Tag: Kazuto Ioka

Pound for pound: Oleksandr Usyk next up among best of best

Editor’s note: Boxing Junkie erred when it indicated recently that Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin II on Sept. 17 is the next fight involving a fighter or fighters on our pound-for-pound list. We regret the error. Oleksandr Usyk is the next …

Editor’s note: Boxing Junkie erred when it indicated recently that Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin II on Sept. 17 is the next fight involving a fighter or fighters on our pound-for-pound list. We regret the error.

Oleksandr Usyk is the next pound-for-pounder up.

The talented heavyweight titleholder, coming off his impressive unanimous-decision victory over Anthony Joshua to win his belts last September in London, will meet Joshua in a pay-per-view rematch on Aug. 20 in Jedda, Saudi Arabia.

Usyk (No. 3 on the list) gave a brilliant boxing performance against Joshua, bolstering his reputation as one of the best in the business and leading many to believe he’ll beat his rival again.

Usyk’s career was on hold as a result of Russia’s invasion of his native Ukraine. However, his country’s leaders encouraged to him to get back into ring, where he can inspire his countryman.

Here is what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship in November.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to defend his heavyweight titles in a rematch with Anthony Joshua on Aug. 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship in November.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed super middleweight titles in a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly targeting this fall for his return to the ring.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  10. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly set to defend his junior middleweight titles against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 but no official announcement has been made.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
  13. Gennadiy Golovkin – Scheduled to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez a third time on Sept. 17.
  14. Jermall Charlo – No fights scheduled.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – Scheduled to defend his junior lightweight titles against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 23 in Newark, N.J.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (no fight scheduled); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

Pound for pound: Oleksandr Usyk next up among best of best

Editor’s note: Boxing Junkie erred when it indicated recently that Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin II on Sept. 17 is the next fight involving a fighter or fighters on our pound-for-pound list. We regret the error. Oleksandr Usyk is the next …

Editor’s note: Boxing Junkie erred when it indicated recently that Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin II on Sept. 17 is the next fight involving a fighter or fighters on our pound-for-pound list. We regret the error.

Oleksandr Usyk is the next pound-for-pounder up.

The talented heavyweight titleholder, coming off his impressive unanimous-decision victory over Anthony Joshua to win his belts last September in London, will meet Joshua in a pay-per-view rematch on Aug. 20 in Jedda, Saudi Arabia.

Usyk (No. 3 on the list) gave a brilliant boxing performance against Joshua, bolstering his reputation as one of the best in the business and leading many to believe he’ll beat his rival again.

Usyk’s career was on hold as a result of Russia’s invasion of his native Ukraine. However, his country’s leaders encouraged to him to get back into ring, where he can inspire his countryman.

Here is what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship in November.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to defend his heavyweight titles in a rematch with Anthony Joshua on Aug. 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship in November.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed super middleweight titles in a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly targeting this fall for his return to the ring.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  10. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly set to defend his junior middleweight titles against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 but no official announcement has been made.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
  13. Gennadiy Golovkin – Scheduled to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez a third time on Sept. 17.
  14. Jermall Charlo – No fights scheduled.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – Scheduled to defend his junior lightweight titles against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 23 in Newark, N.J.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (no fight scheduled); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

Pound for pound: The list will remain unchanged at least until fall

Pound for pound: Boxing Junkie’s list will remain unchanged at least until fall, which Canelo Alvarez faces Gennadiy Golovkin.

The top boxers in the world are on a hiatus.

No fighter on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list is scheduled to fight until No. 7 Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, faces No. 13 Gennadiy Golovkin a third time on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas.

And No. 15 Shakur Stevenson will defend his junior lightweight titles against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 23.

Beyond that no pound-for-pounder has a fight set, although No. 1 Terence Crawford is expected to face No. 4 Errol Spence Jr. in October.

