Boxing pound-for-pound rankings (May 2026): David Benavidez soars after Zurdo Ramirez destruction
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David Benavidez didn’t just become a three-division champion on Saturday. He put himself on a trajectory to become the next face of boxing on North American soil.
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was in the building for Benavidez’s spectacular sixth-round demolition job of Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, and it’s clear to most observers that this past weekend be as close as the Mexican superstar ever gets to sharing a ring with Benavidez.
Although a clash between Alvarez and Benavidez may have represented a perfect passing-of-the-torch moment in North American boxing and elevated “The Monster” to superstardom, something similar was achieved when Benavidez took Alvarez’s prestigious Cinco de Mayo weekend date from him and watched from his main-event dressing room as Alvarez was booed on the big screen inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
A dozen hours earlier in Tokyo, Japan, Naoya Inoue cemented his own position as the premier Japanese fighter on the planet by taking Junto Nakatani’s 0 — and jettisoning Nakatani’s place as a pound-for-pound fighter.
There are also some new additions on both the men’s and women’s sides to welcome to our latest list. Uncrowned's panel of experts — Kel Dansby, Alan Dawson, Darshan Desai, Lewis Watson and Elliot Worsell — have ranked the men's and women's pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings. (Being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point.)
Without further ado, here are our pound-for-pound rankings for May!
MEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND RANKINGS
1. Oleksandr Usyk — WBA/WBC/IBF heavyweight champion (Prev: 1)
Oleksandr Usyk brutally knocked out Daniel Dubois last July to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion and reassert his position as the pound-for-pound best in boxing.
A road warrior, Usyk has boxed in title fights in seven different countries, mostly against fighters from those regions.
He won the World Boxing Super Series at cruiserweight by clearing out the best fighters in that division, and rivals Evander Holyfield as the best 200-pound fighter the world has ever seen. After becoming undisputed champion at cruiserweight, he then moved up to heavyweight and wasted no time defeating Anthony Joshua (twice) and Tyson Fury (twice), despite surrendering a considerable size advantage to the modern-day giants. In that sense, he epitomizes what the concept of pound-for-pound is all about.
Usyk, 38, vacated his WBO heavyweight title in November and now takes on kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23. If anyone deserves an easier fight, it certainly is Usyk. However, there are still viable matchups for the Ukranian at heavyweight, including bouts against Agit Kabayel, Moses Itauma and Fabio Wardley, and fans hope some of them can come to fruition before Usyk calls time on his fabled career.
2. Naoya Inoue — Undisputed super bantamweight champion (Prev: 2)
Naoya Inoue scored one of the top wins of his career on Saturday when he outclassed Junto Nakatani in the biggest Japanese boxing match in history. Inoue built up an early lead against Nakatani, and although his foe rallied in the second half, a strong finish meant that Inoue left the Tokyo Dome with his four belts intact.
For Inoue, featherweight appears to be the natural next step, however in recent days rumors have intensified that a clash with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez — the biggest American star in the lower weight classes — could come to fruition in both fighters’ immediate future.
Inoue is a four-division champion and one of just three fighters to become undisputed in two weight classes in men’s boxing. Without a doubt, he will be remembered as a flagship fighter of this era.
3. David Benavidez — WBA & WBO unified cruiserweight champion, WBC light heavyweight champion (Prev: 7)
Benavidez jumps up four spots on Uncrowned’s latest pound-for-pound list after his tremendous display against Ramirez this past weekend.
He epitomized the meaning of pound-for-pound by going up 25 pounds and still producing what can only be described as the destruction of a top world champion. The mix of hand speed, combination punching and power was simplyfrightening.
After capturing the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, Benavidez now hopes to move back down to 175 pounds, where he is the WBC champion, to face Dmitry Bivol, Uncrowned’s No. 6 pound-for-pound boxer. A win there may give Benavidez an argument to be the No. 1 fighter in the world above a pair of double undisputed champions, Usyk and Inoue, which is incredible company to be in for a 29-year-old.
