Terence Crawford – Syndication Server

Terence Crawford cites Floyd Mayweather to explain where the UFC is better than boxing

Terence Crawford thinks UFC fans support their own better than boxing.

[autotag]Terence Crawford[/autotag] thinks UFC fans support their own better than boxing.

In a discussion with former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, super welterweight boxing champion Crawford agreed that the best fight the best more often in the UFC than they do in boxing.

He also argued that beloved UFC superstars don’t get as much heat when they lose as boxers do. He explained how undefeated [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] set the bar so high in boxing.

“UFC do have a good way of putting on the best fights at the right time,” Crawford said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. “Not only that, one thing that I love about the UFC is that a guy can lose and still be supported. Nowadays in boxing, Floyd made it to where you lose and they’re kicking you to the curb and saying you’re a bum, you’re this, you’re that.

“He left with an unblemished record, and he set the bar high. So, now everybody is trying to protect the 0 because you get one loss, now you’ve got to go way to the back of the bus. Now it’s like, dang – your shine is off now because of the fans and the media and how they go around.”

With the help of of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, it appears Crawford may get his highly anticipated matchup with the Ring, WBO, WBA and WBC super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. But first, Alvarez takes on undefeated IBF champ William Scull on May 3 (May 4 locally) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Kamaru Usman, Terence Crawford debate MMA vs. boxing pay: ‘It’s no comparison’

Two of the biggest stars in boxing and the UFC compared fighter pay in their respective sports.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and undefeated super welterweight boxing champion [autotag]Terence Crawford[/autotag] discussed the pros and cons of fighter pay in MMA vs. boxing.

Usman argued that there’s more clarity in the pay for MMA fighters than boxers.

“For us, we get a lot of flak that, ‘Oh, you guys aren’t getting paid enough,’ but a lot of people don’t understand how simplified it is for us,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Cejudo. “You want to fight, this date, this is the paycheck, yes or no? For you guys (boxing), you have to be responsible for taking care of your manager. Now the promoter and manager have to work something out, and the promoter then has to go to the network to try and get you that money.

“There’s so many different people that the money has to touch their hands before it even gets to your hand. If it’s $100 million that’s being passed down the pipeline, by the time it gets to your hands, you might be touching $10-15 million out of 100. And that’s a hard pill to swallow to where we get a lot of flak for that, but there’s a lot of different situations in boxing to where you don’t get that.”

Crawford disagreed with Usman.

“Boxers get paid more than MMA as a whole,” Crawford said. “It’s no comparison.”

“At the top,” Usman responded.

“No, as a whole,” Crawford countered. “For instance, UFC, a guy headlining at The Sphere, they’re probably getting a couple of million dollars. But you’ll see a guy on the undercard of a big show probably making more than that guy. …You show up, you get $50,000. You win, you get another $50,000. You get the Knockout of the Year, you get another $50,000.”

Usman explained how while the big stars in boxing make more than the big stars in the UFC, the lower-level fighters make more in the UFC.

“For entry level UFC fighters, first fight in the UFC, you might make 10 and 10 (thousand),” Usman said. “You go out there and win, it’s $20,000. To where there are boxers that are maybe 7,8,10-0 still making – they tell them, ‘You want to fight this fight?’ Alright $2,500. That’s all I mean.”

Crawford made the point that Usman is talking about the UFC, which is the biggest promotion in MMA.

“OK, so let me break it down for you,” Crawford said. “The UFC, that’s like the top of the top. You got to work your way up to the UFC. There are boxers coming out of the Olympics getting a sign-in bonus that’s – So those little fights, are the fights you’re fighting that aren’t in the UFC. You can be pro and not be in the UFC.

“So we’re talking about the big stage. So once you make it to the UFC, you’re in the big leagues now. When I make it to the big leagues, when I’m on TV, I’m making more than you making when you come into the UFC. So, you’ve got to compare apples to apples. You can’t say this guy’s first fight in the UFC. Well, what did he do before the UFC?”

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Report: Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford reach agreement on September superfight

The outcome of Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford will help shape the legacy of two of boxing’s biggest names.

