The Ultimate Guide to the Best Boxers in 2024. These Twelve Boxers Have Proven That They Belong at the Top of the Pound-for-Pound List.
Boxing fans around the world are eagerly anticipating what 2024 has in store for the sport. The past year saw some memorable fights that left fans on the edge of their seats and showcased the talent and skill of the world’s best boxers. Although there were some big fights last year, there is some unsettled business with some of the top boxers in the sport.
As we head into the new year, it’s time to take a closer look at the pound-for-pound best boxers who are poised to dominate the sport in 2024. These fighters have proven their mettle in the ring, and their performances have been nothing short of impressive. From a 6’9″ English Heavyweight who has been at the top of his class for a decade, Canelo and Terence Crawford in the middle weight classes, to 5’4″ Japanese Inoue Naoya the Japanese sensation who has stopped almost everybody that he’s faced.
Here are the twelve best pound-for-pound boxers heading into 2024. These fighters have shown that they have what it takes to compete at the highest level of the sport and have the potential to become legends in their own right.
Honorable mention: Teofimo Lopez, David Benavidez
#12 Artur Beterbiev: 20-0 (20 KOs)
Artur Beterbiev is one of the most dominant boxers and hardest punchers in boxing today. His recent victory over Callum Smith in the 7th round of their bout was just the latest in a long string of impressive performances and knockouts. He is the only major champion that has a 100% knockout percentage!
But it’s not just his victories that make him a standout boxer — it’s his devastating power. Many boxing fans and pundits consider Beterbiev to be the hardest puncher in the sport, along with Naoya Inoue. He can stalk down and hurt opponents to the body and head and might be the best in terms of “breaking down” the other fighter.
Truth be told, I actually feel bad putting him at #12 and could have him anywhere from #7 on up based on his performances in title fights. If he can land the big unifying fight with Bivol, he’ll shoot up the rankings in my book.
#11 Emmanuel Navarette: 38-1-1 (30 KOs)
Hailing from San Juan de Zitlaltepec, a small town north of Mexico City, he has earned his place as one of the top boxers in the world due to his longevity, experience, and winning fights dominantly either by knockout or wide decisions. With a record of 38–1–1 (30 KOs), he is a 3-division champ, having won and defended titles at 122 lbs., 126 lbs, and now winning and defending the 130 lb. titles (although he had a draw in his last fight against Robson Conceição).
One of Navarette’s standout punches is his uppercuts with both hands, a weapon in that has proven extremely effective. His mastery of this punch often catches opponents off guard, as he seamlessly blends it into his combinations, leaving them susceptible to his power and precision.
Navarette’s success in the ring is also attributed to his unconventional and awkward movement, a style that has confused many opponents and is hard to train against. His ability to seamlessly shift between different angles and employ unpredictable footwork creates a puzzle for adversaries, making it difficult for them to anticipate his next move. This unique approach not only adds an element of surprise to his offensive but also allows him to evade counterattacks with awkward defense.
Moreover, Navarette’s durability is a testament to his resilience, enabling him to withstand the rigors of intense exchanges and emerge victorious in the face of adversity. His combination of power, strategic uppercuts, and elusive movement makes Emmanuel Navarette a force to be reckoned with in the competitive world of boxing.
No fight is currently scheduled, however a rematch with Robson Conceicao is the most logical bet if they can make it happen.
#10 Vasily Lomachenko: 17–3 with 8 KOs
Vasily Lomachenko is a Ukrainian professional boxer who has made a name for himself as a slick southpaw with exceptional skills. He is known as “Hi-Tech” for a reason — his movement, combination punching, and overall ring IQ are simply electrifying.
Lomachenko is an extraordinary fighter who has earned his place among the best in the world. His amateur experience, combination punching, and movement are just a few of the attributes that make him such a formidable opponent. Whether you’re a casual fan or a die-hard boxing enthusiast, watching Lomachenko ply his trade is always a treat.
Lomachenko’s combination punching is truly a sight to behold. He has an uncanny ability to throw punches in bunches, mixing up his shots to keep his opponents guessing. He is equally comfortable fighting on the inside or at range, and his punches flow seamlessly from one to the next. Lomachenko has a knack for finding the perfect angle to land his shots, and he does so with accurate combination punching.
