Inoue leapfrogs Usyk in latest pound-for-pound rankings

Boxing's pound-for-pound list is a unique thought experiment in sports.

While other combat sports have adopted their own P4P lists, boxing's history with the list dates back to the 1940's. The concept is relatively simple; all things being equal, disregarding weight classes, who is the best fighter in the world?

Subjectivity is obviously a key part of boxing, as the sport's winners are crowned by judges rather than a points system like football or basketball. So by nature, the pound-for-pound list, and boxing in general, is always up for argument because it relies on opinions, not facts.

This week, both ESPN and The Ring released their P4P rankings. Since they are arguably (there's that word again) the two most influential lists in the sport, we'll use them for our own thought experiment.

Last weekend was the biggest fight weekend of the year for the list so far, as both Naoya Inoue and David Benavidez won their respective fights, bolstering their individual cases for being considered the best boxer in the world.

Inoue is ranked number 1 by both ESPN and The Ring, while Benavidez is ranked 4th at ESPN and 5th at The Ring.

Previously, unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk was number one on both lists, but after Inoue knocked off fellow P4Per Junto Nakatani on May 2 in Tokyo in front of 55,000 fans, he leapfrogged Usyk on both lists.

So the question becomes: who is truly #1? Not only do you have two fighters who could easily be considered the best, but they both also have very similar styles. Both Usyk and Inoue use superior footwork and a lightning-quick front hand to dominate their opponents.

Both are multi-division champs who are undisputed (though Usyk is missing one belt due to boxing politics, not his winning percentage, which is perfect), and you really can't go wrong with either choice.

But for me, the undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion should always get the nod over the phenomenal featherweight fighter.

Heavyweight, almost by default, is the toughest division in the sport. While there may be a couple of fighters in each of the lighter divisions with one-punch knockout power, in the heavyweight division, just about every fighter has that kind of power.

The fighter who can navigate those shark-infested waters and remain undefeated deserves the top spot in my book.

On the other hand, the only factors that should diminish Usyk's pound-for-pound ranking are his inactivity and his choice of opponents, and he is currently getting a pass (including from me?) that most fighters on the list don't.

Inoue's last opponent, Nakatani, is still on the pound-for-pound list despite his loss, while Usyk's next opponent, Rico Verhoeven, isn't on any boxing list because he is the heavyweight kickboxing champion.

A big part of being on the pound-for-pound list is beating fighters that could also conceivably be on the list. Usyk may not have that opportunity all year though as the only other P4P-worthy heavyweight, Tyson Fury, seems booked up for the rest of the year.

Related: Boxing legend makes great case for Benavidez vs. Usyk fight

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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 8:50 AM.