Boxing pound-for-pound rankings (Sept. 2025): Terence Crawford overthrows Oleksandr Usyk as new No. 1
When you talk about the greatest fighters of all time, you have to talk about Terence "Bud" Crawford.
Size carries no weight for Crawford, who made history by becoming the first male boxer to win undisputed titles across three different divisions in the four-belt era — and perhaps even more remarkably, he won his third undisputed championship three weight classes above his second one.
Crawford's masterful display to dethrone Saul "Canelo" Alvarez of his super middleweight belts not only etched Crawford's name into boxing history, but also helped him seize the top spot as the new pound-for-pound king of the ring here at Uncrowned.
Yet just a few hours after Crawford's historic victory over "Canelo," fellow pound-for-pound staple Naoya Inoue showed there is more to his own game than simply power. Inoue thoroughly outboxed Murodjon Akhmadaliev, whom many had accused him of avoiding, to retain his undisputed super bantamweight gold and set up his next two fights.
With three of the pound-for-pound top 10 competing over a matter of hours this past weekend, it's the perfect time to unveil our latest rankings.
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 rankings for September!
MEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Terence Crawford — Undisputed super middleweight champion (Prev: 3)
Lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight, super welterweight, super middleweight — Terence Crawford is now a five-division world champion. His latest title triumph came 11 years and 33 pounds heavier from his first crowning moment against Ricky Burns in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2014.
Crawford has been one of the best fighters of the past decade, and on Saturday night in Las Vegas, he made his case to be the best of this era to 41 million viewers on Netflix, many of whom surely came away in awe of his sublime performance.
He was already the first male fighter to win undisputed titles in two weight classes in the four-belt era after his one-sided destruction of Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023. Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk joined him on that list within a year. Now, Crawford has gone one further — he's the first to win all four belts in three divisions. But something tells me that Inoue and Usyk — or just about anybody else — won't be matching that accomplishment anytime soon.
Crawford could call time on his incredible career tomorrow and go down as one of the greats of the sport, but even at age 37, he still has so much left to give. Crawford hasn't shown any signs of decline in the ring yet; in fact, he keeps getting better.
It remains to be seen what will be next for Crawford if he continues fighting. A middleweight world title would allow him to complete the set from lightweight to super middleweight and become only the third male in boxing history to win titles in six different divisions, joining Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya.
Or could Crawford test himself against the best that light heavyweight has to offer? It sounds like a bizarre suggestion, but if anyone can do it, it's Crawford.
2. Oleksandr Usyk — Undisputed heavyweight champion (Prev: 1)
Oleksandr Usyk brutally knocked out Daniel Dubois in July to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion and reassert his position as one of 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.
Now, Usyk, 38, might have just one fight left in boxing. Whether it's Joseph Parker, Moses Itauma, or even Fury for a third time, rest assured that Usyk will produce something special on the night.
3. Naoya Inoue — Undisputed super bantamweight champion (Prev: 2)
Like Usyk, Naoya Inoue is a two-division undisputed world champion. The Japanese fighter has held world championships across four weight classes and is building a hulking résumé, with signature wins over Nonito Donaire (twice), Stephen Fulton and Luis Nery.
Inoue was last in action Saturday, where he dominated Murodjon Akhmadaliev to retain his undisputed crown. The Japanese "Monster" is expected to make his Riyadh Season debut against David Picasso in December before a potential all-Japan superfight with Junto Nakatani next spring.
4. Dmitry Bivol — WBA/WBO/IBF light heavyweight champion (Prev: 4)
Bivol held the WBA light heavyweight crown for seven years until falling short to Beterbiev in their undisputed title fight this past October. During his reign, Bivol made 12 successful defenses, which included an upset win over "Canelo" in 2022.
He managed to avenge his defeat to Beterbiev earlier this year and ascend as only the 11th man to become undisputed champion of the four-belt era.
Currently recovering from injury, Bivol will return to the ring in 2026. When he does, there are numerous options for him on the table for big fights, including a Beterbiev trilogy, David Benavidez, a rematch with Alvarez, or the consensus No. 1 cruiserweight Jai Opetaia.
Bivol 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.
5. Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez — 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.
Rodriguez impressed to capture the WBC super flyweight crown and has never looked back. The 24-year-old has 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 now a legitimate star of the sport. He stopped Phumelela Cafu in a unification fight in front of 10,000 fans in July and now looks to add another belt to his name when he faces WBA champion Fernando "Puma" Martinez on Nov. 22.
