Tag: Terence Crawford

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

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

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

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

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

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

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

MIDDLEWEIGHT

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

WELTERWEIGHT

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

LIGHTWEIGHT

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

FEATHERWEIGHT

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

BANTAMWEIGHT

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

FLYWEIGHT

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

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

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

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

Tyson Fury won the fight but lost respect.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

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

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

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

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

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

Tyson Fury won the fight but lost respect.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

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

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

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

Alexis Rocha plans to maintain his momentum against Giovani Santillan

Alexis Rocha plans to maintain his momentum against Giovani Santillan on Saturday in Inglewood, California.

Alexis Rocha’s worst day as a professional came in October 2020.

That was when slick, experienced Rashidi Ellis outboxed Rocha to win a clear unanimous decision in a 12-round bout, Rocha’s first loss. The setback was painful but he used it to become a better fighter.

The 26-year-old welterweight contender has won seven consecutive fights since and is nearing his first shot at a major world title.

He is scheduled to face unbeaten Giovani Santillan this Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California (DAZN).

“No one likes to talk about losing,” Rocha told Boxing Junkie. “I feel like if you lose, there’s a lot to improve on. And I feel I’ve improved in so many aspects, more the mental side. It helped develop me into the fighter I am today.

“I feel it was a blessing even thought I hate losing. It helps me a lot.”

Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) delivered arguably his best performance on May 27, a fifth-round knockout of capable Anthony Young in Indio, California, about a two-hour drive from his home in Irvine.

Still, he said he has yet to peak in terms of his development. He suggested we’d see an even better version of himself against Santillan, who might be his toughest opponent to date on paper.

The 31-year-old from San Diego is a well-schooled technician, although he also will be facing his biggest challenge against Rocha.

“I feel I haven’t shown 80 percent of my potential,” he said. “… I feel I’m still learning a lot. And come fight time I’ll show what I’m talking about. You’ll see the improvements.

“This is definitely a tough fight, not a walk in the park, 100 percent. I’ll be ready, though.”

If things go well, Rocha’s big opportunity could be within his grasp.

He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBO, making him first in line in that sanctioning body to face undisputed champion and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford.

Of course, Rocha doesn’t know what Crawford’s plans are. The titleholder could give up his belts and move to 154 pounds, where he could challenge Jermell Charlo. Crawford also has expressed interest in facing 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez.

Rocha hopes the Mexican star stays at 147 long enough to face him, although he certainly understands the magnitude of that challenge.

“You always want to fight the top guy,” he said. “They have a bounty on their back. You try to go out and get whoever the king is. And Terence Crawford is the king right now, pretty much the face of boxing.

“He gets to do what he wants. Go to 154, fight Canelo. Then he could get stripped of his belts. That would open the door for someone like me to fight for one of the titles.”

And if he should share a ring with Crawford?

“You have to be mentally strong, be at your best every single second of every single round to beat Crawford,” he said. “It would take a lot. His ring IQ is very high. To beat Crawford you couldn’t make any mistakes.

“I’m in the sport to be one of the best. And to be the best, you have to fight the best.”

[lawrence-related id=39380,37566,37561]

Alexis Rocha plans to maintain his momentum against Giovani Santillan

Alexis Rocha plans to maintain his momentum against Giovani Santillan on Saturday in Inglewood, California.

Alexis Rocha’s worst day as a professional came in October 2020.

That was when slick, experienced Rashidi Ellis outboxed Rocha to win a clear unanimous decision in a 12-round bout, Rocha’s first loss. The setback was painful but he used it to become a better fighter.

The 26-year-old welterweight contender has won seven consecutive fights since and is nearing his first shot at a major world title.

He is scheduled to face unbeaten Giovani Santillan this Saturday at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California (DAZN).

“No one likes to talk about losing,” Rocha told Boxing Junkie. “I feel like if you lose, there’s a lot to improve on. And I feel I’ve improved in so many aspects, more the mental side. It helped develop me into the fighter I am today.

“I feel it was a blessing even thought I hate losing. It helps me a lot.”

Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) delivered arguably his best performance on May 27, a fifth-round knockout of capable Anthony Young in Indio, California, about a two-hour drive from his home in Irvine.

Still, he said he has yet to peak in terms of his development. He suggested we’d see an even better version of himself against Santillan, who might be his toughest opponent to date on paper.

The 31-year-old from San Diego is a well-schooled technician, although he also will be facing his biggest challenge against Rocha.

