Tag: Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez

Great Eight: Which champion is more likely to be dethroned, Tyson Fury or Dmitry Bivol?

Great Eight: Which champion is more likely to be dethroned, Tyson Fury or Dmitry Bivol?

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 WBA and 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 ask (and answer) the question: Which of our champions is most likely to lose his championship in his next fight?

Many might suggest it’s Tyson Fury, who struggled to defeat Francis Ngannou by a split decision last October even though the MMA star was making his pro boxing debut.

Fury’s performance led to comments suggesting the longtime heavyweight star has started his inevitable decline, criticism he deserved after a weak performance.

And now Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) set to face unbeaten boxing wizard Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) for the undisputed championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia. I had thought that would be an easy fight for Fury, who I believed was too big and good enough to handle the former 200-pound champ.

Now I’m not sure because of the Ngannou debacle even though I believe he struggled because he thought he could roll out of bed on any day — and in any condition — and defeat Ngannou with his eyes closed, which is no way to go into any fight.

I have no doubt that he’ll be fully prepared — physically and mentally — when he faces Usyk.

Still, Fury has to prove to me and everyone else that he’s not in decline by winning the most important fight of his career. In other words, Usyk poses an enormous threat to Fury.

So does that mean Fury is the Great Eight champion most likely to be dethroned? No.

I believe Dmitry Bivol, our light heavyweight champ, is most likely to get knocked off when he faces fellow titleholder Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.

Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) is a tremendous boxer with an outstanding resume, which is why he’s one of our champions. The fact he conquered Canelo Alvarez is his calling card but he has demonstrated repeatedly that he’s one of the best in the business.

He’s a better boxer than Beterbiev, which is why I pick him to win a close decision. However, Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) is an underrated technician and a physical freak, one who seems to have superhuman strength, historic punching power and a sturdy chin.

And the Canada-based Russian demonstrated in his most recent fight that he hasn’t slipped even though he’s 39, as he beat up, twice dropped and finally stopped capable Callum Smith in seven rounds on Jan. 13.

Bivol can win only if he can prevent Beterbiev from walking through his punches, which will be difficult. Indeed, Bivol had better be at the top of his game or he could become Beterbiev’s 21st knockout victim in as many fights and lose his position here.

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – Fury appeared to be fit before his showdown with Usyk (originally scheduled for Feb. 17) was postponed because Fury suffered a cut in sparring. That’s a good sign for the Englishman, who seemed to have taken victory for granted when he eked out a decision over Ngannou.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – The winner of the Bivol-Beterbiev showdown on June 1 will determine not only the Great Eight champion but also the best 175-pounder of the era. Few possible matchups in boxing are better or more significant than this one.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder came up short against 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez but he remains the best at 160 and 154. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford, who would take Charlo’s place in this division with a victory.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford, coming off his epic beat down of Errol Spence Jr., could be poised to move up to 154 to challenge titleholder Charlo, which would create an opening here. Only talented Jaron Ennis would appear to be a genuine threat at 147.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – “Tank” remains the most-complete fighter at 135 and 130 but boxing wizards Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko might have something to say about who reigns in Great Eight before all is said and done. Now we need to see these pivotal matchups.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue gave another dominating performance against Marlon Tapales on Dec. 26, stopping the Filipino in the 10th round to become undisputed champion in a second weight class. Can anyone compete with him? Luis Nery will be the next one to try. They meet on May 6.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer from Mexico didn’t fight last year but he presumably will get back to work soon. He has hinted that he might move up from junior bantamweight to bantamweight, which would make him eligible to retain his title here.

FLYWEIGHT

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez supplanted Edwards as champion here after leaving no doubt about who is the best 112-pounder in the world. However, he has said he plans to move up to junior bantamweight. We’ll wait until he schedules a fight to remove him.

[lawrence-related id=40751,40640,39488,40466,40283,40442]

Pound-for-pound: Does Teofimo Lopez hold his position after dud?