At last, a blockbuster for boxing.

[autotag]Canelo Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Terence Crawford[/autotag] have agreed to fight in September in Las Vegas, according to The Ring.

The outcome will help shape the legacy of two of the sport’s biggest names.

Alvarez, once considered boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighter, has slipped to as low as No. 7 at the age of 34. He’d likely leap up the rankings with a victory over Crawford, who at 37 is ranked as high as No. 2.

It’s uncertain at what weight they’ll box. Crawford has never weighed in at more than 153 pounds – in his last fight, as a super welterweight ‒ and Alvarez has not weighed in at less than 166 pounds since 2019 – when he fought Rocky Fielding as a middleweight at 159 pounds.

Both men are future Hall of Famers in light of their accomplishments.

Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) has won world titles at four weight classes, from light middleweight to light heavyweight. He is currently the WBC and WBO super middleweight champion and is coming off a successful title defense against Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision Sept. 14.

Alvarez’s only losses came against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 by majority decision and to Dmitry Bivol in 2022 by unanimous decision. He has beaten the likes of Gennady Golovkin, Shane Mosley and Jermell Charlo.

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) also has won world championships in four weight classes, from lightweight to light middleweight. He currently is the world super welterweight champion and is coming off of a victory over Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision.

To date, his biggest win came over Errol Spence Jr. by TKO in 2023.

Boxing champ Terence Crawford explains why he rejected Conor McGregor MMA fight

Boxing champion Terence Crawford revealed he was offered a fight against Conor McGregor, but didn’t hesitate to say, “Hell naw.”

Boxing champion [autotag]Terence Crawford[/autotag] had the opportunity to participate in a big crossover fight against [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

Crawford (40-0), a four-weight world champion in boxing, currently holds the WBA and interim WBO super welterweight titles. Former UFC lightweight champion McGregor (0-1) could have been on his resume, as he revealed there were once talks with the Irish MMA superstar.

Rumors of a two-fight deal with McGregor, one boxing bout and one MMA fight, were recently floating around. Crawford acknowledged there were conversations directly with McGregor about making the fights come together, but he decided to turn down the offer.

While Crawford didn’t reveal when these conversations took place, he explained why he won’t compete in MMA.

“I told Conor to himself; I said, ‘Hell naw,'” Crawford told Bernie Tha Boxer on a YouTube live stream. “They called me, they offered me the fight. Me and Conor got on the phone; we started politicking, you know, trying to figure something out.

“I just told him, ‘Man, I’m not getting in no f*cking octagon with you so you can be kicking me and elbowing me and sh*t.’ And so, he gets to laughing and sh*t. He’s like, ‘Man, I respect that because you respect my sport just like I respect your sport, and you understand that if you get in the octagon with me, you’re going to be at a disadvantage. Just like if I get in the boxing ring with you, I’m going to be at a disadvantage.'”

Even though “The Notorious” McGregor, 36, understood the physical reasons for turning down the fight, Crawford, 37, said the Irishman tried to appeal to his bank account.

“He was like, ‘But we’ll make a sh*t ton of money!'” Crawford said laughing, recalling what McGregor added. “I said, ‘Yeah, sometimes it ain’t about the money.’ I can make money, but you ain’t about to be kicking me, dude. Them kicks and elbows, that sh*t ain’t no joke.”

Crawford is doing very well monetarily in the boxing world. If all parties were on board, a crossover fight with McGregor would have been big business. Floyd Mayweather boxed McGregor in 2017, which proved to be a lucrative event for all involved, but Crawford would rather focus on his boxing legacy than mix in a one-off MMA fight.

Crawford is coming off a successful outing against Israil Madrimov in August. He wants to fight Canelo Alvarez, but negotiations haven’t produced any traction. His next fight in the ring may be against Sebastian Fundora, which would give Crawford the opportunity to capture three of the four 154-pound titles.

McGregor hasn’t competed in any combat sport since July 2021 at UFC 264, where he broke his leg in a first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. Despite coaching opposite Michael Chandler on “The Ultimate Fighter” and saying he wants to return to action, there is no indication of when or where McGregor will fight next, if ever again.

