Boxing is delivering in a big way right now, with quality fight after quality fight across various weight classes.
But who exactly are the very best in the sport, regardless of division?
Here, we will track what, in our view, are the top 10 men's fighters today. Who is on the rise, and who is at risk of dropping down the charts? Find out below!
The DAZN pound-for-pound list: criteria
Here are some of the things considered by the team towards these rankings:
- Overall record: Wins and losses count, of course. There can be more to a record than numbers, but you have to be winning to push upwards.
- Quality of opposition: Going 30-0 against part-timers isn't going to impress many when you're being compared with every other fighter in every weight class. Beating your biggest rivals and fellow champions carries much more value.
- Quality of wins: Winning in style also works in a candidate's favour, and overcoming adversity to pull off a big result can be a good thing too.
- Activity: Fighters on the list who haven't competed in a while don't suddenly become unworthy boxers, but their ranking may be at more risk than those who have recently pulled off a big win.
With all that in mind, here is DAZN's 2022 men's P4P list in full as of December 13, 2022.
1. Oleksandr Usyk (No Change)
After flat-out dominating the entire cruiserweight field to become undisputed world champion, Usyk required just a few pro bouts at heavyweight before outclassing and dethroning former P4P top-10 resident Anthony Joshua for most of the heavyweight division's belts. Joshua upped his game in the Saudi Arabia rematch, but Usyk found yet another gear to finish his first successful defence in even more style than his crowning moment. All of this despite stepping away briefly to serve his country. Usyk is THE man in professional boxing right now.
2. Terence Crawford (No Change)
The margin between Crawford and Usyk is so slender, they both rose above Canelo in the wake of Alvarez's loss to Bivol. Crawford finished 2022 with a sixth round stoppage over David Avanesyan, but he'll need a win over Errol Spence if he wants to move higher.
3. Naoya Inoue (No Change)
Expected to be given another stern test by Nonito Donaire in June, Inoue made a mockery of pre-fight predictions as he became the bantamweight ruler with an emphatic second-round knockout of the legendary Filipino. Finished the year as undisputed champion at bantamweight with win over Paul Butler.
4. Canelo Alvarez (No Change)
Canelo's brilliant eight-and-a-half-year win streak and achievements and the fact his recent defeat at Dmitry Bivol's own weight class mean it's hard to push him down the list too far. Canelo returned to winning ways in September by defeating his great rival, Gennadiy Golovkin, but the points victory is not enough to move him back into the top three.
5. Dmitry Bivol (No Change)
After entering the list earlier this year with a dominant win over Canelo Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol moves up a spot thanks to outlclassing a top rival at 175lbs in Gilberto Ramirez. Bivol is undoubtedly one of the fighters of 2022 and the potential to climb these rankings next year is huge if he can get past Artur Beterbiev.
6. Errol Spence Jr. (No Change)
With an impressive late stoppage over Yordenis Ugas in April, Spence provided a reminder that he's still one of the world's leading fighters. His dream showdown with Crawford could give us boxing's best fighter, but for now, Spence will have to make do with a top-five position.
7. Stephen Fulton Jr. (No Change)
Speaking of doing everything asked of them, 'Cool Boy Steph' enjoyed a superb 2021, earning his first world title in January 2021 by beating Angelo Leo for the WBO super-bantamweight title before unifying that with Brandon Figueroa's WBC title in November. 2022 is following a similar path, with Fulton dominating Daniel Roman to move up one spot.
8. Devin Haney (No Change)
Traveling to Australia to face George Kambosos Jr. for every belt at 135lbs, Haney produced a one-sided masterclass that saw him silence the home crowd in Melbourne. And then he did it all over again. But, with every belt now his property, can Haney move further up the list with wins over other top-class lightweight contenders?
9. Shakur Stevenson (No Change)
It was inevitable that Stevenson would one day enter boxing's P4P rankings. The Newark fighter has confirmed his place with a dominant win over Oscar Valdez to become the unified champion at super-featherweight. At 24, Stevenson is already a two-weight world champion, and he's fully expected to be a regular fixture in these rankings. But after failing to make weight in his last fight, lightweight offers him a new challenge.
10. Jermell Charlo (No Change)
Following his rematch win over Brian Castano, Charlo cracked the list at 10. His stoppage win over the rugged Argentine confirmed his status as the world's best light-middleweight, and his body of work before the Castano series means that Charlo is worthy of inclusion.
Honorable mentions
Tyson Fury was part of the top 10 before he announced his retirement after defeating Dillian Whyte. While the heavyweight might still be at the top of his game, we can't be sure, yet. December's clash with Derek Chisora confirmed that the retirement has been overturned, but Fury went into the fight as the heavy favourite and nothing suggested he was tested over the 10 rounds Chisora stayed in the fight for. A fight againt Oleksandr Usyk, Joe Joyce or Anthony Joshua would give him the chance to crash back into the rankings. Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko are two fighters close to being included, but match-ups against Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, respectively, could see them earn a place. The same applies to lower-weight contender Juan Francisco Estrada, who is close to the 10. Terence Crawford's failure to organise a fight with Errol Spence Jr. could cost him in the near future.
