The best boxers in the world at the moment

Boxing remains one of the most spectacular and competitive sports. Determining the best of the best is not easy: each organization (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) has its own rankings, and authoritative publications like The Ring form their own lists regardless of the weight category (P4P — pound-for-pound). In this article, we have compiled a top-10 list of the strongest contemporary boxers (in our opinion), but we did not rank them by any particular position.

Oleksandr Usyk

Weight category: over 90.7 kg

Record: 25 wins (16 by knockout), 0 losses

Current titles: WBA, IBF, IBO, and The Ring World Champion

The Ukrainian heavyweight has truly walked a great path, which began with Olympic gold. First, Oleksandr completely cleared the first heavyweight division, becoming the absolute champion there and leaving no chance for his opponents. Then he took a risky step — he moved up to the royal division of giants. Many experts were skeptical about Usyk's prospects among the super heavyweights, but he proved his uniqueness by his actions. Two confident victories over Anthony Joshua and a triumph in a historic confrontation with Tyson Fury have secured his status as one of the greatest boxers in history. As for his style, Oleksandr wins not because of his mass or a single punch. His main assets are phenomenal boxing intelligence, an extraordinary pace, constant footwork, and the ability to anticipate his opponent's moves three steps ahead.

Naoya Inoue

Weight category: up to 55.3 kg

Record: 33 wins (27 by knockout), 0 losses

Current titles: WBO, WBC, IBF, and WBA World Champion

The Japanese boxer fully lives up to his fearsome nickname "Monster". Inoue possesses an absolutely abnormal knockout power for lighter weight categories. He consistently moved up through the divisions, and everywhere his appearance ended the same way — total domination and early defeats of opponents. Naoya is an incredibly balanced boxer. He doesn't just go headlong in search of a knockout. The Japanese demonstrates perfect boxing school, excellent timing, and flawless work on different levels. His signature move is brutal liver shots, after which opponents simply cannot get up from the canvas. He has already unified all the belts in two weight categories and continues to rewrite the history of Asian boxing.

Dmitry Bivol

Weight category: up to 79.4 kg

Record: 25 wins (12 by knockout), 1 loss

Current titles: WBA-Super, IBO, IBF, The Ring, and WBO World Champion

Dmitry Bivol is a standard of the Soviet school of boxing. His fighting style seems simple only from the outside, but for opponents, it turns into a real nightmare. DmitryHe operates in a perfect shuttle, controls the distance with his leading hand, and has flawless defense due to a tight block. The whole world started talking about Bivol after he gave a master class to superstar Saul Alvarez, practically giving the Mexican no chance in the ring. And they had good reason to talk. After that, the Russian became the absolute world champion, justifying all the expectations placed on him.

Artur Beterbiev

Weight category: up to 79.4 kg

Record: 21 wins (20 by knockout), 1 loss

Current titles: -

Artur Beterbiev is the most intimidating knockout artist of the light heavyweight division. For a long time, he held a unique achievement, finishing all his professional fights early (until he met Bivol). His style is a dense, exhausting press, an iron jab, and heavy blows from both hands, which inflict damage on the opponent even through a solid defense. Beterbiev possesses phenomenal physical strength and endurance. He doesn't just knock opponents down, he literally breaks their will to resist round by round. The Chechen boxer was previously the absolute in 79 kg. But he failed to defend this title.

Saul Alvarez

Weight category: up to 76.2 kg

Record: 63 wins (39 by knockout), 2 losses, 2 draws

Current titles: -

Mexican Saul Alvarez has been the face of world boxing and the highest-grossing fighter on the planet for many years. Canelo debuted as a pro at 15 and has managed to fight a huge number of bouts against the best representatives of several generations. He has won titles in four weight categories - from welterweight to light heavyweight. Speaking of his fighting style, Canelo stands out with his amazing sense of distance, a signature Mexican style with a focus on body shots, and excellent defense.

Shakur Stevenson

Weight category: up to 63.5 kg

Record: 25 wins (11 by knockout), 0 losses

Current titles: WBO and The Ring world champion

Shakur Stevenson is a model of technical, calculated, and intelligent boxing. He belongs to that rare type of athletes who minimize risks in the ring to the limit. His footwork, phenomenal sense of distance, and ability to "read" the opponent's intentions make him almost an elusive target. Stevenson doesn't chase flashy knockouts at any cost - he prefers to methodically dismantle his opponent, imposing his game and dictating the rules.

Junto Nakatani

Weight category: up to 53.5 kg

Record: 32 wins (24 by knockout), 1 loss

Current titles: -

Japan is currently experiencing a realThe "golden age" of boxing, and Junto Nakatani is one of the main reasons for this. This guy demonstrates a rare combination of power, size, and brilliant tactical training. Nakatani confidently conquers one weight category after another, each time proving that his adaptation skills allow him to dominate over any opponent. He knows how to change the pattern of the fight right in the middle of the match, adjusting to the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. Yes, in May, Nakatani suffered his first defeat in his career in the fight for the title of absolute world champion in the second lightest weight against Naoya Inoue. However, Junto still remains among the elite fighters.

Devin Haney

Weight category: up to 66.6 kg

Record: 33 wins (15 by knockout), 0 losses

Current titles: WBO world champion

Devin Haney has established himself as an incredibly stable and confident champion. His boxing discipline is something many young athletes should learn from: he masterfully controls the course of the fight, wisely distributes his energy over all 12 rounds and always sticks to the chosen plan. Haney has repeatedly proven his class in fights with the lightweight elite, demonstrating maturity, coolness, and the ability to win even when the opponent is attacking him with maximum aggression.

Jesse Rodriguez

Weight category: up to 53.5 kg

Record: 24 wins (17 by knockout), 0 losses

Current titles: WBA world champion

Young American talent Jesse Rodriguez has rapidly burst into the world boxing elite. He became one of the youngest world champions in the history of his division and continues to impress experts with his mature style beyond his years. Rodriguez boxes aesthetically. He constantly shifts from the line of attack at angles, causing opponents to punch the air, and instantly responds with fast, multi-hit combinations. His speed, reaction, and ability to improvise during the fight make him virtually invulnerable. Jesse is called the future of modern boxing, and he has every chance to conquer several weight categories.

David Benavidez

Weight category: up to 90.7 kg

Record: 32 wins (26 by knockout), 0 losses

Current titles: WBA and WBO world champion

David Benavidez stands out with his hurricane fighting style. He has a unique work rate for super middleweight and light heavyweight. David throws a huge number of punches in each round, literally burying opponents with prolonged series. The Mexican-American is incredibly physically strong and knows how to apply constant pressure from the first minutes of the fight. His progress from fight to fight is evident, and a successful transition to light heavyweightThe weigh-in showed that Benavides is ready to compete even with guys who are physically larger than him.