There will never be an official or objective pound-for-pound list in boxing, for it is only ever a matter of opinion. Yet that still doesn't diminish the fun of trying to place the world's best fighters in some sort of order. It is even more fun to predict who will top the pound-for-pound list in 12 months' time.
Lucas Ketelle: I think it will still be Usyk. Naoya Inoue, I think will start to regress this year. I don’t see Crawford fighting after 2025. Artur Beterbiev probably won’t fight after 2025, and who knows what Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is doing. Four of the best 10 fighters in the world might be viewed a lot differently in 2025. I think we are going to see a lot of younger fighters move up into the top-five. Fighters like Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, Shakur Stevenson and the emergence of Keyshawn Davis as a top-10 pound-for-pound fighter will grab our attention.
Owen Lewis: Inoue or Rodriguez, both of whom are outclassing their opponents by greater margins than the rest of the pound-for-pound elite. Usyk and Crawford will likely begin succumbing to age by year’s end.
Declan Warrington: Oleksandr Usyk. I don’t see another fight that can enhance his reputation any further than it already deserves, but I also don’t see him declining significantly or doing anything to harm it – or another fighter surpassing him in the coming 12 months.
Lance Pugmire: Bam Rodriguez. His willingness to unify and eagerness to accept any challenge sent his way deserves an elevated profile as we turn our backs on those like Jaron Ennis who are shrinking from the best fights possible and others who are keeping their fight schedule to a minimum of one appearance per year. I’d rather have five Bam types occupying the sport than those who think we’re all clamoring for their rare emergence.
Bernard Neequaye: Oleksandr Usyk. It will be difficult to beat Usyk’s current status in the sport considering what he has done at cruiserweight and heavyweight. After becoming undisputed at both weights, Usyk has proven to be the man to beat and I’m yet to see who can topple him from the pound for pound list in 2025.
Eric Raskin: Usyk has put a little distance between himself and the likes of Inoue and Crawford, such that I’m not sure either of them can do anything to seize the P4P throne unless the heavyweight champ slips up. Well, that’s not true — if Crawford gets a Canelo fight and wins that fight, it would re-open the debate. But realistically, Usyk will still be The Man a year from now unless he beats Dubois a second time and then retires, feeling there are no worlds left to conquer.
Matt Christie: If Usyk is active and winning in 2025, common sense dictates that he’ll retain his spot.
Elliot Worsell: If he’s still active, it will likely be Usyk. Given the considerable leap in weight he has made and his physical disadvantages at heavyweight, nobody can compare with the Ukrainian for as long as he remains unbeaten and active.
Tris Dixon: If Crawford gets a high-level opponent and can do to them as he did to Spence in 2023, he will always be in the conversation. It is hard to pick against Usyk, but after a long, hard and often emotional career, I’m not sure how many times he can go back to the well.