“I feel I haven’t shown 80 percent of my potential,” he said. “… I feel I’m still learning a lot. And come fight time I’ll show what I’m talking about. You’ll see the improvements.

“This is definitely a tough fight, not a walk in the park, 100 percent. I’ll be ready, though.”

If things go well, Rocha’s big opportunity could be within his grasp.

He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBO, making him first in line in that sanctioning body to face undisputed champion and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford.

Of course, Rocha doesn’t know what Crawford’s plans are. The titleholder could give up his belts and move to 154 pounds, where he could challenge Jermell Charlo. Crawford also has expressed interest in facing 168-pound champ Canelo Alvarez.

Rocha hopes the Mexican star stays at 147 long enough to face him, although he certainly understands the magnitude of that challenge.

“You always want to fight the top guy,” he said. “They have a bounty on their back. You try to go out and get whoever the king is. And Terence Crawford is the king right now, pretty much the face of boxing.

“He gets to do what he wants. Go to 154, fight Canelo. Then he could get stripped of his belts. That would open the door for someone like me to fight for one of the titles.”

And if he should share a ring with Crawford?

“You have to be mentally strong, be at your best every single second of every single round to beat Crawford,” he said. “It would take a lot. His ring IQ is very high. To beat Crawford you couldn’t make any mistakes.

“I’m in the sport to be one of the best. And to be the best, you have to fight the best.”

[lawrence-related id=39380,37566,37561]

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

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

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

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

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

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

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

MIDDLEWEIGHT

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

WELTERWEIGHT

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

LIGHTWEIGHT

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

FEATHERWEIGHT

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

BANTAMWEIGHT

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

FLYWEIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the top fighters in the original eight divisions:

HEAVYWEIGHT

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

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

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

MIDDLEWEIGHT

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

WELTERWEIGHT

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

LIGHTWEIGHT

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

FEATHERWEIGHT

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

BANTAMWEIGHT

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

FLYWEIGHT

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

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

Pound-for-pound: Did Canelo Alvarez earn upgrade with impressive performance?

Pound-for-pound: Did Canelo Alvarez earn an upgrade after his dominating victory over Jermell Charlo on Saturday?

Super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez proved that he remains one of the best in the business by easily outpointing challenger Jermell Charlo on Saturday in Las Vegas.

But did the Mexican star, ranked No. 7 going into the fight, do enough to rise on the pound-for-pound list?

And what about Charlo? Did the 154-pound titleholder, ranked No. 8, take a tumble based on his disappointing performance in his unanimous-decision setback?

No and yes.

We couldn’t justify elevating Alvarez based on a victory over an opponent who moved up two weight classes for the fight, even one as talented and experienced as Charlo. Thus, Alvarez remains at No. 7 for now.

For the record: No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada hasn’t lost since 2018 and defeated future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez twice in his last three fights.

And while we didn’t want to penalize Charlo too harshly after he came up short on a difficult assignment, we felt his inability to make the fight competitive merited a slight demotion.

Charlo swaps places with unbeaten Gervonta Davis, who was No. 8 going into the weekend.

Next pound-for-pounder up: Tyson Fury is scheduled to face MMA star Francis Ngannou in a boxing match on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia.

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 – No fight scheduled.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  5. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face MMA star Francis Ngannou in a boxing match on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia.
  6. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  8. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  9. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smit on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16).

[lawrence-related id=39237,39233,39227,39198,39194]

Pound-for-pound: Did Canelo Alvarez earn upgrade with impressive performance?

Pound-for-pound: Did Canelo Alvarez earn an upgrade after his dominating victory over Jermell Charlo on Saturday?

Super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez proved that he remains one of the best in the business by easily outpointing challenger Jermell Charlo on Saturday in Las Vegas.

But did the Mexican star, ranked No. 7 going into the fight, do enough to rise on the pound-for-pound list?

And what about Charlo? Did the 154-pound titleholder, ranked No. 8, take a tumble based on his disappointing performance in his unanimous-decision setback?

No and yes.

We couldn’t justify elevating Alvarez based on a victory over an opponent who moved up two weight classes for the fight, even one as talented and experienced as Charlo. Thus, Alvarez remains at No. 7 for now.

For the record: No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada hasn’t lost since 2018 and defeated future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez twice in his last three fights.

And while we didn’t want to penalize Charlo too harshly after he came up short on a difficult assignment, we felt his inability to make the fight competitive merited a slight demotion.

