The prestigious American portal ESPN has published an updated pound-for-pound ranking of the world's strongest boxers, regardless of their weight category. According to the ESPN rating updated on February 25, Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev were removed from the list due to a prolonged absence of fights.
The first place in the ranking is occupied by Ukrainian Alexander Usyk. ESPN notes that she still remains at elite level with a 24-0 record and that her recent big wins have cemented this status. Japanese star Naoya Inoue took second place.
Jesse Rodriguez took third place, while Shakur Stevenson took fourth. The fifth place went to David Benavidez. The high position of this trio is associated with its recent stability and activity.
The rest of the ranking also includes famous names. Junto Nakatani is in sixth place, Devin Hayni is in seventh, Jaron Ennis is in eighth, Saul Alvarez is in ninth, and Virgil Ortis is in tenth.
ESPN's ranking of the world's best boxers as of February 27:
1. Alexander Usyk (24-0).
2. Naoya Inoue (32-0).
3. Jesse Rodriguez (23-0).
4. Shakur Stevenson (25-0).
5. David Benavidez (31-0).
6. Junto Nakatani (32-0).
7. Devin Hayni (33-0).
8. Jaron Ennis (35-0-0-1).
9. Saul Alvarez (63-3-2).
10. Virgil Ortis (24-0).
Another important aspect is that Ryan Garcia didn't make it to top positions. This week's ESPN division rankings noted Garcia's rise in the welterweight division following a victory over Mario Barrios, but it is understood that he did not receive enough votes for the pound-for-pound top-10.
In short, the new ESPN ranking once again showed the current balance of power in the boxing world: Usyk is still at the top, Inoue is his closest pursuer, and Bivol and Beterbiev have temporarily disappeared behind the scenes due to lack of activity. Now the question is one - to what extent will this list change after the next major battles?
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