Great Eight: Oleksandr Usyk supplants Tyson Fury as king of the big men

Great Eight: Oleksandr Usyk has supplanted Tyson Fury as king of the big men.

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 crown a new heavyweight champion for the first time since the feature was started in 2020.

Oleksandr Usyk rallied from a slow start to score a knockdown and defeat Tyson Fury by a split decision on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, thus claiming the undisputed heavyweight championship and supplanting longtime king Fury as the “Great Eight” champion.

And let there be no doubt that Usyk deserves the top Boxing Junkie honor, with back-to-back victories over Anthony Joshua, a knockout of Daniel Dubois and now a decision over previously unbeaten Fury in his last four fights even though he’s smaller than all of the above.

Of course, Usyk might not have a long reign. He and Fury said in post-fight interviews that they plan to fight again, perhaps in the fall.

Fury, who fought well and would’ve walked away with a draw without the ninth-round knockdown, would reclaim his throne with a victory in the rematch.

Stay tuned.

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) – Usyk got a lot accomplished with his victory over Tyson Fury on Saturday, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion in a quarter century and only the second Great Eight heavyweight champ.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – Bivol had been set to face Artur Beterbiev for 175-pound supremacy on June 1 in Saudi Arabia but the showdown was postponed after the latter was injured in training. Instead, Bivol will face Malik Zinad (22-0, 16 KOs) on that date.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder hasn’t fought since he came up short against 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez in September and then lost his sanctioning body titles at 154. However, he remains the best at 160 and 154 … at the moment.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford is set to move from 147 to 154 to challenge WBA beltholder Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles. The winner probably will supplant Charlo as the Great Eight middleweight champion.

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. Davis is scheduled to face Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas..

FEATHERWEIGHT

Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue gave arguably his most spectacular performance against Luis Nery on May 6 in Tokyo, rising from a first-round knockdown — the first of his career — to stop his opponent in dramatic fashion. Can anyone compete with this guy?

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The Mexican 115-pound titleholder is scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, our Great Eight flyweight champion, in a blockbuster matchup June 29 in Phoenix. The winner will be the bantamweight king here.

FLYWEIGHT

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez will hold his position as champion until the 112-pounder steps into the ring to challenge Estrada at 115, meaning we are likely to have a new flyweight champ in early July.

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Pound-for-pound: Does No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk leap frog Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue?

Pound-for-pound: Does No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk leap frog Nos. 1 and 2 Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue to the top of the list?

Oleksandr Usyk gave the performance of a lifetime on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, rallying to defeat gigantic Tyson Fury by a split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in a quarter century.

But was it enough to catapult No. 3-ranked Usyk past Nos. 1 and 2 Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list?

No.

Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) deserves consideration for the top spot after taking down Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights in 2021 and 2022, stopping Daniel Dubois in nine rounds in August and now handing Fury the first loss of his career.

That’s a hell of a run by any standard. And the former cruiserweight champ has done it against naturally larger men, who would have trouble competing with him if he were their size. That obviously works in his favor in the pound-for-pound debate.

So why isn’t he No. 1?

Let’s start with Crawford and Inoue. The gifted lower-weight stars don’t have quite the resume Usyk has but they’ve dominated one contender after another to climb to the top of the list and have shown no signs of weakness.

Remember: We were as amazed when Crawford demolished fellow pound-for-pounder Errol Spence Jr. and Inoue got up from a knockdown to destroy Luis Nery as we are now following Usyk’s historic victory over Fury.

And while we must keep in mind the size difference between Usyk and his heavyweight rivals, he dominated neither Joshua nor Fury and benefitted from a controversial call by the referee – a clean body shot that was ruled a low blow — against Dubois to maintain his perfect record.

Fury believes he did enough against Usyk to get the decision, which isn’t far fetched given the tight, back-and-forth war. Had it gone Fury’s way, we wouldn’t even be talking about Usyk as a potential No. 1.

