Canelo Alvarez Returns to ESPN’s Top 10 Boxing Rankings

Canelo Alvarez has returned to the top 10 of ESPN’s men’s pound-for-pound Boxing rankings following his dominant victory over Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 31. The Mexican star re-enters the list at No. 10, while Naoya Inoue holds the top position ahead of Oleksandr Usyk.

Alvarez previously dropped out of the rankings after a series of performances that failed to impress the panel. His unanimous decision victories over Edgar Berlanga in 2024 and William Scull in 2025 were followed by a clear defeat against Terence Crawford later in 2025. However, his latest performance against Mbilli has helped restore his position among boxing’s elite.

The 64-3-2 fighter, who has recorded 39 knockouts, went the distance against Mbilli but controlled the contest throughout. Although Alvarez has not stopped an opponent since defeating Caleb Plant in November 2021, his performance in Riyadh demonstrated that he remains a leading force in the super middleweight division.

Another fighter attracting attention is O’Shaquie Foster. His impressive victory over three-division champion Emanuel Navarrete on October 24 earned him the WBO, IBF and WBC junior lightweight titles. Foster received votes from ESPN’s panel but fell short of entering the top 10.

Foster could strengthen his position further by becoming an undisputed champion. That opportunity may come through a potential fight against the winner of the December 19 matchup between WBA champion Anthony Cacace and Nick Ball.

Naoya Inoue remains No. 1 in the pound-for-pound rankings

Naoya Inoue retains the top spot in the rankings after his victory over fellow Japanese champion Junto Nakatani. The undisputed junior featherweight champion has established himself as one of boxing’s most accomplished active fighters, having won world titles in four weight classes and become undisputed champion in two divisions.

Inoue’s victory over Nakatani helped him move ahead of Oleksandr Usyk in the latest rankings. Known as “The Monster,” the Japanese boxer remains one of the sport’s biggest attractions. His next opponent has not been confirmed, although a potential meeting with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in early 2027 is among the possible matchups.

If that fight does not happen next, Inoue has indicated that he could move up in weight in pursuit of a world title in a fifth division.

Complete ESPN men’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

1. Naoya Inoue

Record: 33-0, 27 KOs
Division: Junior featherweight (undisputed champion)
Last fight: Win (UD12) vs. Junto Nakatani, May 2
Next fight: To be announced

Inoue continues to lead the pound-for-pound rankings after defeating Nakatani in a highly anticipated Japanese showdown. A champion in four weight classes and an undisputed champion in two, he has built an impressive record through his ability to combine speed, power and technical skill.

The victory over Nakatani helped him take the No. 1 position from Usyk. A potential contest against Jesse Rodriguez could become one of boxing’s most exciting matchups. However, Inoue has also expressed interest in moving up another division if that fight does not take place next.

2. Oleksandr Usyk

Record: 25-0, 16 KOs
Division: Heavyweight
Last fight: Win (TKO11) vs. Rico Verhoeven, May 23
Next fight: To be announced

Usyk remains one of the leading heavyweight fighters despite dropping to second place in the rankings. The Ukrainian has enjoyed a remarkable career, becoming undisputed at cruiserweight and achieving undisputed status twice at heavyweight.

His latest fight against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven was more difficult than expected. Usyk subsequently vacated his WBA, IBF and WBC titles, leaving questions about his next move. Before the Verhoeven contest, he had indicated that he hoped to fight twice more before bringing his career to a close.

3. Jesse Rodriguez

Record: 24-0, 17 KOs
Division: Bantamweight (champion)
Last fight: Win (KO6) vs. Antonio Vargas, June 13
Next fight: To be announced

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has moved into third place after becoming a world champion in a third weight division. He achieved the milestone by stopping Antonio Vargas in the sixth round during his first appearance at 118 pounds.

Rodriguez is now just one division below Inoue, creating the possibility of a major showdown between the two undefeated fighters. However, his manager and trainer, Robert Garcia, has indicated that he would prefer Rodriguez to have another fight at bantamweight before considering a move up to face Inoue.

