Boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Shakur Stevenson rises into top five with dominant win over Teofimo Lopez

It's one thing to refer to a fighter like Shakur Stevenson as a future pound-for-pound king in waiting. And it's another thing altogether for said fighter to take on one of the best boxers in the sport and make it look as if he doesn't belong in the ring with him. 

That's exactly what Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs), the slick southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, did last Saturday when he moved up to a fourth weight class and dominantly captured the WBO and RING title at 140 pounds from fellow top 10 P4P fighter Teofimo Lopez Jr.

The 28-year-old Stevenson won 11 of 12 rounds on all three scorecards in an absolutely masterful performance as he stood directly in front of the athletic and explosive Lopez yet was largely untouched for the entirety of the fight's 36 minutes. On the flipside, Stevenson bloodied the left eye of Lopez and simply left him out of answers by routinely catching him clean while working behind his educated jab. 

While Stevenson was a firm betting favorite coming in given his pedigree as a defensive wizard with quick hands and every boxing tool in the book, few could've expected the fight to play out as one-sided as it ultimately did. Not only did Stevenson make a leap toward the front of the pack in the P4P top 10, his performance teased the idea that commandeering the top spot could be inevitable, provided more big names agree to fight against him. 

With the victory, Stevenson became the quickest boxer to attain world titles in four different divisions in boxing history as the 2016 Olympic silver medalist proved that he could carry his size and skills up to 140 pounds without needing to alter his style or rely on movement. It must be said even a second time: Stevenson never ran from Lopez. He stood firm in the pocket and countered clean from start to finish without absorbing as much as a scratch in return. 

Before the fight, Stevenson maintained publicly that he would move back down to 135 pounds after the Lopez fight. That appears to have changed as Stevenson called out British star Conor Benn (a former welterweight who has competed in recent years between 154 and 160 pounds) and 140-pound Mexican fan favorite Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz.

Pound-for-Pound Rankings

1. Naoya Inoue

Undisputed junior featherweight champion (29-0, 25 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 1

The four-division champion recorded his fourth victory of 2025 in late December when he widely outpointed mandatory challenger Alan Picasso in Inoue's Saudi Arabia debut. The fourth defense of his "Ring" title made him the first boxer to do so in a single calendar year since former heavyweight king Larry Holmes in 1983. A showdown with countryman Junto Nakatani awaits in 2026. 

2. Oleksandr Usyk

Unified heavyweight champion (24-0, 15 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 2

Usyk's professional run has been as decorated as it has been perfect. The former undisputed cruiserweight champ reached a similar status at heavyweight for the second time in July when he brutally knocked out Daniel Dubois in their rematch. Usyk has accomplished more as a pro through 24 fights than anyone else in history and now, in just eight appearances at heavyweight, the 38-year-old owns two wins apiece over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dubois.

3. Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez

Unified junior bantamweight champion (22-0, 15 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 3

The 25-year-old phenom from San Antonio continues to build his case for inclusion in the argument of best fighter in the world. Rodriguez showcased everything that makes him special in a July dismantling of unbeaten Phumelala Cafu to unify titles at 115 pounds. He returned in November to further unify belts when he outclassed and stopped unbeaten Fernando "Puma" Martinez in Saudi Arabia. 

4. Shakur Stevenson

WBO junior welterweight champion (25-0, 11 KOs) | Previous ranking: 7

After silencing two years of criticism by standing in the pocket to hand unbeaten William Zepeda his first loss last July, Stevenson finally shared the ring with a fellow top 10 pound-for-pound great in lineal 140-pound champion Teofimo Lopez Jr. in January. The result was one of the most lopsided performances against a elite fighter in modern history as the slick southpaw Stevenson won 11 rounds on all three scorecards in a masterful showing that teased the 28-year-old might not be far off from being called the best boxer in the sport. 

5. Dmitry Bivol

Undisputed light heavyweight champion (24-1, 12 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 4

Despite coming up just short against Artur Beterbiev via majority decision in their 2024 undisputed clash, Bivol turned the tables four months later in their February rematch. Saying he needed to simply "do more," Bivol did just that by rallying in the second half and holding off Beterbiev in Round 12. Bivol is expected to face mandatory challenger Michael Eifert next. 

6. David Benavidez

Light heavyweight titleholder (31-0, 25 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 5

Frustrated with waiting around forCanelo Alvarez, "El Monstro" moved up to light heavyweight in 2024 to begin a string of impressive victories against former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk and unbeaten David Morrell Jr. in January. After being upgraded to full WBC titleholder, Benavidez made his debut in Saudi Arabia in November when he stopped Anthony Yarde. A shot at unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez appears next for May 2026 in Las Vegas. 

7. Artur Beterbiev

Light heavyweight (21-1, 20 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 6

Four months after narrowly defeating Dmitry Bivol to become the first four-belt undisputed champion in 175-pound history, Beterbiev came up just short in their February rematch via majority decision. At 40, Beterbiev is still chasing big fights for 2026, whether that comes in the form of a Bivol trilogy or a showdown against titleholder David Benavidez. 

8. Junto Nakatani

Junior featherweight (30-0, 23 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 8

A two-division titleholder, the native of Japan has become a breakout star after a recent title run of big knockouts at 118 pounds. Nakatani closed 2025 by choosing to vacate his bantamweight title, however, with plans to move up to 122 pounds in hopes of landing a much-anticipated fight against countryman Naoya Inoue.

9. Devin Haney

Welterweight titleholder (33-0, 1 NC, 15 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 9

For all of the criticism he absorbed over his last two fights, Haney reminded everyone of his P4P talent and ring IQ in November when he dropped and handled unbeaten WBO welterweight titleholder Brian Norman Jr. to become a three-division champion. Haney looked stronger and more sturdy at 147 pounds after years of difficult weight cuts. A high-profile unification rematch with Ryan Garcia, who will fight for a welterweight title in January, could be one of the biggest fights boxing produces in 2026. 

10. Jaron Ennis

Junior middleweight (35-0, 31 KOs) | Previous ranking: NR

The former unified welterweight champion made a spectacular debut at 154 pounds last October when he blew out Ulisma Lima in one round. "Boots" appears to be on the verge of getting to prove whether he's truly among the best in his new division in the form of a showdown against fellow unbeaten Vergil Ortiz Jr. that has been talked about for months. Whether or not it happens, very few in all of boxing can match the athleticism and pure talent of Ennis. 

Dropped out: Teofimo Lopez Jr.

Honorable mention: Canelo Alvarez, Gervonta Davis, Keyshawn Davis, Lopez, Lamont Roach Jr.