Tag: Errol Spence Jr.

Pound-for-pound: Devin Haney continues his ascent up the Boxing Junkie list

Pound-for-pound: Devin Haney continues his ascent up the Boxing Junkie list of the best fighters in the world.

Devin Haney turned in the best performance of his career Saturday in his hometown of San Francisco, shutting out overmatched 140-pound champ Regis Prograis to win a major title in a second division.

If there was any doubt about Haney’s place among the best fighters in the world beforehand, there isn’t now.

The question we faced was whether his impressive victory merited an upgrade on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list (Top 15 plus five Honorable Mentions).

We feel it did.

Haney entered the fight ranked No. 14, one spot behind fellow young star Shakur Stevenson.

We normally wouldn’t bump a fighter up more than one or two notches after a victory over an opponent who wasn’t on the pound-for-pound list going into the fight. However, this case is unusual.

Consider three things:

  • One, Haney didn’t simply defeat Prograis, he embarrassed him. He dropped him and won every round on all three scorecards.
  • Two, he moved up in weight and directly into a world championship fight.
  • And, three, Prograis was no easy mark. He was a respected, once-beaten, two-time titleholder.

Yes, it was a special night for Haney.

As a result, he moves up to No. 10, which knocks previous No. 10 Errol Spence Jr., No. 11 Vasiliy Lomachenko, No. 12 Artur Beterbiev and Stevenson down one spot each.

Note: Spence and Lomachenko are coming off losses – Spence to Terence Crawford and Lomachenko to Haney – and Stevenson gave a shaky performance in his unanimous decision victory over Edwin De Los Santos.

Beterbiev, 38, can bounce back up the list depending on how he performs against Callum Smith on Jan. 13

Next pound-for-pounder up: Honorable mentions Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Sunny Edwards will face off on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound title against Lyndon Arthur on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney – No fight scheduled.
  11. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  12. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  13. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  14. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  15. David Benavidez – No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled);  Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against Josber Perez on New Year’s Eve in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=40041,40037]

Pound-for-pound: Does David Benavidez crack Top 15 after sensational KO?

Pound-for-pound: Does David Benavidez crack the Top 15 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list after his brutal KO of Demetrius Andrade?

This one is tricky.

David Benavidez couldn’t have looked much better than he did against Demetrius Andrade on Saturday in Las Vegas, where he put the former two-division titleholder down and pummeled him until the fight was stopped after the sixth round.

Benavidez’s stock certainly went up. However, was it enough for the Honorable Mention (going into the fight) to crack our Top 15?

Yes.

The question was how he would fit in. This is what we did:

  • No. 14 Roman Gonzalez, who has lost twice to Juan Francisco Estrada in his last three fights, drops to Honorable Mention. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer has no fight scheduled.
  • No. 15 Devin Haney, coming off a victory over No. 11 Vasiliy Lomachenko in a close fight, moves up to No. 14. The 135-pound titleholder will challenge 140-pound champ Regis Prograis on Dec. 9, meaning his position here could change.
  • And Benavidez enters at No. 15, the highest position he has attained.

Honorable Mention Jermall Charlo, a 160-pound titleholder, held his position by outpointing smaller, but determined Jose Benavidez Jr. on the David Benavidez-Andrade card after a 2½-year layoff.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 14 Haney faces Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound title against Lyndon Arthur on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.
  15. David Benavidez – No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled);  Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against Josber Perez on New Year’s Eve in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Pound-for-pound: Does David Benavidez crack Top 15 after sensational KO?

Pound-for-pound: Does David Benavidez crack the Top 15 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list after his brutal KO of Demetrius Andrade?

This one is tricky.

David Benavidez couldn’t have looked much better than he did against Demetrius Andrade on Saturday in Las Vegas, where he put the former two-division titleholder down and pummeled him until the fight was stopped after the sixth round.

Benavidez’s stock certainly went up. However, was it enough for the Honorable Mention (going into the fight) to crack our Top 15?

Yes.

The question was how he would fit in. This is what we did:

  • No. 14 Roman Gonzalez, who has lost twice to Juan Francisco Estrada in his last three fights, drops to Honorable Mention. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer has no fight scheduled.
  • No. 15 Devin Haney, coming off a victory over No. 11 Vasiliy Lomachenko in a close fight, moves up to No. 14. The 135-pound titleholder will challenge 140-pound champ Regis Prograis on Dec. 9, meaning his position here could change.
  • And Benavidez enters at No. 15, the highest position he has attained.

