This will be the first Tunnel Vision Sports pound-for-pound rankings for 2022. Since the last time I made this list, there have been a few changes. In what was a ‘shock the world’ moment, Australia’s George Kambosos Jr. defeated Teofimo Lopez, in November and handed him the first loss of his career. Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford proved why he’s considered one of (if not the best) boxers in the sport and Artur Beterbiev showed that rumors of his demise, were greatly exaggerated. Here is Tunnel Vision Sports Boxing Pound-for-Pound list:
- Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez: Super Middleweight (57-1-2, 39 KOs)
Rightfully so, Canelo will start the year atop of our pound-for-pound list. After fighting four times in a year’s time and obtaining all four of the major sanctioning bodies belts at the super middleweight division, Canelo has earned a well-deserved break. As we await his next move, there have been plenty of rumblings that he may dip his toe two weight classes up in the cruiserweight division. His likely target there: WBC champion, Ilunga Makabu.
2. Terence Crawford: Welterweight (38-0, 29 KOs)
There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary that can accurately define how great Bud is. The longtime pound-for-pound stalwart was recently able to achieve what no man before him has been able to do. That achievement was stopping Shawn Porter in their excellent title fight in November. After hearing that he was down on the cards before the start of the tenth round, Crawford went for the kill. He knocked Porter down twice before Porter’s father/trainer, Kenny Porter through in the towel.
This was Bud’s final fight under Top Rank’s promotional banner, and he has opted into promotional free agency to secure fights with any top welterweights, especially unified champ, Errol Spence Jr.
3. Oleksandr Usyk: Heavyweight (19-0, 13 KOs)
Usyk is currently awaiting his highly anticipated rematch with Anthony Joshua. The date and venue have not been announced or finalized. The only thing that is known, is that Joshua has exercised his rematch clause. Always entertaining, Usyk has a unique proposal for another possibility. He would be willing to go back down to cruiserweight (where he was once the undisputed champion) and fight Canelo Alvarez. This gives us another name to watch in the Canelo sweepstakes.
4. Naoya Inoue: Bantamweight (22-0, 19 KOs)
On December 14th, ‘The Monster’ had his first fight at home in over two years, handily dispatching Aran Dipaen en route to an eighth-round TKO. Inoue has plenty of options ahead of him in 2022. He could choose to move up to the super bantamweight division or possibly catchweight fight with the biggest names in the super flyweight division. But there is one man that would love to avenge his loss to Inoue, future Hall of Famer and current WBC champion Nonito Donaire.
5. Errol Spence Jr.: Welterweight (27-0, 21 KOs)
Spence is back in the gym lately and appears that he has recovered from eye surgery in August. All signs appear that the thirty-one-year-old will be returning soon. Recently, the WBA gave welterweight champion, Yordenis Ugas the green light to fight Spence in a unification bout, in early 2022. Both men are expecting that fight to take place sometime in April.
6. Tyson Fury: Heavyweight (31-0-1, 22 KOs)
‘The Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury does not have a fight finalized at this moment. As of now, his mandatory, Dillian Whyte is locked up in a purse bid, while trying to decide if this bout takes place. If they cannot reach an agreement, then Fury has an idea of how things could go.
7. Josh Taylor: Super Lightweight (18-0, 13 KOs)
‘The Tartan Tornado’ will put his undisputed super lightweight title on the line on February 26 against the undefeated Englishman, Jack Catterall. The fight was originally supposed to take place on December 18, but had to be postponed due to the 30-year-old Taylor suffering a knee injury in October. If he can get past Catterall, there is a possibility that his next opponent could be Terence Crawford. Until then, he’s getting prepared for February’s tilt with Catterall.
8. Artur Beterbiev: Light Heavyweight (17-0, 17 KOs)
Despite initially coming in barely overweight by two-tenths of a pound, Artur Beterbiev overcame a slow start before knocking out contender, Marcus Browne in the ninth round of their December 17 bout. Beterbiev extended his undefeated record to seventeen wins, all by KO. His next likely opponent might be to unify with the winner of WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. and former Beterbiev challenger Callum Johnson.
9. Juan Francisco Estrada: Super Flyweight (42-3, 28 KOs)
Possibly on March 5th, the long-awaited rubber match and trilogy between Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez might finally take place. ‘El Gallo’ will have his chance to prove his victory last March was no fluke. Perhaps after their bout, things could go the way of Pacquiao, and Marquez and we could see them another for a fourth time.
10. Jermell Charlo: Super Welterweight (34-1-1, 18 KOs)
Charlo came up a little short of becoming the undisputed champion in the 154-pound division. In July, the WBO champion Brian Castano fought Charlo to a highly contested split draw. At first, Castano was going to have to defend his title against the WBO-mandated Tim Tszyu. But the WBO relented and decided to approve the rematch with Charlo. As of now, the fight is rumored to take place in Charlo’s hometown of Houston at the end of February.
Best of the Rest (In alphabetical order)
Murodjon Akhmadaliev: Super Bantamweight (10-0, 7 KOs)
Dmitry Bivol: Light Heavyweight (19-0, 12 KOs)
Mairis Briedis: Cruiserweight (28-1, 20 KOs)
Brian Castano: Super Welterweight (17-0-2, 12 KOs)
Jermall Charlo: Middleweight (32-0, 22 KOs)
Gervonta Davis: Lightweight (26-0, 24 KOs)
Nonito Donaire: Bantamweight (42-6, 28 KOs)
Stephen Fulton: Super Bantamweight (20-0, 8 KOs)
Roman Gonzalez: Super Flyweight (50-3, 41 KOs)
Devin Haney: Lightweight (27-0, 15 KOs)
Kazuto Ioka: Super Flyweight (28-2, 15 KOs)
Anthony Joshua: Heavyweight (24-2, 22 KOs)
George Kambosos Jr.: Lightweight (20-0, 10 KOs)
Vasyl Lomachenko: Lightweight (16-2, 11 KOs)
Teofimo Lopez: Lightweight (16-1, 12 KOs)
Yordenis Ugas: Welterweight (27-4, 12 KOs)
Oscar Valdez: Super Featherweight (30-0, 23 KOs)
 boxers in the sport and Artur Beterbiev showed that rumors of his demise, were greatly exaggerated. Here is Tunnel Vision Sports Boxing Pound-for-Pound list:){kind=link}