Boxing’s top 10
1) Terence Crawford (+2) After the fight with Errol Spence in July, it’s really clear that Crawford’s run from 135 to undisputed at 140 and 147 wasn’t just lackluster competition. Errol Spence was a dominant fighter coming into this and Crawford simply got to work doing what he does best: dismantling top fighters. Speaking of dismantling…
Next fight: Errol Spence rematch?
2) Naoya Inoue (+2) It’s almost unfair that Inoue only got to enjoy the top spot for a few days. Truth be told, I was of the mind that if Spence had won, which feels laughable to say, Inoue would still be the top dog. Unfortunately for Inoue, dismantling Stephen Fulton (who I felt was a fringe top 10 guy) leaves him with few options. He’s got the Tapales fight lined up, it seems, so that’s kinda fun.
Next fight: Marlon Tapales?
3) Oleksandr Usyk (-2) Usyk’s drop isn’t due to inactivity or lack of ability. It’s that the two preceding names have really showed out while Usyk only has Dubois in the works. It’s a mandatory and fuck Tyson Fury, so it’s not entirely his fault. Expect a routine sweep, if not stoppage, against Dubois.
Next fight: Daniel Dubois, August 26th
4) Dmitry Bivol (+2) While Bivol hasn’t lined anything up just yet (famous last words), he is due for another fight. A few unfortunate circumstances: Beterbiev’s next fight is postponed, leaving Bivol with nothing to do coming on almost a year. Also, there really isn’t anything else in the division that would be worthwhile.
Next fight: TBA
5) Jermell Charlo (+1) Out of left fucking field, it’s Jermell moving up to face undisputed Super Middleweight champion Canelo. How does this place him where he is? It’s a simple combination of a few factors: 1) it's my list, so I can put him where I want 2) it’s not your list, so you don’t get to say where he goes. If this isn’t daring to be great, I don’t know what is.
Next fight: Saul Alvarez, September 30th
6) Canelo Alvarez (-4) It seems that Canelo has let go of the Bivol fight, which is good, and has opted to sign a three-fight deal with PBC which begins with the undisputed 154 champ: Jermell. There lots of better fights at his proper weight that are not just the best fights available, but also mandatory to some of the belts. While it’s an intriguing fight, it’s not the best move he can make.
Next fight: Jermell Charlo, September 30th
7) Gervonta Davis (+1) Gervonta still appears to be dealing with the short jail stint fallout, but I’m expecting to hear news of his next fight soon; we’re a few months removed from the Ryan Garcia win, so let’s see where the Tank Battalion will be deployed next!
Next fight: TBA8) Artur Beterbiev (+1)
Beterbiev's beating on fight with Callum Smith has been delayed due to a bone infection in his jaw. Is this portentous of a woeful future? I won’t say yes, but I can’t say no; until that time, I feel it’s a safe bet to say he’s still one of the top guys in the sport.
Next fight: Callum Smith, TBD
9) Shakur Stevenson (+1) After Haney beat Lomachenko (cry for me, Lomastans), the question of Haney stepping into the ring with Shakur seemed to be a matter of when. Haney has his sights set on 140, a fight with Regis Prograis already on the books. Haney has petitioned the WBC to keep his title pending the results of the Prograis fight (“champion in recess”), which I expect will lead to an interim title fight with none other than…
Next fight: Vasyl Lomachenko?
10) Devin Haney (!) Beating Lomachenko most certainly did not endear Haney to fans, but the results are real whether they want to accept them or not. Haney said before the Lomachenko fight he wasn’t likely to move up, but he has a fight locked in with Prograis at 140. If he wins, he’ll be vacating his title; if he loses, he’ll be going back to 135 to keep campaigning.
Next fight: Regis Prograis, October 28th