Usyk ranked world No.1 as Crawford ends career

Change at the top of world boxing

The respected sports outlet updated its list of the world’s best fighters regardless of weight class. Usyk, the holder of WBC, WBA, and IBF titles in the heavyweight division, took first place.

The Ukrainian rose to the top after the previous leader, American Terence Crawford, announced his retirement from professional boxing.

It is worth noting that Crawford has repeatedly praised Usyk, calling him a true boxing legend, and publicly supported Ukraine following his last victory over Saul Alvarez.

Triumphant path to the top

Usyk confirmed his status as the strongest in July during the rematch against Daniel Dubois, where he won by knockout in the fifth round, becoming the undisputed champion.

Although he later lost the WBO title due to refusing a fight against Fabio Wardley, his achievements in the heavyweight division allowed him to surpass his rivals.

Currently, the top three on ESPN’s expert P4P list, compiled by Andreas Hale and Teddy Atlas, are Oleksandr Usyk, undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, and Dmitry Bivol.

New faces and upcoming matchups

Crawford’s retirement opened the door for Teofimo Lopez to enter the top 10. The WBO lightweight champion is set to face No. 8-ranked Shakur Stevenson on January 31.

Significant attention is also on Japanese boxing: Naoya Inoue, after his December victory over David Picasso, is preparing for a major showdown against compatriot Junto Nakatani, scheduled for 2026.

ESPN Top 10 Boxers

1. Oleksandr Usyk

2. Naoya Inoue

3. Dmitry Bivol

4. Jesse Rodriguez

5. Artur Beterbiev

6. David Benavidez

7. Shakur Stevenson

8. Junto Nakatani

9. Devin Haney

10. Teofimo Lopez