Pound-for-pound: Does Teofimo Lopez hold his Honorable Mention position after a subpar performance against Jamaine Ortiz?

Teofimo Lopez didn’t look like a pound-for-pounder in his unanimous decision victory over Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday in Las Vegas.

The physically gifted 140-pound titleholder did enough to win but spent the entire fight chasing his elusive opponent but rarely catching him, which made for a relatively weak performance and a lousy fight.

To be fair, as I wrote earlier in Weekend Review, it’s difficult to corral a foe who refuses to engage, particularly if they’re as quick and capable as Ortiz. However, special fighters find a way. And Lopez didn’t.

So where does that leave the Honorable Mention on our pound-for-pound list?

He’s getting a pass this time, meaning he’ll stay where he was for the time being. After all, he won the fight. And, again, Ortiz’s strategy was a contributing factor in his subpar performance.

We’re watching, however, He can’t continue to look good in one fight and so-so in the next, which has been his pattern the past few years. If he is ever going to move toward the top of this list, he’s going to have to demonstrate consistency.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

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 defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 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 No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (no fight scheduled).

[lawrence-related id=40729,40720,40690,40684]

Pound-for-pound: Does Teofimo Lopez hold his position after dud?

Pound-for-pound: Does Teofimo Lopez hold his Honorable Mention position after a subpar performance against Jamaine Ortiz?

Teofimo Lopez didn’t look like a pound-for-pounder in his unanimous decision victory over Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday in Las Vegas.

The physically gifted 140-pound titleholder did enough to win but spent the entire fight chasing his elusive opponent but rarely catching him, which made for a relatively weak performance and a lousy fight.

To be fair, as I wrote earlier in Weekend Review, it’s difficult to corral a foe who refuses to engage, particularly if they’re as quick and capable as Ortiz. However, special fighters find a way. And Lopez didn’t.

So where does that leave the Honorable Mention on our pound-for-pound list?

He’s getting a pass this time, meaning he’ll stay where he was for the time being. After all, he won the fight. And, again, Ortiz’s strategy was a contributing factor in his subpar performance.

We’re watching, however, He can’t continue to look good in one fight and so-so in the next, which has been his pattern the past few years. If he is ever going to move toward the top of this list, he’s going to have to demonstrate consistency.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

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 defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 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 No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (no fight scheduled).

[lawrence-related id=40729,40720,40690,40684]

Great Eight: Our list of champions could look radically different this year

Great Eight: Our list of champions could look radically different this year.

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 WBA and 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 the list could look radically different this year.

Start with the heavyweight division. “Great Eight” champion Tyson Fury is set face Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia. The winner will be our champion barring something unforeseen. And an expected rematch will also have a direct impact on the championship.

Then there’s 175 pounds, at which unbeaten titleholders Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol — our champion — appear headed for a showdown for the undisputed championship in late spring or summer.

“Great Eight” middleweight champion Jermell Charlo, a junior middleweight belt holder, doesn’t have a fight set but a significant challenge could be on the horizon.

A potential rematch between welterweight champ Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. seems to be losing steam, which could open the door to a Charlo-Crawford fight at 154 pounds this year. Crawford probably would be favored even though he would be moving up in weight.

And if Crawford makes a full-fledged move from 147 to 154, that would create a “Great Eight” vacancy at welterweight. Ennis, the second best 147-pounder, and the top fighters at 140 — Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, et al — will battle to become our new champion.

The next three weights seem less likely to change.

Lightweight champion Gervonta Davis has a firm hold on the “Great Eight” championship, although a few 135-pounders — Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomachenko and perhaps Frank Martin and William Zepeda — could push “Tank.” He also could decided to move up to 140.

Naoya Inoue also has firm control of the featherweight championship. He has been untouchable at junior featherweight and would still quality for the same position if he moves up a division, which could happen this year.

