We have a new entrant in the first ESPN pound-for-pound rankings of 2025 as David Benavidez punched his ticket to the list with a convincing decision victory over David Morrell Jr. on Saturday in Las Vegas.
The win was the best of Benavidez’s career and positioned him for a shot at the undisputed light heavyweight championship that will be contested Feb. 22 by two boxers above him on this list: Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Benavidez’s ascent bounced bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani off the list, but he’ll have a chance to make his case once again Feb. 24 with a title defense against David Cuellar.
Naoya Inoue moved up one spot to tie Terence Crawford for the No. 2 spot following his fourth-round KO over Ye Joon Kim last month.
Our panel of Mike Coppinger, Timothy Bradley Jr., Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, Eric Raskin, Claudia Trejos, Bernardo Osuna, Crystina Poncher, 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 Feb. 5.
1. OLEKSANDR USYK 
Previous ranking: No. 1
RECORD: 23-0, 14 KOs
DIVISION: Heavyweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Tyson Fury, Dec. 21
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
The Olympic gold medalist has effectively cleaned out the top of the heavyweight division since September 2021, with a pair of decision wins over Tyson Fury, two points victories over Anthony Joshua, and a ninth-round KO of Daniel Dubois. That’s five combined wins over three of the four fighters behind him in ESPN’s heavyweight rankings. Still, there remain intriguing fights for Usyk. His promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, told The Ring over the weekend that the 38-year-old won’t join Fury in retirement and will fight on. The most obvious fight is the winner of the Feb. 22. Dubois-Joseph Parker title fight. Two more compelling options for the heavyweight champion: the winner of Zhilei Zhang-Agit Kabayel, and Martin Bakole, who fights Efe Ajagba in May. — Mike Coppinger
T-2. TERENCE CRAWFORD Previous ranking: No. 2
RECORD: 40-0, 31 KOs
DIVISION: Junior middleweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Israil Madrimov, Aug. 3
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
The four-division champion is lined up for his dream fight in September, a shot at super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez, where Crawford would move up two more weight classes after only one fight at 154 pounds. There’s no denying Crawford’s immense talent and skill set: he can switch seamlessly between orthodox and southpaw, possesses elite footwork and an A+ fighting spirit. All of that will be tested if he faces Alvarez as expected. Besides the tremendous gap in size, Crawford is perhaps the sport’s most inactive star. The last time he fought more than once was in 2019. And if he fights Alvarez, sources told ESPN Crawford won’t fight before then, and will use the time to build his body up to 168 pounds. — Coppinger
T-2. NAOYA INOUE 
Previous ranking: No. 3
RECORD: 29-0, 26 KOs
DIVISION: Junior featherweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO4) Ye Joon Kim, Jan. 24
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
“The Monster” told ESPN he plans to fight four times in 2025, including his first stateside bout since 2021. Inoue is expected to fight Mexico’s Alan Picasso in Las Vegas in his next bout before returning for another fight in Japan, where he’s a star, and a trip to make his debut in Saudi Arabia. It’s likely a Japanese super fight against countryman Junto Nakatani will have to wait until 2026 along with a planned move to 126 pounds. But after Picasso, we could see Inoue finally face WBA junior featherweight mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who should present a tougher challenger than his last few fights. — Coppinger
4. ARTUR BETERBIEV Previous ranking: No. 4
RECORD: 21-0, 20 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (MD12) Dmitry Bivol, Oct. 12
NEXT FIGHT: Feb. 22 vs. Dmitry Bivol
Beterbiev turned 40 years old last month but he showed no signs of slowing down with a decision victory over Dmitry Bivol in October to capture the undisputed light heavyweight championship. The decision was controversial — the bout truly could have gone either way — but what’s not disputed is how Beterbiev closed the fight. Beterbiev swept the final three rounds on all three judges’ scorecards, perhaps a signal he figured Bivol out late in the fight. Beterbiev will face Bivol one more time when they meet in the Feb. 22 rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. — Coppinger
5. DMITRY BIVOL Previous ranking: No. 6
RECORD: 23-1, 12 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight
LAST FIGHT: L (MD12) Artur Beterbiev, Oct. 12
NEXT FIGHT: Feb. 22 vs. Artur Beterbiev