Honorable Mention Jermall Charlo, a 160-pound titleholder, held his position by outpointing smaller, but determined Jose Benavidez Jr. on the David Benavidez-Andrade card after a 2½-year layoff.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 14 Haney faces Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound title against Lyndon Arthur on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.
  15. David Benavidez – No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled);  Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against Josber Perez on New Year’s Eve in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Pound-for-pound: Does Shakur Stevenson’s uninspiring performance impact him?

Pound-for-pound: Does Shakur Stevenson’s uninspiring performance impact him?

Shakur Stevenson remained unbeaten and won a major title in a third division but managed to draw criticism at the same time.

That’s because he refused to engage Edwin De Los Santos in his unanimous decision victory Thursday night in Las Vegas, throwing a paltry average of 17 punches per round in a boring fight.

Does that mean Stevenson — ranked No. 13 by Boxing Junkie going into the fight — drops down or falls off the list?

No.

One, he won the fight. Two, his skill set — particularly his defensive ability — was on clear display. And, three, everyone has off nights, even someone as talented as he is.

So we decided to give Stevenson the benefit of the doubt for now and then see how he does in his next fight, which could come against a more formidable opponent than De Los Santos.

We’ll add this, though: He can’t expect to barely win horrible fights and ascend to the top of the list.

Next pound-for-pounder up: Honorable Mention David Benavidez is scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas (pay-per-view).

On the same card, Honorable Mention Jermall Charlo will face Jose Benavidez Jr.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound title against Lyndon Arthur on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Jermall Charlo (scheduled to face Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Pound-for-pound: Does Shakur Stevenson’s uninspiring performance impact him?

Pound-for-pound: Does Shakur Stevenson’s uninspiring performance impact him?

Shakur Stevenson remained unbeaten and won a major title in a third division but managed to draw criticism at the same time.

That’s because he refused to engage Edwin De Los Santos in his unanimous decision victory Thursday night in Las Vegas, throwing a paltry average of 17 punches per round in a boring fight.

Does that mean Stevenson — ranked No. 13 by Boxing Junkie going into the fight — drops down or falls off the list?

No.

One, he won the fight. Two, his skill set — particularly his defensive ability — was on clear display. And, three, everyone has off nights, even someone as talented as he is.

So we decided to give Stevenson the benefit of the doubt for now and then see how he does in his next fight, which could come against a more formidable opponent than De Los Santos.

We’ll add this, though: He can’t expect to barely win horrible fights and ascend to the top of the list.

Next pound-for-pounder up: Honorable Mention David Benavidez is scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas (pay-per-view).

On the same card, Honorable Mention Jermall Charlo will face Jose Benavidez Jr.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound title against Lyndon Arthur on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder and No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Jermall Charlo (scheduled to face Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Great Eight: Tyson Fury seems vulnerable after debacle against Francis Ngannou

Great Eight: Tyson Fury seems vulnerable after his debacle against Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

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, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

In this installment of “Great Eight,” we focus again on Tyson Fury.

The heavyweight champion was clearly the top big man in the sport but now seems vulnerable after he went down and had to rally to defeat MMA star and boxing newbie Francis Ngannou by a split decision Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

The result allowed Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) to remain the Great Eight heavyweight champion but an even bigger challenge looms: He’s expected to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship this winter, perhaps in February.

Usyk is naturally smaller than Ngannou but is far more skillful and experienced, meaning that if Fury isn’t better prepared for Usyk than he was for Ngannou, he could lose his top spot here.

If nothing else, Usyk will be given a better chance of beating Fury now that he would have been before this past Saturday.

