Many top fighters were in action this past weekend, including top 10-ranked Naoya Inoue and Canelo Alvarez. Inoue dusted himself off the canvas in Round 2 to stop Ramon Cardenas in the eighth to retain his undisputed junior featherweight in Las Vegas. Canelo went 12 rounds with William Scull in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, scoring a unanimous decision victory in a fight where Canelo threw only 152 punches, the second lowest total in a 12-round fight in CompuBox’s 40-year history.
Canelo landed only 56 punches in that fight, against 55 for Scull, and while Canelo added the IBF belt to become undisputed super middleweight champion for a second time, it wasn’t enough to impress our panel. Canelo drops one spot to No. 7. He now moves on to a fight against Terence Crawford on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas.
“[Scull] wasn’t trying to win,” Alvarez said after the fight. “He was just trying to survive, and I hate those kinds of fighters. He moved even more than I thought, but it’s OK. We won.”
ESPN boxing writer Andreas Hale dropped Canelo one spot in his list following his performance against Scull.
“Canelo falls on my list due to the subpar quality of his recent opponents,” Hale said. “As great as he is, we haven’t seen him in a particularly impressive fight since beating Caleb Plant in 2021. Either he’s favoring financial security over legacy or he is simply slowing down. He won’t have that luxury against Crawford, but dips due to the ‘what have you done for me lately’ element of the P4P list. And he hasn’t done much for us lately.”
Inoue extended his KO streak to 11 in title fights. He has another file lined up for September, a title defense against mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev in Japan.
“By watching tonight’s fight, everyone is well aware that I like to brawl,” Inoue said. “I was very surprised [by the knockdown], but I took things calmly and put myself together.”
With the victory, Inoue keeps his No. 2 spot behind Oleksandr Usyk.
Our panel of Andreas Hale, Timothy Bradley Jr., Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, Eric Raskin, Bernardo Osuna, Eric Woodyard, Bernardo Pilatti, Charles Moynihan, Salvador Rodriguez, Jim Zirolli, Michael Mascaro, Aladdin Freeman, Victor Lopez and Damian Delgado Averhoff shares its votes.
More ESPN rankings: Divisional rankings and women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Note: Results are through May 8.
1. OLEKSANDR USYK 
Previous ranking: 1
RECORD: 23-0, 14 KOs
DIVISION: Heavyweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Tyson Fury, Dec. 21
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
The fighter who became the undisputed champion in two weight classes has been on a historic tear since moving up to heavyweight a little over five years ago. He’s a two-time conqueror of two heavyweight greats (Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua) and dispatched one on the rise (Daniel Dubois). He’ll get the opportunity to lap the field again when he tangles with IBF champion Dubois for a second time on July 19 in an effort to once again be called the undisputed heavyweight champion. He’s accomplished just about everything there is to do in boxing as a gold medalist and undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. All he is doing now is injecting his name on the short list of the greatest fighters to ever lace up a pair of gloves. — Andreas Hale
2. NAOYA INOUE Previous ranking: 2
RECORD: 30-0, 27 KOs
DIVISION: Junior featherweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO8) Ramon Cardenas, May 4
NEXT FIGHT: TBA vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev
It’s rare to see a fighter who is as dominant and exciting as Inoue. His thrilling battle with Ramon Cardenas in Las Vegas further cemented the Japanese superstar as must-see television. He’s already slotted in for a September showdown with Murodjon Akhmadaliev in Japan and could then make the move to featherweight or engage in an All-Japan showdown with fellow champion Junto Nakatani in 2026. — Hale
3. TERENCE CRAWFORD Previous ranking: 3
RECORD: 40-0, 31 KOs
DIVISION: Junior middleweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Israil Madrimov, Aug. 3
NEXT FIGHT: Sept. 12 vs. Canelo Alvarez
The only true argument against Crawford being No. 1 is his lack of activity. But his hiatus will finally end after a year when he jumps up to super middleweight to challenge Canelo Alvarez for the opportunity to become the only boxer in the four-belt era to be undisputed in three weight classes. It’s obscene to think that Crawford started his career collecting titles at 135 pounds and will now attempt to dethrone the sport’s biggest star at 168 pounds. But if anybody can do it, it’s “Bud.” — Hale
4. DMITRY BIVOL Previous ranking: 4
RECORD: 24-1, 12 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (MD12) Artur Beterbiev, Feb. 22