Bivol already owns a dominant win over Canelo Alvarez on his illustrious résumé but now he’ll look to avenge a defeat for the first time in his pro career. Bivol outboxed Artur Beterbiev for large portions during the first half of the bout, but Beterbiev was able to break through the guard repeatedly. It’s probable all those shots on Bivol’s forearms tired him out down the stretch, and he’ll need to adjust so he’s fresher late in the rematch. If Bivol can even the score, a trilogy bout with Beterbiev can be expected if not a fight with David Benavidez, who owns two secondary titles at 175 pounds. — Coppinger
6. CANELO ALVAREZ Previous ranking: No. 5
RECORD: 62-2-2, 39 KOs
DIVISION: Super middleweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Edgar Berlanga, Sept. 14
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Alvarez remains the unquestioned face of boxing, the only fighter who can draw both on pay-per-view and at the gate no matter who his opponent is. There’s speculation Canelo could opt for a novelty bout in May with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul that would generate major business, but it’s more likely he fights William Scull to regain the IBF title that was stripped from him last year in what would amount to a tune-up bout ahead of a fight with Crawford in September. After picking up easy wins over Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga in 2024, a showdown with Crawford is likely since he doesn’t appear interested in a fight with David Benavidez. — Coppinger
7. JESSE RODRIGUEZ Previous ranking: No. 7
RECORD: 21-0, 14 KOs
DIVISION: Junior bantamweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO3) Pedro Guevara, Nov. 9
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Following in the footsteps of the great Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, Rodriguez is the next elite fighter below 118 pounds. He proved as much last year with a KO of future Hall of Famer Juan Francisco Estrada, who defeated Gonzalez twice. Rodriguez has yet to meet a fighter who could test him but that could change with his next fight. “Bam” is in talks to face Fernando Martinez in a 115-pound title unification. Martinez is underrated and is coming off a win over Kazutoa Ioka. He’s No. 2 at junior bantamweight in ESPN’s rankings behind Rodriguez. — Coppinger
8. GERVONTA DAVIS Previous ranking: No. 8
RECORD: 30-0, 28 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO8) Frank Martin, June 15
NEXT FIGHT: March 1 vs. Lamont Roach
“Tank” Davis is the No. 2 attraction in the U.S. behind Canelo Alvarez but his competition remains underwhelming outside of the 2023 megafight with Ryan Garcia. Still, Davis is a tremendous talent and one of the sport’s most dangerous punchers. His June vanquish of Frank Martin was one of the best KOs of the year and Davis is now lined up for what should be another highlight-reel finish against the heavy underdog Lamont Roach on March 1 in Brooklyn. Roach, who holds a title at 130 pounds, will move up to 135 for the shot at the WBA lightweight title. Davis is a -2000 favorite, per ESPN BET. — Coppinger
9. SHAKUR STEVENSON Previous ranking: No. 9
RECORD: 22-0, 10 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Artem Harutyunyan, July 6
NEXT FIGHT: Feb. 22 vs. Floyd Schofield
Stevenson is coming off back-to-back lackluster decision wins that failed to entertain, but he has a good opportunity to change that in a fight against Floyd Schofield on Feb. 22. Schofield is athletic and will probably apply pressure, giving Stevenson the chance to have a crowd-pleasing fight with his elite counter-punching skills. Stevenson is a sizable favorite (-1000 per ESPN BET) and continues to call for a shot at Gervonta Davis. — Coppinger
10. DAVID BENAVIDEZ 
Previous ranking: N/R
RECORD: 30-0, 24 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (interim champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) David Morrell, Feb. 1
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
“The Mexican Monster,” as Mike Tyson calls Benavidez, has been knocking on the door of pound-for-pound recognition for years. He broke through in 2023 with a pair of quality wins over Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade at 168 pounds. Benavidez felt those performances were enough to land a shot at champion Canelo Alvarez, but boxing’s top star still denied. Benavidez wisely moved up to 175 pounds rather than chase Alvarez. And now, after a clear win over Morrell where he survived a flash knockdown, there’s no doubting Benavidez’s skill set. He can reach yet another level if he can secure a fight with the winner of Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol. Benavidez is expected to be ringside in Riyadh for that rematch on Feb. 22. — Coppinger
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: Junto Nakatani (22), Teofimo Lopez Jr. (8), Vasiliy Lomachenko (4), Janibek Alimkhanuly (1).
