By Carlos Boogs, Ryan Burton

Former four division world champion Roy Jones Jr. views IBF, WBA, WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward as the best pound for pound fighter in the boxing.

But he also has two fighters that are close on his tail to claim the top spot - WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko and former world champion Sergey Kovalev.

Jones feels the race is so close to secure the top pound for pound position, that he won't even list Lomachenko of Kovalev in the number "2" slot. He has Ward as the top guy at "1a" and then Lomachenko at "1b" and then Kovalev at "1c."

Two weeks ago in Las Vegas, Ward won a close twelve round decision over Kovalev to capture the three world titles. This past Saturday night in Las Vegas, Lomachenko dominated and stopped unbeaten Nicholas Walters in seven rounds.

Jones explains that Lomachenko's lack of top opposition - when compared to someone like Ward - is the main reason that he's not in the top overall position.

Most of the recognized pound for pound lists have WBC super flyweight world champion Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez as their top pound for pound fighter in boxing. But Gonzalez's recognition, as the top guy on those lists, is being questioned by many fans after the talented boxer struggled in his September decision win over Carlos Cuadras to capture the WBC belt. It was Gonzalez's fourth divisional title win. 

"I would say there is 1a and 1b [at the top of the pound for pound list]. Andre Ward is 1a and Lomachenko is 1b, because Lomachenko has not had the opportunity to fight the opposition that Ward's faced. And you could put Kovalev at 1c, because that fight [with Ward] could have gone either way," Jones explained.

"So we have 1a, 1b and 1c, but all three of those guys deserve to be at the top of the pound-for-pound. Lomachenko has not had the opposition yet to prove it in the ring like the other guys have."