Updated Pound for Pound Rankings
1. Andre Ward (32–0, 16 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #3
As of Thursday afternoon (Sept. 21), Ward has decided to retire from the sport of boxing — WOW! One could go on for a while discussing his tremendous attributes, especially how he controls distance in the ring unlike any other current fighter. After the first fight against rival Sergey Kovalev, Ward set out to put all doubters to rest in the rematch. Whether or not you agree with the stoppage in their rematch, he walked away from both fights with a victory. As of right now, the only light heavyweight belt that he’s missing is the WBC belt, which belongs to Adonis Stevenson. Hate him or love him, he’s earned the #1 spot in the P4P rankings (until the next P4P edition). I wish him all the best in retirement and a big thank you for an amazing career. Salute!
2. Gennady Golovkin (37–0–1, 33 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #1
Coming off a controversial draw against challenger Canelo Alvarez, GGG is still the undefeated, unified Middleweight champion of the world. He is the premiere pressure fighter in all of boxing, which he put on perfect display against Canelo, and has the knockout power to back it up. Hopefully, the powers to be make the right call and give the fans an immediate rematch since we deserve it. Next fight: TBA
3. Vasyl Lomachenko (9–1, 7 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #2
Some people might not like a fighter with only 10 professional bouts so high on this list. Yet watching this boxer-puncher each fight is an absolute treat for the fans. He’s a technician in the ring. Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, had some high praise for Vasyl, “He is the most technically astute fighter that I’ve ever seen…it is like a clinic.” Now, we get to see Vasyl on full display against the hard to hit, undefeated, top ranked super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. This should be a great fight between two of the best in the sport. Next fight: Guillermo Rigondeaux, December 9.
4. Terence Crawford (32–0, 23 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #5
One could make an argument that Crawford is the hottest name in boxing right now. His latest victim, former IBF champion Julius Indongo, is still feeling the body shot that KO’d him a few weeks ago. Crawford has a choice to make now as he contemplates moving up in weight. He has dominated his weight class for a few years now and should look for bigger and better fights. Personally, I’d like to see him move up to welterweight and join that loaded stable. There are plenty of fights to be made whether it’s Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, or Danny Garcia. Next fight: TBA
5. Canelo Alvarez (49–1–2, 34 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #9
Got to give Canelo major props for stepping up and fighting the dangerous GGG. He’s got balls of steel and proved last weekend that he keeps getting better with each fight. Canelo has all of the tools to be boxing’s #1 star — resume, knockout power, speed, and a huge fan base. It’s been said that he’s taking the rest of 2017 off but hopefully his first fight in 2018 will be the much anticipated rematch against GGG. Next fight: TBA
6. Keith Thurman (28–0, 22 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #6
All Keith “One Time” Thurman does is win fights. His resume speaks for itself and he’s the only welterweight to hold two belts, yet he still doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He has the skill inside the ring and the big personality outside of it. Thurman displayed his impressive craftsmanship in his most recent win vs. Danny Garcia. Hopefully, we will see him against Manny Pacquiao or the Kell Brook/Errol Spence winner. That’s what he needs in order to become the true king of the crowded welterweight division. Next fight: TBA
7. Sergey Kovalev (30–2–1, 26 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #7
I’ve made it clear that Sergey Kovalev should have been the winner of Ward-Kovalev I. I also didn’t like the stoppage in the rematch but hats off to Ward for his performance. After some thoughts of retiring, Kovalev instead decided to change his trainer in hopes of climbing his way back to the top of the division. His next fight will be huge in more ways than one — how will he respond to two straight losses? The answer lies in his next fight against the strong yet relatively unknown light heavyweight contender — Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. Next fight: Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, November 25.
8. Leo Santa Cruz (33–1–1, 18 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #8
One of the most exciting boxers in the sport today, Santa Cruz combines a nonstop motor with relentless punching ability. At first glance, he appears to be a lanky, soft-spoken guy. Get him in the ring and he’s the reason why one should never judge a book by its cover. During his fights, he remains committed in attacking the body like any other current fighter. Santa Cruz is coming off back-to-back exciting fights vs. Carl Frampton. One can only hope to see their rivalry become a trilogy in the near future as a rubber match would settle their 1–1 record. Next fight: Chris Avalos, October 14.
9. Guillermo Rigondeaux (17–0, 11 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: N/A
Guillermo joins the rankings for two reasons — his undefeated record and his willingness to fight Lomachenko this December. He is a skilled counter-puncher whose slick defense causes a lot of his frustration for his opponents. Maybe it’s the weight class that he fights in or the opponents that he’s faced, but whatever the reasons, Rigo is underappreciated in many boxing circles. A win over Lomachenko would skyrocket his status and appeal to boxing fans. Next Fight: Vasyl Lomachenko, December 9.
10. Manny Pacquiao (59–7–2, 38 KO’s) — Previous Ranking: #10
Many pound for pound rankings removed Pacman from their lists after his arguably controversial loss to unknown Jeff Horn back in July. Call it a hometown decision because there’s no way in hell than Manny lost that fight let alone lost to the score of 117–111 as one judge had it. He landed almost twice the amount of punches that Horn did while also connecting at a higher percentage. The future Hall of Famer deserves an immediate rematch to be held anywhere but Australia. Next fight: TBA