One of the most impressive aspects of Lomachenko’s career is his amateur experience. He won two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and compiled an amateur record of 396–1. That’s right — he lost only one fight in nearly 400 amateur bouts. Lomachenko’s amateur career laid the foundation for his professional success, as he developed a deep understanding of the sport and honed his skills to a razor-sharp edge.
Movement is another area where Lomachenko excels. He has a unique style that blends footwork, head movement, and overall ring generalship. Lomachenko is constantly in motion, never staying in one place for too long. This makes it difficult for his opponents to find a rhythm and mount an effective offense. Lomachenko’s movement also allows him to create angles and openings for his offense, which he exploits with devastating effect.
His next fight is with George Kambosas for the IBF Lightweight title in Australia in May.
#9 Errol Spence Jr.: 27-1-0 (21 KOs)
Errol Spence Jr. is one of the best welterweight boxers in the world. Despite his recent one-sided loss to Terence Crawford, Spence’s longevity and dominant performances in the welterweight division throughout his career have earned him respect and recognition amongst boxing fans and experts alike.
Spence has an impressive professional record of 27–1–0, with 21 of his wins coming by way of knockout. He is the former unified welterweight champion and beat all of the welterweights under PBC’s roster before losing to Terence Crawford. Although his loss to Crawford was a setback, Spence remains one of the most exciting boxers in the welterweight division. He has probably outgrown that weight and is looking to move up in weight to 154lbs to win another title.
He continues to train hard and work towards his goal of becoming a world champion once again. With his impressive resume and skillset, there’s no doubt that Spence will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of boxing for years to come.
His next fight is a potential rematch with Terence Crawford (they have a rematch clause), or a move up to 154 lb. to challenge for another title and win in another division.
#8 Devin Haney: 31–0 with (15 KOs)
Haney has proven enough at this point in his career to warrant and top-10 ranking. He’s coming off of a pretty dominant performance against veteran Regis Prograis winning the WBC Light-Welterweight (140 lbs), making himself a two-division world champ. And even though he won a controversial decision vs. Lomachenko earlier in the year, his reign at lightweight and becoming a super-welterweight champ has boosted his resume.
Devin Haney is a young boxer who has made a name for himself in the sport. He has a hard style to look good against with his defensive ability and his tendency to move a lot around the ring. He’s taken some notes from Floyd Mayweather and other shoulder-roll styles and knows how to grab an opponent during exchanges and mitigate their offense.
Haney is known for his quick footwork and ability to stay out of harm’s way, making him a difficult target to hit. His offense seems to be getting better as he matures and settles into his grown-man body, but he will be a boxer who will usually try to win on points and outbox his opponents. He did manage to hurt a bigger Regis Prograis at 140 lbs. in his last outing, earning a championship belt in another division.
Haney’s strategy of boxing, moving around the ring, and racking up points has served him well, allowing him to rack up victories against some of the best boxers in the world. Moving up in weight and dropping Porgrais, en route to a dominant decision, solidified a top place in the top-10 rankings.
Next fight: Nothing is scheduled yet, but a potential matchup with Sandor Martin to defend his new crown might be in the works. A potential big-money fight with Gervonta Davis or Ryan Garcia is also being talked about.
#7 Tyson Fury: 34–0–1 (24 KOs)
Fury is widely regarded as one of the top heavyweight boxers in the world. He has an impressive record of never losing a fight and has defended his title multiple times since becoming champ by beating Wladimir Klitschko. Although he is fighting toward the end of his career, and had a bad showing against MMA crossover Frances Ngannou, his longevity in the division puts him in the top ten.
One of the reasons why Fury is such a tough opponent to crack is due to his size. Standing at 6’9″, he towers over most other heavyweight boxers, which gives him a significant reach and height advantage. This size advantage, combined with his movement, feints, and boxing IQ, makes him a difficult opponent for anyone to face in the ring. However, Fury’s next fight against Oleksandr Usyk is expected to be a tough one. Usyk is a tough and skilled fighter who moves very well for a Heavyweight, which might give Fury a lot of problems and might be able to outlast the English heavyweight. Tyson Fury Wikipedia
#6 Gervonta Davis: 29-0 (27 KOs)
The power-puncher from Baltimore is a 3-division world champ and has been tested only once in his career against Isaac Cruz. He is known for his ability to dissect an opponent and his one-shot knockout power. He also does a very good job of following up and stopping other boxers when they’re hurt. Davis also has star power, which has helped him gain a considerable following among boxing fans. He’ll soon be making some of the highest purses in the sport with his pay-per-view draw.