Rodriguez even signed to fight Naktani — another man on this list — but Akihiko Honda, who co-promotes both fighters, vetoed the fight.
6. Junto Nakatani — WBC/IBF bantamweight champion (Prev: 7)
Nakatani is perhaps in the position Inoue was among the wider boxing community before Inoue's win over Fulton. As an undefeated three-division champion, but one based in the lower weights and away from the Western community, Nakatani is still building a fan base in the U.S.
Nakatani knocked out David Cuellar in Tokyo on Feb. 24 to make the third defense of his WBC bantamweight title. He then added the IBF championship to his WBC crown with a sixth-round TKO win over Ryosuke Nishida in June.
Nakatani, who has now moved up to super bantamweight, could land his big breakout fight against Inoue in the spring of 2026. Inoue called out Nakatani after his win over Murodjon Akhmadaliev on Saturday in Nagoya, Japan.
"One more fight, and then I'm going to get you, Nakatani," Inoue told his Japanese rival.
It has all the makings to be the Japanese equivalent of Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns.
SHOCKER: @TerenceCrawford is the P4P king on the latest Uncrowned rankings 👑🏆 #CaneloCrawfordpic.twitter.com/f2vojN3DAy
— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) September 15, 2025
7. Artur Beterbiev — Former undisputed light heavyweight champion (Prev: 6)
After edging a controversial decision over Bivol in October to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion, Beterbiev fell short in the rematch earlier in the year. The pair could be headed toward a trilogy — arguably the most significant three-fight series since Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury — but an injury to Bivol has delayed such plans.
Beterbiev will instead return to the ring Nov. 22 against Deon Nicholson in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Beterbiev, 40, picked up boxing's 175-pound titles one by one prior to his first career loss and could move up to cruiserweight to become a two-division champion in 2026.
A fight between Beterbiev and Opetaia would be a sensational matchup some time in the next 12 months, and there's a chance it could be for all four cruiserweight belts — meaning a win would see Beterbiev join the top three names on this list as two-division undisputed champions.
8. Shakur Stevenson — WBC lightweight champion (Prev: 9T)
Shakur Stevenson produced the most exciting performance of his career when he outclassed William Zepeda in July. Not only was it compelling television, it also showcased the different facets of Stevenson's game. The three-division world champion isn't just a mover, but he can hold his feet and land the harder punches.
For many years, fight fans called for Stevenson to entertain them and show there's more to his game than simply dominating dull, low-output contests against overmatched, befuddled opposition.
He has now done that, but Stevenson is still crying out for a big name to share the ring with him. With Gervonta "Tank" Davis facing Jake Paul and Vasiliy Lomachenko recently retiring, Stevenson looks set to jump up a division to super lightweight and face Teofimo Lopez for that big fight.
9. David Benavidez — WBC light heavyweight champion (Prev: 9)
A two-weight world champion, David Benavidez is proving to be a BMF for boxing as he seeks out the toughest fights and over-delivers with a relentless and grueling fighting style.
With wins over Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell, Benavidez has continually shined in elite fights. He's struggled to get Alvarez or Bivol to step into the ring with him, and so will return to face another top contender, Anthony Yarde, on Nov. 22 before setting his sights on Bivol or Beterbiev in 2026.
Outside of that, Benavidez could jump up to cruiserweight and share the ring with Jai Opetaia or Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez. The hard-hitting champion certainly has the frame to compete at cruiserweight, and now that he features on Turki Alalshikh's Riyadh Season cards, it should become easier for "The Monster" to land the bigger fights.
10. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez — Undisputed super middleweight champion (Prev: 8)
"Canelo" Alvarez is in a difficult and unique position.
Alvarez has held a world title for the past seven years, but suddenly finds himself beltless and coming off a loss. Long considered the face of boxing, the Mexican has some tough choices to make if he still wants to be involved in major championship fights.
A rematch against Crawford is on the table, but Alvarez knows he will have to perform much better to defeat the American and may decide a run-back isn't the right choice for him. Alvarez could also move up to light heavyweight and give fans the Benavidez fight that they've long wanted, where a win would certainly elevate him up several spots on this list.
Alvarez is unlikely to be able to go back down to middleweight, so his options, in terms of title fights, lie at 175 pounds or a waiting game for Crawford to drop the belts. The Mexican has two fights left with Riyadh Season in 2026, so the paydays are there for him. But will he continue to take part in legacy fights or decide that at this point in his career, he is content with facing overmatched contenders — pretty much what he was doing between the Bivol and Crawford defeats.