None of the above is meant to denigrate Usyk’s accomplishments. He has demonstrated over the past two years that he not only is the top heavyweight at the moment but also an all-time great, which is the highest praise in boxing.

He just hasn’t done quite enough to leap frog two other future Hall of Famers, Crawford and Inoue.

Of course, we must add one thing: If Usyk fights and beats Fury again — particularly if it’s more convincing the second time — we’ll have to revisit our decision to leave him at No. 3.

What about Fury, who entered Saturday at No. 9? He drops to No. 11 — below Bam Rodriguez and Artur Beterbiev — after his disastrous performance against Francis Ngannou in October and his setback against Usyk on Saturday.

And, obviously, Fury also can change his fortunes if he can turn the tables on Usyk in a rematch.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 8 Gervonta Davis will face Frank Martin and No. 15 David Benavidez will take on Oleksandr Gvozdyk on the same card June 15 in Las Vegas.

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

Terence Crawford – Scheduled to challenge 154-pound titleholder

Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
Dmitry Bivol – Fight against No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to defend his 135-pound title against Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
Artur Beterbiev – Fight against No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
David Benavidez – Scheduled to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15 in Las Vegas.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Fernando Martinez in a 115-pound title-unification bout in on July 7 in Tokyo); Teofimo Lopez (scheduled to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami); Junto Nakatani (scheduled to defend his 118-pound title against Vincent Astrolabio on July 20 in Tokyo).

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Pound-for-pound: Did No. 2 Naoya Inoue do enough to supplant No. 1 Terence Crawford?

Pound-for-pound: Did No. 2 Naoya Inoue do enough in his breathtaking victory over Luis Ney to supplant No. 1 Terence Crawford?

Who’s truly the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound? Depends who you talk to.

Terence Crawford, No. 1 on Boxing Junkie’s list, and No. 2 Inoue are both unbeaten, near-flawless all-around fighters who have dominated almost everyone they’ve faced over an extended period of time.

Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) was at his glorious best in the early morning hours (U.S. time) Monday in Japan.

Luis Nery shocked everyone watching by putting Inoue down in the opening round but that only hardened Inoue’s resolve. The 122-pound champion responded by destroying a good opponent, putting him on the canvas three times and brutally stopping him in Round 6.

Inoue was nothing short of brilliant. It becomes more and more clear that he’s one of the best to ever do it.

And don’t count the knockdown against him when assessing his pound-for-pound credentials. Almost all the great ones have gone down. The important thing is they get up and demonstrate who’s the better man, as Inoue did in spectacular fashion on Monday.

The question is whether he did enough — or is good enough — to supplant Crawford at No. 1. That answer is no, at least for now.

The resume of Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is roughly equal to that of Inoue. Both of them have faced a long list of top contenders but relatively few pound-for-pound-caliber foes, although Crawford is coming a ninth-round knockout of Errol Spence Jr. last July.

And Crawford has been as dominating as Inoue, unleashing an overwhelming combination of skill, speed and power on one opponent after another.

The knockout of Spence, a pound-for-pounder himself, was just as breathtaking as Inoue’s annihilation of Nery at the Tokyo Dome even though Crawford didn’t have to demonstrate that he could overcome adversity.

Crawford has been nothing short of brilliant his entire career, which is why he was Boxing Junkie’s top pound-for-pounder since this feature was initiated in 2019 and hasn’t budged.

How could we justify demoting him under those circumstances? We can’t.

Inoue could reach the top at some point in part because of their respective ages: He’s 31, Crawford 36. That time simply isn’t now.

Another pound-for-pounder was in action on May 4, No. 6 Canelo Alvarez, who defeated Jaime Munguia by a one-sided decision in Las Vegas.

The superstar looked sharp but he was never destined to leap up the list because Munguia was not ranked. However, sitting directly above Alvarez at No. 5 is fellow Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada.

Did Alvarez do enough to swap places with his countryman? That’s a matter of interpretation. We decided to leave Alvarez where he is in good part because Estrada is scheduled to face rising star and No. 10 “Bam” Rodriguez on June 29. Estrada’s fate is in his hands.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 13 Vasiliy Lomachenko is scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia..