Despite his impressive record, Davis has faced criticism for not fighting enough big-name opponents, and for moving up in weight classes without always facing the best competition. However, his record (12–0 in title fights with 11 kos) and ability to dissect opponents make him a problem for anybody in the ring.
Overall, Davis is a talented fighter with great power, movement, and a good motor to finish fights late in the fight. He does need more marquee names to add to his resume, but with his ability to make money in popular fights, there might be another top guy to square up against him.
Potential fights: Frank Martin, Isaac Cruz rematch, Jose Zepeda a big fight with Devin Haney.
#5 Dmitry Bivol: 22-0 (11 KOs)
The Russian professional boxer has quickly established himself as one of the top fighters in the sport. Bivol’s has mastered the Russian/Eastern European style of boxing that uses a good job, footwork, and loose punches to get his shots off.
One of the key elements of Bivol’s style is his exceptional footwork and in-and-out movement, which allows him to move around the ring with ease and create angles that make it difficult for his opponents to land clean shots. This, combined with his excellent jab, makes him a tough light-heavyweight to pin down and win exchanges against.
Bivol’s endurance is also a major factor in his success as a fighter. He has shown time and again that he can go the distance in fights and maintain his tempo throughout the bout. This is a testament to his conditioning and mental toughness. His training style is unique and mixes Russian-style conditioning workouts with modern strength and conditioning training.
His high boxing IQ makes it hard for opponents to land clean shots. He has a deep understanding of the sport and can make strategic adjustments on the fly during fights. Although he lacks punching power, he has enough snap to keep opponents at bay and still hurts opponents with his crisp combinations.
Overall, Dmitry Bivol is a fighter who has all the qualities of a top-level boxer. Although a fight with Artur Beterbiev needs to be made to unify the titles and beat the other dominant fighter in the division, his nine title defenses and dominant outings put him near the top of the middle of the pound-for-pound list.
2024: Nothing is scheduled yet, but a possible fight with Beterbiev is the goal. He could fight on one of Eddie Hearn’s fight cards in Saudi Arabia again.
A potential fight and win against Beterbiev would solidify him as one of the best in the sport.
#4 Saul “Canelo” Alvarez: 60-2-2 (39 KOs)
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is still one of the top fighters in the sport of boxing today. He has been fighting professionally for more than half of his life (he turned pro in Mexico at 15 years old, and now he’s 33) and has amassed an impressive record throughout his long and storied career.
He possesses good punching power, combination power, head movement, and timing. He is a great counterpuncher and can land heavy shots on his opponents when they make a mistake, but can also walk down weaker opponents when needed.
Another impressive trait about Canelo is his chin and toughness. He has been hit with some tough punches like Gennady Golovkin and has never been down or seriously hurt (besides an earlier fight in his career against Miguel Cotto’s cousin, José Cotto.)
Canelo’s ability to move up in weight classes and take on opponents in higher divisions is something that not many fighters can do. He has fought at junior-middleweight, middleweight, super-middleweight, and light-heavyweight, although he seems to be comfortable at the current 168 lbs. weight class. This shows his willingness to take on any challenge and eagerness to become one of the best Mexican boxers in the sport’s history.
Potential fight: Everybody is waiting for the big fight with David Benavidez, both have mentioned the fight around September since Canelo is a big draw during Mexican Independence weekend.
#3 Oleksandr Usyk: 21–0 (14 KOs)
The Ukrainian professional boxer has established himself as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today. Usyk has a tremendous skillset in the ring, coming from his extensive experience at both the amateur and professional levels. He is a very well-schooled fighter who has developed a reputation for his ability to outthink and outmaneuver his opponents in both the Cruiserweight and Heavyweight classes.
One of the key elements of Usyk’s style is his exceptional footwork, which allows him to move around the ring with ease and create angles that make it difficult for his opponents to land clean shots. This, combined with his excellent hand speed and accuracy, makes him a formidable opponent in the ring. Usyk’s ability to control the distance and pace of a fight is also a major factor in his success as a fighter.
Usyk’s extensive amateur career has given him a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the sport, which he has been able to translate into his professional career. He has a high boxing IQ and can make strategic adjustments on the fly during fights. This allows him to exploit weaknesses in his opponent’s defenses and make the most of his strengths.