Indeed, assuming a date is selected and the meeting with Usyk takes place, Fury will fighting to retain everything he has built in his remarkable 15-year career

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – The top big man has a date with fellow titleholder Usyk for all the belts for sometime this winter. Organizers are targeting February, according to reports.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) – A title-unification meeting with Artur Beterbiev isn’t coming to fruition, which could open the door to a rematch with Canelo Alvarez.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pound champ failed to take Alvarez’s 168-pound titles but retains three of the four major junior middleweight belts. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford. Another option is WBO champ Tim Tszyu instead.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford left no doubt that he’s the best at 147 (and 140) with his sensational ninth-round knockout of rival Errol Spence Jr. on July 29. It will be difficult for him to top that performance.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – Devin Haney still has the belts at 135 pounds. Shakur Stevenson might be the most gifted in the division. But it’s “Tank” who has made the strongest impression and has the deepest resume.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) – Inoue turned in a Crawford-like performance on July 25 in Tokyo, where he dismantled Stephen Fulton Jr. in eight rounds to underscore his greatness and become champ of a second Great Eight division.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old Mexican replaces Inoue as the top man here because of his body of work, which includes two victories over the great Roman Gonzalez in his last three fights.

FLYWEIGHT

Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) – The slick Englishman will be defending his spot here on Dec. 16 in Phoenix, where he’ll take on Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout. The winner will be king here.

[lawrence-related id=39265,39252,39118,38989,38974,38906,38902,38798,38789]

Great Eight: Tyson Fury seems vulnerable after debacle against Francis Ngannou

Great Eight: Tyson Fury seems vulnerable after his debacle against Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

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, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

In this installment of “Great Eight,” we focus again on Tyson Fury.

The heavyweight champion was clearly the top big man in the sport but now seems vulnerable after he went down and had to rally to defeat MMA star and boxing newbie Francis Ngannou by a split decision Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

The result allowed Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) to remain the Great Eight heavyweight champion but an even bigger challenge looms: He’s expected to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship this winter, perhaps in February.

Usyk is naturally smaller than Ngannou but is far more skillful and experienced, meaning that if Fury isn’t better prepared for Usyk than he was for Ngannou, he could lose his top spot here.

If nothing else, Usyk will be given a better chance of beating Fury now that he would have been before this past Saturday.

Indeed, assuming a date is selected and the meeting with Usyk takes place, Fury will fighting to retain everything he has built in his remarkable 15-year career

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – The top big man has a date with fellow titleholder Usyk for all the belts for sometime this winter. Organizers are targeting February, according to reports.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) – A title-unification meeting with Artur Beterbiev isn’t coming to fruition, which could open the door to a rematch with Canelo Alvarez.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pound champ failed to take Alvarez’s 168-pound titles but retains three of the four major junior middleweight belts. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford. Another option is WBO champ Tim Tszyu instead.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford left no doubt that he’s the best at 147 (and 140) with his sensational ninth-round knockout of rival Errol Spence Jr. on July 29. It will be difficult for him to top that performance.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – Devin Haney still has the belts at 135 pounds. Shakur Stevenson might be the most gifted in the division. But it’s “Tank” who has made the strongest impression and has the deepest resume.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) – Inoue turned in a Crawford-like performance on July 25 in Tokyo, where he dismantled Stephen Fulton Jr. in eight rounds to underscore his greatness and become champ of a second Great Eight division.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old Mexican replaces Inoue as the top man here because of his body of work, which includes two victories over the great Roman Gonzalez in his last three fights.

FLYWEIGHT

Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) – The slick Englishman will be defending his spot here on Dec. 16 in Phoenix, where he’ll take on Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout. The winner will be king here.

[lawrence-related id=39265,39252,39118,38989,38974,38906,38902,38798,38789]

Pound-for-pound: Does Tyson Fury’s weak performance merit demotion?

Pound-for-pound: Does Tyson Fury’s weak performance merit demotion on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Tyson Fury won the fight but lost respect.

Boxing Junkie’s No. 5 fighter pound-for-pound going into his meeting with MMA star Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia was put on the canvas and had to rally to win a split decision.

Fury’s performance arguably was one of the worst by a heavyweight champion who maintained his title.

So where does that leave him on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list? That’s tricky.

He embarrassed himself and boxing by barely beating an opponent who was making his professional boxing debut, which merits demotion. At the same time, he did do what it took to have his hand raised and remain unbeaten after the 10-round bout.

In the end, we decided we had no choice but to drop him down the list — but not too far — given his weak performance against an inexperienced opponent.

He falls from No. 5 to No. 9 as he begins preparation to face talented, experienced fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk on an unspecified date this winter, which will give him the opportunity to prove he still belongs on this list at all.