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

Terence Crawford – Scheduled to challenge 154-pound titleholder

Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
Dmitry Bivol – Fight against No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to defend his 135-pound title against Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas.
Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
Artur Beterbiev – Fight against No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduld.
David Benavidez – Scheduled to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15 in Las Vegas.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Fernando Martinez in a 115-pound title-unification bout in on July 7 in Tokyo); Teofimo Lopez (reportedly near a deal to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami); Junto Nakatani (no fight scheduled).

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Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov official; Isaac Cruz, Andy Ruiz Jr. on undercard

The Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov fight on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles is official. Isaac Cruz, Andy Ruiz Jr. fill in stacked undercard.

[autotag]Terence Crawford[/autotag] vs. Israil Madrimov is official.

Crawford, the 147-pound champion and pound-for-pound king, will be moving up in weight to challenge the WBA 154-pound beltholder on Aug. 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, it was formally announced on Wednesday.

The lead promoter is Riyadh Season, which will be presenting its first event outside of Saudi Arabia.

Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov first face-off ahead of Aug 3rd in LA…

[ @DAZNBoxing] pic.twitter.com/dItUebltq7

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) April 24, 2024

“We are delighted for Riyadh Season to host its first overseas event in Los Angeles, and this fight in the United States is a special one to mark this moment,” said His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority.

“We want to give people around the world the opportunity to enjoy their own Riyadh Season experience, and this is exactly what we hope to achieve by staging this and also future events around the world.”

Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) already has won world titles at 135, 140 and 147, meaning he will be attempting to win a major belt in a fourth division.

The 36-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, hasn’t fought since his sensational seventh-round stoppage of fellow pound-for-pounder Errol Spence Jr. in a 147-pound title unification bout last July 29. He retains three of the four welterweight belts at the moment.

“I cannot wait to get back in the ring in my fourth weight class and remind the world why I’m the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” Crawford said. “Israil Madrimov is a tremendous and entertaining fighter, but on August 3, he will be my next victim. This is the Terence Crawford era.”

Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) won the vacant WBA title – which opened up when Jermell Charlo fought Canelo Alvarez and was designated “champion in recess” – by stopping Magomed Kurbanov in five rounds on March 8.

The California-based Uzbek is thrilled to face the best in the business.

“Terence Crawford is one of my favorite boxers and one of the best boxers in the world,” he said. “I am very excited to get this opportunity to make a statement, and I will, Inshallah.”

The undercard features a number of well-known fighters. Here’s the lineup:

Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz vs. Jose Valenzuela, junior welterweights (for Cruz’s WBA title)
Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Jarrell Miller, heavyweights
David Morrell vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic, light heavyweights
Andy Cruz vs. Antonio Moran, lightweights

Isaac Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) is coming off his sensational eighth-round knockout of Rolando Romero to win his belt on March 30.

Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) is returning to the ring for the first time since September 2022, when the former champion put Luis Ortiz down three times and won a unanimous decision.

Like boxing? Be sure to visit Boxing Junkie for all your coverage of the sweet science and follow @BoxingJunkie2 on X.

Great Eight: Is Tyson Fury’s reign as heavyweight champion nearing an end?

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

In this installment of “Great Eight,” we explore the possibility that the biggest champion here will be dethroned on May 18.

Tyson Fury has been the Great Eight heavyweight champ since this feature was instituted in 2020, but his reign will be in serious jeopardy when he faces Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship on pay-per-view May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) is coming off arguably the worst performance of his career in October, when he got up from a knockdown to eke out a split decision victory over MMA star and boxing novice Francis Ngannou.

The stunning events of that night raised an obvious question: Has Fury, 35, begun to decline going into the biggest fight of his life?

If he’s not at his best against a gifted, experienced technician in Usyk, many believe he will suffer the first defeat in his long career and lose his Great Eight championship.

Even his longtime co-promoter Bob Arum has questions going into the fight in the Middle East.