Benavidez won’t be short of dance partners anytime soon. Jai Opetaia and Artur Beterbiev are also possible opponents for him, and the idea of Benavidez going up to heavyweight to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for his unified championship has also been floated by Turki Alalshikh.
Benavidez has won world titles in three weight classes and defeated some of the top fighters from super middleweight to cruiserweight. He has one of the top résumés in boxing, and what’s scary is that the performances are still getting better.
4. Shakur Stevenson — WBO super lightweight champion (Prev: 3)
Shakur Stevenson moved up several spots on Uncrowned's pound-for-pound list after his tremendous display against Teofimo Lopez in January in New York.
Stevenson completely nullified Lopez's game, winning a near shutout over the man who was considered the best at 140 pounds. It was a performance that not only elevated him into the upper echelon of this list, but foreshadows a potential pound-for-pound No. 1 spot for Stevenson at some point in the near future.
The four-division world champion produced the most exciting performance of his career in the fight prior, when he outclassed William Zepeda in July. Not only was it compelling television, but it also showcased the different facets of Stevenson's game. Stevenson isn't just a mover, but he can hold his feet and land the harder punches. The versatility the American has shown in his past two bouts is exactly why he is an elite-level fighter.
Stevenson has many options for his next step. A fight with IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla is possible, as well as a crack at any of the super lightweight beltholders, or a colossal welterweight showdown with Conor Benn in a UK stadium.
For one of the best talents in the sport, the world is truly his oyster.
5. Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez — WBA/WBC/WBO super flyweight champion (Prev: 5)
Rodriguez stepped in to face Carlos Cuadras on five days' notice for his first world title in 2022. It was a two-division jump for "Bam," but his trainer, Robert Garcia, had no doubt he was up for the test. Turns out, Rodriguez impressed to capture the WBC super flyweight crown and never looked back. The 24-year-old has since taken out three of the four kings at super flyweight and now chases undisputed status at 115 pounds.
"Bam" is not just a fight fan's favorite anymore. He's a legitimate star of the sport. He stopped Phumelela Cafu in a unification fight in front of 10,000 fans in July and added another belt to his collection with a dominant stoppage of WBA champion Fernando "Puma" Martinez in November.
Rodriguez entered free agency late last year as a hot commodity with multiple promoters interested in signing him, though Eddie Hearn's Matchroom ultimately kept its man for three more years. “Bam” is now set to return on June 13 against WBA bantamweight titlist Antonio Vargas, and does so looking to become a three-division champion.
A return to 115 pounds for Rodriguez later in the year to capture his final belt for undisputed status has not been ruled out. Following Inoue vs. Nakatani, the best possible opponent for Inoue in most fight fans’ minds is Rodriguez, and there are hopes to stage that fight as soon as next year.
By the time those two share the ring, it may well be a case of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings.
6. Dmitry Bivol — WBA/WBO/IBF light heavyweight champion (Prev: 4)
Bivol held the WBA light heavyweight crown for seven years until falling short to Artur Beterbiev in their October 2024 undisputed title fight. During his reign, Bivol made 12 successful defenses, which included an upset win over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in 2022.
He managed to avenge his defeat to Beterbiev in 2025 and ascend as only the 11th man to become undisputed champion of the four-belt era.
Bivol will return to the ring in May against Michael Eifert before staging a trilogy with Beterbiev later in 2026 or facing Benavidez in an undisputed title fight.
Bivol already has two of the most significant and meaningful wins out of any fighter on this list, considering his victories over both "Canelo" and Beterbiev. His ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canastota has already been punched.
7. Devin Haney — WBO welterweight champion (Prev: 8)
Haney is a three-division world champion and the former undisputed lightweight king. He cemented himself as the No. 1 fighter at lightweight in May 2023 after earning a decision win over Vasiliy Lomachenko. He's also won titles at super lightweight and welterweight in his respective debuts in the weight classes.
When Haney dominated Regis Prograis to capture the WBC super lightweight crown in December 2023, many saw him as having the strongest case to be the division's No. 1, despite having just one fight at the weight class. The feeling was similar after Haney's impressive victory over Brian Norman Jr. in November to win the WBO welterweight title.
