Canelo Alvarez staged a performance against Callum Smith on Saturday to become the unique middleweight champion. A unanimous victory by decision showed Canel’s abilities as he outsmarted a much higher fighter with an incomparable heart, finding a key reach that allowed him to take advantage of every mistake. But was that win enough to skip Alvarez ahead of Terence Crawford on the list of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world?
Some from the ESPN panel felt this was the case, and moved Canelo to first place on their scale.
“Canelo looked absolutely spectacular on Saturday night, dominating a top fighter who was supposed to challenge him,” said Eric Raskin, showtime podcast host and Ringside Seat magazine columnist. “I don’t know if he’s ‘better’ than Crawford right now, but based on the evidence against Callum Smith, it’s at least a close call. And the gap between their sequels over the last three years is big enough to make up for any little skill Crawford might possess. – even in a kilogram for kilogram comparison, where ability is more important than continuation.
“Because of such a one-sided performance against such a credible opponent, I think the time has come for Canelo to rise above Crawford who didn’t seem motivated to prove his size since he grew to 147 pounds.”
Others seem to think Crawford still has it all and deserves to be at the top of the list.
“I’m not going to move the guy who beat up someone he was supposed to beat, the guy who was exposed,” Teddy Atlas said. “He’ll stay where he belongs. Crawford did nothing to lose his position.”
Eventually it was close, some panel members changed their voices and gave Alvarez a nod. However, that shift was not enough to overthrow Crawford, who still retains his place and will enter 2021 as king of the pound for the pound.
Despite not fighting, Tyson Fury has progressed this month, thanks to a combination of a new panelist and a slightly delayed change of mind following recent struggles between Vasily Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk. Even after his strong win last weekend, Gennadiy Golovkin remains in 10th place and is now tied with Gervont Davis for the final spot on the list.
Our ESPN panel has also grown by one this month by adding Michelle Joy Phelps to our list. He joins Timothy Bradley Jr., Joe Tessitore, Cameron Wolfe, Raskin, Andre Ward, Atlas, Nick Parkinson, Ben Baby, Eric Woodyard, Kel Dansby, Bernard Pilatti, Charles Moynihan and Salvador Rodriguez.
Multiple rankings: Divisional rankings and ESPN women’s rankings for the pound.
Note: Results are until December 19th.
1. TERRANCE CRAWFORD![]()
Previous ranking: no. 1
Previous ranking: no. 1RECORD: 37-0, 28 KO
DIVISION: Welter category (subtitle)
LAST FIGHT: Z (TKO4) Kell Brook, 14 November
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
2. CANELO ALVAREZ![]()
Previous ranking: no. 2
RECORD: 54-1-2, 36 KO
DIVISION: Middleweight (Champion), Super Middleweight (Unified Title)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Callum Smith, 19 December
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
0:44
After defeating Callum Smith by unanimous decision, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez says he would play a rematch with Gennady Golovkin.
3. NAOYA INOUE![]()
Previous ranking: no. 3
RECORD: 20-0, 17 KO
DIVISION: Bantamweight (unified subtitle)
LAST FIGHT: Z (KO7) Jason Moloney, 31 October
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
4. ERROL SPENCE JR.![]()
Previous ranking: no. 4
RECORD: 27-0, 21 KO
DIVISION: Welterweight (unified subtitle)
LAST FIGHT: Z (UD12) Danny Garcia, 5 December
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
5. TEOFIMO LOPEZ JR.![]()
Previous ranking: no. 5
RECORD: 16-0, 12 KO
DIVISION: Lightweight (Unique Champion)
LAST FIGHT: Z (UD12) Vasily Lomachenko, October 17
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
6. TYSON FURY![]()
Previous ranking: no. 8
Previous ranking: no. 8RECORD: 30-0-1, 21 KO
DIVISION: Heavyweight (Champion)
LAST FIGHT: Z (TKO7) Deontay Wilder, 22 February
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
7. VASILIY LOMACHENKO![]()
Previous ranking: no. 6
Previous ranking: no. 6RECORD: 14-2, 10 KO
DIVISION: Easy
LAST FIGHT: L (UD12) Teofimo Lopez Jr., October 17
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
8. OLEKSANDR USYK![]()
Previous ranking: no. 7
RECORD: 18-0, 13 KO
DIVISION: Heavyweight
LAST FIGHT: Z (UD12) Dereck Chisora, 31 October
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
9. JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA![]()
Previous ranking: no. 9
RECORD: 41-3, 28 KO
DIVISION: Junior bantamweight category (champion)
LAST FIGHT: Z (TKO11) Carlos Cuadras, 23 October
NEXT FIGHT: March 13 against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez
T-10. GENNADY GOLOVKIN![]()
Previous ranking: no. 10
RECORD: 41-1-1, 36 KO
DIVISION: Middle category (subtitle)
LAST FIGHT: Z (TKO7) Kamil Szeremeta, 18 December
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
T-10. GERVONTA DAVIS![]()
Previous ranking: NR
RECORD:24-0, 23 KO
DIVISION: Lightweight and junior lightweight category
LAST FIGHT: Z (TKO6) Leo Santa Cruz, 31 October
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Formula
The ranking is based on a descending system of points, with the vote for the first place getting 10 points, the vote for the second place getting nine points and so on. The tie goes to the fighter with the highest rank and then the one with the most votes in that ranking.
