Editor’s note: This is the final “Great Eight” of 2022.
The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.
That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.
Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight and so on.
It was easy to make our selection in some divisions. For example, Naoya Inoue has been so dominating at 118 pounds that no one in that division or 115 is remotely close to him.
Other weight classes took more thought. And you’ll notice one change has been made since the last time we posted Great Eight.
Here are our current rankings.
HEAVYWEIGHT – Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs): Oleksandr Usyk deserves accolades after his back-to-back victories over Anthony Joshua but Tyson Fury is still the big man to beat. The Gypsy King knocked out Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora this year. A showdown with Usyk next year would leave no doubt about who is No. 1.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs): The 175-pound champion had a monster year, outpointing Canelo Alvarez in a major upset and handing Gilberto Ramirez his first loss by a one-sided decision. A victory over fellow titleholder Artur Beterbiev would lift Bivol to new heights.
MIDDLEWEIGHT – Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs): No one at 160 or 154 is as dominating as the junior middleweight champion, who has crept up pound-for-pound lists.
WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs). Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. have been unable to reach terms on a fight to determine the best 147-pounder, which is a shame. Crawford, coming off a knockout victory over David Avanesyan, remains on top here by default.
LIGHTWEIGHT – Gervonta Davis (27-0, 25 KOs): Cases can also be made for undisputed champion Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson but Davis is the most-complete fighter in and around this deep division. Also keep an eye on gifted Frank Martin.
FEATHERWEIGHT – Stephen Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs): The unified junior featherweight titleholder could be on a collision course with otherworldly Naoya Inoue, which would present a serious threat to his supremacy. For now, no one at 126 or 122 can touch the talented Fulton.
BANTAMWEIGHT – Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs): The Japanese bantamweight just stopped Paul Butler to become the undisputed 118-pound champion, which keeps him a step ahead of 115-pound stalwarts Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez and Bam Rodriguez.
FLYWEIGHT – Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2, 14 KOs): Cases can also be made for Sunny Edwards (112), Kenshiro Teraji (108) and Knockout CP Freshmart (105).