Haney is expected to now target unifications at 147 pounds, and with Rolando "Rolly" Romero and Lewis Crocker as two of the division's other current titleholders, there is certainly no reason why he can't become a multi-belt champion in the division.
The fight fans most want to see, though, is a rematch with WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia. Garcia defeated Haney in April 2024 after a bizarre build-up, but news of a failed anti-doping test broke days later, leading to his victory over Haney being changed to a no-contest. A second meeting between Haney and Garcia is not only the best matchup in the welterweight division, but one of the most anticipated fights the sport has to offer.
8T. Artur Beterbiev — Former undisputed light heavyweight champion (Prev: 9)
After edging a controversial decision over Bivol in October 2024 to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion, Beterbiev fell short in the 2025 rematch. Both fights between the pair were treats for boxing fans, so there's a hope among many that we'll see them share the ring for a third time in what would arguably be the most significant three-fight series since Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder.
Beterbiev, now a free agent, was scheduled to return to the ring on Nov. 22 against Deon Nicholson in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but the fight was canceled for no apparent reason. Bivol underwent back surgery in August, which delayed their trilogy bout. The pair could be headed for a trilogy in late 2026, but we have yet to hear news on Beterbiev’s return.
Beterbiev, 41, picked up boxing's 175-pound titles one by one prior to his first career loss and could also move up to cruiserweight to become a two-division champion.
8T. Jaron “Boots” Ennis — Former WBA/IBF welterweight champion (Prev: Unranked)
Jaron “Boots” Ennis hasn’t defeated Xander Zayas just yet — but he’s already secured a spot in Uncrowned’s latest pound-for-pound rankings.
With Nakatani falling out of the ranks, Ennis — who challenges Zayas for the unified WBA and WBO super welterweight titles on June 27 in New York — debuts on the list tied for the No. 8 spot.
“Boots” has long been considered one of the most talented fighters to come out of the U.S. in many years. For a while, he struggled to garner the opposition to prove that to the general public, going almost 30 fights without a notable name on his record. However, after picking up his first world title and teaming up with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom in April 2024, the activity and legacy fights have started to come for the talented American.
Ennis cemented his position as the No. 1 welterweight in the world with a dominant and impressive stoppage win over Eimantas Stanionis in April 2025. Next month, he’ll look to become unified in two weight classes against Zayas.
A fight between Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. — who narrowly missed out on this list — has been anticipated for several years. Issues outside the ring, unfortunately, prevented the contest from coming to fruition, but there is renewed hope that it can be made before the year’s out.
10T. Jai Opetaia — Former IBF cruiserweight champion (Prev: Unranked)
Jai Opetaia has had a mixed 2026 thus far. The Australian secured a big-money deal with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing in January and became the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight champion in March with a win over Brandon Glanton. After his debut on U.S. soil, he has also landed a debut on Uncrowned’s pound-for-pound list.
But it’s a case of three steps forward for Opetaia and four steps backward — those four steps being the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF titles. Opetaia has made it known that his dream is to hold all four sanctioning body belts, yet his promoter, Zuffa Boxing, initially claimed they would not work with the alphabet bodies. Thus, Opetaia was expectedly stripped of his IBF cruiserweight championship before his Zuffa Boxing debut after the organization declined to sanction his defense against Glanton because it believed the Zuffa cruiserweight title — an unregulated belt — would also be on the line.
Benavidez, who holds two of the other three belts at cruiserweight, has also expressed doubts about making a fight with Opetaia, stating he has no interest in fighting on a Zuffa Boxing show for a Zuffa belt. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that Opetaia is now further away than ever from his dream of becoming an undisputed champion.
Regardless, two wins over Mairis Briedis and his highlight-reel stoppages over cruiserweight contenders have sealed his position as one of the best fighters in boxing.
10T. Emanuel Navarrete — WBO/IBF super featherweight champion (Prev: Unranked)
Emanuel Navarrete has long been one of the most underappreciated talents in the sport.