How our writers voted
Bradley: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3: Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Alvarez, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Davis, 8. Bivol, 9. Lopez, 10. Stevenson
Coppinger: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Alvarez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Benavidez, 10. Nakatani
Atlas: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Davis, 7. Lomachenko, 8. Alvarez, 9. Rodriguez, 10. Benavidez
Tessitore: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Beterbiev, 4. Inoue, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Nakatani, 7. Bivol, 8. Alvarez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Davis
Parkinson: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Bivol, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Alvarez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Nakatani, 10. Benavidez
Raskin: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Benavidez, 8. Alvarez, 9. Davis, 10. Stevenson
Poncher: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Alvarez, 6. Bivol, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Osuna: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Alvarez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Nakatani, 9. Davis, 10. Benavidez
Rodriguez: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Alvarez, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Bivol, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Trejos: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Alvarez, 6. Bivol, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Nakatani
Woodyard: 1. Crawford, 2. Inoue, 3. Usyk, 4. Alvarez, 5. Davis, 6. Beterbiev, 7. Benavidez, 8. Stevenson, 9. Lopez, 10. Bivol
Moynihan: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Alvarez, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. Davis, 8. Benavidez, 9. Stevenson, 10. Rodriguez
Pilatti: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Bivol, 6. Benavidez, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Nakatani, 10. Alimkhanuly
Zirolli: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Stevenson, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. Alvarez, 8. Rodriguez, 9. Lopez, 10. Nakatani
Mascaro: 1. Usyk, 2. Crawford, 3. Inoue, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. Alvarez, 8. Davis, 9. Lopez, 10. Nakatani
Freeman: 1. Inoue, 2. Crawford, 3. Usyk, 4. Beterbiev, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Bivol, 7. Nakatani, 8. Alvarez, 9. Davis, 10. Stevenson
Lopez: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Crawford, 4. Alvarez, 5. Beterbiev, 6. Bivol, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Davis, 9. Stevenson, 10. Benavidez
Delgado Averhof: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Beterbiev, 4. Crawford, 5. Alvarez, 6. Rodriguez, 7. Davis, 8. Bivol, 9. Benavidez, 10. Stevenson
ESPN experts’ poll
First place: Usyk (16), Inoue (1), Crawford (1)
Second place: Inoue (9), Crawford (9)
Third place: Inoue (7), Crawford (7), Usyk (2), Beterbiev (2)
Fourth place: Beterbiev (10), Alvarez (3), Inoue (1), Crawford (1), Bivol (1), Rodriguez (1), Stevenson (1)
Fifth place: Beterbiev (5), Bivol (5), Alvarez (5), Rodriguez (2), Davis (1)
Sixth place: Bivol (7), Rodriguez (4), Alvarez (3), Beterbiev (1), Davis (1), Benavidez (1), Nakatani (1)
Seventh place: Rodriguez (7), Davis (3), Bivol (2), Alvarez (2), Benavidez (2), Nakatani (1), Lomachenko (1)
Eighth place: Davis (8), Alvarez (4), Bivol (2), Rodriguez (1), Stevenson (1), Benavidez (1), Nakatani (1)
Ninth place: Stevenson (6), Lopez (4), Davis (3), Benavidez (2), Nakatani (2), Rodriguez (1)
10th place: Nakatani (6), Stevenson (4), Benavidez (4), Bivol (1), Rodriguez (1), Davis (1), Akhmadaliev (1)