Boxing Pound-for-Pound Rankings: Canelo Avlarez keeps on winning while continuing to frustrate critics

At 34, and despite being some 66 fights into his 19-year professional career, Canelo Alvarez proved on Saturday in a Mexican Independence Day weekend showdown with unbeaten Edgar Berlanga that he still has it in a big way. 

Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) showcased so many of his pound-for-pound level assets by dropping Berlanga in Round 3 en route to a dominant win by unanimous decision. Not only did the Mexican icon lean on his wide advantage in experience, he routinely cornered and beat up his opponent at close range despite falling short on his prediction of a stoppage. 

But given Alvarez’s constant jawing with critics and his stubborn stance that he has accomplished too much throughout his career to be questioned about his matchmaking choices, all the while actively avoiding specific challengers to his unified super middleweight crown, it’s fair to question whether one’s P4P ranking should be negatively affected by his decision making. 

Alvarez once held a rock-solid reputation as a fighter who pushed past the advice of his own team to take on dangerous stylistic challenges (Floyd Mayweather, Austin Trout, Erislandy Lara) on his way through the junior middleweight division. His subsequent runs at 160 and above were just as notable for his quality of opposition and how consistently he performed, including him adding a title in a fourth weight class at light heavyweight.

In fact, the 10-fight stretch that began with a 2017 decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.  showcased the absolute peak of his prime over a five-year run that saw him evolve from the biggest commercial star in the sport — and the face of the post Mayweather-Pacquiao era — to becoming the P4P best on the planet. Alvarez also went 9-0-1 throughout that stretch, sharing the ring with Gennadiy Golovkin (twice), Daniel Jacobs, Sergey Kovalev, Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant, among others. 

The turning point seemed to come in 2022 when Alvarez moved back up to 175 pounds and was outclassed by Dmitry Bivol in their title bout. The scores appeared much closer than the action showed as Alvarez was physically handled by a larger and equally skillful boxer. 

The subsequent fallout was that Alvarez, who had previously teased a run to a cruiserweight title, was no longer interested in challenging himself. Alvarez also began a streak of decision wins against acceptable yet far from dangerous opponents that has now reached five with the Berlanga victory. 

Alvarez either doesn’t want to fight the two names whom his fans most want — David Benavidez and Terence Crawford — or doesn’t want to be told what to do and is stubbornly holding his ground. Either way, it’s a horrible look that’s making him look scared, greedy or both. It’s also beginning to slowly change the way people look at his legacy. 

Considering Alvarez appears still interested in a rematch with Bivol should the Russian-born fighter become undisputed champion against Artur Beterbiev in October, it’s hard to imagine that he’s actually scared of anyone. But making excuses that Beterbiev rehydrates too large when he already won a title at 175 pounds and just fought an opponent in Berlanga who did the same, it’s simply a lame excuse. 

Alvarez remains an incredibly active superstar who continues to draw big crowds no matter who he fights. But his status from a critical standpoint among the best in the game will only lessen should he continue to take the path of least resistance when it comes to defending his titles and making his next moves. 

Using a criteria that takes into account everything from accomplishments to current form, let’s take a closer look at the top fighters inside the ring. Below is the latest Pound for Pound rankings update after Alvarez’s win in September. 

Pound-for-Pound Rankings

1. Oleksandr Usyk

Undisputed heavyweight champion (22-0, 14 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 1

Usyk’s professional run has been as decorated as it has been perfect. The former undisputed cruiserweight champ scored a pair of resounding victories over Anthony Joshua to unify a trio of heavyweight titles before finally getting his undisputed clash against WBC champion Tyson Fury in May. An exciting, split-decision victory made Usyk just the third male boxer to become undisputed champion in two divisions during the four-belt era. A Fury rematch is scheduled for December. 

2. Naoya Inoue

Undisputed junior featherweight champion (25-0, 23 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 2

The four-division champion, who has reached undisputed status in two different weight classes, continued his legendary takeover of the sport by rising from the canvas to finish Luis Nery in their May title bout at the Tokyo Dome. “The Monster” looked much more defensive minded in September when he picked apart and stopped former champion TJ Doheny. A December return is expected in Japan before a big event, planned for Las Vegas by co-promoter Bob Arum, in 2025. 

3. Terence Crawford

WBA junior middleweight champion (40-0, 29 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 3

In his long-awaited return from his dismantling of Errol Spence Jr. last summer, Crawford moved up to 154 pounds to narrowly hold off WBA champion Israel Madrimov. Despite the fight turning out to be among the toughest of Crawford’s career, “Bud” remains steadfast that the only fight left that interests him is a showdown with super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez.

4. Artur Beterbiev

Unified light heavyweight champion (20-0, 20 KOs) | Previous ranking: 4

Beterbiev turned away any whispers that he was getting old by dismantling former 168-pound champion Callum Smith in January. With his mandatories out of the way, an undisputed showdown against WBA champion Dmitry Bivol was scheduled for June 1. But the 39-year-old Beterbiev pulled out in May with a ruptured meniscus, which moved the fight to October.

5. Dmitry Bivol

WBA light heavyweight champion (23-0, 12 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 5

Following an incredible 2022, which included a victory over Canelo Alvarez and almost universal acclaim as the fighter of the year, Bivol sat out most of 2023 in hopes of facing unified champion Artur Beterbiev. Their undisputed title clash was set for June 1 until Beterbiev suffered a major injury, forcing Bivol to face replacement Malik Zinad. The new date for Beterbiev will be Oct. 12.

6. Canelo Alvarez

Unified super middleweight champion (62-2-2, 38 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 6

The former P4P king is still a unified champion at 168 pounds and he proved just that by brilliantly outdueling countryman Jaime Munguia in May. But despite constant pressure from fans and media to fight former David Benavidez or Terence Crawford, the much-scrutinized Alvarez returned in September to dominate unbeaten Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas.  

7. Gervonta Davis

WBA lightweight champion (30-0, 28 KOs) | Previous ranking: 7

Davis’ body-shot knockout of Ryan Garcia in their superfight last April looks even better now that “King Ryan” became the first boxer to drop and defeat former undisputed lightweight king Devin Haney. With a 2023 jail sentence behind him, “Tank” returned in June to obliterate unbeaten Frank Martin. Davis said he wants champions from here on out and is expected to return in either November or December on PPV.

8. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez

Flyweight, junior bantamweight titleholder (20-0, 13 KOs) | Previous ranking: 8

The 24-year-old phenom from San Antonio landed just shy of 50% of his power shots to dismantle 115-pound titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada in July. Rodriguez will return in November to defend his junior bantamweight title against Pedro Guevara in Philadelphia.

9. Shakur Stevenson

WBC lightweight champion (22-0, 10 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 9

Even though he was nearly booed out of the arena — in his hometown, no less — while defending his title against Artem Harutyunyun in July, Stevenson limited his opponent to just 17% of punches landed overall and single digits in all but one round. The three-division champion entered free agency and signed a multi-fight deal with Matchroom Sport. His debut, scheduled for October, was postponed due to hand surgery. 

10. David Benavidez

Interim light heavyweight titleholder (29-0, 24 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 10

Frustrated with waiting around for his shot at undisputed 168-pound king Canelo Alvarez, “El Monstro” moved up in weight to outclass former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June. Benavidez, who later revealed injuries to both hands during training camp (which may have prevented him from scoring a stoppage), said he will focus on light heavyweight moving forward and wants the winner of Beterbiev-Bivol in October. 

Dropped out: None
Honorable mention: Teofimo Lopez Jr., Vasiliy Lomachenko, Tyson Fury, Devin Haney, Junto Nakatani