Men's boxing pound-for-pound rankings: 'Boots' Enn...

ESPN

Jul 1, 2026, 07:53 AM ET

Jaron "Boots" Ennis defeated Xander Zayas by seventh-round TKO to become the WBA and WBO junior middleweight champion in just his second fight since moving up from welterweight in October. The victory also helped Ennis to move to No. 7 in the pound-for-pound rankings, ahead of Devin Haney and Junto Nakatani.

Ennis scored three knockdowns against Zayas, ending the fight at 1 minute, 49 seconds of Round 7. Ennis' performance was especially impressive because he overcame a difficult third round, when Zayas landed 26 power punches and appeared to have Ennis in trouble, before turning the tide and winning the rest of the rounds in all judges' scorecards.

"I wasn't worried about nothing that Xander had," Ennis said after the fight. "I wasn't worried about nothing at all. When I fight, I don't worry, man."

Another fighter who made a statement was Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, who dominated Antonio Vargas in his bantamweight debut. Although Rodriguez absorbed more punches than usual, he stopped Vargas in the sixth round on June 13 to become a three-division champion. Rodriguez remains No. 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings, behind undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue -- whom he could face early next year -- and former heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who recently vacated the WBA, IBF and WBC titles.

Our panel of Andreas Hale, Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, James Regan, Eric Woodyard, Bernardo Pilatti, Salvador Rodriguez, Jim Zirolli, Michael Mascaro, Aladdin Freeman, Victor Lopez and Damian Delgado Averhoff shares its votes.

More ESPN rankings: Divisional rankings and women's pound-for-pound rankings.

Note: Results are through July 1.

1. NAOYA INOUE

RECORD: 33-0, 27 KOs

DIVISION: Junior featherweight (undisputed champion)

LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Junto Nakatani, May 2

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Inoue takes over the top spot after turning back the challenge of fellow pound-for-pound fighter Nakatani in the biggest fight in the history of Japanese boxing. "The Monster" had to endure a late surge from Nakatani and seized control in the championship rounds to retain his undisputed status. With this highly anticipated fight behind him, he'll await his next challenge. The next big fight for Inoue will be against another pound-for-pound fighter in Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, a bout that could happen in early 2027. -- Hale

2. OLEKSANDR USYK

RECORD: 25-0, 16 KOs

DIVISION: Heavyweight

LAST FIGHT: W (TKO11) Rico Verhoeven, May 23

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Usyk avoided disaster with a controversial 11th-round stoppage of Verhoeven in a fight that was believed to be a showcase for the three-time undisputed champion. Instead, he struggled to track down the decorated kickboxer for long stretches until he eventually put his foot on the gas pedal. Whether the performance was a hiccup or an indication that Usyk is on the decline is yet to be decided. He has since opted to vacate his WBA, IBF and WBC titles. -- Hale

3. JESSE RODRIGUEZ

RECORD: 24-0, 17 KOs

DIVISION: Bantamweight (champion)

LAST FIGHT: W (KO6) Antonio Vargas, June 13

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

"Bam" Rodriguez had no issues with his jump to bantamweight, stopping Antonio Vargas in six rounds to claim a world championship in a third weight class. More importantly, he's inching closer to what would arguably be the biggest fight in the history of the lighter weight classes in a showdown with top pound-for-pound fighter Naoya Inoue. Robert Garcia, Rodriguez's trainer, suggested that "Bam" may stay at 118 pounds for one more fight before making the move to junior featherweight. Rodriguez continues to impress and has put together a Hall of Fame career at age 26. -- Hale

4. DAVID BENAVIDEZ

RECORD: 32-0, 26 KOs

DIVISION: Light heavyweight (champion) and cruiserweight (unified champion)

LAST FIGHT: W (KO6) Gilberto Ramirez, May 2

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Benavidez destroyed "Zurdo" Ramirez in his cruiserweight debut to become a three-division world champion in a frightening display of offensive dominance. He's become arguably the most exciting fighter in boxing with plenty of options for his next fight. Still only 29, Benavidez will likely move back down to light heavyweight and seek to challenge unified champion Dmitry Bivol. Never one to duck a challenge, "The Mexican Monster" is on a thrilling endeavor as he continues to hunt the biggest challenges and wipe them out in emphatic fashion. -- Hale

5. SHAKUR STEVENSON

RECORD: 25-0, 11 KOs

DIVISION: Junior welterweight (champion)

LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Teofimo Lopez Jr., Jan. 31

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Stevenson shoots up the pound-for-pound list after pitching a near shutout against Teofimo Lopez Jr. to win a major world title in a fourth weight class. But it's not just that he's winning fights. Stevenson, 28, is operating on a different plateau, dominating the opposition and barely conceding rounds against fellow world champions. He has plenty of options as he could look to unify at 140 pounds or 135. Or he could climb another weight class to 147 pounds. He's knocking at the door of the top spot. -- Hale

6. DMITRY BIVOL

RECORD: 25-1, 12 KOs

DIVISION: Light heavyweight (unified champion)

LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Michael Eifert, May 30

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Bivol returns to the rankings after a 15-month absence from the ring. He put an overmatched Eifert down in the first round and appeared to spend the next 11 rounds knocking the rust off. Bivol showed he's still sharp and one of the best boxers in the world. He'll certainly see a step up in competition for his next fight, which is rumored to be a rubber match with Artur Beterbiev. -- Hale

7. DEVIN HANEY

RECORD: 33-0, 1 NC, 15 KOs

DIVISION: Welterweight (champion)

LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Brian Norman Jr., Nov. 22, 2025

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Haney defeated the biggest puncher at welterweight with relative ease as he dominated Norman to become WBO champion. Comments about Haney's demise after the Ryan Garcia fight were grotesquely exaggerated, and he silenced the naysayers by brilliantly outboxing a fighter with even bigger punching power than Garcia. A three-division champion who just turned 27, Haney cracks the list with his impressive skill set and instincts. -- Hale