And bantamweight champ Juan Francisco Estrada, who fights at junior bantamweight, has talked about moving up in weight. That means he could still hold his “Great Eight” position. The Mexican is far more accomplished than anyone at the higher weight.

And, finally, “Bam” Rodriguez just became flyweight champion by stopping Sunny Edwards but he has said he plans to move back up to junior bantamweight, which would create an opening here. Could Edwards, perhaps the second best 112-pounder, fill the void? Or will 108-pounder Kenshiro Teraji take the top spot?

So, in summary, it’s easy to imagine a championship list that looks like this in 2024:

  • Heavyweight — Usyk
  • Light heavyweights — Beterbiev
  • Middleweight — Crawford
  • Welterweight — Ennis (or Haney or Lopez)
  • Lightweight — Davis
  • Featherweight — Inoue
  • Bantamweight — Estrada
  • Flyweight — Edwards

Stay tuned.

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – Fury’s reign as the top man here is in jeopardy, as he’s scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia. He’ll have to perform better against Usyk than he did against Francis Ngannou to win.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – The 175-pound titleholder gave another strong performance last month, shutting out overmatched Lyndon Arthur. Artur Beterbiev’s KO of Callum Smith on Jan. 13 could set up a showdown between the two best 175-pounders of the era.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder came up short against 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez but he remains the best at 160 and 154. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford, who would take Charlo’s place in this division with a victory.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford, coming off his epic beat down of Errol Spence Jr., could be poised to move up to 154 to challenge titleholder Charlo, which would create an opening here. Only talented Jaron Ennis would appear to be a genuine threat at 147.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – “Tank” remains the most-complete fighter at 135 and 130 but boxing wizards Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko might have something to say about who reigns in Great Eight before all is said and done. Now we need to see these pivotal matchups.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue gave another dominating performance against Marlon Tapales on Dec. 26, stopping the Filipino in the 10th round to become undisputed champion in a second weight class. Can anyone compete with him? Murodjon Akhmadaliev might have the best chance.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer from Mexico didn’t fight last year but he presumably will get back to work soon. “Bam” Rodiguez called him out for what could turn out to be a passing-of-the-torch matchup but Estrada has talked about moving up in weight.

FLYWEIGHT

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez supplanted Edwards as champion here after leaving no doubt about who is the best 112-pounder in the world. However, he has said he plans to move up to junior bantamweight. We’ll wait until he schedules a fight to remove him.

[lawrence-related id=39698,40466,14631]

Great Eight: Our list of champions could look radically different this year

Great Eight: Our list of champions could look radically different this year.

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 WBA and 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 the list could look radically different this year.

Start with the heavyweight division. “Great Eight” champion Tyson Fury is set face Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia. The winner will be our champion barring something unforeseen. And an expected rematch will also have a direct impact on the championship.

Then there’s 175 pounds, at which unbeaten titleholders Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol — our champion — appear headed for a showdown for the undisputed championship in late spring or summer.

“Great Eight” middleweight champion Jermell Charlo, a junior middleweight belt holder, doesn’t have a fight set but a significant challenge could be on the horizon.

A potential rematch between welterweight champ Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. seems to be losing steam, which could open the door to a Charlo-Crawford fight at 154 pounds this year. Crawford probably would be favored even though he would be moving up in weight.

And if Crawford makes a full-fledged move from 147 to 154, that would create a “Great Eight” vacancy at welterweight. Ennis, the second best 147-pounder, and the top fighters at 140 — Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, et al — will battle to become our new champion.

The next three weights seem less likely to change.

Lightweight champion Gervonta Davis has a firm hold on the “Great Eight” championship, although a few 135-pounders — Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomachenko and perhaps Frank Martin and William Zepeda — could push “Tank.” He also could decided to move up to 140.

Naoya Inoue also has firm control of the featherweight championship. He has been untouchable at junior featherweight and would still quality for the same position if he moves up a division, which could happen this year.

