The upside of a slow week in the sport is that it allows time for more creative work. Here I have compiled and explained my thoughts on a less traditional S8C Top 25 list, 25 & Under Pound for Pound. Who are the brightest young lights in the sport? Read on.
First, an explanation. This list is meant to be read in the way that any pound for pound list is read. It is not about potential just because I am measuring only the youngest fighters in the sport. These men are ranked with both accomplishments and talent weighing in with a slight preference towards resume. If I were to rank them purely on talent and potential, this would be a very different list.
Tier 1 – The Already Elites
These are the unquestionably elite fighters at 25 or under.
1. Naoya Inoue (13-0, 11 KOs) – 24 – Super Flyweight – Japan
Inoue is the creme de la creme in terms of talent and accomplishment. At 24 “The Monster” is a two division titlist, even skipping a division in between his two reigns, and passes the eye test with flying colors. The American fight scene is in for a treat when Inoue debuts on HBO this weekend. His mixture of artistry and violence is unique in the sport. Do not miss him in the co-feature for the Sor Rungvisai/Chocolatito rematch Saturday night.
2. Miguel Berchelt (32-1, 28 KOs) – 25 – Junior Lightweight – Mexico
Berchelt burst onto the scene this year with consecutive clean wins over Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura. He stands as the clear number two fighter in a talented division behind only the arguable top pound for pound fighter in the sport. Berchelt is already a top five Mexican fighter and is one of the most well rounded ring generals that country has produced in some time.
3. Joseph Parker (23-0, 18 KOs) – 25 – Heavyweight – New Zealand
In a division where traditionally a man does not enter his prime until his 30s, it is easy to forget that Parker is younger than even Anthony Joshua by a couple years. Whereas 25 might be the prime year for a super flyweight, it is still infancy for a heavyweight. Yet, Parker has a world title and really good, really underrated wins over the likes of Carlos Takam and Andy Ruiz Jr. Parker does not get the respect he should have earned by now.
4. Murat Gassiev (24-0, 17 KOs) – 23 – Cruiserweight – Russia
With his win over Denis Lebedev late last year, Gassiev should be the only unified titleholder on this list. Unfortunately he had to settle for only collecting the IBF belt when the WBA didn’t sanction the fight. More important than belts, at only 23 Gassiev proved he could go shot for shot with a long time elite cruiserweight that night. Competition will be fierce in the World Boxing Super Series, but now Gassiev is only three fights away from potentially being the undisputed cruiserweight champion all before his 25th birthday.
Tier 2: The Emerging Stars
These are the young men knocking on the door of that elite status.
5. Kosei Tanaka (9-0, 5 KOs) – 22 – Light Flyweight – Japan
Tanaka, a world titleholder in only his fifth pro fight and a two division titlist by his eighth, is one of the most visually pleasing fighters to watch work on this list. A true dynamic artist from the outside, when in rhythm Tanaka moves with supreme grace in the ring. If he fought higher than at light flyweight and in America, Kosei Tanaka would be hailed as one of the greatest talents to come along in some time. Even down in weight in Japan the 22 year old is generating plenty of hype, rightfully so.
6. Luis Nery (24-0, 18 KOs) – 22 – Bantamweight – Mexico
Without the reports of a drug test failure, I’d have Nery up in the next tier. His recent four round TKO win over Shinsuke Yamanaka is about as big of a statement as a 22 year old fighter could possibly make. Nery is as exciting as he is physically gifted too with his calculated, but brawling style. A looming cloud of suspicion will hang over this win for a while now, unfortunately, so I cannot have him higher.
7. Gervonta Davis (19-0, 18 KOs) – 22 – Junior Lightweight – USA
“Tank” Davis put on a pretty bizarre, disinterested performance on the Mayweather/McGregor card. This is a real shame because previous consecutive performances against better fighters in Jose Pedraza and then Liam Walsh were downright dynamic. Speculation on his performance has ran from him being sick, to him being asked to carry the fight due to technical issues the PPV was having, to the worst possible reason of him not taking his craft seriously already ala Adrien Broner. Here is to seeing the previous version of Tank next time out.
8. David Benavidez (18-0, 17 KOs) – 20 – Light Heavyweight – USA
At only 20, David Benavidez is set to become the youngest titleholder in the sport barring a big upset Friday night on Showtime. His performance this May against top contender Rogelio Medina, a man who had just given James DeGale all he could handle, was special. In trying to recall fighters being that dominant against someone that good at twenty or younger, names like Mike Tyson and Wilfredo Benitez come to mind. By the time Benavidez is 25, he may very well have been sitting on top this list for a few years.
9. Erickson Lubin (18-0, 13 KOs) – 21 – Junior Middleweight – USA
In terms of pure in ring accomplishment, maybe Lubin is a little high here. He has beaten a bunch of guys with good, but ultimately pretty empty records. In terms pure talent, however, Lubin has an argument for being top three on this list. He passes the eye test like few 21 year olds are ever able to. The resume situation will change one way or another in October as well when he meets Jermell Charlo in his first title shot.