4. David Benavidez

Record: 32-0, 26 KOs
Division: Cruiserweight (unified champion)
Last fight: Win (KO6) vs. Gilberto Ramirez, May 2
Next fight: December 5 vs. Michal Cieslak

David Benavidez continues to make progress after moving beyond the super middleweight division. Having failed to secure a fight against Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds, he began competing at higher weights and has continued to deliver impressive performances.

His move to cruiserweight produced an important victory over Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. Benavidez stopped the Mexican fighter in the sixth round to capture the WBA and WBO titles, becoming a unified champion in the division.

His next assignment will be another title fight against Michal Cieslak on December 5. The contest will give Benavidez an opportunity to add the WBC belt to his collection.

5. Shakur Stevenson

Record: 25-0, 11 KOs
Division: Junior welterweight (champion)
Last fight: Win (UD12) vs. Teofimo Lopez Jr., January 31
Next fight: To be announced

Shakur Stevenson remains unbeaten and occupies fifth place in the rankings. At 28, the American has time to strengthen his position further as he continues his career across multiple weight divisions.

Stevenson is particularly recognised for his defensive ability and ring control. His power has also remained effective as he has moved up in weight. Already a champion in four weight classes, he rarely finds himself in serious trouble during fights.

His one-sided victory over Teofimo Lopez Jr. has opened up several possible opportunities. Stevenson could pursue title unification at 140 pounds or consider moving to welterweight, where champions including Lopez, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Liam Paro compete.

6. Dmitry Bivol

Record: 25-1, 12 KOs
Division: Light heavyweight (unified champion)
Last fight: Win (UD12) vs. Michael Eifert, May 30
Next fight: December 12 vs. Callum Smith

Dmitry Bivol remains among the world’s leading light heavyweight fighters despite injuries limiting his activity. The former undisputed champion has competed only twice in the past two years, but his position in the division remains strong.

In his return to the ring after more than a year away, Bivol went the distance against Michael Eifert. He has not fought since that contest and is scheduled to face Callum Smith on December 12 in Russia.

Smith is Bivol’s mandatory challenger for the WBO title, making the upcoming fight an important test as the Russian looks to continue his career after an injury-disrupted period.

7. Devin Haney

Record: 33-0, 1 NC, 15 KOs
Division: Welterweight (champion)
Last fight: Win (UD12) vs. Brian Norman Jr., November 22, 2025
Next fight: To be announced

Devin Haney holds seventh place after a dominant victory over Brian Norman Jr. in November 2025. That win earned him the WBO welterweight championship and helped him return to winning ways after the controversy surrounding his earlier meeting with Ryan Garcia.

Haney initially lost to Garcia in April 2024, but the result was later changed to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for a banned substance. Haney has since won two consecutive fights.

The American has publicly expressed interest in a rematch with Garcia. However, a second meeting between the two fighters has yet to materialise.

8. Jaron “Boots” Ennis

Record: 36-0, 32 KOs
Division: Junior middleweight (unified champion)
Last fight: Win (TKO7) vs. Xander Zayas, June 27
Next fight: To be announced

Jaron “Boots” Ennis strengthened his position with an impressive victory over Xander Zayas. The former welterweight champion dropped Zayas three times before stopping him in the seventh round, capturing the WBO and WBA junior middleweight titles.

The result was an important step forward for Ennis, who had been looking for a major opportunity to establish himself in the division. A potential fight against WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. has been discussed for months, but disagreements involving Ortiz and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, have prevented the matchup from being finalised.

Ortiz is scheduled to face Keith Thurman in December. Meanwhile, Ennis could pursue an early-year unification fight against IBF junior middleweight champion Josh Kelly.