Here is what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to defend his heavyweight titles in a rematch with Anthony Joshua on Aug. 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed super middleweight titles in a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly targeting October for his return to the ring.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  10. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly set to defend his junior middleweight titles against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 but no official announcement has been made.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
  13. Gennadiy Golovkin – Scheduled to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez a third time on Sept. 17.
  14. Jermall Charlo – Expected to defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki but no date has been announced.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – Scheduled to defend his junior lightweight titles against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 23 in Newark, N.J.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (no fight scheduled); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

Pound for pound: The list will remain unchanged at least until fall

Pound for pound: Boxing Junkie’s list will remain unchanged at least until fall, which Canelo Alvarez faces Gennadiy Golovkin.

The top boxers in the world are on a hiatus.

No fighter on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list is scheduled to fight until No. 7 Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, faces No. 13 Gennadiy Golovkin a third time on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas.

And No. 15 Shakur Stevenson will defend his junior lightweight titles against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 23.

Beyond that no pound-for-pounder has a fight set, although No. 1 Terence Crawford is expected to face No. 4 Errol Spence Jr. in October.

Here is what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to defend his heavyweight titles in a rematch with Anthony Joshua on Aug. 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed super middleweight titles in a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Reportedly targeting October for his return to the ring.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  10. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly set to defend his junior middleweight titles against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28 but no official announcement has been made.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
  13. Gennadiy Golovkin – Scheduled to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez a third time on Sept. 17.
  14. Jermall Charlo – Expected to defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki but no date has been announced.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – Scheduled to defend his junior lightweight titles against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 23 in Newark, N.J.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (no fight scheduled); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

Pound for pound: Where does Artur Beterbiev land after brutal KO?

Pound for pound: Where does Artur Beterbiev land on Boxing Junkie’s list after his brutal KO of Joe Smith Jr.?

A few weeks ago No. 2-ranked Naoya Inoue delivered an epic knockout of future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire but couldn’t overtake No. 1 Terence Crawford on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list.

We wanted to allow Crawford – coming off a sensational victory of his own against Shawn Porter – to decide his fate in an expected showdown with Errol Spence Jr. this fall.

No. 13 Artur Beterbiev gave fans another brutal stoppage this past Saturday in New York City. His took down fellow 175-pound titleholder Joe Smith Jr., who became Beterbiev’s 18th knockout victim in as many fights in the second round.

How does that impact the Montreal-based Russian’s position on the list? He changes places with No. 12 Gennadiy Golovkin.

Now you might have two questions. One, why not let Triple-G decide his own fate? He’s set to face No. 7 Canelo Alvarez in September. Well, unlike Crawford, we believe the 40-year-old Golovkin is in decline to some degree.

Of course, if he beats Alvarez, he can expect to move back up the list.

And, two, why was Beterbiev elevated only one place? While his knockout was spectacular, we have to take Smith’s limitations into account when we assess Beterbiev’s performance. It was an easy fight for him.

If Beterbiev fights and defeats No. 6-ranked Dmitry Bivol, he, too, would almost certainly climb into the Top 10.

Here is what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to defend his heavyweight titles in a rematch with Anthony Joshua on Aug. 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed super middleweight titles in a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Career on hold because of the war in Ukraine.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  10. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly in talks to defend his junior middleweight titles against mandatory challenger Tim Tszyu this fall but another mandatory has become a complicating factor.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
  13. Gennadiy Golovkin – Scheduled to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez a third time on Sept. 17.
  14. Jermall Charlo – Was scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18 but the fight was postponed after Charlo injured his back in training. The new date hasn’t been announced.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled,

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Nonito Donaire (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (no fight scheduled); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

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Pound for pound: Where does Artur Beterbiev land after brutal KO?

Pound for pound: Where does Artur Beterbiev land on Boxing Junkie’s list after his brutal KO of Joe Smith Jr.?

A few weeks ago No. 2-ranked Naoya Inoue delivered an epic knockout of future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire but couldn’t overtake No. 1 Terence Crawford on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list.

We wanted to allow Crawford – coming off a sensational victory of his own against Shawn Porter – to decide his fate in an expected showdown with Errol Spence Jr. this fall.