10. Daigo Higa (13-0, 13 KOs) – 22 – Flyweight – Japan
Higa may not bring the violent artistry that his countrymen in Inoue and Tanaka do, but that is only because he prefers his violence without that artistic nonsense. A somewhat crude power punching brawler, Higa makes up for what he lacks in technical flair with good only fashioned iron fists. Pound for pound the young Japanese flyweight is one of the biggest punchers in the sport. With these three fighters all at the top of their respective divisions at such young ages, the future is as bright in Japan as it has ever been for the sport.
Tier 3: The Emerging Contenders
These are the young men who are so close, but still have a little proving to do.
11. Jessie Magdaleno (25-0, 18 KOs) – 25 – Super Bantamweight – USA
Magdaleno has the belt and the Nonito Donaire win, but there is some thought that Donaire just can’t really compete on this level anymore. He needs more quality wins.
12. Ryan Burnett (17-0, 9 KOs) – 25 – Bantamweight – Northern Ireland
Burnett looked great against Lee Haskins, but Haskins was one of the weakest titlists in the sport. Like Magdaleno, Burnett needs more wins. He will have his chance soon in a unification fight with Zhanat Zhakiyanov this fall.
13. Julio Ceja (31-2, 28 KOs) – 24 – Super Bantamweight – Mexico
Ceja is on a rollercoaster ride. First he stopped Hugo Ruiz in a five round war to win a belt, but then he was blown out in under a minute in the rematch, albeit with ankle injury extenuating circumstances. Ceja rebounded well from that disaster in May by stopping former titleholder Anselmo Moreno in three. He needs some consistency and to successfully finish the trilogy with Hugo Ruiz.
14. Mark Magsayo (17-0, 13 KOs) – 22 – Featherweight – Phillippines
Magasayo is easily the top prospect out of the Philippines right now. He has stagnated a bit since his win over Chris Avalos while fishing for a WBO title shot, but that will have been worth it if we get the great matchup of Magsayo versus Jessie Magdaleno.
15. Ken Shiro (10-0, 5 KOs) – 25 – Light Flyweight – Japan
Shiro isn’t as powerful or as dynamic as the above trio of young Japanese titleholders, but he is a steady presence in the division with a belt. Unification with Tanaka would be amazing.
16. Joseph Diaz (24-0, 13 KOs) – 24 – Featherweight – USA
“JoJo” Diaz is a poor man’s Erickson Lubin at this point. He doesn’t have the wins to really back this slotting, but the eye test demands his presence. Diaz too will have a chance to change this in two weeks when he meets fellow unbeaten prospect Jorge Lara in a title eliminator on the GGG/Canelo PPV undercard.
Tier 4: The Young Veterans
It feels like these two have fit a whole career in before 26.
17. Marlon Tapales (30-2, 13 KOs) – 25 – Bantamweight – Philippines
Tapales has risen the hard way, from unknown Filipino to world titlist without a major promoter or beneficial matchmaking. He rose up through the crowd on his own merit. Tapales lacks that top end talent, but his very real experience gives him an edge against other young fighters who maybe didn’t have to earn it in the street level way that Tapales did.
18. Sam Eggington (21-3, 13 KOs) – 23 – Welterweight – England
How is Sam Eggington only 23? With consecutive wins over Frankie Gavin and Paulie Malignaggi, Eggington rose from British level fighter to fringe world level contender. Smartly his team is not rushing him up the ladder further yet.
Tier 5: The Potentials
This young men still have real work to do in the sport.
19. Felix Verdejo (23-0, 15 KOs) – 24 – Lightweight – Puerto Rico
A former top prospect who has all but lost his shine without losing a fight, Verdejo has some serious work to do to ever again find that hype that he once had.
20. Isaac Dogboe (17-0, 11 KOs) – 22 – Super Bantamweight – Ghana
Then 17 year old Dogboe was robbed in the first round of the 2012 London games. As a pro he has stayed in his native Ghana, but he looks like a quality operator on the tape available.
21. Carlos Adames (12-0, 10 KOs) – 23 – Welterweight – Dominican Republic
One dominant points win over the good Carlos Molina and Adames went from unknown to major prospect overnight.
22. Eddie Ramirez (17-0, 11 KOs) – 25 – Welterweight – USA
Ramirez may have struggled with Erick Bone, but that doesn’t wipe away the consecutive dominations of Kevin Watts and Ryan Karl.
23. Tyron Zeuge (21-0-1, 11 KOs) – 25 – Super Middleweight – Germany
Zeuge may lack that elite level talent, but he has a meaningful secondary title and holds a couple decent wins at the European level.
24. Konstantin Ponomarev (32-0, 13 KOs) – 24 – Welterweight – Russia
Ponomarev feels like another in a long line of stalled Top Rank prospects, but looking at it from the perspective of him being 24 makes it easier to forgive the lack of forward progression versus than when looking at the 32 fights.
25. Diego De La Hoya (19-0, 9 KOs) – 23 – Super Bantamweight – Mexico
I don’t think Diego, cousin of Oscar, is a special prospect. But nevertheless, someone had to finish the list and he does some things well. He will get a chance to really prove himself against Randy Caballero on the GGG/Canelo undercard in two weeks.
