POUND FOR POUND RANKINGS

After a string of five straight wins over consensus top ten bantamweights, the effect of the pandemic on Inoue’s career became clear with a disappointing 2021 that saw Inoue all but lose a year of his prime in inconsequential affairs. 2022 is off to a different start. Inoue was breathtaking against Nonito Donaire in their rematch. It was only the second stoppage loss of Donaire’s career and no one had ever gone through him like that. Inoue might be boxing’s best combination of speed, skill, and power and may next test those attributes in his fourth weight class, the red hot Jr. featherweight.

Questions about Usyk’s viability at heavyweight were answered emphatically against Anthony Joshua. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion is now one win away from accomplishing the same feat in boxing’s flagship class. Usyk will have to repeat his victory over Joshua again before he can try. Bonus points go to Ukraine’s Usyk for winning ten in a row on the road, including all eight of his title fights.

Crawford had an opponent to get excited about arguably for the first time at welterweight and Crawford did what he’s always done: win. Shawn Porter was stopped for the first time in his career and now it’s wait and see for Crawford’s next move. The best fight in the division on paper hasn’t changed in several years. It’s Crawford facing Spence. Neither man has anything scheduled. Boxing can’t ask for more.

Spence lost a year after an auto accident and then another to an eye injury. He also lost a chance to end the career of Manny Pacquiao. Spence settled for defeating the man who got that assignment when Spence was injured, battering and stopping Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas. There is only one belt at welterweight Spence doesn’t have. Are we finally ready for Spence versus Terence Crawford?

A popular choice for 2022 Fighter of the Year, Bivol made the most of big opportunities. He was building an impressive resume but his career quieted after a lopsided win over future titlist Joe Smith Jr. It’s roaring now. Bivol was masterful in outboxing super middleweight king Saul Alvarez and clinically dissected undefeated Gilberto Ramirez as an encore. The latter win pushed him past Alvarez in these charts. 2023 would benefit from a showdown with the man who holds the lineal crown and the other three alphabet titles at light heavyweight, knockout machine Artur Beterbiev.

Alvarez slipped from his perch atop the rankings after his loss to Bivol but rebounded with a lopsided trilogy win over Golovkin. Alvarez was riding a lengthy unbeaten streak that included unifying the super middleweight class and his future for the moment is cloudy. His leading contender at super middleweight, David Benavidez, could strengthen his demands for a title shot with a win over Caleb Plant. Alvarez, currently recovering from injuries, has said he still wants a second crack at Bivol. When he returns in 2023, we’ll see where the sport's biggest star sets his sights.

There were doubts about who deserved the decision the first time Charlo faced Brian Castano. There were none after the rematch. Charlo once again showed he’s one of those fighters who get better when they see an opponent a second time. Charlo has now been a centerpiece of the Jr. middleweight division title picture for six years, crowing his time there with an undisputed title. We can begin to ask where Charlo ranks with the greats of his weight of his division. An injury has postponed a title defense against Tim Tszyu.

Tyson Fury outside the ring, and between fights, may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he’s hard to criticize once the bell rings. He proved it again against veteran contender Dillian Whyte, dominating and stopping him in front of a massive Wembley crowd. An expected rout of Chisora in their third fight barely forced a sweat. Fury’s declarations of retirement got TBRB and Ring to take him at his word but make no mistake: there is only one true heavyweight king until someone beats him. His name is Tyson Fury.

Devin Haney made moot any conversation about whether he was the WBC’s primary lightweight champion or not by winning it all in 2022. Haney went on the road to wrest the lineal lightweight crown from George Kambosos in Australia and returned to defend it in both his appearances for the year. Haney is speculated to be headed for a showdown with former unified titlist Vasyl Lomachenko. Lomachenko opted for a “franchise” designation from the WBC when Haney was his mandatory a few years ago. Now it’s Haney who can provide the chance he was denied.

There was ample debate about whether Estrada deserved the decision in his second bout with Roman Gonzalez. It was far less the case after their rubber match. Estrada posted his best performance of the trilogy and stamped himself as the clear leader of one of the great four-way rivalries in boxing history. Estada is 5-2 against Gonzalez, Cuadras, and Sor Rungvisai and that’s likely the headline when he gets into Canastota one day. What else will he do before he gets there? Could Estrada unify at Jr. bantamweight against the winner of Kazuto Ioka-Joshua Franco? Could he rise in weight and try to keep Inoue around for one more dance? Whatever it is, Estrada will do it as a bona fide great of his era.