“I always felt once this fight was made … that Fury was a big, big favorite because I thought his size and boxing ability would be too much for Usyk,” Arum said on the BoxNation podcast. “So I looked at it as a 3- to 4-1 fight in favor of Tyson Fury.

“But I’m very troubled with the way Tyson looked in his last fight with Ngannou in Riyadh. I was there. I just thought he looked dreadful. There are two [possible] explanations: He really didn’t train hard for that fight or, two, when we all put on years — and I should know — we don’t function as well as we do when we’re younger physically.

“Is that what we’re seeing with Tyson based on the Ngannou fight? Or he didn’t take it seriously and wasn’t prepared. That’s what we’ll find out on May 18.”

Arum still believes Fury will win the fight if he’s reverts to his previous form.

“If Tyson is on his ‘A’ game, if it’s the Tyson Fury that fought [Deontay] Wilder the last two times, that fought Dillian Whyte, there’s no way that Usyk or any heavyweight can beat him. But that’s a really big assumption.”

He went on: “To me, I look at the Ngannou fight Fury had and going back on it, I mean the way he labored with Ngannou, particularly when you saw how easily [Anthony] Joshua handled Ngannou, I have a lot of questions.”

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – Fury will have a chance to prove his subpar performance against Francis Ngannou was an aberration when he faces Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship on pay-per-view May 18 in Saudi Arabia. Of course, the winner will be our Great Eight champ.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – The winner of the Bivol-Artur 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 in September but he remains the best at 160 and 154. He doesn’t appear to be negotiating with potential opponents, leaving his future up in the air.

WELTERWEIGHT

Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford hasn’t fought since his epic beat down of Errol Spence Jr. last July and has nothing solid in the works. The WBO has ordered new 154-pound beltholder Sebastian Fundora to fight him but Fundora might fight Tim Tszyu again first.

LIGHTWEIGHT

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 Mexican 115-pound titleholder has agreed to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, our Great Eight flyweight champion, in a blockbuster matchup June 29 in Phoenix. The winner will be the bantamweight king here.

FLYWEIGHT

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez will hold his position here until the 112-pounder steps into the ring to challenge Estrada at 115, meaning we are likely to have a new flyweight champ in early July.

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Pound-for-pound: Did Isaac Cruz do enough against Rolando Romero to crack list?

Pound-for-pound: Did Isaac Cruz do enough against Rolando Romero to crack Boxing Junkie’s list?

Isaac Cruz made a strong impression with his eighth-round knockout of Rolando Romero on Saturday in Las Vegas.

But did the new 140-pound titleholder from Mexico do enough in that fight — and does he have the resume — to climb onto Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Not quite.

Everyone agrees that Cruz is evolving into a formidable fighting machine, a pressure fighter with the fitness, durability and punching power to dominate opponents.

However, we shouldn’t overreact to a one-sided victory over Romero, a good, but limited fighter. And Cruz still doesn’t have a victory over a top-tier opponent, although he gave Gervonta Davis hell in defeat in 2021.

Bottom line: Cruz has to beat a pound-for-pounder or someone of that caliber to leave no doubt that he belongs with the best in the business.

And those matchups will come soon enough if Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) continues to win. Perhaps showdowns with the likes of fellow beltholders Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez — or maybe even a rematch with Davis — are in his near future.

A victory over any of the above would be enough to lift Cruz to the next level. Stay tuned.

What about Sebastian Fundora?

The new 154-pound champ defeated rising star Tim Tszyu by a split decision in the main event on Saturday, an accomplishment for which Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) deserves credit.

However, we can’t draw firm conclusions because Tszyu was effectively blinded by blood in his eyes, the result of a ghastly cut on his hairline. Plus, Fundora was knocked out by Brian Mendoza in his previous fight.

Fundora’s time might come, just not now.

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

Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
Canelo Alvarez – Scheduled to face Jaime Munguia for the undisputed 168-pound championship on May 4 in Las Vegas.
Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
Shakur Stevenson– Reportedly near a deal to defend his 135-pound title against Artem Harutyunyan on July 6 in Newark, New Jersey.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (has agreed to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June but no announcement has been made); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (reportedly near a deal to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami).

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