Despite being a three-division champion and the current unified WBO and IBF super featherweight titlist, Navarrete has never really been mentioned in pound-for-pound discussions until, as the underdog, he broke down and stopped Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez this past February to unify two 130-pound belts.
Navarrete had never looked to have an ounce of muscle on his body. It was well known within the industry that here lay a boxer who certainly did not live the athlete’s life, but still entered the ring and won world title fights. And that carelessness began to cost him. Within the span of three bouts from 2024-25, Navarrete was beaten by Denys Berinchyk and should have been defeated by Charly Suarez if the California commission had correctly implemented the instant replay technology it had access to.
Entering an all-Mexican unification fight with the dangerous Nunez, Navarrete decided that it all had to change. For the first time in his life, he hired a nutritionist and decided to have a strict training camp. The results in the Nunez fight proved just how much Navarrete could achieve if he took the final part of his prime seriously.
A rematch with Suarez still awaits the Mexican, and after that, we hope unification fights with the O’Shaquie Foster vs. Ray Ford winner, and Anthony Cacace can be made.
(Others receiving votes: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Junto Nakatani, Sebastian Fundora, Vergil Ortiz Jr.)
WOMEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Claressa Shields — Undisputed heavyweight champion and WBO light heavyweight champion (Prev: 2)
Claressa Shields has regained her spot as Uncrowned’s No. 1 women’s boxer pound-for-pound.
Shields dominated unified super middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn in their rematch this past February to keep her four heavyweight belts and reassert her position as the top fighter — by some distance — at the higher weights in women’s boxing.
The American is a five-division world champion and the only female boxer to have held undisputed titles in three different weight divisions of the four-belt era. She won undisputed gold at middleweight in 2019 (where there are only 37 active participants in the world), at super welterweight in 2021 (which has 63 registered boxers), and most recently at heavyweight (home to just 18 fighters).
With 118 fighters competing in the three divisions she's won the undisputed championships in, it's understandable why the two-time Olympic champion has struggled to find big-name dance partners. Regardless, she's beaten every contender put in front of her, and that's all that anyone can ask of any pugilist.
2. Katie Taylor — WBA/WBO/IBF super lightweight champion (Prev: 1)
Katie Taylor's sublime boxing ability was available for all to see when she comfortably outboxed Amanda Serrano for a decision win on the historic all-women's Netflix card this past July.
Taylor's résumé — which includes wins over Serrano (x3), Delfine Persoon and Chantelle Cameron — is definitively the best in women’s boxing. However, unlike her rival Shields, some of Taylor’s key wins have been marred slightly by the closeness and controversy stemming from several of them — though no doubt could be left about Taylor’s brilliance after her third and most convincing victory over Serrano.
The Irishwoman is nearing the end of her pro career, and her promoter, Eddie Hearn, is working to stage her swan song in August or September at the 80,000-capacity Croke Park Stadium in Ireland.
3. Gabriela Fundora — Undisputed flyweight champion (Prev: 3)
Fundora stopped Gabriela Alaniz in impressive fashion to unify the flyweight division in November 2024 in Las Vegas. After that, 2025 was a more straightforward year for Fundora, who scored back-to-back seventh-round knockouts in title defenses against Marilyn Badillo Amaya in April and Alexas Kubicki in September to earn her second straight Women's Fighter of the Year award for Uncrowned.
Fundora began 2026 by extending her knockout streak to four with a sixth-round finish over Viviana Ruiz. Many believe that the time has now come for Fundora to test a different weight class and a new set of challenges.
At just 24 years old, she is the youngest undisputed champion of the four-belt era — and she could very well be the face of women's boxing in the years to come.
4. Amanda Serrano — WBA/WBO featherweight champion (Prev: 4)
Puerto Rico's Serrano was defeated for a third time by Taylor in their undisputed title fight this past July. This time, however, there was no controversy on the night — Serrano was simply beaten by the better woman. Regardless of coming out 0-3 in the series, Serrano will always be able to say that she took part in the first major trilogy of fights in women's boxing history.
