Free Boxing Ranking: Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford in first place to start 2022

Boxing was as hot as it could have been in 2021, with all the pound members entering the ring at least once. The sport progressed with big names like Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, who competed at the highest level of the sport for 12 months.

Now all eyes are on 2022 with the hope of more action at every elegant level of the sport. The biggest start and P4P No. 1 has a lot of chances for its next fight after the four titles were combined at 168 pounds. Also, could we see the same thing this year at the heavyweight level, after Oleksandr Usyk got Joshua’s astonishing grief while Fury was lurking on the wings?

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And then there’s the lightweight division, which saw its rise to the top when George Cambosos got the stunning disaster of Teofimo Lopez Jr. to claim joint 135-pound titles. Now, from Lopez to Devin Haney, former joint champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, they hope to fail the next Australian and claim gold.

Below is the latest update to the Pound for Pound standings, which Lomachenko won against Richard Commey last November.

Pound pound rankings

1. Canelo Alvarez

Indisputable middleweight champion (57-1-2, 38 KOs) Previous classification: No. 1

The best in the world continues to improve in some way. Alvarez became the first undisputed 168-pound king without stopping at Caleb Plant. The Mexican superstar is exploring the options between heavyweight and cruising in terms of a return to spring.

2. Terence Crawford

WBO welterweight champion (37-0, 27 KOs) Previous classification: No. 2

Crawford’s critics can no longer stand up to an elite fighter in the 147-pound division. “Bud” made a huge range of adjustments to slow down and end Shawn Porter in the November pay-per-view dispute. As he joins the free promotion agency, it’s time for Crawford to secure the fights that will consolidate his legacy.

3. Naoya Inoue

Joint Bantamweight Champion (19-0, 17 KOs) Previous classification: No. 3

Inoue, the Japanese “Monster”, closed 2021 with a busy knockout in his hometown. The 28-year-old slugger can do anything and has yet to find out how much weight he can carry on his power.

4. Errol Spence Jr.

Joint Welterweight Champion (27-0, 21 KOs) Previous classification: No. 4

The operation on a loose retina left Spence out of the PPV date against Manny Pacquiao in August and has raised concerns about the future of the 31-year-old. When he is active, Spence has the ability to be a talent of the generation, but injuries have slowed his progress.

5. Vasily Lomachenko

Arinak (16-2, 11 KO) | Previous classification: No. 7

At 33, Lomachenko spent his time in 2021 reminding fans of his greatness, despite losing to Teofimo Lopez Jr. the previous year. With the latest incidents on the division, Lomachenko is as dangerous as anyone to the indisputable crown.

6. Tyson Fury

WBC Heavyweight Champion (31-0-1, 23 KOs) Previous classification: 5

“The Gypsy King” returned from a two-year absence to lift the canvas twice in the thrilling knockout round of Deontay Wilder’s 11th round in his trilogy fight. Although Fury did not live up to his hopes of becoming the undisputed champion in 2021, he remains the face of the division.

7. Oleksandr Usyk

Joint heavyweight champion (19-0, 13 KOs) Previous classification: No. 6

The former cross-country champion disturbed the apple cart on heavyweights by convincingly beating Anthony Joshua in London. The next one will be a contract rematch, probably in early 2022, as Usy continues to take on a second division.

8. Josh Taylor

Undisputed junior welterweight champion (18-0, 13 KOs) Previous classification: No. 8

“The Tartan Tornado” made a loud statement in May, with Jose Ramirez coming down undefeated and four titles coming together at 140 pounds. Next up is the mandatory defense against Jack Catterall in February.

9. Shakur Stevenson

WBO junior lightweight champion (17-0, 9 KOs) Previous classification: No. 9

The two-division champion took a breakthrough that regularly teased his talents when he stopped Jamel Herring in October to win the 130-pound title. At 24, Southpaw is already being compared to a young Floyd Mayweather.

10. Gervonta Davis

Lightweight Second Division Champion (25-0, 24 KOs) Previous classification: No. 10

The “Tank” struggled with an injured hand to beat the crucial Isaac Cruz in a December payout match. Davis appears to be focused on the light weight campaign for the near future, where he looks forward to plenty of opportunities for big fights.

Excluded: Teofimo Lopez Jr.

Honorable Mention: Juan Francisco Estrada, Artur Beterbiev, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Yordenis Ugas, Roman Gonzalez