8. JARON "BOOTS" ENNIS     Previous ranking: 9

RECORD: 36-0, 32 KOs

DIVISION: Junior middleweight (unified champion)

LAST FIGHT: W (TKO7) Xander Zayas, June 27

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Ennis finally picked up the statement win he has long been after, dropping Xander Zayas down three times en route to a seventh-round stoppage to become the WBA and WBO junior middleweight champion. Ennis was brilliant offensively, putting together blistering combinations with blinding speed, pinpoint accuracy and power to overwhelm Zayas. He's currently one of the most talented fighters in the world and said he will aim to become undisputed at 154 pounds. If that doesn't come soon enough, we coul finally get the long-awaited showdown between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Ennis. -- Hale

9. JUNTO NAKATANI     Previous ranking: 8

RECORD: 32-1, 24 KOs

DIVISION: Bantamweight

LAST FIGHT: L (UD12) Naoya Inoue, May 2

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Nakatani dug himself a hole he couldn't quite get out in the first half of the fight against Inoue and lost a unanimous decision. However, his rally to claw back into the fight was impressive as he took the fight to Inoue in the middle rounds. He'll be sidelined with a left orbital bone fracture as he decides where to go following the first loss of his career. -- Hale

10. JAI OPETAIA

RECORD: 30-0, 23 KOs

DIVISION: Cruiserweight

LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Brandon Glanton, March 8

NEXT FIGHT: TBA

The undefeated Australian made his debut on American soil with a one-sided throttling of Glanton to claim the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship. However, the most compelling story had to do with the IBF title, which Opetaia would be later stripped of for a second time. There's no doubt that Opetaia is the best cruiserweight in the world, but the real question will surround how Zuffa Boxing manages to help him fulfill his dream of becoming the undisputed champion. -- Hale

The formula

The rankings are based on a descending points system, with a first-place vote awarding 10 points, a second-place vote awarding nine points and so on. A tie goes to the fighter with the highest ranking, then the one with the most votes at that ranking.

Others receiving votes: Canelo Alvarez (5), Oscar Collazo (5), Emanuel Navarrete (4), Rafael Espinoza (3), Vergil Ortiz Jr. (2), Raymond Muratalla (2), O'Shaquie Foster (2)

How our writers voted

Hale: 1. Inoue, 2. Rodriguez, 3. Usyk, 4. Benavidez, 5. Stevenson, 6. Bivol, 7. Haney, 8. Ennis, 9. Ortiz, 10. Nakatani

Atlas: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Benavidez, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Bivol, 6. Stevenson, 7. Ennis, 8. Haney, 9. Nakatani, 10. Muratalla

Tessitore: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Benavidez, 6. Opetaia, 7. Bivol, 8. Haney, 9. Ennis, 10. Nakatani

Parkinson: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Bivol, 7. Haney, 8. Ennis, 9. Opetaia, 10. Nakatani

Regan: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Benavidez, 5. Bivol, 6. Stevenson, 7. Haney, 8. Ennis, 9. Nakatani, 10. Alvarez

Rodriguez: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Bivol, 5. Benavidez, 6. Stevenson, 7. Collazo, 8. Navarrete, 9. Ennis, 10. Alvarez

Osuna: 1. Inoue, 2. Rodriguez, 3. Usyk, 4. Benavidez, 5. Stevenson, 6. Bivol, 7. Haney, 8. Ennis, 9. Nakatani, 10. Navarrete

Woodyard: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Stevenson, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Benavidez, 6. Bivol, 7. Nakatani, 8. Haney, 9. Ennis, 10. Collazo

Pilatti: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Stevenson, 6. Haney, 7. Bivol, 8. Ennis, 9. Nakatani, 10. Muratalla

Zirolli: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Stevenson, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Benavidez, 6. Haney, 7. Ennis, 8. Opetaia, 9. Bivol, 10. Nakatani

Mascaro: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Benavidez, 5. Stevenson, 6. Haney, 7. Bivol, 8. Ennis, 9. Espinoza, 10. Nakatani

Freeman: 1. Inoue, 2. Rodriguez, 3. Stevenson, 4. Usyk, 5. Benavidez, 6. Haney, 7. Bivol, 8. Nakatani, 9. Foster, 10. Espinoza

Lopez: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Bivol, 6. Stevenson, 7. Ennis, 8. Haney, 9. Nakatani, 10. Alvarez

Delgado Averhof: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Bivol, 6. Stevenson, 7. Ennis, 8. Hanney, 9. Alvarez, 10. Opetaia

ESPN experts' poll

First place: Inoue (11), Usyk (3)

Second place: Usyk (8), Inoue (3), Rodriguez (3)

Third place: Benavidez (5), Rodriguez (4), Stevenson (3), Usyk (2)

Fourth place: Rodriguez (6), Benavidez (4), Stevenson (2), Usyk (1), Bivol (1)

Fifth place: Benavidez (5), Stevenson (4), Bivol (4), Rodriguez (1)

Sixth place: Stevenson (5), Bivol (4), Haney (4), Opetaia (1)

Seventh place: Bivol (4), Haney (4) Ennis (4), Nakatani (1), Collazo (1)

Eighth place: Ennis (6), Haney (5), Nakatani (1), Opetaia (1), Navarrete (1)

Ninth place: Nakatani (5), Ennis (3), Bivol (1), Opetaia (1), Alvarez (1), Ortiz (1), Espinoza (1), Foster (1)

10th place: Nakatani (5), Alvarez (3), Muratalla (2), Opetaia (1), Collazo (1), Espinoza (1), Navarrete (1)