Four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr had no hesitation in naming the current pound-for-pound champion in world boxing, believing one fighter was comfortably apart from the rest of the pack.
For the past two years, the general consensus in the sport has been that the pound-for-pound number one is either Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue or Oleksandr Usyk, after each became undisputed champion of four belts in multiple divisions.
However, last week “Bud” Crawford announced his retirement from boxing, hanging up his gloves after a legendary victory over Canelo Alvarez that he would surely struggle to top.
As a result, most fans have to choose between reigning super bantamweight world champion Inoue and unified heavyweight ruler Usyk.
However, in an interview with KO Artist Sports, Jones Jr had no difficulty choosing between the two as he confidently declared Usyk as the best fighter in boxing.
“At the moment, if Terence is retired, it will be Usyk, without a doubt.”
It’s clear to see why Jones thinks this, as Usyk became only the third fighter in boxing history to win a world title at both cruiserweight and heavyweight before then becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since the turn of the millennium when he beat Tyson Fury last year.
Today, the Ukrainian relinquished his WBO world title, having become two-time undisputed heavyweight champion by beating Daniel Dubois in July.
The 38-year-old southpaw is expected to return to action in mid-2026 and face Deontay Wilder, with fans reassured that he still has a few years left in the sport.