Usyk’s upcoming showdown with Tyson Fury is one that many fans are eagerly anticipating. Usyk’s skillset will undoubtedly give Fury problems in the ring, and he has the potential to pull off an upset victory. With his impressive record and exceptional skills as a fighter, Oleksandr Usyk is a name to watch in the world of boxing, both now and in the years to come.
Next fight: A mega-fight with Tyson Fury to unify the heavyweight titles.
#2 Naoya Inoue: 26–0 (23 KOs)
Naoya Inoue is a Japanese professional boxer who is widely regarded as one of the most skilled fighters in the sport today. He just became the first Japanese boxer in ‘The Ring’ history to win the Fighter of the Year award (2023 Fighter of the Year). Despite still being underrated due to his weight class and being an Asian fighter, Inoue’s punching power, skillset, and ability to move up weight classes with ease have earned him a place among the best in the world.
One of Inoue’s most impressive attributes is his power and ability to jump weight divisions and even dominate at the higher divisions (although the weight classes are much closer together than the higher weight classes: 112–115 lbs instead of 160–168 lbs for instance). The 30-year-old is 9–0 with 7 KOs in world title fights, winning titles in five different weight divisions.
He has a devastating right hand that has sent many opponents to the canvas. Inoue’s punches are lightning-fast and incredibly accurate, making them difficult to defend against. He has shown time and time again that he can end a fight with a single punch, which has earned him the nickname “The Monster.” He is also a very solid boxer with a good jab and an arsenal of other punches he can hurt you with.
Inoue’s ability to maintain his power and speed while moving up weight classes is a testament to his exceptional conditioning and overall physical prowess. Naoya Inoue is an exceptional fighter who has earned his place among the best in the world. Despite being underrated due to his weight and fighting mostly in Japan, where he makes much more money to fight, Inoue has proven time and time again that he is one of the most skilled and dangerous fighters in the sport today. For boxing fans around the world, watching Inoue ply his trade is always a treat.
Next fight: A fight with veteran Luis Nery has just been scheduled in Tokyo for May (https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/39269900/sources-naoya-inoue-luis-nery-agree-title-bout-tokyo).
#1 Terence Crawford: 40–0 (31 KOs)
Terence Crawford has earned his spot as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world today. He has a skill set that is unmatched in the sport of boxing, with a combination of speed, power, sound defense, and strong ring IQ. Crawford has been tested against some of the best fighters in three different weight classes, and he has come out on top time and time again without being heavily tested.
One of Crawford’s most impressive victories came last year against Errol Spence Jr. in a highly anticipated matchup between two of the best welterweights in boxing in the past few years. To many people’s surprise, Crawford easily dispatched Spence and stopped him in the 9th round. He also displayed his power at welterweight by dropping Spence, a tough and durable fighter, once in the 2nd round and twice in the 7th. It was one of the more one-sided super-fights in boxing recently and solidified Crawford as the top boxer in the world.
One aspect that solidifies Crawford as the top fighter for his longevity and ability to win handily in big fights. He is 18–0 in title fights, and has stopped his last 11 opponents within the distance! This is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to the sport, and it has helped him stay at the top of the rankings for years. Although he is from Omaha, he has one one of the most dedicated training camps in the mountains of Colorado Springs (Terence Crawford Training) and Las Vegas where he can get world-class sparring.
He has proven time and time again that he is one of the most talented boxers of his generation, winning and defending titles at lightweight, super-lightweight, and welterweight (135 lbs, 140 lbs, and 147 lbs.).
Next fight: Potentially a rematch with Errol Spence, or possibly a move up to 154lbs. to win a title in a fourth weight division. Crawford has been beefing with the Charlo brothers and has a chance to make a big fight with either one of them to win a junior-middleweight or middleweight championship as they both have titles in those divisions.
2024 Should Be A Big Year For the Sport
The pound-for-pound best boxers heading into 2024 are a talented and exciting group of fighters poised to dominate their divisions. From Devin Haney’s defensive prowess to Vasily Lomachenko’s combination punching, and Beterbiev’s power compared to Bivol’s boxing skills and defense, these boxers have proven their skill and ability in the ring.
As we look forward to the upcoming year, we can expect these boxers to continue to impress us with their performances. Which of these fighters will rise to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings in 2024 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain — they will all continue to push themselves to stay at the top of the sport.
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