Others who received votes: Manny Pacquiao (8), Artur Beterbiev (8), Jermell Charlo (6), Josh Taylor (3), Mikey Garcia (2), Shakur Stevenson (2)
How our writers voted
Atlas: 1. Crawford, 2. Alvarez, 3 Inoue, 4. Spence, 5. Lomachenko, 6. Usyk, 7. Pacquiao, 8. Lopez, 9. Beterbiev, 10. Fury
Bradley: 1. Crawford, 2. Alvarez, 3 Inoue, 4. Spence, 5. Lopez, 6. Lomachenko, 7. Fury, 8. Usyk, 9. Davis, 10. Stevenson
Ward: 1. Crawford, 2. Alvarez, 3 Fury, 4. Spence, 5. Inoue, 6. Usyk, 7. Lopez, 8. Lomachenko, 9. Estrada, 10. Davis
Tessitore: 1. Crawford, 2. Inoue, 3 Alvarez, 4. Lopez, 5. Spence, 6. Usyk, 7. Lomachenko, 8. Estrada, 9. Fury, 10. Stevenson
Parkinson: 1. Alvarez, 2. Crawford, 3 Inoue, 4. Fury, 5. Lopez, 6. Usyk, 7. Lomachenko, 8. Spence, 9. Golovkin, 10. Taylor
Baby: 1. Alvarez, 2. Crawford, 3 Spence, 4. Inoue, 5. Fury, 6. Usyk, 7. Lopez, 8. Lomachenko, 9. Beterbiev, 10. Golovkin
Wolfe: 1. Crawford, 2. Alvarez, 3 Inoue, 4. Spence, 5. Lopez, 6. Fury, 7. Usyk, 8. Lomachenko, 9. Pacquiao, 10. Golovkin
Woodyard: 1. Crawford, 2. Alvarez, 3 Inoue, 4. Spence, 5. Lopez, 6. Lomachenko, 7. Usyk, 8. Fury, 9. Estrada, 10. Golovkin
Raskin: 1. Alvarez, 2. Crawford, 3 Inoue, 4. Spence, 5. Lopez, 6. Lomachenko, 7. Estrada, 8. Fury, 9. Taylor, 10. Pacquiao
Dansby: 1. Alvarez, 2. Crawford, 3 Inoue, 4. Spence, 5. Lopez, 6. Fury, 7. Beterbiev, 8. Jermell Charlo, 9. Usyk, 10. Lomachenko
Moynihan: 1. Spence, 2. Alvarez, 3 Crawford, 4. Inoue, 5. Usyk, 6. Golovkin, 7. Lopez, 8. Lomachenko, 9. Garcia, 10. Fury
Pilates: 1. Inoue, 2. Crawford, 3 Spence, 4. Lopez, 5. Estrada, 6. Alvarez, 7. Lomachenko, 8. Fury, 9. Davis, 10. Pacquiao
Rodriguez: 1. Canelo, 2. Crawford, 3 Spence, 4. Inoue, 5. Fury, 6. Usyk, 7. Lopez, 8. Estrada, 9. Lomachenko, 10. Davis
Phelps: 1. Canelo, 2. Crawford, 3. Spence, 4. Lopez 5. Inoue, 6. Davis, 7. Fury, 8. Jermell Charlo, 9. Lomachenko, 10. Golovkin
ESPN expert survey
First place: Crawford (6), Alvarez (6), Inoue (1), Spence (1)
Second place: Crawford (7), Crawford (6), Inoue (1)
Third place: Inoue (7), Spence (4), Crawford (1), Alvarez (1), Fury (1)
Fourth place: Spence (7), Inoue (3), Lopez (3), Fury (1)
Fifth place: Lopez (6), Inoue (2), Fury (2), Spence (1), Lomachenko (1), Usyk (1), Estrada (1)
Sixth place: Usyk (6), Lomachenko (3), Fury (2), Alvarez (1), Golovkin (1), Davis (1)
Seventh place: Lopez (4), Lomacheko (3), Usyk (2), Fury (2), Estrada (1), Pacquiao (1), Beterbiev (1)
Eighth place: Lomachenko (4), Fury (3), Estrada (2), Charlo (2), Spence (1), Lopez (1), Usyk (1)
Ninth place: Variety (2), Lomachenko (2), Beterbiev (2), Davis (2), Fury (1), Taylor (1), Garcia (1), Usyk (1), Golovkin (1), Pacquiao (1)
10th place: Golovkin (4), Fury (2), Pacquiao (2), Davis (2), Lomachenko (1), Stevenson (2), Taylor (1)