Serrano returned to her winning ways by beating a game late replacement Reina Tellez in January in Puerto Rico to retain her WBA and WBO featherweight titles.
In a sharp turnaround, Serrano will defend her belts against Cheyenne Hanson on May 30 in El Paso, Texas.
5. Chantelle Cameron — WBO super welterweight champion (Prev: 5)
Cameron captured boxing's undisputed super lightweight title with a victory over Jessica McCaskill in 2022, but her biggest triumph undoubtedly came when she upset Taylor in the Irishwoman's homecoming bout at a packed 3 Arena in Dublin the following year.
Taylor produced a fantastic against-all-odds performance to defeat Cameron in the rematch and become a two-division undisputed champion. Cameron has since recorded four wins on the trot, including a decision over Jessica Camara to retain her WBC interim belt on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 undercard.
She became a two-division champion on MVP’s UK debut show in April by outpointing Michaela Kotaskova.
6. Alycia Baumgardner — WBA/WBO/IBF super featherweight champion (Prev: 6)
Baumgardner announced herself to the pugilist community when she knocked out Terri Harper on her feet to win the WBC super featherweight title in November 2021.
She eventually became the undisputed champion at 130 pounds, beating Mikaela Mayer in the process, but her career was halted for some time after failing an anti-doping test in the lead-up to her title defense against Christina Linardatou. Baumgardner fought to a no-contest against Delfine Persoon in her September 2024 return fight.
But the American has since made big moves in the women’s game, signing with Jake Paul and Nikisa Bidarian’s Most Valuable Promotions. Most recently, Baumgardner retained her unified WBA, WBO and IBF super featherweight titles with a win over Bo Mi Re Shin this past April.
7. Ellie Scotney — Undisputed super bantamweight champion (Prev: 8)
Ellie Scotney became the 14th fighter in women’s boxing history to become an undisputed champion in the four-belt era after she outclassed Mayelli Flores in April to add the remaining piece — the WBA belt — to her WBC, IBF and WBO championships.
Scotney may not have a single stoppage win to her name, but her skills are clear for all to see. She is one of the best technical fighters in the women’s side of the sport and it has made her a fan favorite among the purists.
Australia’s Skye Nicolson is the WBC mandatory challenger for Scotney, and it may just be the dance partner she needs to get the exposure and recognition she deserves. Other than Nicolson, the featherweight division — which is controlled largely by Scotney’s promoter, MVP — awaits the Brit.
8. Mikaela Mayer — WBA/WBC super welterweight champion and WBO welterweight champion (Prev: 7)
Mayer has been on the wrong end of two disputed decisions. In 2022, she was considered unlucky not to get her hand raised after 10 brilliant rounds with Baumgardner, and in 2024, she came away second-best again in the eyes of the judges against Natasha Jonas.
The rub of the green finally favored Mayer in late 2024, though, when she edged Sandy Ryan to win the WBO welterweight title. Mayer vs. Ryan, alongside Taylor vs. Serrano 2, was the frontrunner for Fight of the Year honors in 2024.
Mayer and Ryan fought a rematch in March 2025, and it was a case of repeat rather than revenge as Mayer again won via decision. The American became a three-weight world champion in October, defeating Mary Spencer for the WBA, WBC and WBO super welterweight belts in Canada.
Only Lauren Price stands in the way of Mayer and becoming the undisputed champion at welterweight. She is also now two belts away from unifying at super welterweight, because although she won three titles in October, Mayer was forced to decide between keeping the WBO titles at welterweight or super welterweight, and ultimately chose to retain her 147-pound belt.
Now that Mayer is aligned with Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, it should be easier for her to land some more marquee fights.
T9. Elif Nur Turhan — IBF lightweight champion (Prev. 10)
Elif Nur Turhan debuted on Uncrowned's pound-for-pound list in February just 48 hours after making a successful first defense of her IBF lightweight title by winning a split decision over Taylah Gentzen.
