The WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson was almost punch-perfect Saturday night in dismantling Artem Harutyunyan. The Newark, N.J.-born southpaw picked his man off with sharp shots, avoided the incoming effortlessly, and won nearly every round … but, for many fans, it still wasn't good enough.
While he's a great fighter, Stevenson, stylistically, is a natural counter-puncher. He errs on the side of caution when he's in the ring and focuses on defusing an opponent while making as few mistakes as possible. You won't turn Stevenson into an offensive fighter like Roberto Duran or Manny Pacquiao. It's just not going to happen.
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You may not like it, but Stevenson is a genius at what he does and his ring IQ is off the charts. He's one for the purist, in the same vein as a Willie Pep or a Pernell Whitaker. He can hurt a fighter but won't swing for the fences and risk his chin to do it. At 27 years of age, his technical boxing qualities and instincts are in his DNA.
If there's a downside, it's that Stevenson will need to beat the best fighters in his division to get full pound-for-pound recognition. These mythical ratings are made for explosive fighters like Naoya Inoue, who excel on the highlight reel and give you extras. Not only does the Japanese star win big fights but he takes your breath away, too.
Stevenson, who retains his No. 11 spot in the ratings, will need to follow the same path as Oleksandr Usyk and Terence Crawford. Both those fighters were pound-for-pound worthy for years before reaching the summit after career-defining triumphs in their respective weight classes. For some fighters, the pound-for-pound throne takes longer to achieve, and Stevenson is one of those fighters.
We should also mention Fernando Martinez, who on Sunday unified the IBF and WBA super flyweight titles by outpointing Japanese star Kazuto Ioka. The Argentinian slugger turned in a career-best performance and is probably in the 13-18 range. Also, unless No. 10 Errol Spence Jr. schedules a fight before the end of the month, the former welterweight champ will be removed from the ratings for inactivity.
The Sporting News takes a look at the top 12 pound-for-pound fighters in the world today:
Pound-for-pound rankings: The Sporting News' top 12
| Rank | Fighter | Record | Movement (July 8, 2024) |
| 1 | Oleksandr Usyk | 22-0 (14 KOs) | - |
| 2 | Naoya Inoue | 27-0 (24 KOs) | - |
| 3 | Terence Crawford | 40-0 (31 KOs) | - |
| 4 | Canelo Alvarez | 61-2-2 (39 KOs) | - |
| 5 | Jesse Rodriguez | 20-0 (13 KOs) | - |
| 6 | Dmitry Bivol | 23-0 (12 KOs) | - |
| 7 | Artur Beterbiev | 20-0 (20 KOs) | - |
| 8 | Teofimo Lopez | 21-1 (13 KOs) | - |
| 9 | Gervonta Davis | 30-0 (28 KOs) | - |
| 10 | Errol Spence Jr. | 28-1 (22 KOs) | - |
| 11 | Shakur Stevenson | 22-0 (10 KOs) | - |
| 12 | Junto Nakatani | 27-0 (20 KOs) | - |
The best in the world pound-for-pound: Oleksandr Usyk
In effect, Usyk has completed boxing. An Olympic champion at London 2012, this quick and cerebral lefty has been no less successful as a professional, and he's the very definition of what a pound-for-pound superstar should be.
At 37 years old, Usyk has become the first undisputed cruiserweight champion to achieve the distinction at heavyweight since Evander Holyfield more than 30 years ago. Despite giving away huge amounts of height and reach to today's behemoths, Usyk has proved himself the one true king of the glamour division.
Signature wins for the Ukrainian warrior include Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev, Anthony Joshua, and Tyson Fury.
The Sporting News' Boxing Ratings
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