The top 15 pound-for-pound rankings
Here are the best boxers in the world in order
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Welcome to the Fight Freaks Unite top 15 pound-for-pound rankings.
The list is obviously subjective. This is my opinion. You can agree or disagree or make your own list. I base these rankings on a variety of factors, including overall accomplishment but with an emphasis on more recent activity and who, in my view, would defeat the others if they were the same size. Here are the top 15 in reverse order.
As of April 26, 2023
15. Stephen Fulton
Record: 21-0, 8 KOs
Division: WBC/WBO junior featherweight titlist
Age: 28
Last fight: Fulton retained the unified 122-pound belts by near-shutout decision over former unified titleholder Daniel Roman on June 4 to send him into retirement.
Next fight: Fulton is headed for Japan to defend his titles against Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue, the former undisputed bantamweight champion moving up in weight to challenge him on July 25. They were initially scheduled to meet on May 7 but it was postponed on March 21 due to an Inoue knuckle injury.
Ideal next fight: Inoue is a tremendous matchup and the fight many wanted to see made. It is one of the best, most intriguing fights in boxing.
14. Juan Francisco Estrada
Record: 44-3, 28 KOs
Division: Lineal/WBC junior bantamweight champion
Age: 33
Last fight: On Dec. 3, Estrada won a majority decision over great rival Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in their long-awaited trilogy fight to gain the 2-1 advantage (although his win in the second fight was extremely controversial).
Next fight: Estrada has nothing scheduled.
Ideal next fight: I certainly would not complain about a fourth fight with Gonzalez given how superb their first three fights were. That, however, seems unlikely so how about a unification fight with the winner of the June 24 rematch between WBA titlist Joshua Franco and former WBO titlist Kazuto Ioka?