Devin Haney obviously is one of the best boxers in the world at 23, as he demonstrated again in a one-sided victory in his rematch with George Kambosos Jr. on Saturday in Melbourne, Australia.
The question is his placement on the pound-for-pound list based on his accomplishments in the ring.
Haney entered the second fight with Kambosos as one of Boxing Junkie’s five Honorable Mentions. However, with consecutive victories over Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz Jr. and Kambosos (twice), it’s time for him to move into the Top 15.
Who does he replace and where does he land?
Middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo remains unbeaten but he hasn’t fought since June of last year, meaning he’s been out of the ring for 16 months. And he evidently doesn’t have a fight in the works, which underscores his inactivity.
Thus, Boxing Junkie has moved Charlo from No. 13 to Honorable Mention. That opens up a spot in the Top 15 for a deserving Haney, who enters at No. 15.
He sits below the equally gifted Shakur Stevenson (now No. 13) and Roman Gonzalez (No. 14). And, of course, he’ll have the opportunity to move even higher when he faces next-level opponents like Vasiliy Lomachenko (No. 8) and Gervonta Davis (No. 11).
Note: Charlo has the track record and ability to bounce back into the Top 15, maybe higher. He just needs to get busy and land a truly big fight, which has eluded him the past five, six years.
Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
- Terence Crawford – In talks to meet Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship.
- Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to meet Paul Butler for the undisputed bantamweight championship on Dec. 13 in Tokyo.
- Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
- Errol Spence Jr. – In talks to meet Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship.
- Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
- Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his WBA light heavyweight title against Gilberto Ramirez on Nov. 5 in the United Arab Emirates.
- Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
- Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face Jamaine Ortiz on Oct. 29 in New York.
- Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to face Roman Gonzalez on Dec. 3. Estrada is the WBC’s junior bantamweight “franchise champion”.
- Jermell Charlo – Reportedly has reached an agreement to defend his undisputed junior middleweight championship against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 but no official announcement has been made.
- Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
- Artur Beterbiev – In talks to reschedule his light heavyweight title defense against Anthony Yarde after the fight was postponed because Beterbiev was injured. They could meet on Jan. 28 if Yarde wins a tune-up fight next month.
- Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
- Roman Gonzalez – Scheduled to face WBC junior bantamweight “franchise champion” Juan Francisco Estrada on Dec. 3.
- Devin Haney – No fight scheduled);
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (in talks to face Joshua Franco in a junior bantamweight title-unification bout on New Year’s Eve); Josh Taylor (reportedly set to defend his WBO junior welterweight title in a rematch with Jack Catterall early next year but no announcement has been made).
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