The Year in Review continues with a look at the top 25 Pound for Pound fighters age 25 and under in the sport.
If you’re interested in how this changed since it was last done, here is another article detailing exactly that.
The Set Up
Who are the best pound for pound young fighters in the sport? And just as importantly, what does that question even mean? In truth “P4P” rankings are just a fun thought exercise. Ranking fighters across divisions on one list isn’t a scientific endeavor, but one rooted in philosophy. It is impossible to compare resumes of fighters with no common opponents or even no common opponents of opponents.
It is fun to try anyway though. For the youth edition, I draw the line at 25 years and 364 days old. If a fighter has turned 26, he is no longer eligible. I also have to balance my perception of their talent/abilities with what the fighter has actually accomplished at this point in his career. That isn’t easy and by necessity varies on a case by case basis. There will be guys with better wins than fighters ranked above them when I believe the ceiling of the higher ranked fighter is ultimately considerably higher than that of the likely temporarily more accomplished fighter. I will do my best to explain these decisions as I go.
The number on the far right of the fighter heading line in parenthesis is where he ranked last year. “UR” stands for unranked, meaning the fighter was not in last year’s edition. The number left of the previous list ranking is the fighter’s age. For the 25 & Under lists, it is normal for most of the fighters to be new each year.
The List
25. Jack Catterall – 23-0, 12 KOs – Junior Welterweight – England – 25 (UR)
English emerging contender Jack Catterall breaks into the list in his last year of eligibility thanks to his unbeaten record featuring mid to high regional level wins over the likes of Tyrone Nurse and Ohara Davies.
24. Ali Akhmedov – 13-0, 10 KOs – Light Heavyweight – Kazakhstan – 23 (UR)
Kazakh light heavyweight prospect Ali Akhmedov is still one of the better kept secrets in the sport. His move to the US should change that in 2019.
23. Josh Kelly – 8-0, 6 KOs – Welterweights – England – 24 (UR)
Rio Olympian Josh Kelly has looked like an absolute blue chip prospect to me so far in his young career. That Carlos Molina win is pretty advanced for an early career bout as well.
22. Ryan Garcia – 17-0, 14 KOs – Junior Lightweight – USA – 20 (UR)
Ryan Garcia almost made the list last year as a teenager and is still the youngest fighter on it a year later. The kid is a future potential future superstar with his organically growing fanbase and he has a solid win over Jayson Velez as well. Garcia’s late struggles with Carlos Morales are the cause for concern that prevents me from slotting him higher. He needs to work on the stamina and defensive issues that showed up in that fight before they come back against a world level opponent.
21. Diego De La Hoya – 21-0, 10 KOs – Super Bantamweight – USA – 24 (25)
It initially looked like Diego De La Hoya was living off his promoter and famous uncle’s last name, but 2018 was the year he proved himself as a real prospect and emerging contender with dominant wins over Ryan Caballero and Jose Salgado. Diego would have moved up more than four spots if it weren’t for all the strong new entries.
20. Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov – 13-0, 10 KOs – Junior Lightweight – Tajikistan – 24 (UR)
Probably the least know name here, Russian based Tajiki prospect Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov announced himself as a prospect to watch internationally by thrashing decent regional level player Malcom Klassen, but it was his quick destruction of true contender Robinson Castellanos in August that put him on this list.
19. Takuma Inoue – 13-0, 3 KOs – Bantamweight – Japan – 23 (UR)
“Monster” Inoue’s younger brother Takuma isn’t the generational talent that his brother is, but that doesn’t mean Takuma can’t have a nice career of his own. The secondary title Inoue recently picked up is a nice start.
18. Daigo Higa – 15-1, 15 KOs – Super Flyweight – Japan – 23 (10)
Daigo Higa may have collapsed out of the top ten thanks to Christopher Rosales, but he is young and remains the talented huge puncher that the was before the loss too. The questions at this point are about how he will mentally recover from the loss.
17. Cristofer Rosales – 28-4, 10 KOs – Flyweight – Nicaragua – 24 (UR)
2018 looked like it was a banner year for the road warrior from Nicaragua. First he went to Japan and stopped Higa for a belt in a big upset, then he went to Belfast to finish Irish Olympian Paddy Barnes in his first defense. When Rosales was signed on to travel to England to defend against Charlie Edwards it looked like business as usual, but that proved to be far from the case when Cristofer lost his belt on close and fair cards.