9. Jai Opetaia

Record: 31-0, 24 KOs
Division: Cruiserweight
Last fight: Win (TKO9) vs. Noel Mikaelian, September 12
Next fight: To be announced

Jai Opetaia remains one of the most prominent fighters in the cruiserweight division, despite losing the IBF title twice after failing to meet mandatory challengers. The WBC also declined to sanction his fight against its champion, Noel Mikaelian, because Mikaelian was expected to face mandatory challenger David Benavidez.

Despite the complications surrounding the titles, Opetaia continues to be regarded as a leading cruiserweight. Benavidez, who holds the WBA and WBO championships, could become an important opponent in the division’s title picture.

Opetaia has stated that he wants to unify all four major cruiserweight belts. At the same time, speculation has linked him with a possible heavyweight fight against former world champion Deontay Wilder later this year.

10. Canelo Alvarez

Previous ranking: Not ranked
Record: 64-3-2, 39 KOs
Division: Super middleweight (champion)
Last fight: Win (UD12) vs. Christian Mbilli, October 31
Next fight: To be announced

Canelo Alvarez returns to the top 10 after his convincing unanimous decision victory over Christian Mbilli in Riyadh. The result also helped him reclaim the WBC super middleweight title and reaffirm his standing among the division’s leading fighters.

Alvarez used his footwork and upper-body movement effectively to limit Mbilli’s attacking opportunities. Although he did not secure a knockout, he controlled the contest and demonstrated that he remains a difficult opponent for fighters at super middleweight.

The Mexican star has expressed interest in potential rematches against Terence Crawford and Dmitry Bivol. Other possible opponents include IBF champion Osleys Iglesias and WBC mandatory challenger Lester Martinez.

His return also marks a significant change in the rankings after his earlier performances against Berlanga and Scull, followed by the defeat to Crawford. The victory over Mbilli was enough to earn him the No. 10 position.

How ESPN calculates the pound-for-pound rankings

ESPN’s men’s pound-for-pound rankings are determined through a points-based voting system involving a panel of boxing writers and experts. Each panel member submits a list of their top 10 fighters, with points awarded according to each position.

A first-place vote earns a fighter 10 points, while a second-place vote is worth nine points. The points decrease with each position, meaning a 10th-place vote receives one point.

If two fighters finish with the same total, the tie is decided by the fighter who received the higher individual ranking. If the tie remains, the number of votes received at that ranking is used as the next deciding factor.

The latest panel included Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, James Regan, Eric Woodyard, Bernardo Pilatti, Salvador Rodriguez, Jim Zirolli, Michael Mascaro, Aladdin Freeman, Victor Lopez, Damian Delgado Averhoff and German Garcia.

Other fighters receiving votes

O’Shaquie Foster was the leading name outside the top 10, receiving 10 votes from the panel. His title-unification victory over Navarrete strengthened his case for a higher position in future rankings.

Other fighters who received votes included Ryan Garcia with six, Junto Nakatani with five, Rafael Espinoza with three and Oscar Collazo with three.

ESPN experts’ voting breakdown

The voting results show the level of support behind the leading fighters. Inoue received 11 first-place votes, while Usyk received three. Usyk also collected nine second-place votes, compared with two for Inoue and two for Rodriguez.

Benavidez received the most third-place votes with five, followed by Stevenson with four and Rodriguez with three. Rodriguez led the fourth-place category with six votes, while Benavidez received the most fifth-place votes with six.

The sixth-place voting was shared between Bivol and Haney, who each received four votes. Ennis led the seventh-place category with five votes, while Ennis also received the most eighth-place votes with four.

Alvarez received three ninth-place votes, while Opetaia led the 10th-place category with four votes. Foster received three votes for 10th place, highlighting the support behind his push to enter the rankings.

With Inoue leading the list, Usyk in second and Rodriguez completing the top three, the latest rankings reflect the panel’s assessment of boxing’s leading active fighters. Alvarez’s return at No. 10 adds another major name to the list, while Foster’s performance suggests the competition for a place among the top 10 remains open.