Next pound-for-pounder up: 135-pound champion Devin Haney, No. 15 on the list, is scheduled to challenge unranked 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Has agreed to face fellow titleholder Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship this winter in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Has agreed to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship this winter in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Jermall Charlo (scheduled to face Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

[lawrence-related id=39510,39507,39503,39500,39495,39488]

Pound-for-pound: Does Tyson Fury’s weak performance merit demotion?

Pound-for-pound: Does Tyson Fury’s weak performance merit demotion on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Tyson Fury won the fight but lost respect.

Boxing Junkie’s No. 5 fighter pound-for-pound going into his meeting with MMA star Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia was put on the canvas and had to rally to win a split decision.

Fury’s performance arguably was one of the worst by a heavyweight champion who maintained his title.

So where does that leave him on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list? That’s tricky.

He embarrassed himself and boxing by barely beating an opponent who was making his professional boxing debut, which merits demotion. At the same time, he did do what it took to have his hand raised and remain unbeaten after the 10-round bout.

In the end, we decided we had no choice but to drop him down the list — but not too far — given his weak performance against an inexperienced opponent.

He falls from No. 5 to No. 9 as he begins preparation to face talented, experienced fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk on an unspecified date this winter, which will give him the opportunity to prove he still belongs on this list at all.

Next pound-for-pounder up: 135-pound champion Devin Haney, No. 15 on the list, is scheduled to challenge unranked 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face fellow titleholder Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship on Dec. 26 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Has agreed to face fellow titleholder Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship this winter in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Has agreed to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship this winter in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smith on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Jermall Charlo (scheduled to face Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona).

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Great Eight: Tyson Fury’s championship will be on the line twice in coming months

Great Eight: Tyson Fury’s championship will be on the line twice in the coming months, against Francis Ngannou and then Oleksandr Usyk.

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, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

In this installment of “Great Eight,” we point out that we could see a change in the heavyweight division for the first time since this feature was created.

Unbeaten champion Tyson Fury will be fighting twice within a span of few months.

“The Gypsy King” is scheduled to face MMA star and boxing newbie Francis Ngannou in a sanctioned bout Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is a ridiculous mismatch aside from the money both men stand to make. (Fury reportedly will earn more than $120 million.)

Ngannou, a strong man, would have to land a lucky punch to win but that’s highly unlikely given the enormous gap in boxing ability and experience.

The genuine challenge for Fury reportedly will come in late December or perhaps early next year in Saudi Arabia, where the Englishman and fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine are scheduled to fight for the undisputed championship.

Who wins that fight? That’s a tricky question. A gargantuan (6-foot-9) heavyweight with Fury’s skillset doesn’t appear to be the best style matchup for the former cruiserweight champion. That’s why Fury is about a 2½-1 favorite over Usyk at the moment.

However, Usyk, a former Olympic champion, is so gifted that he can’t be counted out of any fight. After all, he did outpoint Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights.

The odds say we won’t see a new Great Eight heavyweight champion but, again, Ngannou has the power (if nothing else) and Usyk has the ability to surprise us.

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) – The top big man has a gimmie in his next fight, a lucrative matchup against MMA star Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28. A showdown with fellow titleholder Usyk for all the belts will come as soon as Dec. 23.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) – A rematch with Canelo Alvarez could be in the offing after the Mexican star easily outpointed Jermell Charlo on Sept. 30. Bivol defeated Alvarez by a unanimous decision in May of last year. Canelo wants revenge.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pound champ failed in his bid to take Alvarez’s titles but retains three of the four major junior middleweight belts. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford or he could face the winner of the fight between fellow titleholder Tim Tszyu and Brian Mendoza on Oct. 14 (Oct. 15 in Australia).

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford left no doubt that he’s the best at 147 (and 140) with his sensational ninth-round knockout of rival Errol Spence Jr. on July 29. It will be difficult for him to top that performance.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – Devin Haney still has the belts at 135 pounds. Shakur Stevenson might be the most gifted in the division. But it’s “Tank” who has made the strongest impression and has the deepest resume.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) – Inoue turned in a Crawford-like performance on July 25 in Tokyo, where he dismantled Stephen Fulton Jr. in eight rounds to underscore his greatness and become champ of a second Great Eight division.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old Mexican replaces Inoue as the top man here because of his body of work, which includes two victories over the great Roman Gonzalez in his last three fights.

FLYWEIGHT

Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) – The slick Englishman will be defending his spot here on Dec. 16 in Phoenix, where he’ll take on Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout. The winner will be king here.

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