NEXT FIGHT: TBA vs. Artur Beterbiev
Bivol avenged his only loss when he defeated Artur Beterbiev on Feb. 22 in an excellent performance. He’ll avoid David Benavidez (for now) as he will likely engage in a rubber match with Beterbiev for his next fight. Should he emerge victorious, a highly anticipated showdown with “The Mexican Monster” could be on the menu for 2026. — Hale
5. ARTUR BETERBIEV Previous ranking: 5
RECORD: 21-1, 20 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight
LAST FIGHT: L (MD12) Dmitry Bivol, Feb. 22
NEXT FIGHT: TBA Dmitry Bivol
Beterbiev suffered the only loss of his pro career in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol on Feb. 22 but still made a great account of himself against a fellow pound-for-pound fighter. Considering the competitive nature of both fights, it makes sense for the Russian to hold his spot on the P4P list. He will likely get a chance to avenge the blemish in a return bout later this year. Although he has crossed into his 40s, Beterbiev still is performing at an elite level. — Hale
6. JESSE RODRIGUEZ 
Previous ranking: 7
RECORD: 21-0, 14 KOs
DIVISION: Junior bantamweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO3) Pedro Guevara, Nov. 9
NEXT FIGHT: July 19 vs. Phumelela Cafu
It’s hard to believe “Bam” has accomplished all he has by age 25. The two-division champion has knocked off surefire Hall of Famers and will continue his ascent when the WBC junior bantamweight champion attempts to unify the title against unbeaten WBO titleholder Phumelele Cafu on July 19. Rodriguez, the only boxer on this list born in the 2000s, has plenty of runway in his career to climb up the list. — Hale
7. CANELO ALVAREZ 
Previous ranking: 6
RECORD: 63-2-2, 39 KOs
DIVISION: Super middleweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) William Scull, May 3
NEXT FIGHT: Sept. 12 vs. Terence Crawford
Boxing’s biggest star underwhelmed in his most recent outing against William Scull, despite again becoming the undisputed champion at 168 pounds. However, Canelo needed to get that fight out of the way to set up arguably the biggest fight of the year when he accepts the challenge of Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 12. Recent opposition aside, Canelo has amassed an excellent resume and will have a chance to add another future Hall of Famer to his portfolio. — Hale
8. DAVID BENAVIDEZ Previous ranking: 8
RECORD: 30-0, 24 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) David Morrell, Feb. 1
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
For whatever reason, nobody wants to fight Benavidez. He did everything he needed to at 168 pounds but was unable to land a fight with Canelo Alvarez. Now he finds himself in a similar position at light heavyweight as Bivol vacated the WBC title so he could face Beterbiev in a rubber match, instead of facing Benavidez. With wins over Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade and David Morrell on his resume, it’s only a matter of time until “The Mexican Monster” gets to test himself against the biggest names in the sport. The scary thing is that he is only 28 and hasn’t hit his physical prime. — Hale
9. JUNTO NAKATANI Previous ranking: 9
RECORD: 30-0, 23 KOs
DIVISION: Bantamweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO3) David Cuellar Contreras, Feb. 24
NEXT FIGHT: June 8 vs. Ryosuke Nishida
Japan’s other pound-for-pound fighter on this list will attempt to unify the bantamweight titles on June 8 against IBF titleholder Ryosuke Nishida. “Big Bang” is exciting to watch and has won all four of his bantamweight fights by knockout since making the move from junior bantamweight last February. An eventual blockbuster showdown with countryman Naoya Inoue appears to be on the horizon in what would be the biggest fight in the history of Japan. — Hale
10. SHAKUR STEVENSON Previous ranking: 10
RECORD: 23-0, 11 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO9) Josh Padley, Feb. 22
NEXT FIGHT: July 12 vs. William Zepeda
Stevenson will get the kind of opponent who could take him out of his comfort zone as an elite, yet not aesthetically enthralling, tactician when he faces William Zepeda on July 12 in New York. As exceptional as Stevenson has been, the biggest complaint is that he almost makes it look too easy inside the squared circle and coasts to decision victories. He should have his hands full with a high-volume puncher in Zepeda, giving him every opportunity to put those complaints to rest. Winning hasn’t been a problem for Stevenson thus far in his career, but putting on electrifying performances is likely the only thing holding him back from being one of the biggest stars in the sport. — Hale
The formula
The rankings are based on a descending points system, with a first-place vote awarding 10 points, a second-place vote awarding nine points and so on. A tie goes to the fighter with the highest ranking, then the one with the most votes at that ranking.
