican Monster” is set for a significant 2026, given his exciting style and a range of quality opponents. — Hale

6. JUNTO NAKATANI

RECORD: 32-0, 24 KOs
DIVISION: Bantamweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Sebastian Hernandez, Dec. 27, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: May 2 vs. Naoya Inoue

Despite narrowly securing a controversial victory over Hernandez, Nakatani has still set up an all-Japanese clash with Naoya Inoue on May 2 at Tokyo Dome. The performance against Hernandez was not among Nakatani’s best, but a transition to a new weight class and a more challenging opponent than anticipated likely played a role in the fight’s outcome. Off nights can occur, and they are understandable. Although his standing took a slight hit, Nakatani will have the chance to dispel any doubts by defeating Inoue. — Hale

7. DEVIN HANEY

RECORD: 33-0, 1 NC, 15 KOs
DIVISION: Welterweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Brian Norman Jr., Nov. 22, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Haney outclassed the hardest hitter in the welterweight division with relative ease, dominating Norman to become WBO champion. Speculations regarding Haney’s decline following the Ryan Garcia fight were greatly overstated, and he silenced critics by effectively outboxing a fighter known for his power. A three-division champion who has just turned 27, Haney makes the list with his remarkable skill set and instincts. — Hale

8. JARON “BOOTS” ENNIS

RECORD: 35-0, 31 KOs
DIVISION: Interim junior middleweight champion
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO1) Uisma Lima, Oct. 11, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: June 27 vs. Xander Zayas

Ennis’ abilities are undeniable as “Boots” has consistently overwhelmed his opponents since his debut a decade ago. The only uncertainty has been regarding the caliber of his opposition, as Ennis has yet to face an elite fighter. He has passed the eye test thus far and enters the pound-for-pound rankings due to his exceptional switch-hitting skills and boxing intelligence. He requires a significant test, and a long-anticipated matchup with Vergil Ortiz Jr. has been hinted at for several years. Just when it seemed imminent, legal issues arose between the two fighters. For now, Ennis will focus on challenging WBO and WBA junior middleweight champion Zayas. — Hale

9. CANELO ALVAREZ

RECORD: 63-3-2, 39 KOs
DIVISION: Super middleweight
LAST FIGHT: L (UD12) Terence Crawford, Sept. 13, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Canelo has returned to the pound-for-pound rankings due to circumstances beyond his control. Although he lost to Crawford last September, there is no disgrace in falling to arguably the best boxer of this generation. However, all attention will be on Canelo’s next steps as he prepares to come back from elbow surgery in September. The super middleweight division is currently wide open following Crawford’s retirement, and Canelo may seek to reclaim the titles he previously held. — Hale

10. JAI OPETAIA     Previous ranking: NR

RECORD: 30-0, 23 KOs
DIVISION: Cruiserweight
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Brandon Glanton, March 8
NEXT FIGHT: TBA

The undefeated Australian made his debut on American soil with a dominant victory over Brandon Glanton in March to secure the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship. However, the most intriguing narrative involved the IBF title, from which Opetaia would later be stripped for a second time. There is no doubt that Opetaia is the top cruiserweight globally, but the key question will be how Zuffa Boxing aids him in achieving his ambition of becoming the undisputed champion. — Hale

The formula

The rankings are determined by a descending points system, where a first-place vote earns 10 points, a second-place vote earns nine points, and so forth. In the event of a tie, the fighter with the higher ranking prevails, followed by the one with the most votes at that ranking.

Others receiving votes: Oscar Collazo (11), Vergil Ortiz Jr. (10), Rafael Espinoza (5), Sebastian Fundora (5), Raymond Muratalla (3), Osleys Iglesias (2), O’Shaquie Foster (2), Tyson Fury (1), Emanuel Navarrete (1), Ryan Garcia (1)

How our writers voted

Hale: 1. Usyk, 2. Stevenson, 3. Inoue, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Benavidez, 6. Haney, 7. Nakatani, 8. Ortiz, 9. Ennis, 10. Fundora

Atlas: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Benavidez, 6. Haney, 7. Nakatani, 8. Ennis, 9. Muratalla, 10. Ortiz

Tessitore: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Nakatani, 6. Benavidez, 7. Haney, 8. Opetaia, 9. Ennis, 10. Alvarez

Parkinson: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Stevenson, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Haney, 6. Benavidez, 7. Nakatani, 8. Opetaia, 9. Alvarez, 10. Garcia

Raskin: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Benavidez, 6. Haney, 7. Alvarez, 8. Ortiz, 9. Nakatani, 10. Espinoza

Regan: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Stevenson, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Benavidez, 6. Haney, 7. Nakatani, 8. Ennis, 9. Alvarez, 10. Fury

Osuna: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Nakatani, 6. Benavidez, 7. Haney, 8. Ennis, 9. Collazo, 10. Espinoza

Rodriguez: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Benavidez, 5. Stevenson, 6. Nakatani, 7. Alvarez, 8. Collazo, 9. Haney, 10. Navarrete

Woodyard: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Stevenson, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Benavidez, 6. Nakat