16. Teofimo Lopez – 11-0, 9 KOs – Lightweight – USA – 21 (UR)
Rio Olympian Teofimo Lopez is simply put one of the most physically gifted young fighters in the sport. He has looked every bit like a future star in each minor step up along the way. This is a 100% talent placement, though the Menard win is pretty decent for the amount of fights Lopez has.
15. Joshua Buatsi – 9-0, 7 KOs – Light Heavyweight – England – 25 (UR)
Joshua Buatsi looks like a future superstar in British boxing. While both Renold Quinlan and Tony Averlant are regional level guys at their core, both are solid pros and neither are easy out. Buatsi got rid of both of them inside of one in his last two fights.
14. Jaron Ennis – 22-0, 20 KOs – Welterweight – USA – 21 (UR)
“Boots” Ennis is a likely break out star of 2019. His dynamic approach and elite level athleticism make him one of the best American prospects in the sport despite not having an involvement with a major promoter. This is another talent forward placement, but it is an obvious call in my view.
13. Charlie Edwards – 14-1, 6 KOs – Flyweight – England – 25 (UR)
Most had written Charlie Edwards off after his too much, too soon failed 2016 title shot against John Riel Casimero, but he and his team stuck with it. The persistence paid off in a right before Christmas well earned upset of Cristofer Rosales for a world title that launched the young flyweight well into the list.
12. Ivan Baranchyk – 19-0, 12 KOs – Junior Welterweight – Belarus – 25 (UR)
Though he was a ShoBox hyped prospect, I thought Baranchyk was a far too crude fighter to include in last year’s list. “The Beast” showed a lot more control in dominant 2018 wins over Petr Petrov and Anthony Yigit on his way to a world title.
11. Isaac Dogboe – 20-1, 14 KOs – Super Bantamweight – Ghana – 24 (20)
Up nine spots is somehow a disappointment for Ghanaian former titleholder Isaac Dogboe. Had he rallied and won against Emanuel Navarrete, he would be flirting with the top five on the list. Nonetheless the 24 year old is both well accomplished with the Cesar Juarez and Jessie Magdaleno wins and a great talent despite his recent setback to another outstanding young fighter.
10. Hiroto Kyoguchi – 12-0, 9 KOs – Light Flyweight – Japan – 25 (UR)
The Japanese light flyweight titleholder secured his second belt with a compelling stoppage win over fellow two division titleholder Hekkie Budler on New Year’s Eve. Kyoguchi might be new to Western fans, but his ascent has been anticipated for some time in his home country and he has very much earned this spot. Budler was red hot coming into their fight and it was a beating by the end.
9. Devin Haney – 20-0, 13 KOs – Lightweight – USA – 20 (UR)
2018 might end up being remembered as the year that Devin Haney, the second youngest fighter on the list, just started to come out of the shadows before he began to take over lightweight to welterweight. Haney has not stepped up fully yet, but his prowess is obvious in the ring. The 20 year old has the potential to become the next great defense first pound for pound king if he keeps his head on straight and continues progressing. Devin is extremely advanced for his age and possesses the exact right style of athleticism for his preferred movement based style.
8. David Benavidez – 20-0, 17 KOs – Super Middleweight – USA – 22 (8)
I didn’t mean for this to happen, but David Benavidez stayed stagnant in the eighth spot. Really there are two ways to look at his progression, or lack thereof. On one hand it is easy to be disappointed in a recent titleholder for doing nothing on the world level. All Benavidez has done since the last list is almost get upset by high regional level challenger Ronald Gavril, rematch him to win more easily, and then make a series of bad decisions that have kept him away from the sport. On the other hand, he just turned 22 and is still beyond well ahead of the curve still for his age. That’s the glass half full side. Take your pick.
7. Luis Nery – 28-0, 22 KOs – Bantamweight – Mexico – 24 (6)
I kind of thought Luis Nery would be ruling this list by now. The young Mexican was riding high after blowing out long time bantamweight king Shinsuke Yamanaka only to fail a post fight drug test for a diuretic. Passing the tests the second time without the likely weight loss aid, Nery missed weight for the rematch. Even though he destroyed Yamanaka even more quickly the second time, his career has entirely stagnated as he served a WBC suspension and now stays busy waiting for an opportunity. “Pantera” made bantamweight once back in Mexico since, but I really wish he’d move up a weight class to alleviate the concern going forward.