Others receiving votes: Gervonta Davis (16), Teofimo Lopez Jr. (7), Vasiliy Lomachenko (4), Jaron Ennis (1), Janibek Alimkhanuly.
How our writers voted
Bradley: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3: Inoue, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Alvarez, 7. Nakatani, 8. Rodriguez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Benavidez
Hale: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Alvarez, 8. Benavidez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Atlas: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Davis, 7. Lomachenko, 8. Alvarez, 9. Rodriguez, 10. Benavidez
Tessitore: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Nakatani, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Benavidez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Alvarez
Parkinson: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Alvarez, 8. Nakatani, 9. Benavidez, 10. Davis
Raskin: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Benavidez, 8. Alvarez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Osuna: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Nakatani, 8. Benavidez, 9. Alvarez, 10. Stevenson
Rodriguez: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Bivol, 4. Crawford, 5. Alvarez, 6. Beterbiev, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Nakatani, 9. Benavidez, 10. Ennis
Woodyard: 1. Crawford, 2. Inoue, 3. Usyk, 4. Bivol, 5. Alvarez, 6. Benavidez, 7. Davis, 8. Stevenson, 9. Lopez, 10. Beterbiev
Moynihan: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Bivol, 5. Alvarez, 6. Beterbiev, 7. Benavidez, 8. Stevenson, 9. Davis, 10. Rodriguez
Pilatti: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Bivol, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Crawford, 6. Benavidez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Nakatani, 9. Stevenson, 10. Alimkhanuly
Zirolli: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Stevenson, 5. Bivol, 6. Beterbiev, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Alvarez, 9. Lopez, 10. Nakatani
Mascaro: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Bivol, 6. Beterbiev, 7. Nakatani, 8. Benavidez, 9. Davis, 10. Lopez
Freeman: 1. Inoue, 2. Crawford, 3. Usyk, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Bivol, 6. Beterbiev, 7. Nakatani, 8. Stevenson, 9. Alvarez, 10. Lopez
Lopez: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Alvarez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Benavidez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Delgado Averhof: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Bivol, 4. Crawford, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Beterbiev, 7. Benavidez, 8. Alvarez, 9. Davis, 10. Lopez
ESPN experts’ poll
First place: Usyk (13), Inoue (2), Crawford (1)
Second place: Inoue (8), Crawford (7), Usyk (1)
Third place: Inoue (6), Crawford (5), Bivol (3), Usyk (2)
Fourth place: Bivol (9), Crawford (2), Beterbiev (2), Rodriguez (2), Stevenson (1)
Fifth place: Beterbiev (7), Bivol (4), Alvarez (3), Crawford (1), Rodriguez (1)
Sixth place: Beterbiev (6), Rodriguez (4), Alvarez (2), Benavidez (2), Nakatani (1), Davis (1)
Seventh place: Rodriguez (5), Nakatani (4), Benavidez (3), Alvarez (2), Davis (1), Lomachenko (1)
Eighth place: Benavidez (5), Alvarez (4), Nakatani (3), Stevenson (3), Rodriguez (1)
Ninth place: Stevenson (6), Davis (3), Alvarez (2), Benavidez (2), Lopez (2), Rodriguez (1)
10th place: Nakatani (4), Lopez (3), Benavidez (2), Beterbiev (1), Rodriguez (1), Alvarez (1), Stevenson (1), Davis (1), Ennis (1), Akhmadaliev (1)
