Historically, it hasn’t been easy for heavyweights to make a leap into the top 10 of boxing’s pound-for-pound rankings largely due to the reason the term was first coined.
Since smaller boxers would never be able to prove in a sanctioned fight against the big boys exactly who is the best in the world at any given time, rankings like these were created to circumvent that weight gap by comparing accomplishments and attributes, along with using the far-from-scientific eye test to try and gauge who might win a mythical matchup if all things were equal.
Because of that, heavyweights have long had an uphill battle in being considered for the rankings when examining their technical skills, particularly in this modern era over the last 20 years, which often are rudimentary compared to those in the smaller divisions.
Tyson Fury, the WBC and lineal heavyweight champion, was a rare exception to the rule in recent years upon his miraculous comeback to regain a piece of the world title. Not only is the 6-foot-9 Fury uniquely skilled for the division as a pure boxer with speed, his huge frame and reach often provide him natural advantages over opponents in his weight class.
Before Fury, everyone from Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko had their own stays within the top 10, although it usually had more to do with their combination of longevity, consistency and fight-ending power. Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder also had cups of coffee around the P4P periphery yet failed to find staying power.
Oleksandr Usyk is a different story altogether.
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The former undisputed cruiserweight champion had already become a fixture in most rankings due to how skillfully he dominated that division by running through a who’s who of elite talent without tasting defeat. Yet when the former Olympic gold medalist from Ukraine moved up to heavyweight in 2019, a whisper of doubt came up with him regarding whether his 6-foot-3 frame could take the pounding in a new division, especially considering his lack of knockout power.
Even Usyk’s first big win at heavyweight — a close decision over Dereck Chisora in 2020 — failed to cement the idea that his skillset would translate as easily against the super heavyweight elites of this era.
Boy, were we all wrong. Usyk shocked the boxing world by traveling to Joshua’s backyard of London in front of 68,000 fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to upset the unified champion via unanimous decision to claim a trio of heavyweight titles.
Usyk, of course, will need to prove he can do the impossible a second time considering Joshua, a true global superstar, entered the fight with a rematch clause. Yet nothing about Usyk’s surprise win was a fluke.
Now, Usyk moves up even further on the P4P list mostly because he embodies a key element that makes up the spirit of the rankings: regardless of the weight class he has competed in, he has proven to be elite by unifying titles in both and relying on his dazzling pure skill to do so.
Pound-for-Pound Rankings
Honorable mention: Juan Francisco Estrada, Artur Beterbiev, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Yordenis Ugas, Shakur Stevenson, Roman Gonzalez
