Pound-for-pound: The top stars’ immediate plans

A number of the pound-for-pounders have fights scheduled but are waiting to see how the Coronavirus threat plays out.

The Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list isn’t going to change anytime soon if our top stars don’t fight.

A number of them do have fights scheduled. The question at the moment is whether they will actually step into the ring because of the Coronavirus threat.

Many boxing cards worldwide have been postponed or canceled as a result of the pandemic.

Here is a look at our Top 15 and their immediate plans.

BOXING JUNKIE

POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Vasiliy Lomachenko — Tentatively scheduled to face Teofimo Lopez on May 30.
  2. Terence Crawford — Scheduled to fight again on June 13, according to ESPN. His people are targeting the top welterweights but we’ve heard that before.
  3. Canelo Alvarez — We’re waiting for an announcement that he’ll fight Billy Joe Saunders on May 2.
  4. Naoya Inoue — Scheduled to fight John Riel Casimero on April 25 in Las Vegas but the pandemic could change that.
  5. Oleksandr Usyk — Scheduled to fight Dereck Chisora on May 23 in London. As Usyk said, “I really hope that this fight will take place.”
  6. Gennadiy Golovkin — Tentatively scheduled to return on June 6 against Kamil Szeremeta. A more tantalizing possibility is a third fight with Alvarez in September.
  7. Errol Spence Jr. — Has nothing scheduled. Pacquiao has been reported to be a possible opponent.
  8. Tyson Fury — Deontay Wilder has exercised the rematch clause in their contract for their second fight. The question is when.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada — Could fight Roman Gonzalez or Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, fighters with whom is familiar, but this is in the rumor stage.
  10. Mikey Garcia — Nothing is scheduled. He might be the leading candidate to face Pacquiao late this summer.
  11. Artur Beterbiev — Scheduled to face Meng Fanlong on March 28. Could it take place in an isolated studio?
  12. Josh Taylor — Scheduled to face Apinun Khongsong on May 2 in Scotland.
  13. Manny Pacquiao — Said he’ll be back this summer. The leading candidates are Mikey Garcia and Errol Spence Jr.
  14. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai — Scheduled to face Amnat Ruenroeng on April 4 in Thailand.
  15. Leo Santa Cruz — Reportedly in talks with Gervonta Davis for a fight in June.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Miguel Berchelt, Mairis Briedis, Teofimo Lopez, Shawn Porter and Kosei Tanaka