In theory, a pound-for-pound list should provide a snapshot boxing on any given day to answer the question of who’s the best fighter in the world.
Accomplishments and time spent among the sport’s elite certainly play a role in one initially making the largely subjective top 10 list, just as it does in keeping one from banishment due to one loss. Quality of opposition and recent performances are also key. But it ultimately comes down to who is the better fighter at this exact second, regardless of weight, with the eye test often relied upon to settle debates.
Admittedly, it’s far from an exact science and, at best, a spark for good debate.
A successful P4P list, however, should be able to help decide which fighter would win a match against each other in a mythical division if all things were equal in terms of weight. The only advantages each fighter would have are the physical ones they already do against the opposition in their own weight class.
Long-time super middleweight champion and current unified lightweight king Andre Ward, the last American male to win a gold medal at the Olympics, holds down the top spot thanks to his close decision win over fellow elite Sergey Kovalev in November.
While the decision was debated, it was a pairing between two top five P4P fighters with Ward adjusting from a slow start to disarm Kovalev and make the devastating puncher fight at Ward’s dictated style, pace and distance. There’s a level of ring generalship there that’s hard to ignore.
But Ward’s journey to the top spot on this list was largely helped by recent results, which included former P4P king Roman Gonzalez suffering a disputed loss in an all-action war and Gennady Golovkin failing to shine while edging Daniel Jacobs in a close decision.
| Boxer | Record | Division | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Andre Ward | 31-0 (15 KOs) | Light heavweight** | -- |
| 2. Vasyl Lomachenko | 7-1 (5 KOs) | Junior lightweight* | |
| 3. Gennady Golovkin | 37-0 (33 KOs) | Middleweight** | -- |
| 4. Sergey Kovalev | 30-1-1 (26 KOs) | Light heavyweight | -- |
| 5. Terence Crawford | 29-0 (20 KOs) | Junior welterweight** | -- |
| 6. Roman Gonzalez | 46-1 (38 KOs) | Junior bantamweight | |
| 7. Manny Pacquiao | 59-6-2 (38 KOs) | Welterweight* | -- |
| 8. Keith Thurman | 28-0 (22 KOs) | Welterweight** | |
| 9. Guillermo Rigondeaux | 17-0 (11 KOs) | Junior featherweight* | |
| 10. Mikey Garcia | 36-0 (30 KOs) | Lightweight* |
* Titleholder | ** Unified titleholder
Ward, 33, may not be the most well-liked fighter at times, but no active boxer is better at adjusting to what his opponent brings to the table. Inactivity has certainly been his enemy in recent years but it’s hard to deny his results. He is followed in this weeks’ power rankings by Lomachenko, 29, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who -- outside of Guillermo Rigondeaux -- may be the most skilled technical fighter in the sport. Even better, he has a hunger for greatness and is willing to move up in weight to prove that.
Looking human for the first time against Daniel Jacobs, Golovkin, 34, found a way to remain perfect. A fall showdown with P4P implications against Canelo Alvarez could be more likely than ever. Kovalev moved down to No. 4, but the 33-year-old will likely get a second chance to right what he feels was a wrong from the judges in the Ward fight if the two can agree to a June rematch.
Rounding out the top five is Crawford, 29, who needs more consistent matchmaking to make an even further dent on this list. Unless promoter Bob Arum is willing to work with the PBC, that may not happen. Still, an in-house superfight with Pacquiao remains in play if PacMan is willing.
Chocolatito’s first career loss proves he is no longer the same dominant force he was in the lighter weight classes. Two straight all-action wars in which the 29-year-old took heavy damage have proven that. Still, the four-division titlist is a great fighter and many believe he deserved the nod against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
It’s incredible how much speed Pacquiao has retained at such an advanced age of 38. He’ll need to seek out competitive fights, however, to advance any higher on this list than No. 7. Thurman, 28, failed to make a splash against Danny Garcia by boxing too cautiously late and escaping with a split decision. His skills and power are not in doubt, however.
Rigondeaux falls in at No. 9 as maddening inactivity and questionable opposition continue do downgrade the 36-year-old’s overall value. The former Cuban amateur star’s days among the elite are numbered. Last by not least here is the 29-year-old Garcia, who is back from a two-year exile due to promotional issues. He hasn’t appeared to lose a step from his previous P4P days. A chilling KO of the dangerous Dejan Zlaticanin announced Garcia as a force at 135 pounds.
Missed the cut: Canelo Alvarez, Naoya Inoue, Leo Santa Cruz, Carl Frampton, James DeGale
Dropped out: None
How the list might change: Rising stars Lomachenko and Crawford could very well vie for the top spot for years to come, as might unbeaten welterweight Errol Spence Jr., whose title shot this spring against Kell Brook provides him an opportunity to make a huge leap. A pair of recent fun fights between Santa Cruz and Frampton, in which they split, worked against one other in securing a ranking. Meanwhile Inoue, the most obscure name on this list, may have the largest beef for not being included after winning titles in two weight classes by his eighth pro fight and steamrolling opponents at flyweight and junior bantamweight. An eventual showdown with “Chocolatito” Gonzalez will undoubtedly have P4P implications.
