POUND FOR POUND RANKINGS

The end of the Golden Boy/DAZN/Alvarez partnership took a twist into Alvarez fighting on DAZN three more times. The Callum Smith win gave Alvarez a cemented claim as a four-division titlist. Alvarez exerted his control of the super middleweight division further with a stoppage of Saunders. There are still those who argue about the outcomes of the two fights with Golovkin but they are getting farther in the rear view with every passing round. Alvarez’s star has never been brighter, drawing 70,000 or so for the Saunders clash. Caleb Plant has the only belt left at super middleweight to win, Golovkin still presumably wants a rubber match, and names like David Benavidez, Jermall Charlo, and Demetrius Andrade are out there as well. Alvarez has options and most are likely to get their turn as long as Alvarez keeps winning.

Crawford had an opponent to get excited about arguably for the first time at welterweight and Crawford did what he’s always done: win. Shawn Porter was stopped for the first time in his career and now it’s wait and see for Crawford’s next move. The best fight in the division on paper hasn’t changed in several years. It’s Crawford facing Spence. There will be still more fights before the sport can get there, if it ever does.

While his reign at Jr. bantamweight wasn’t all it could have been, Inoue has been making the most of his prime since moving to bantamweight. Five straight legitimate top ten opponents, five straight wins. It’s the longest current streak of top ten wins in the sport. With a little more luck on the count against Donaire, it could have been five straight top ten stoppages. Regardless, Donaire gave him some scary moments and we learned Inoue is more than an offensive dynamo. Foes who know what sort of frightful finishing pop awaits them now have to reckon with the evidence that Inoue can take as good as he gives and come back harder. Losing a unification bout with Johnriel Casimero to COVID was unfortunate but considering the growing war of words (and tweets), there’s no reason Casimero can’t be revisited once Inoue and Casimero have cleared their decks. Inoue has a mandatory on tap and Casimero will have to get by cagey veteran Guillermo Rigondeaux.

As expected, the 2012 Olympic Gold medalist at heavyweight from Ukraine reached the final of the excellent World Boxing Super Series at Cruiserweight. He closed it out in style, turning one of the most anticipated fights of 2018 into a showcase and picking up a rare four-belt unification. That it came in one of boxing’s deepest and most competitive divisions was a bonus. A win over Tony Bellew after the tournament, Bellew having never lost the WBC belt at cruiserweight in the ring, providing a resounding clean out of his era. Usyk’s delayed move into the unlimited class was anti-climactic and the follow-up against Chisora leaves questions about his physical limits above 200 lbs. That’s a small sample. Usyk can set sights on Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua to discover if he is the most viable Cruiserweight threat to the whole heavyweight throne since Evander Holyfield.

Spence lost a year after an auto accident and now another to an eye injury. The Texan can be commended for taking real opponents off both layoffs. While not officially announced, all signs point to a unification showdown with WBA titlist Yordenis Ugas. A win there will only further amplify calls for a showdown with Terence Crawford that has yet to pass its sell by date.

Taylor cemented his position atop Jr. Welterweight with a commanding two-knockdown performance over Jose Ramirez to unify the class. Taylor will make a homecoming defense against the capable Catterall and then his slate could open up. A move up to challenge Crawford, a rematch challenge from Prograis, or even a rising Gervonta Davis would all be appealing foes. So too could a rehabbed Teofimo Lopez turn heads if the former lightweight champion can right his ship.

Tyson Fury outside the ring, and between fights, may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he’s hard to criticize once the bell rings. Fury has shown the ability to adapt and fight in multiple styles, displays incredible recuperative abilities, and carries a will to win that marks special talents. The best fight that can happen at heavyweight right now is a showdown with Oleksandr Usyk but the soonest we can likely look for it is in late 2022.

Despite the loss to Lopez, Lomachenko remains highly regarded in part because since moving to lightweight he’s done nothing but fight real contenders and also because his form in two divisions prior was fantastic. One would have to go back to the summer of 2017 to find a Lomachenko opponent who was unrated by TBRB or Ring in any division. All of that is small consolation as Lomachenko seeks to return to the top at lightweight. He’s one of several who would surely love to see lightweight champion George Kambosos next.

Arguments about who really won their second fight continue and will carry into an expected third fight this spring with Roman Gonzalez. Their first two are among the best fights of this era, highly skilled classics at the heart of a golden era near their weights. Estrada can now say he holds a win over every man he’s ever faced. After a rubber match with Gonzalez, another rubber could be looming with Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Both series are tied at 1-1.

Davis has beaten tough outs in three different weight classes over his last three fights while emerging as one of the top ticket draws in the sport. The only thing missing for Davis is a win that makes him the very top dog in any of the weight classes he’s competed in. A win over George Kambosos would do it at lightweight. A win over Josh Taylor would do it one class higher.