No. 13 Artur Beterbiev gave fans another brutal stoppage this past Saturday in New York City. His took down fellow 175-pound titleholder Joe Smith Jr., who became Beterbiev’s 18th knockout victim in as many fights in the second round.

How does that impact the Montreal-based Russian’s position on the list? He changes places with No. 12 Gennadiy Golovkin.

Now you might have two questions. One, why not let Triple-G decide his own fate? He’s set to face No. 7 Canelo Alvarez in September. Well, unlike Crawford, we believe the 40-year-old Golovkin is in decline to some degree.

Of course, if he beats Alvarez, he can expect to move back up the list.

And, two, why was Beterbiev elevated only one place? While his knockout was spectacular, we have to take Smith’s limitations into account when we assess Beterbiev’s performance. It was an easy fight for him.

If Beterbiev fights and defeats No. 6-ranked Dmitry Bivol, he, too, would almost certainly climb into the Top 10.

Here is what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  2. Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to defend his heavyweight titles in a rematch with Anthony Joshua on Aug. 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed super middleweight titles in a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Career on hold because of the war in Ukraine.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  10. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly in talks to defend his junior middleweight titles against mandatory challenger Tim Tszyu this fall but another mandatory has become a complicating factor.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
  13. Gennadiy Golovkin – Scheduled to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez a third time on Sept. 17.
  14. Jermall Charlo – Was scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18 but the fight was postponed after Charlo injured his back in training. The new date hasn’t been announced.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled,

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Nonito Donaire (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (no fight scheduled); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

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Pound for pound: Devin Haney, Stephen Fulton Jr. make their debuts

Pound for pound: Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. make their debuts on Boxing Junkie’s list.

It’s time for Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. to receive full recognition for what they bring to the ring.

Haney and Fulton gave masterclass boxing performances this past weekend in separate parts of the world, outclassing George Kambosos Jr. and Daniel Roman to remain unbeaten and underscore their unusual talents in important fights.

Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) unseated Kambosos as the undisputed 135-pound champion while Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) retained two 122-pound titles.

Thus, both of them climb onto Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list for the first time, entering as Honorable Mentions. Kambosos and Kazuto Ioka, HMs going into Saturday, were pushed out.

Here is what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face Nonito Donaire in a bantamweight title-unification rematch on June 7 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Reportedly set to face Anthony Joshua a second time in August but no official announcement has been made.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Has said he’ll face Gennadiy Golovkin a third time on Sept. 17 but no official announcement has been made.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Career on hold because of the war in Ukraine.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  10. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Gennadiy Golovkin – Canelo Alvarez has said he’ll face Triple-G a third time on Sept. 17 but no official announcement has been made.
  13. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face Joe Smith Jr. in a light heavyweight title-unification fight on June 18 in New York.
  14. Jermall Charlo – Scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18 in Houston.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled,

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Nonito Donaire (scheduled to face Naoya Inoue on June 7); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (no fight scheduled); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

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Pound for pound: Devin Haney, Stephen Fulton Jr. make their debuts

Pound for pound: Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. make their debuts on Boxing Junkie’s list.

It’s time for Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. to receive full recognition for what they bring to the ring.

Haney and Fulton gave masterclass boxing performances this past weekend in separate parts of the world, outclassing George Kambosos Jr. and Daniel Roman to remain unbeaten and underscore their unusual talents in important fights.

Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) unseated Kambosos as the undisputed 135-pound champion while Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) retained two 122-pound titles.

Thus, both of them climb onto Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list for the first time, entering as Honorable Mentions. Kambosos and Kazuto Ioka, HMs going into Saturday, were pushed out.

Here is what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to face Nonito Donaire in a bantamweight title-unification rematch on June 7 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Reportedly set to face Anthony Joshua a second time in August but no official announcement has been made.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship in October.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Has said he’ll face Gennadiy Golovkin a third time on Sept. 17 but no official announcement has been made.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Career on hold because of the war in Ukraine.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  10. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Gennadiy Golovkin – Canelo Alvarez has said he’ll face Triple-G a third time on Sept. 17 but no official announcement has been made.
  13. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face Joe Smith Jr. in a light heavyweight title-unification fight on June 18 in New York.
  14. Jermall Charlo – Scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18 in Houston.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled,

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Nonito Donaire (scheduled to face Naoya Inoue on June 7); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (no fight scheduled); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

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Pound for pound: Gervonta Davis jumps two spots after brutal KO

Pound for pound: Gervonta Davis has jumped two spots on the Boxing Junkie list after his brutal KO of Rolando Romero.