Although Turhan's performance against Gentzen was anything but impressive, her 2025 was remarkable. Three fights, three wins, three upsets, three knockouts — that's how the Turkish woman broke out as a budding star of women's boxing in 2025.
Lightweight unifications with Caroline Dubois and Stephanie Han represent enticing future matchups. Turhan, with her fifth-round knockout win over Beatriz Ferreira this past December, owns the best win at 135 pounds, however her performance against Gentzen proved that, despite her heavy-handedness, she is still very technically limited.
"The female Deontay Wilder" has been a comparison uttered by DAZN commentators.
T9. Caroline Dubois — WBC & WBO unified lightweight champion (Prev. Unranked)
Caroline Dubois claimed a hard-fought majority decision over Terri Harper in their all-British lightweight unification battle in April to launch MVP in the UK and launch herself onto the pound-for-pound list.
Dubois is the third British fighter to be included in the sport’s ultimate top 10, and at just 25 years old, she hopes to remain here for the next decade and go head-to-head with Fundora for the No. 1 spot in years to come.
The Brit is pushing for a transatlantic showdown with Alycia Baumgardner to materialize as one of the biggest fights in the women’s code, but unifications with Stephanie Han and the No. 9 on this list, Nur Turhan, will also help strengthen her résumé.
(Others receiving votes: Lauren Price, Cherneka Johnson, Mizuki Hiruta.)
Here is how Uncrowned’s boxing team voted:
Kel Dansby
MEN
Oleksandr Usyk
Naoya Inoue
David Benavidez
Shakur Stevenson
Jesse Rodriguez
Dmitry Bivol
Devin Haney
Jai Opetaia
Saul Alvarez
Jaron Ennis
WOMEN
Claressa Shields
Gabriela Fundora
Katie Taylor
Alycia Baumgardner
Chantelle Cameron
Amanda Serrano
Caroline Dubois
Mikaela Mayer
Elif Nur Turhan
Lauren Price
Alan Dawson
MEN
David Benavidez
Naoya Inoue
Oleksandr Usyk
Shakur Stevenson
Jesse Rodriguez
Dmitry Bivol
Emanuel Navarrete
Devin Haney
Sebastian Fundora
Vergil Ortiz Jr.
WOMEN
Claressa Shields
Gabriela Fundora
Katie Taylor
Chantelle Cameron
Alycia Baumgardner
Amanda Serrano
Ellie Scotney
Caroline Dubois
Mizuki Hiruta
Elif Nur Turhan
Darshan Desai
MEN
Naoya Inoue
Oleksandr Usyk
Dmitry Bivol
Jesse Rodriguez
Shakur Stevenson
David Benavidez
Junto Nakatani
Artur Beterbiev
Devin Haney
Emanuel Navarrete
WOMEN
Katie Taylor
Claressa Shields
Gabriela Fundora
Amanda Serrano
Alycia Baumgardner
Mikaela Mayer
Ellie Scotney
Chantelle Cameron
Cherneka Johnson
Lauren Price
Lewis Watson
MEN
Oleksandr Usyk
Naoya Inoue
Shakur Stevenson
Jesse Rodriguez
David Benavidez
Dmitry Bivol
Jaron Ennis
Devin Haney
Jai Opetaia
Artur Beterbiev
WOMEN
Katie Taylor
Claressa Shields
Gabriela Fundora
Amanda Serrano
Elif Nur-Turhan
Chantelle Cameron
Mikaela Mayer
Ellie Scotney
Alycia Baumgardner
Caroline Dubois
Elliot Worsell
MEN
Oleksandr Usyk
Naoya Inoue
David Benavidez
Dmitry Bivol
Shakur Stevenson
Jesse Rodriguez
Artur Beterbiev
Jaron Ennis
Saul Alvarez
Devin Haney
WOMEN
Claressa Shields
Katie Taylor
Gabriela Fundora
Amanda Serrano
Chantelle Cameron
Lauren Price
Ellie Scotney
Alycia Baumgardner
Mikaela Mayer
Caroline Dubois
