The Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list has been fairly stable since its inception. That could change in 2020.
Nos. 1 and 2 Vasiliy Lomachenko and Terence Crawford are still amazing in their early 30s but a number of gifted fighters — some much younger — are hot on their heels.
No. 3 Canelo Alvarez is always a threat to climb higher if Lomachenko and/or Crawford slip. No. 4 Naoya Inoue, only 26, already is No. 1 on some lists. No. 5 Oleksandr Usyk, now a heavyweight, probably will rise if he takes down the giants in the sport.
No. 6 Gennadiy Golovkin still lurks but is 37. No. 7 Errol Spence Jr., recovered from his car accident, has No. 1 pound-for-pound written all over him. No. 8 Juan Estrada is probably underappreciated. No. 9 Mikey Garcia shouldn’t be dismissed because of his loss to Spence. And No. 10 Artur Beterbiev, an imposing brawler, is on the ascent.
That’s a strong Top 10.
Beyond them, our Nos. 11-15 are all poised to move up if the opportunities are there. And hot young fighters like Gervonta Davis, Jose Ramirez and Teofimo Lopez are knocking on the door.
Bottom line: There are many talented, hungry fighters who dream not only if winning titles but also gaining recognition as the very best in the sport.
Check out our final Top 15 list of 2019 below. Check back next year. And let us know what you think.
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
- Vasiliy Lomachenko
- Terence Crawford
- Canelo Alvarez
- Naoya Inoue
- Oleksandr Usyk
- Gennadiy Golovkin
- Errol Spence Jr.
- Juan Francisco Estrada
- Mikey Garcia
- Artur Beterbiev
- Josh Taylor
- Manny Pacquiao
- Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
- Leo Santa Cruz
- Kosei Tanaka
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Miguel Berchelt, Mairis Briedis, Tyson Fury, Shawn Porter, Julian Williams