6. Emanuel Navarrete – 26-1, 22 KOs – Super Bantamweight – Mexico – 23 (UR)
Though I thought it would come differently if it happened, I wasn’t at all surprised by Navarrete’s upset of Isaac Dogboe overall. The Mexican is a super strong, powerful, and extremely durable super bantamweight. He will be a nightmare for anyone at the weight for as long as he can make it, especially if he can keep his shots consistently less wild like he did against Dogboe.
5. Jaime Munguia – 31-0, 26 KOs – Junior Middleweight – Mexico – 22 (UR)
Jaime Munguia not being accepted by the Nevada commission to be Canelo’s replacement in May against GGG was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. Instead he got a perfect style matchup against Sadam Ali in what turned into an astonishing showcase of power on HBO. Munguia has plenty of defensive deficiencies to work on, but physically he is a monster of a junior middleweight. It is too bad politics will keep him away from the other top junior middleweights for a long time.
4. Murat Gassiev – 26-1, 19 KOs – Cruiserweight – Russia – 25 (4)
Murat Gassiev may have found himself in a bad stylistic matchup against an elite pound for pound fighter in Oleksandr Usyk, but that doesn’t erase the three consecutive great wins over top contenders in Denis Lebedev, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, and Yunier Dorticos directly beforehand. 25 is very young for a cruiserweight too. Gassiev is a complete fighter with big power. Once Usyk’s overwhelming talent steps up to heavyweight as expected, the sport’s second heaviest division will be wide open for the Russian to take by storm.
3. Kosei Tanaka – 12-0, 7 KOs – Flyweight – Japan – 23 (5)
I received some slack for putting Tanaka in my top five last time ahead of more well known young titleholders and contenders, but it was the best decision I made in the end. Kosei is Japan’s second best fighter right now and that is a big compliment. The flyweight titleholder only has 12 fights and is still only 23, yet he is also a three division world titleholder. Yes it is easier to win multiple titles at the sport’s smallest weights, but to do it in 12 fights just after his 23rd birthday is otherworldly. Literally half his career has been world title fights. Two of his opponents in Vic Saludar and Angel Acosta have gone on to win other world titles since he beat them too and the Sho Kimura fight of the year contender from September is a true signature win over an established top fighter from a higher weight. There is nothing but absolute positives here.
2. Gervonta Davis – 20-0, 19 KOs – Junior Lightweight – USA – 24 (7)
If there is one placement that people got more upset about than Tanaka at five last time, it was Tank Davis down at seven. The young titleholder just didn’t look good against middling Francisco Fonseca right before I wrote the column and I didn’t trust his entourage to keep him in the right mind state. There is far too much Adrien Broner in his life. Yet, then he came out and decimated a solid Jesus Cuellar like the Tank of old again next time out. As much as Tanaka has accomplished and as great as he is, there are fighters that come along that have what I like to think of as generational abilities. These are the guys that across all the divisions in the sport, there is something they do that only a couple other guys at most can match at a time. Tank Davis’s overall offensive onslaught when he has come prepared is on that level. The fact that Tank can be booked against someone as solid as Abner Mares and my gut reaction is still that I will be watching an execution seals my confidence in putting him at number two above Tanaka this time around. They will likely be competing for number one next year.
1. Naoya Inoue – 17-0, 15 KOs – Bantamweight – Japan – 25 (1)
There isn’t a more physically talented fighter than repeat number one Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue. “The Monster” 100% lives up to his nickname. To me he is number three pound for pound overall behind Vasyl Lomachenko and Bud Crawford. He is a better, more explosive athlete than both of them too even if he hasn’t quite mastered the complete offense to defense craft that they have. There is no competition in the under 25 rankings. The gap between Inoue and even a talent with abilities that I just described as generational like Tank Davis is very wide. In Monster Inoue’s two fights so far at bantamweight against two former world titleholders that had never been finished, neither man has made it three minutes. Inoue is an absolutely devastating puncher with an extremely fluid offensive game that can work both in sharp individual counters or in flowing combinations. His power is huge both to the head and body as well as he can turn the leverage from any angle with either hand. And while I do note that he doesn’t have the ridiculous footwork of Lomachenko or the innate boxing instincts and IQ that keep Crawford where he needs to be at all times, it isn’t as if Inoue is some defensively liable fighter either. He is good all around and down right devastating offensively.