Critics might say that Gervonta Davis must beat a top pound-for-pounder to be one himself, which is a reasonable argument for any fighter.

However, the fact is that he has a strong resume, with a number of convincing victories over elite opposition in multiple divisions. And, just as important, he has aced the eye test repeatedly with his ability to deliver memorable knockouts.

That includes this past Saturday, when he instantaneously turned a competitive fight with capable Rolando Romero into a highlight reel knockout in Round 6. That’s what he does.

Thus, “Tank” moves up the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list once again, this time from No. 13 to No. 11. That means he has leap-frogged over middleweight titleholder Gennadiy Golovkin and 175-pound champ Artur Beterbiev, who dropped one position each.

And with even bigger fights ahead for Davis this might just be the beginning.

Here is 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 Nonito Donaire in a bantamweight title-unification rematch on June 7 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Reportedly set to face Anthony Joshua a second time in August but no official announcement has been made.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Has said he’ll face Gennadiy Golovkin a third time on Sept. 17 but no official announcement has been made.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Career on hold because of the war in Ukraine.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – In talks to defend his WBC junior bantamweight title against Joshua Franco in June.
  10. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Gennadiy Golovkin – Canelo Alvarez has said he’ll face Triple-G a third time on Sept. 17 but no official announcement has been made.
  13. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face Joe Smith Jr. in a light heavyweight title-unification fight on June 18 in New York.
  14. Jermall Charlo – Scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18 in Houston.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled,

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Nonito Donaire (scheduled to face Naoya Inoue on June 7); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to defend junior bantamweight title against Donnie Nietes on July 13); George Kambosos (scheduled to defend his lightweight titles against Devin Haney on June 5); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

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Pound for pound: Gervonta Davis jumps two spots after brutal KO

Pound for pound: Gervonta Davis has jumped two spots on the Boxing Junkie list after his brutal KO of Rolando Romero.

Critics might say that Gervonta Davis must beat a top pound-for-pounder to be one himself, which is a reasonable argument for any fighter.

However, the fact is that he has a strong resume, with a number of convincing victories over elite opposition in multiple divisions. And, just as important, he has aced the eye test repeatedly with his ability to deliver memorable knockouts.

That includes this past Saturday, when he instantaneously turned a competitive fight with capable Rolando Romero into a highlight reel knockout in Round 6. That’s what he does.

Thus, “Tank” moves up the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list once again, this time from No. 13 to No. 11. That means he has leap-frogged over middleweight titleholder Gennadiy Golovkin and 175-pound champ Artur Beterbiev, who dropped one position each.

And with even bigger fights ahead for Davis this might just be the beginning.

Here is 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 Nonito Donaire in a bantamweight title-unification rematch on June 7 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Reportedly set to face Anthony Joshua a second time in August but no official announcement has been made.
  4. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  5. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
  6. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– Has said he’ll face Gennadiy Golovkin a third time on Sept. 17 but no official announcement has been made.
  8. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Career on hold because of the war in Ukraine.
  9. Juan Francisco Estrada – In talks to defend his WBC junior bantamweight title against Joshua Franco in June.
  10. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  11. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  12. Gennadiy Golovkin – Canelo Alvarez has said he’ll face Triple-G a third time on Sept. 17 but no official announcement has been made.
  13. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face Joe Smith Jr. in a light heavyweight title-unification fight on June 18 in New York.
  14. Jermall Charlo – Scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18 in Houston.
  15. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled,

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Nonito Donaire (scheduled to face Naoya Inoue on June 7); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to defend junior bantamweight title against Donnie Nietes on July 13); George Kambosos (scheduled to defend his lightweight titles against Devin Haney on June 5); Josh Taylor (no fight scheduled).

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