And bantamweight champ Juan Francisco Estrada, who fights at junior bantamweight, has talked about moving up in weight. That means he could still hold his “Great Eight” position. The Mexican is far more accomplished than anyone at the higher weight.

And, finally, “Bam” Rodriguez just became flyweight champion by stopping Sunny Edwards but he has said he plans to move back up to junior bantamweight, which would create an opening here. Could Edwards, perhaps the second best 112-pounder, fill the void? Or will 108-pounder Kenshiro Teraji take the top spot?

So, in summary, it’s easy to imagine a championship list that looks like this in 2024:

  • Heavyweight — Usyk
  • Light heavyweights — Beterbiev
  • Middleweight — Crawford
  • Welterweight — Ennis (or Haney or Lopez)
  • Lightweight — Davis
  • Featherweight — Inoue
  • Bantamweight — Estrada
  • Flyweight — Edwards

Stay tuned.

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – Fury’s reign as the top man here is in jeopardy, as he’s scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia. He’ll have to perform better against Usyk than he did against Francis Ngannou to win.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – The 175-pound titleholder gave another strong performance last month, shutting out overmatched Lyndon Arthur. Artur Beterbiev’s KO of Callum Smith on Jan. 13 could set up a showdown between the two best 175-pounders of the era.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder came up short against 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez but he remains the best at 160 and 154. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford, who would take Charlo’s place in this division with a victory.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford, coming off his epic beat down of Errol Spence Jr., could be poised to move up to 154 to challenge titleholder Charlo, which would create an opening here. Only talented Jaron Ennis would appear to be a genuine threat at 147.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – “Tank” remains the most-complete fighter at 135 and 130 but boxing wizards Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko might have something to say about who reigns in Great Eight before all is said and done. Now we need to see these pivotal matchups.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue gave another dominating performance against Marlon Tapales on Dec. 26, stopping the Filipino in the 10th round to become undisputed champion in a second weight class. Can anyone compete with him? Murodjon Akhmadaliev might have the best chance.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer from Mexico didn’t fight last year but he presumably will get back to work soon. “Bam” Rodiguez called him out for what could turn out to be a passing-of-the-torch matchup but Estrada has talked about moving up in weight.

FLYWEIGHT

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez supplanted Edwards as champion here after leaving no doubt about who is the best 112-pounder in the world. However, he has said he plans to move up to junior bantamweight. We’ll wait until he schedules a fight to remove him.

[lawrence-related id=39698,40466,14631]

Pound-for-pound: Where does Artur Beterbiev land after his dominating victory?

Pound-for-pound: Where does Artur Beterbiev land after his dominating knockout victory over Callum Smith?

Artur Beterbiev demonstrated in his impressive seventh-round stoppage of Callum Smith on Jan. 13 that he’s at the peak of his abilities as he approaches his 39th birthday.

The 175-pound champion now has 20 knockouts in as many fights.

Where does his latest victory leave him on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Beterbiev entered the fight at No. 14, below Nos. 12 and 13 Errol Spence Jr. and Vasiliy Lomachenko, both of whom are coming off losses in their most recent fights.

Thus, Beterbiev jumps up two spots to No. 12, directly below No. 11 Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who is coming off a sensational ninth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Sunny Edwards last month.

Of course, Beterbiev’s place on the list is tenuous: He and No. 4 Dmitry Bivol have reportedly agreed to meet for the undisputed 175-pound championship in late spring or summer, which would be the toughest matchup of Beterbiev’s career.

Spence (now No. 13) has no fight scheduled. Lomachenko (No. 14) reportedly will face George Kambosos Jr. for a vacant 135-pound title on May 12 in Australia, which would give the Ukrainian a chance to move back up the list.

Next pound-for-pounder up: Honorable Mention Teofimo Lopez is scheduled to defend his WBO 140-pound title against Jamaine Ortiz on Feb. 8 in Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  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– No fight scheduled.
  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. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly set to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia, although no formal announcement has been made.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (scheduled to defend his WBO 140-pound title against Jamaine Ortiz on Feb. 8 in Las Vegas).

