Comments Thread For: BoxingScene roundtable: Who will be considered the pound-for-pound king in 12 months time?

[BoxingUpdates]

The BoxingScene writers try to predict boxing's future pound-for-pound number one
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[richardt]

I'm going with BAM BAM, he rips through them all, including knocking out Inoue if they fight. That's my pick.

[daggum]

definitely canelo after he mops the floor with scull and surace

[HandsofIron]

Crawford or Usyk

[LG Motel 22]

I think nakatani after beating bam and inoue

[Ropeydope]

If Crawford can get Cinnamon in the ring and beat him (two big ifs), than him hands down. Otherwise the winner of Inoue v Nakatani. If Usyk goes on a spree of the big men at HW, he’ll still be in the conversation.

[Ropeydope]

I'm going with BAM BAM, he rips through them all, including knocking out Inoue if they fight. That's my pick.

That would definitely put Bam at the top, but don’t see that happening in 2025. The Japs will each take an interim and fight each other

[Elheath]

Usyk, if he fights twice this year, would likely keep it by de facto. However if he fights only once against winner of Parker-Dubois then probably not enough.

Opetaia might have a chance if he fights three times this year and goes undisputed in CW with his next two fights, but I won't bank on it.

Winner of Beter/Bivol rematch will depend on who and how they win their 2nd match of the year. They got a chance if it is two convincing wins between winner of Beter/Bivol and Bena/Morrell.

Crawford is not likely UNLESS he fights twice this year (very unlikely) against notable 154 guys OR if he somehow gets Canelo and if defeats him in his one annual fight (another HUGE if x2). One unification win against Murta/Fundora won't be enough no matter what.

Shakur will have to defeat Schofield, Zepeda, and Tank convincingly but I am skeptic if all three happens this year.

Inoue is likely to end the year with Goodman, Picasso, and MJ. It will be a good year in a vacuum but not Inoue tier great, and probably end up in a solid honerable mention but not a winner UNLESS all of the above have a well below expectation year (Usyk/Crawford only one fight, Beter/Bivol have a meh 2nd fight and such).

Nakatani has an outside chance IF he fights Cueller in February followed by two unification or one unification and one voluntary defense against Estrada, and the above guys also have meh years.

Anyone picking Bam needs to consider his unfortunate situation he's in right now similar to Inoue's position during 115, in that due to his high risk low reward position he's currently out of the loop of unifications until late in 2nd half if you look at his choices deeply.
Martinez has Ioka rematch around February and the winner likely followed by mandatory with Jimenez. Cafu has Chocolatito on March with winner getting Tanaka. Garcia and Calixto needs to do a rematch after the controversial draw last month, and will have it possibly in the spring.
Bam would likely end up getting an underwhelming voluntary stay busy defense in the spring and hopefully get one unification around fall at best.

[hugh grant]

If usyk beats big men like zhang, bakole and bud beats nelo, it's got to be between these 2.

[takenotes]

Right now it is Usyk. If Usyk does not fight or only has one fight this year AND Bud fights and beats Canelo, I would say Bud. Hard to say without knowing who anyone is fighting.

If Usyk does not fight and Crawford does not fight Canelo, I would say Inoue or Bam.