When two of the five best pound-for-pound fighters in the world met last Saturday in the first four-belt, undisputed clash in 175-pound history, the expectations were heavy that Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol would combine to showcase the very best of what boxing has to offer.
After 12 contentious and thrilling rounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one can confidently say that’s exactly what the pair of unbeaten champions did.
Despite a disputed majority decision for the 39-year-old Betebriev that is still being debated in its aftermath, the real focus on last weekend’s tense and skillful light heavyweight summit should surround just how great the performances of both boxers turned out to be.
This was the sweet science in full bloom as Bivol, 33, showcased a comprehensive level of elite defense amid the firepower and pressure of an opponent supporting a 100% career knockout rate. Not only did Bivol become the first Beterbiev opponent to finish a fight standing, he outlanded his fellow Russian-born opponent and appeared to land the cleaner punches overall.
Beterbiev, for his part, was just as impressive. He bounced back from knee surgery and a long layoff to prove himself to be the fresher fighter in the championship rounds as his pressure appeared to bend Bivol without ultimately breaking him.
While the winner of this fight didn’t ultimately secure a leapfrogging of the three fighters ahead of them with the biggest case for P4P kingship at the moment (Oleksandr Usyk, Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford), both Beterbiev and Bivol proved they are, at worst, of the same ilk and historical significance due to their respective performances.
The only thing left to do is settle inside the ring, once and for all, which luckily appears to be the plan now that Turki Alalshkih of Saudi Arabia, who funded the first Beterbiev-Bivol fight, has shared publicly his hopes of booking an immediate rematch.
Provided a trilogy isn’t needed, the subsequent matches to make coming off of that rematch are just as exciting now that David Benavidez, David Morrell Jr. and (when it’s convenient for him) Canelo Alvarez are all potential opponents for the winner.
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 Beterbiev’s win in October.
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
Undisputed light heavyweight champion (21-0, 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 and knee surgery behind him, Beterbiev finally faced unbeaten Dmitry Bivol in the division’s first four-belt, undisputed clash. Beterbiev came away with a disputed majority decision as fans eagerly await an immediate rematch.
5. Dmitry Bivol
Light heavyweight (23-1, 12 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 5
Talk about bad luck. Bivol appeared to land the cleaner, defining shots in an undisputed light heavyweight clash against Artur Beterbiev which showcased some of the best combined skill in boxing today. But the native of Russia was forced to settle for a disputed loss via majority decision in a thrilling and close fight. The only thing next which makes sense for both fighters (and the sport, at large) is an immediate rematch that already has the support of Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh.
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., Junto Nakatani, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Tyson Fury, Devin Haney