[lawrence-related id=40466,40446,40442]

Pound-for-pound: Where does Artur Beterbiev land after his dominating victory?

Pound-for-pound: Where does Artur Beterbiev land after his dominating knockout victory over Callum Smith?

Artur Beterbiev demonstrated in his impressive seventh-round stoppage of Callum Smith on Jan. 13 that he’s at the peak of his abilities as he approaches his 39th birthday.

The 175-pound champion now has 20 knockouts in as many fights.

Where does his latest victory leave him on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Beterbiev entered the fight at No. 14, below Nos. 12 and 13 Errol Spence Jr. and Vasiliy Lomachenko, both of whom are coming off losses in their most recent fights.

Thus, Beterbiev jumps up two spots to No. 12, directly below No. 11 Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who is coming off a sensational ninth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Sunny Edwards last month.

Of course, Beterbiev’s place on the list is tenuous: He and No. 4 Dmitry Bivol have reportedly agreed to meet for the undisputed 175-pound championship in late spring or summer, which would be the toughest matchup of Beterbiev’s career.

Spence (now No. 13) has no fight scheduled. Lomachenko (No. 14) reportedly will face George Kambosos Jr. for a vacant 135-pound title on May 12 in Australia, which would give the Ukrainian a chance to move back up the list.

Next pound-for-pounder up: Honorable Mention Teofimo Lopez is scheduled to defend his WBO 140-pound title against Jamaine Ortiz on Feb. 8 in Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  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– No fight scheduled.
  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. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly set to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia, although no formal announcement has been made.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (scheduled to defend his WBO 140-pound title against Jamaine Ortiz on Feb. 8 in Las Vegas).

[lawrence-related id=40466,40446,40442]

Wish list: Best single matchup for each Boxing Junkie pound-for-pounder in 2024

Wish list: The best single matchup for each Boxing Junkie pound-for-pounder in 2024.

Sometimes fans receive the fights they crave. Usually they don’t.

We remain optimistic, though, always hoping the best fighters in the world will face their equals instead of obscure mandatory title challengers or stay-busy foes.

With that in mind, here’s a list of the 20 fighters on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list — the Top 15 and five honorable mentions — and the one opponent we most want to see them fight in the coming year.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that politics or unreasonable demands sink the potential matchups you see below.

  1. Terence Crawford – Jermell Charlo. The biggest challenge for the best fighter in the world — and 147-pound champion — is at 154 pounds.
  2. Naoya Inoue – It seems no one in or around the 122-pound champion’s weight class can compete with him. Murodjon Akhmadaliev might have the best chance.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Tyson Fury. And it’s happening on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia. We’ll have our first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis barring something unforeseen.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Artur Beterbiev. What’s better than a meeting between unbeaten, highly respected fighters for an undisputed championship?
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Jesse Rodriguez. “Bam,” one of the hottest fighters in the world, called out Estrada for could turn out to be a passing-of-the-torch matchup.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– David Benavidez. Duh.
  7. Jermell Charlo – Crawford. We like Charlo vs. Tim Tszyu, who has earned the opportunity to face the top 154-pounder. However, Charlo-Crawford would be a next-level matchup.
  8. Gervonta Davis – Shakur Stevenson. This would be a pairing of two profoundly gifted fighters, both of whom have the ability to become No. 1 pound-for-pound one day soon.
  9. Tyson Fury – Oleksandr Usyk. This is Fury’s opportunity to end all debate about who is the best heavyweight of the post-Klitschko era.
  10. Devin Haney – Teofimo Lopez. Haney is in talks with Ryan Garcia — who would make for a big event — but a victory over Lopez would do more for his legacy.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Estrada. Rodriguez already has three significant victories but a date with the future Hall of Famer would be his ultimate test.
  12. Errol Spence Jr. – Jaron Ennis. Spence needs to prove that he’s better than he looked in his knockout loss to Crawford. Ennis, as talented as anyone, needs a big fight. Perfect.
  13. Vasiliy Lomachenko – George Kambosos Jr. The Aussie probably isn’t a significant threat to Loma but a victory in the fight, which is in the works, would get him a title. He deserves the opportunity.
  14. Artur Beterbiev – Bivol. The classic matchup of boxer vs. puncher arguably would determine the best 175-pounder since Hall of Fame Andre Ward retired.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – Davis. Stevenson is one significant victory away from becoming a superstar. This matchup would give him that opportunity.

