The Ring IV: Night of the Champions card from ANB Arena in Saudi Arabia was being heralded as the best boxing card of 2025 in terms of quality, and it didn’t disappoint.
WBC light-heavyweight world champion David Benavidez simply proved too much for Anthony Yarde in a one-sided beatdown.
Meanwhile Abdullah Mason showed he is a blue-chip prospect worth keeping an eye on as he won a brutal WBO lightweight world title fight against Briton Sam Noakes, while Devin Haney became a three-weight world champion.
However, it was Jesse Rodriguez who stole the show in Riyadh as he stopped the useful Fernando Martinez of Argentina. The win sees ‘Bam’ climb a couple of places on our latest list.
Here is the Furyjoshua.com take on the current top 10 best fighters in boxing:
P4P Rankings: Current top 10
1 Terence Crawford (USA)
- Record: 42-0 (31)
- Titles: IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA world super-middleweight champion,
- Next Fight: TBC
We have no change at the top. Crawford’s win over former P4P King Canelo Alvarez in September 2025 made him the first male boxer in the four-belt era to hold undisputed titles in three different weight classes.
There has been no official announcement about the American’s next move, but Canelo has evidently suggested he wants a shot at revenge against Crawford in 2026, which is something of a surprise given how conclusive Crawford’s first win was.
2 Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)
- Record: 24-0 (15)
- Titles: WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight champion
- Next Fight: TBC
Three-time undisputed king of the world Usyk has dropped his WBO title - since picked up by Fabio Wardley - and his next move is unclear.
The Ukrainian legend has revealed he plans to continue his boxing career until he is 41 but hasn’t fought since knocking out Daniel Dubois in July to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champ.
3 Naoya Inoue (Japan)
- Record: 31-0 (27)
- Titles: WBC, IBF, WBA and WBO world super-bantamweight champion
- Next Fight: David Picasso (December 27)
Inoue's next fight is scheduled for December 27, 2025, against David Picasso in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This bout will be for the undisputed super-bantamweight world championship and the hope is he can come through and be part of a 2026 superfight against countryman and fellow ‘pound-for-pound’ star Junto Nakatani.
Inoue showed another side to his game with a dominant points win against Murodjon Akhmadaliev last time out, and the 32-0-1 (17) Picasso looks right up against it against ‘The Monster’.
4 Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (USA)
- Record: 23-0 (16)
- Titles: WBC, WBA and WBO world super-flyweight champion
- Next Fight: TBC
Another absolute clinic from Rodriguez, as he outclassed the useful Fernando ‘Pumita’ Martinez on that stacked November 22 card. The accuracy of the counter to end the fight in Round 10 and the level of hand speed for the knockout were an absolute joke. He has looked absolutely flawless in recent fights, and now adds the WBA super-flyweight title to his WBO and WBC belts.
Willibaldo Garcia is the IBF champion. Undisputed on the way?
5 Dmitry Bivol (Russia)
- Record: 24-1 (12)
- Titles: IBF, WBO and WBA world light-heavyweight champion
- Next Fight: TBC
Bivol is still recovering from back surgery and plans to return in early 2026.
6 Artur Beterbiev (Russia)
- Record: 21-1 (20)
- Titles: N/A
- Next Fight: TBC
If we can’t have Beterbiev vs. Bivol III, then can we please see Beterbiev vs. Benavidez? Two hard-hitting sluggers throwing down at 175 would be a can't miss war. The ‘Mexican Monster’ seems up for it, weighing in on the subject in the run up to his fight with Yarde. "Hopefully, later next year, we could get that fight with Beterbiev," Benavidez said.
7 Shakur Stevenson (USA)
- Record: 24-0- (11)
- Titles: WBC world lightweight champion
- Next Fight: TBC
Stevenson predicted a few weeks ago that he’s going to be “cooking” Teofimo Lopez next in their still unannounced fight mooted for early 2026.
Lopez 22-1 (13) would be a worthy dance partner for the unbeaten WBC world lightweight champion southpaw, so let’s hope they give the fans what they want.
8 David Benavidez (USA)
- Record: 31-0 (25)
- Titles: WBC world light-heavyweight champion
- Next Fight: TBC
Benavidez was ruthless against Anthony Yarde as he defended his WBC light-heavyweight title on November 22. One of the most exciting fighters in the sport, the now 31-0 (25) star famed for his relentless punch output was too much for the Londoner as he won via seventh-round TKO. He was too young, too busy and too good for Yarde, and at one point landed with 18 straight punches with the left hand as he battered his opponent on the ropes.
There is talk he may be tight at the weight and could jump to cruiserweight in 2026, but fans would much prefer him to stay at 175 and have it out with either Bivol or Beterbiev.
9 Junto Nakatani (Japan)
- Record: 31-0 (24)
- Titles: WBC/IBF world bantamweight champion
- Next Fight: vs Sebastian Hernandez Reyes (December 27)
Nakatani gets Sebastian Hernandez Reyes next on that Christmas card in Riyadh, and the Mexican is no joke (unbeaten in 25).
Nakatani and Inoue are on a collision course for a potential superfight in 2026, but Junto needs to take care of business first against a talented and hungry Reyes.
10 Canelo Alvarez (Mexico)
- Record: 63-3-2 (39)
- Titles: N/A
- Next Fight: TBC
The Mexican superstar had few answers against Crawford last time out and while for now he remains boxing’s cash cow, he needs to get back in the winner’s enclosure if he is to retain his place on the ‘pound-for-pound’ list in 2026.
Pushing for inclusion
Devin Haney became a three-weight world champion in Riyadh after defeating the previously unbeaten Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision to claim the WBO welterweight championship. Haney is 33-0 (15) and on the cusp of a return to boxing’s P4P top table.
Meanwhile Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis' last fight was a one-round blowout of Uisma Lima to win the WBA interim super-welterweight title in October. The talk is it could be Vergil Ortiz Jr. next, with both unbeaten fighters and their promoters having reportedly agreed to terms for a 2026 blockbuster.
Rafael Espinoza again looked red hot as he claimed a corner stoppage win last time out against Arnold Khegai. It was death by a thousand cuts - or should that be uppercuts - at the Arena Coliseo as the Mexican made another defence of his WBO world featherweight title.
Espinoza is now 28-0 (24). He is a great fighter to watch. The type of blood and guts operator you can really root for. The gas tank is always full and he keeps chugging forward throwing serious leather with both hands. But he ate so many right hands against Khegai and surely needs to make defensively adjustments if he is going to crack the P4P party.
NB - Boxing's mythical ‘pound-for-pound’ list has been and always will be a subjective minefield, as fighters in different weight classes often do not compete directly against each other - which makes ratings difficult to compile.
The ‘P4P’ criteria - while not an exact science - is assembled upon fair analysis of fight records, boxers’ skills, strengths and weaknesses and recent title achievements.