(Others receiving votes: Lamont Roach, Jaron Ennis, Sebastian Fundora, Teofimo Lopez.)
WOMEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Katie Taylor — Undisputed super lightweight champion (Prev: 1)
Taylor's sublime boxing ability was available for all to see when she comfortably outboxed Serrano for a decision win on July's historic all-women's card.
Some believed that Taylor's brilliant résumé, which includes wins over Amanda Serrano (x3), Delfine Persoon and Chantelle Cameron, initially wasn't enough to crown her as the No. 1 pound-for-pound women's boxer due to the closeness of her fights and the controversy stemming from several of them. But after her third and most convincing victory over Serrano in July, the time is now for Taylor to wear her crown as the best in the world.
The Irishwoman is nearing the end of her pro career. Taylor's promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes it could take a grand send-off at the 80,000-capacity Croke Park Stadium in Ireland for Taylor to fight again.
The WBC has officially ordered Taylor to defend her titles against Chantelle Cameron.
2. Claressa Shields — Undisputed heavyweight champion and WBO light heavyweight champion (Prev: 2)
Shields 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.
Shields successfully defended her undisputed heavyweight crown with a decision win over IBF light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels in July and has now entered free agency.
3. Gabriela Fundora — Undisputed flyweight champion (Prev: 3)
Fundora stopped Gabriela Alaniz in impressive fashion to unify the flyweight division this past November in Las Vegas. She then followed up that win with a seventh-round knockout of Marilyn Badillo Amaya at a Golden Boy show in Oceanside, California, in April.
At just 22 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.
Fundora defends her crown against late-replacement opponent Alexas Kubicki on the Oscar Collazo vs. Jayson Vayson undercard Saturday in Indio, California.
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 earlier in 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 historic series, Serrano will always be able to say that she took part in the first major trilogy of fights in women's boxing history.
It is unclear what the future holds for Serrano, but fights with Chantelle Cameron or Alycia Baumgardner — both of whom share a promoter with Serrano — would make for compelling viewing.
5. Chantelle Cameron — WBC interim super lightweight champion (Prev: 5)
Chantelle 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 performance against all odds to defeat Cameron in the rematch and become a two-division undisputed champion, but Cameron has since recorded three wins on the trot, including a decision over Jessica Camara on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 undercard.
The WBC has ordered Taylor to face Cameron for a third time in a defense of her undisputed titles, but whether the bout comes to fruition is dependent on Taylor's future in the sport, which remains unclear.
6. Alycia Baumgardner — Undisputed 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.
Baumgardner eventually became the undisputed champion at 130 pounds, beating Mikaela Mayer, 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. The American fought to a no-contest against Delfine Persoon in her September 2024 return fight.
Baumgardner has since made big moves in the women’s game, signing with Jake Paul and Nikisa Bidarian’s Most Valuable Promotions. She made her debut for the company on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 undercard, defeating Jennifer Miranda. Baumgardner now hopes to land a fight with Taylor for all of the marbles at 140 pounds.
7. Dina Thorslund — Former unified bantamweight champion (Prev. 7)
Thorslund has secured world titles in two weight classes: Bantamweight and super bantamweight. Since unifying in 2023, she's made three successful defenses of her bantamweight crown.
Thorslund was scheduled to take on Shurretta Metcalf in a three-belt unification bout on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 undercard, but the Danish champion withdrew one month out due to an impending pregnancy.
Thorslund ended up relinquishing her WBC and WBO titles due to her extended period out of the ring, and New Zealand's Chernkea Johnson defeated Metcalf for the undisputed bantamweight title on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 bill. Thorslund's return could see her get a straight shot at the undisputed crown against Johnson.
8T. Lauren Price — WBA/WCB/IBF welterweight champion (Prev: 8)
There are few active fighters more decorated than burgeoning Welsh standout Lauren Price, who won the gold medal for Britain at the 2020 Olympic Games and has since parlayed that success into the pro game. She's unified three major world championships, as well as The Ring Magazine title, after only nine bouts.
In that short space of time, she's already defeated McCaskill and Natasha Jonas. At just 30 years old, the southpaw's best years may still be ahead of her. Price was hoping to unify her three titles with WBO champion Mayer in an undisputed bout, but their respective teams were unable to reach an agreement. Neither fighters' promoters, Top Rank or BOXXER, has a major network deal at this time, so the fight could prove difficult to organize.