HONORABLE MENTION

  • David Benavidez – Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez has earned the right to face the man he has been chasing.
  • Jermall Charlo – Benavidez or Alvarez. If the two 168-pound stars don’t fight one another — or perhaps after they do — either would make the biggest fight of Charlos’ career.
  • Roman Gonzalez — “Bam” Rodriguez said in so many words that he has too much respect for “Chocolatito” to fight him, but, man, this would be an amazing matchup of special little men.
  • Kazuto Ioka — Juan Francisco Estrada. Ioka and Estrada were headed for a meeting in 2023 until talks broke down. The title-unification matchup would be fabulous if Estrada doesn’t fight Rodriguez.
  • Teofimo Lopez — Haney. Lopez’s victory over Josh Taylor was a step back to his pre-Kambosos status. He’d be all the back — and then some — with a victory over Haney.

Wish list: Best single matchup for each Boxing Junkie pound-for-pounder in 2024

Wish list: The best single matchup for each Boxing Junkie pound-for-pounder in 2024.

Sometimes fans receive the fights they crave. Usually they don’t.

We remain optimistic, though, always hoping the best fighters in the world will face their equals instead of obscure mandatory title challengers or stay-busy foes.

With that in mind, here’s a list of the 20 fighters on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list — the Top 15 and five honorable mentions — and the one opponent we most want to see them fight in the coming year.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that politics or unreasonable demands sink the potential matchups you see below.

  1. Terence Crawford – Jermell Charlo. The biggest challenge for the best fighter in the world — and 147-pound champion — is at 154 pounds.
  2. Naoya Inoue – It seems no one in or around the 122-pound champion’s weight class can compete with him. Murodjon Akhmadaliev might have the best chance.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Tyson Fury. And it’s happening on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia. We’ll have our first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis barring something unforeseen.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Artur Beterbiev. What’s better than a meeting between unbeaten, highly respected fighters for an undisputed championship?
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Jesse Rodriguez. “Bam,” one of the hottest fighters in the world, called out Estrada for could turn out to be a passing-of-the-torch matchup.
  6. Canelo Alvarez– David Benavidez. Duh.
  7. Jermell Charlo – Crawford. We like Charlo vs. Tim Tszyu, who has earned the opportunity to face the top 154-pounder. However, Charlo-Crawford would be a next-level matchup.
  8. Gervonta Davis – Shakur Stevenson. This would be a pairing of two profoundly gifted fighters, both of whom have the ability to become No. 1 pound-for-pound one day soon.
  9. Tyson Fury – Oleksandr Usyk. This is Fury’s opportunity to end all debate about who is the best heavyweight of the post-Klitschko era.
  10. Devin Haney – Teofimo Lopez. Haney is in talks with Ryan Garcia — who would make for a big event — but a victory over Lopez would do more for his legacy.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Estrada. Rodriguez already has three significant victories but a date with the future Hall of Famer would be his ultimate test.
  12. Errol Spence Jr. – Jaron Ennis. Spence needs to prove that he’s better than he looked in his knockout loss to Crawford. Ennis, as talented as anyone, needs a big fight. Perfect.
  13. Vasiliy Lomachenko – George Kambosos Jr. The Aussie probably isn’t a significant threat to Loma but a victory in the fight, which is in the works, would get him a title. He deserves the opportunity.
  14. Artur Beterbiev – Bivol. The classic matchup of boxer vs. puncher arguably would determine the best 175-pounder since Hall of Fame Andre Ward retired.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – Davis. Stevenson is one significant victory away from becoming a superstar. This matchup would give him that opportunity.