Charlo swaps places with unbeaten Gervonta Davis, who was No. 8 going into the weekend.

Next pound-for-pounder up: Tyson Fury is scheduled to face MMA star Francis Ngannou in a boxing match on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia.

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 – No fight scheduled.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – No fight scheduled.
  5. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face MMA star Francis Ngannou in a boxing match on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia.
  6. Juan Francisco Estrada – Reportedly in talks with Honorable Mention Kazuto Ioka for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan.
  7. Canelo Alvarez– No fight scheduled.
  8. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  9. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  10. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  11. Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to defend his 175-pound titles against Callum Smit on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, Canada.
  13. Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
  14. Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
  15. Devin Haney – Scheduled to challenge 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis on Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Sunny Edwards (scheduled to face Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly in talks with No. 6 Juan Francisco Estrada for a title-unification New Year’s Eve bout in Japan); Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (scheduled to face Sunny Edwards in a 112-pound title-unification bout on Dec. 16).

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Canelo Alvarez has many compelling potential opponents going forward

Canelo Alvarez has many compelling potential opponents going forward after his dominating victory over Jermell Charlo on Saturday.

Canelo Alvarez didn’t want to talk about his future immediately after his one-sided victory over Jermell Charlo on Saturday night in Las Vegas. He was enjoying the present too much.

The super middleweight champion had just demonstrated with his dominating performance that those convinced he’s in decline had gotten it wrong when he was asked multiple times who he might fight next.

He wouldn’t divulge much, saying at the post-fight news conference that he’d discuss it with his handlers and make a decision when he’s ready.

However, we can speculate. Below are six potential opponents for now or the near future. Note: All five have perfect records.

DAVID BENAVIDEZ (27-0, 23 KOs)

Many fans want to see Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) defend his titles against his most-compelling potential opponent at 168 pounds, the strapping former two-time titleholder. Benavidez’s name was mentioned when Alvarez was interviewed in the ring.

“I don’t know. I don’t f—ing care,” he responded, his way of saying that no one can take down this version of him.

Alvarez has never expressed great interest in facing Benavidez but he obviously is aware that fans desperately want to see the fight. We’ll see whether Alvarez comes around.

TERENCE CRAWFORD (40-0, 31 KOs)

Alvarez was asked about the 147-pound champion and pound-for-pound king, who recently delivered a career-defining knockout of Errol Spence Jr.

The matchup makes sense in terms of star power; it would do big pay-per-view numbers. However, Crawford would have to move up three divisions for the fight, which wouldn’t be prudent on his part.

Alvarez dismissed that possibility.

“You know, I know I always say if a fight makes sense, why not? But he’s not in our plan,” Alvarez said.

DMITRY BIVOL (21-0, 11 KOs)

Alvarez said recently that he should never have challenged the 175-pound champion when he did (in May of last year) because he wasn’t healthy. His injured left wrist had yet to be surgically repaired.

He would love another crack at the Russian to get things right. And he undoubtedly is more confident than ever that he could turn the tables after his performance on Saturday.

Bivol’s name didn’t come up after his victory over Charlo but you can bet he’s on Alvarez’s mind.

DEMETRIUS ANDRADE (32-0, 19 KOs)

Alvarez seems to take great pride in proving that those who doubt his skillset are wrong.

That skillset would be put to the test against the slick, awkward, left-handed Andrade, who no one has been eager to face. The challenge might just be attractive to the proud Alvarez, however.

God knows that Andrade, a former two-division titleholder who recently moved up to 168, deserves a big fight after all his success.

DAVIS MORRELL (9-0, 8 KOs)

Morrell might not have the name recognition to attract Alvarez but he’s a compelling potential opponent.

The 25-year-old Cuban defector, a southpaw, was an amateur star and has blown through his nine opponents as a professional. He doesn’t have experience in big fight but the all-around ability is there.

Plus, he’s the top contender in the WBA rankings.

JERMALL CHARLO (32-0, 22 KOs)

Alvarez was expected to fight the bigger of the Charlo twins on Saturday. However, Jermall, a middleweight titleholder, was unavailable because he’s dealing with mental health issues.

It’s difficult to imagine him jumping into a fight with Alvarez immediately – after all, Charlo hasn’t fought since June of 2021 – but it might be a compelling matchup after Charlo gets a tune-up fight under his belt.

Obviously, the matchup also would have an interesting background story after Alvarez’s dominating victory over Jermall’s brother. And moving up only one division makes is a lot easier than moving up two.

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