8T. Ellie Scotney — WBC/WBO/IBF super bantamweight champion (Prev: 9)
England's Ellie Scotney won her first world title when she outpointed New Zealand's Johnson, the current undisputed bantamweight champion, in June 2023. The Catford woman added the WBO belt to her collection with a dominant decision over Segolene Lefebvre in April 2024.
Still, Scotney has struggled to gain recognition outside of the boxing community. To further her cause, she penned with Paul's Most Valuable Promotions earlier this year and added the WBC strap with a convincing win over Yamileth Mercado on the Netflix-streamed Taylor vs. Serrano 3 show, which was viewed by an audience of 6 million.
Now Scotney has just one belt remaining to become undisputed champion — the WBA title currently held by the little-known Mexican Mayelli Flores. Outside of Flores, Scotney could face the former WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicolson in a super bantamweight title defense after Nicolson moved down to 122 pounds following her loss to Tiara Brown in March.
10. Mikaela Mayer — WBO welterweight champion (Prev: 10)
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 September, 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 on March 29, news of which was first reported by Uncrowned. It was a case of repeat rather than revenge as Mayer, again, won via decision. The American will look to become a three-weight world champion when she challenges Mary Spencer for the WBA super welterweight belt in Canada next month.
(Others receiving votes: Cherneka Johnson, Caroline Dubois, Yokasta Valle, Shadasia Green.)
Here is how Uncrowned’s boxing team voted:
Kel Dansby
MEN
-
Terence Crawford
-
Oleksandr Usyk
-
Naoya Inoue
-
Jesse Rodriguez
-
Dmitry Bivol
-
Junto Nakatani
-
Shakur Stevenson
-
Saul Alvarez
-
David Benavidez
-
Artur Beterbiev
WOMEN
-
Claressa Shields
-
Katie Taylor
-
Gabriela Fundora
-
Amanda Serrano
-
Alycia Baumgardner
-
Lauren Price
-
Dina Thorslund
-
Mikaela Mayer
-
Chernkea Johnson
-
Chantelle Cameron
Alan Dawson
MEN
-
Terence Crawford
-
Oleksandr Usyk
-
Dmitry Bivol
-
Naoya Inoue
-
Jesse Rodriguez
-
David Benavidez
-
Shakur Stevenson
-
Lamont Roach
-
Junto Nakatani
-
Sebastian Fundora
WOMEN
-
Katie Taylor
-
Claressa Shields
-
Gabriela Fundora
-
Chantelle Cameron
-
Alycia Baumgardner
-
Dina Thorslund
-
Caroline Dubois
-
Shadasia Green
-
Cherneka Johnson
-
Ellie Scotney
Darshan Desai
MEN
-
Terence Crawford
-
Oleksandr Usyk
-
Naoya Inoue
-
Dmitry Bivol
-
Jesse Rodriguez
-
Artur Beterbiev
-
Shakur Stevenson
-
Junto Nakatani
-
David Benavidez
-
Saul Alvarez
WOMEN
-
Katie Taylor
-
Claressa Shields
-
Gabriela Fundora
-
Amanda Serrano
-
Chantelle Cameron
-
Alycia Baumgardner
-
Ellie Scotney
-
Mikaela Mayer
-
Lauren Price
-
Cherneka Johnson
Lewis Watson
MEN
-
Oleksandr Usyk
-
Terence Crawford
-
Naoya Inoue
-
Dmitry Bivol
-
Jesse Rodriguez
-
Artur Beterbiev
-
Junto Nakatani
-
David Benavidez
-
Shakur Stevenson
-
Jaron Ennis
WOMEN
-
Katie Taylor
-
Claressa Shields
-
Gabriela Fundora
-
Amanda Serrano
-
Dina Thorslund
-
Chantelle Cameron
-
Ellie Scotney
-
Alycia Baumgardner
-
Yokasta Valle
-
Lauren Price
Elliot Worsell
MEN
-
Terence Crawford
-
Oleksandr Usyk
-
Dmitry Bivol
-
Naoya Inoue
-
Jesse Rodriguez
-
Artur Beterbiev
-
Junto Nakatani
-
David Benavidez
-
Shakur Stevenson
-
Saul Alvarez
WOMEN
-
Claressa Shields
-
Katie Taylor
-
Gabriela Fundora
-
Amanda Serrano
-
Chantelle Cameron
-
Lauren Price
-
Ellie Scotney
-
Alycia Baumgardner
-
Mikaela Mayer
-
Chernkea Johnson
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