HONORABLE MENTION

  • David Benavidez – Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez has earned the right to face the man he has been chasing.
  • Jermall Charlo – Benavidez or Alvarez. If the two 168-pound stars don’t fight one another — or perhaps after they do — either would make the biggest fight of Charlos’ career.
  • Roman Gonzalez — “Bam” Rodriguez said in so many words that he has too much respect for “Chocolatito” to fight him, but, man, this would be an amazing matchup of special little men.
  • Kazuto Ioka — Juan Francisco Estrada. Ioka and Estrada were headed for a meeting in 2023 until talks broke down. The title-unification matchup would be fabulous if Estrada doesn’t fight Rodriguez.
  • Teofimo Lopez — Haney. Lopez’s victory over Josh Taylor was a step back to his pre-Kambosos status. He’d be all the back — and then some — with a victory over Haney.

Great Eight: Welcome aboard, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez … for now

Great Eight: Boxing Junkie welcomes Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez aboard … for the time being.

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 WBA and 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 do three things:

  • Crown a new champion in the lightest weight class (although he plans to move back into the next division),
  • Provide the final listing of the year,
  • And take a peek at potential changes that might lie ahead.

First, surging Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez dethroned Sunny Edwards as flyweight champion here, the result of his sensational nine-round demolition of his British rival to become undisputed 112-pound champion on Dec. 16.

Rodriguez’s reign isn’t destined to be a long one, however: He’s expected to move back up to 115, at which he had success last year. That would move him into the bantamweight division for the purposes of Great Eight, which would result in another change at flyweight.

We’ll see what our No. 11 pound-for-pounder decides to do next and act accordingly.

Meanwhile, we also could see multiple changes in the other seven divisions in 2024. Great Eight champions Tyson Fury (heavyweight), Dmitry Bivol (light heavyweight) and Jermell Charlo (middleweight) could face their demise in the coming year.

And, of course, the other champions also have capable rivals who would love a crack at them. Stay tuned.

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – Fury’s reign as the top man here is in jeopardy, as he’s scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia. He’ll have to perform better against Usyk than he did against Francis Ngannou to win.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – The 175-pound titleholder gave another strong performance on Dec. 23, shutting out overmatched Lyndon Arthur. A meeting with Artur Beterbiev for light heavyweight supremacy could be next if Beterbiev beats Callum Smith on Jan. 13.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder came up short against 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez but he remains the best at 160 and 154. He wants to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight king Terence Crawford, who would take Charlo’s place in this division with a victory.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford, coming off his epic beat down of Errol Spence Jr., could be poised to move up to 154 to challenge titleholder Charlo, which would create an opening here. Only talented Jaron Ennis would appear to be a genuine threat at 147.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – “Tank” remains the most-complete fighter at 135 and 130 but boxing wizards Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko might have something to say about who reigns in Great Eight before all is said and done. Now we need to see these pivotal matchups.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue gave another dominating performance against Marlon Tapales on Dec. 26, stopping the Filipino in the 10th round to become undisputed champion in a second weight class. Can anyone compete with him? Murodjon Akhmadaliev might have the best chance.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer from Mexico didn’t fight this year but he presumably will get back to work soon. “Bam” Rodiguez called him out for what could turn out to be a passing-of-the-torch matchup. Will he bite?

FLYWEIGHT

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez supplants Edwards as champion here after leaving no doubt about who is the best 112-pounder in the world. However, he has said he plans to move up to junior bantamweight. We’ll wait until he schedules a fight to remove him.

[lawrence-related id=40204,40190,40186,40149,40137]